Hi Bob, I checked into the Sikaflex and they offer tons of bonding materials,
I stopped into a semi trailer repair facility in town and they swear by 3M VHB tape, guys there love the stuff for gluing panels, also checked in at Progressive trailers here in Phx, real good guys, they make beautiful custom car trailers, they like the tape also, but say the 3m bond "540" works even better then I got with the 3m sales rep for Phx, she recommended the "560" formula , it has even more tensile strength than the 540. So I ordered a case of that, will be here Tues.

geokaye ... you have some interesting comments about slides. Is there anything good about slides? The comment from the guy with the band equipment is halarious. If we can patent common sense, put it in a bottle or pill, and get FDA approval ... we'd be rich!

Awesome build! Questions and supply info
 

377PETE,
Awesome build! You're doing exactly what i want to do (convert a semi trailer to a durable, comfortable RV). I am considering using a moving trailer (i.e drop deck). The side and rear door openings can be easily closed in for windows/normal sized doors/slides. My biggest concern is trailer height. Every moving trailer I've seen is 13'6", preventing installation of anything on the roof (i.e vents, antennas, etc) without making recessed in the roof. This could be overcome by using flush mount side vents and other solutions, but 13'6" is still huge if trying to get into the average campground, park, etc.
What is the height of your trailer and how are you planning to route your utilities that are normally roof mounted? Also, what was the cost of your trailer (I'm trying to get some general costs to create a realistic budget for my build)?
I have also been considering the addition of slides. Looks like you have already found what you need but a couple of good sources for linear bearings and slides, gear racks, etc are industrial suppliers like MSC Industrial Supply Co. and www.McMasterCarr.com. If you have good design and fabrication skills you can build a bulletproof slide mechanism for a fraction of the cost of the lightweight units. Great project!

I think some people are using those min-split a/c units now on campers. They would allow you to install without anything sticking up on the roof.

It is amazing what kind of people you will attract to a linked thread.......

(I saw geofkaye and knew I had to sign up.)

I'm surprised it took you this long, Pipe. Welcome to the other side of trucks and camping. Hahahaha.

hay 377 pete what mill did thay say to use we are buildiny one to thanks for the help call me if u get time

Hello everyone, been way toooo busy lately. ( Actually we were on vacation) Ha !! okay back at it though, but wholly cow, my vp44 fuel injection pump went out on my 99 Dodge diesel, what a scam $1000 bucks for a rebuilt unit it's crazy, I'm in the wrong business, sorry just needed to vent !!! regarding my height limitations, I agree that it certainly causes an issue, I don't recall what my height was I know I measured it a while back, but I never intended to put anything on my roof, I am using the ceiling of the trailer for my utilties, wiring and cooling ducts, I figure about 18" I will have to use and then of course insulate, my thoughts were to get a nose mounted cooling unit/generator i.e. used thermo king or small cooling units you see on delivery trucks something similar to the big boys with the high dollar race trailers, only the outer shell will LOOK high dollar. I shopped for about a year on the trailer and specifically wanted something with no side doors, plus I did not want a double drop, my floor is flat all the way to the fifth wheel area, I wanted to install the windows and doors anywhere I wanted and side doors I figured side doors would create more work, just my way of thinking. I think I got a pretty good deal for the trailer, $4500 delivered to my back yard. I really never thought about getting into campgrounds to much, I'm sure it will create some challenges, but remember my unit will have 17 feet of garage space, our Primary use will be at the Glamis sand dunes, and Lake Havasu (easy parking at both locations) but for anywhere else I can load the family vehicle in the back, this way we'll have transportation whenever we get to where we're going. So I'll just find a nice quiet location to park, then drop the car out the back. fastavenger sorry what do you mean "mill" on your question

You should have plenty of interior headroom even after building the drop ceiling to hide all the utilities.

$4500 is a great price, especially finding exactly the type unit you want. What condition was it in (i.e. did it need tires, brake/axle rebuild, body condition, etc)?

D G I would say I got real lucky, the condition is very good, tires brakes axles , every thing looks great, I got it through TIP leasing, it's a 96' with 119,250 miles on the hub meter, I would definitely recommend a leasing or rental company as they service there equipment regularly, if your searching for one. mine came out of the LA area and I was told it had been sitting for a long time in their storage yard. There's one repair to the siding, that was obviously done correctly and a few very small ding/scratches down the sides , overall I would say Very Good Condition, but remember I took a solid year looking for this and looked at a lot of very used equipment in the interim, good luck on your search and don't settle for a great deal if it needs tons of work, those deals tend to backfire.

hay pete
 

how thick was that 3m vhb tape u got they make a lot of different ones

I didn't go with the tape I got a case of the 3m 560 bond, it's in tubes similar to a caulking gun, the guys at the semi trailer shop had the 3m red tape looked like 2 inch, very pricey. a word of caution.. once you stick the two items together with the tape, there's no adjustment, with the 560 bound caulking style application you have a little time to move things to get them "just right"

thanks pete we are bulding a truck to just got a 10 kw onan putting it in on thursday

540 560 what is the difference

the only difference that I'm aware of is the "tinsle" strength the 560 has a greater amount, per the 3m rep here in Phx it is stronger....

fastavenger where did you get your generator and how much? is it gas or diesel?

diesel generator
 

Volvoman
I bought a 8500 watt diesel Generac two years ago from East coast Generators. It was $6400. Price included remote controls,install kit and delivery. I noticed they are about $6900 for the same package now. Also, there are a couple of used Onan 7500 watt diesels on Ebay for $5500. Slightly smaller gas units are quite a bit cheaper though. I just didn't want to mess with two fuels.
MMM

out of shear finances, i went with a gasoline generator. they have serious drawbacks: fumes must be run far away from any living area, air cooled only, two fuels, no remote, and i swear gas is louder than diesel. The drawback to diesel is 5 times the cost. My advice is to go diesel if you can afford it. I couldn't afford it this time.

Doc

I think the diesel is quieter too. Liquid cooling might have something to do with it? Wouldn't they use less fuel too, maybe?

I really didn't need a 8500 watt generator but it was the only diesel I could find that ran at 1800 RPM (quieter) and was water cooled. The smaller diesels I looked at ran at 3600 RPM and were air cooled. The generac has a sound insulated cabinet and only burns .74 GPH at max output. It also meets the National parks code for noise levels. The only drawback is it has been the single most expensive item I have bought for this build except for the truck itself. I'm with Doc, go diesel if you can afford it. MMM