'Project x' Mutant Trailer (pictures coming SOON)

What is ‘Project x’ … Nope, not that 2012 Warners Brother movie …  It’s the temporary name of my work-in-progress mutant camping trailer that has been in-works for about a year now but been in the planning stages for the last 16+ years.  Boy does time fly!
If you are a DIY, handy-man, geek out kind of guy like me … then you’ll dig the nuances to this trailer!

History Alert …  I first saw a similar trailer (Conqueror) back around 1999 @ a boat show in the Cow Palace.  That company has come a LONG was since then & their offroad trailers are HELLA expensive now.  That sparked the design fire for mine!  SOMEHOW, I managed to keep a collection of pictures of that one all these years & looked back for creative ideas year after year.

Sourcing & Initial Construction ...  The plan was to build this from (2) Truck Utility Boxes from my dad’s old 1970’s pickup that I had stored back in the weeds.  Time, rain & rust got the best of them so I had to source an alternative truck utility bed as my blank canvas.  Though I wanted to build my own frame, a gem of a utility box popped up for sale on CL in Petaluma.   Took off work the next day & made the drive.  Turned out to be a greater starter for me … an 8-compartment, 8’ utility box mounted on a 1991 Chevy 2500 truck frame that the owner (a welder and DIY handyman) had already cut, welded and added a tongue/jack/hitch onto!  After a little BS’ing, a drink together and a few bucks changing hands I was hitched & on my way home.  Ahhh… nothing like crossing thru the Bay Area at 5:30pm on a workday!

Strip it & Rip It …  After the initial “look” from family members (you know ……  THAT look  ) and some explaining as to what I was doing & what it could become it was Tool time!  Grabbed an assortment of hand tools & starting ripping it apart to its bare bones so I could better see what I had to work with.  I ripped out ALL the existing metal shelving & dividers leaving me with bare openings.  Once it was bare, the next couple weeks was spent staring it down with tape measure in one hand & notebook in the other.  The design evolved as the days, weeks & months progressed.  Some ideas fell off the pages as they just weren’t feasible with the parts I had intended to use (gathered over the past 16 years for this very day) or as new CRAZY ideas came to mind.  As the ‘ol saying goes “leave no stone unturned”.  I soon took ideas from friends & family who jokingly (or so they thought) said “I bet you couldn’t have a ……… put in the trailer”.  Their jokes, my challenge.  So the journey began to stuff anything & everything you’d find in a large RV, into an 8’ Truck Utility bed.

Blood, Burns & More …  A job well done is deserving of blood shed & welding burns!  I’m more than a pencil pusher of design & creativity.  With list of installation “wishes” in hand and NO factory made items that simply bolt-on, the time to build happened.  Working one compartment at a time, I built!  Making, custom, carpet covered interior panels to one-off welded metal brackets to elaborate wiring harnesses it came to life.  After 8+ cans of spray on adhesive, THOUSANDS of stainless steel staples, pounds of stainless hardware & hundreds of feet of marine-grade electrical wire ranging from 16ga to #2, it took form.

It has WHAT in it? …  The basic list of goodies crammed into functional work “cubicles” includes:
(2) Group 27 Batteries, Power Center/Panel/Breakers/Fuse Box, Lowrance Fishfinder testing center with WiFi & NMEA 2000 backbone, RAM Mounts, 110V Power Inlet/Outlets, 12 Power Outlets, USB Charging Centers, Tool tray storage, 1000w Inverter/Charger, 1000 Honda Generator, COMPLETE BAR & sink (a NCKA MUST HAVE), TV/DVD/VHF, large BBQ/Grill/ with offset smoker firebox, Propane Oven, Propane Stove/Grill, Blender, Rice Cooker & “sashimi station” (love ya Mooch!), complete Pantry, 11# Propane Tank, dimmable LED interior lighting, 20 Gallon Freshwater Tank with 12v water pump, Outdoor Shower system, outdoor survival tools, 5000# air bag suspension, spare tire, 2” Hitch Receiver (for bike rack, bumper dumper, portable striper pole or ???), under frame lighting (coming soon), 8’ rod lockers (in process), kayak racks (coming soon) and a host of other small touches that I still have room/plans for after this initial shakedown run.  The 4’x8’ utility bed has a number of flush 2000# tie downs & an adjustable unistrut gear rack allowing for LOTS of gear to be hauled; kayaks, misc. camping gear, motorcycle or ????  LED tail/turn/brake/marker lights & completely new, custom made wiring harness.  The Tepui tent (as previously seen atop my truck at LRC 2014 @ Anchor Bay last year) tops off the rack atop the trailer! 

Encouragement …  A few NCKA members stopped by along the way to see how it was going & got to peek under its skirt.

The 11th Hour; More like 2am …  With an opportunity to debut it at the unSCruz (A Burning Man Regional event) coming up this coming weekend, the challenge was thrown down to have it ready enough to make the 3-day event.  The final pushes came at 2am this weekend when I was still grinding, sanding & laying down coats of roll-on bed liner.  I managed to hitch it up to the truck … the first time on the road again in almost a year!  It rolled out of the garage with less than 1” of clearance on its way out the door.  Quick bath & mounting of the Tepui Tent to the top rack.  Finally looked ….. uh ….. smaller than I remember it looking.  Guess it shrunk when I washed it?!?!

First Impressions …  Rolling down the road & into the shop at work for my co-workers & fellow “Burners” (aka Burning Man folk) to see it for the first time.  They caught mere glimpses in pictures from my phone but never the “whole picture” till today.  Mind you, it’s not DONE but ready for a trial shakedown!  Plans for Albion … I have a spot …  Burning Man in Black Rock, NV if I get a ticket this year … LRC 2015 @ Anchor Bay … I have a spot …  Other NCKA events coming soon!!!!  Glen ... the BBQ/Smoker will be ready for a little THROWDOWN once I get it seasoned.  Anyone with some meat or fish is welcomed to come "season" it for me 

Pictures coming soon!  Have to gather them all up from my camera, phone, laptop, work computer & create a little slideshow somehow.

Here are some of the "before" pictures .....  after a few hours of 'clean up' work.

We want to see the "after" pictures 

I saw that bad boy when it was just back from the adoption agency! Looking forward to seeing it done Bill. Oh and I know that look. I got is two weeks ago when the tamale pot showed up to convert my smokey joe bbq to a true smokey joe smoker.

"After" pictures are coming SOON!  I will take the best pictures of this this coming weekend "in action" bit I'll try to shoot some this afternoon here at work & post up.  The "picture story" of it growing up from start to finish will take a few days for me to gather & create a picture youtube slideshow or something.

Wow, I cant wait to see what ya do with that Bill!

Wow, I cant wait to see what ya do with that Bill!

What I do has been done ... but more to come on it still.  I think you will dig it, though!

Mix of materials/textiles:  Metal, Woods, Carpets, different textures & finishes (varnishes, paints, powdercoat & polishes)

MAN THAT IS GONNA BE TOTALLY RADICAL! 

Ok, here are a few POOR pictures taken with the camera phone with it in the shop today.  I couldn't get far enough back with the phone to get it all in one shot.  I will break out the good camera this weekend & get some good shots of it out in the daylight.

SWEET setup!!!!!

Sick!!!

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

WOW!!! 

Wait for it ... wait for it....

Few more teaser (poor)pics...
starting off with my mascot & bottle opener along with the bar (tv up & tv down) & wrapping up with my electrical electrical panel.

Dude!!!! 

But where's the Crown Royal Honey????