Procrastination is my name

I said I would go out and level the frame again ... but just haven't gotten to it in the heat. Tomorrow is another day for that... :-)

Shuffling the Trailer Around

The landlord was shuffling things a week ago in accord with his project plans ... so he put the extended forks on the front of his tractor, just picked up the entire frame, and moved it down next to the cabin ... where we re-stacked the bricks under it and set it down.  I've gotta straighten the brick piles a bit, make some wooden wedges, and get it all leveled out.

I've also purchased the pressure-treated lumber and flashing to build the wooden base.    Need the foam and 3/4" sheets to cover it.  Oh, and the plumbing connectors to come up through the base for the tub/shower, vent, and sink drains.  That will take some adjusting before I can frame up the walls.  I'm sure it would all be a lot easier if I wasn't dealing with the drain tanks.  But that gives me more options.

Tub/Shower Unit Purchase

     In rebuilding the camping trailer, we wanted to replace the bunkbeds in the back left corner with a tub/shower unit.  The original tub unit was so small that when sitting in it, your chin was on your knees.  And someone had to pull you up out of it ... impossible to get out on your own.

     Anyway, yesterday on the way to pay the utility bill, my wifes says that she wants to go to some yards sales to get some things.  I pass a yard sale sign.  Then a little further down the street, I turn and backtrack to connect up with the yard sale signs.  It didn't look like your typical yard sale ... almost no clothes, no toys, etc.  There were light fixtures, switches, door stops, a bay window, refrigerators ... It was like somebody had been remodeling and had all the leftover parts for sale.
     The prize for us was a tub/shower unit.  Brand new.  And for sale for way less than 1/3 the normal price.  We bought it.  And they delivered it to our place while we continued on to pay the utility bill.
     This was so fortuitous, I give praise to the Lord.  This had nothing to do with my normal lack of brilliance ... I'm usually quite bad at heeding promptings of the spirit.  But in this case, I overcame my normal rebellious nature and just went with it ... and the result was so fantastic!  Thanks Lord.
     The first thing after building the floor/base ... we will need this tub/shower unit so we can plumb to the waste water tank ... before the floor/base becomes a closed immoveable unit.  Then we'll have to build the walls up around the tub/shower unit ... because there would be no way to get it inside through the doorway or a window.
     I am so excited that things are ever so slowly coming together.  Framing and walls can go up pretty quickly.  It's the foundation work and the detail work that take so much time.

Leveled?!

I leveled the frame ... side-to-side and front-to-back.
A few more 2 x 4's and I can build the floor base.

Well ... uhhh

The front axle has a weird bump in it near the left side ... it HAS to be replaced.  But the measurements I'm recording of the bearing seats and axle are different from what is available online.  Nuts.  Well, I may as well by some flashing, 12- 2x4's, and a few sheets of plywood and at least make a base.

Monetarily Broke = Slow Progress

 

This is the front axle.

You see the dent (arch) in the axle towards the left side.

Bad news.

My wife wants me to replace both axles with new Reliable 3500 lb. axles.  

Reliable 3500-lb Trailer Axle

May be a delay getting around to that due to money shortage.  In the meantime, I need to put jackstands or scissor jacks under at least 3 points on each side and level the frame to construct the sub-floor/ foundation.

 

I've removed the springs and shackles.

Due to rust, just attempting to unbolt them didn't work.  I used the wire wheel in the drill to clean out the threads, then oiled them, and after that it wasn't so difficult to get them off.  I need to totally wire brush them and paint them. 

Brakes & Hubs

 

There was spider egg-sack and cockroach casings inside.

I brushed all that out.

The brake shoes still had plenty of lining on them

and the drums didn't show any signs of wear. 

 

After it was all brushed out ...

here's a view of the spindle.

Notice that the inner and out bearings are different sizes.

1-1/4" & 1-1/16"  respectively.

New axles have 1-3/8" on the inner bearing ... 

which is 1/8" larger than mine, so my hub won't work on them.

although new axles would be nice, I don't want to have to replace everything.