How build a trailer in nine hours

I know it has been several months since my last post, but I have been busy. A couple of weeks ago, Amy and I hosted the 50th Anniversary rally to celebrate Cape Town to Cairo. At the rally, several forum folks were asking me when I was going to have my Flying cloud ready. My reply was, "Never at my current pace without any help!". Several of them said that they would be interested in helping me right the ship so to speak, and we set up October 3rd to meet up and do the work.

I have found that using the three steps below, you can accomplish anything.

Step 1: Recruit outstanding people to help you in your effort. Thank you so much to Mike, Tina, Alan, Rob, Jonathan, Roger, and Bob. Without your help, this project probably wouldn't have gotten to this point for another year. Other than being gracious enough to help with the rebuild, everyone showed up pretty early in the morning (for a Saturday), and some drove from an hour or over two hours away. These people are great friends to do this.

Step 2: Supply BBQ to the workers not once, but twice. I fired up the smoker at around 0700 to cook the chicken and pork shoulder. The chicken was done for lunch, and the pork made excellent dinner. Thank you Tina for bringing the apple/sweet potato dish, and the cookies.

Smoker rolling at 0730

Step 3: Have the right tools for the job. I had most all the tools for the build that were needed, but the fact that everyone brought more tools really helped out. Mike brought his sheet metal tools, and was a great knowledge source for the belly pan. A creeper would have been a great thing to have after rolling around on my back under the belly pan.

Jonathan was the first arrival short after 0800. We had a short discussion, had some breakfast strudel, and started getting things ready. Shortly after we pulled out the wheel wells, Roger, Bob, Alan, and Rob arrived minutes within one another.

We began with centering the wheel wells over the tires, and took measurements for the new Advantech flooring we would be using. Jonathan used it in his, and I read on the forums how great it was. Roger jumped right in and began cutting.

Making sure the wells fit correctly

Bob, Roger, Alan, and Jonathan survey the sheet before cutting

Roger Makes the first crosscut

As most of us were working on the floor and wheel wells, Bob took it upon himself to put in new bracing of the shell. This was a tedious task that he did alone for the most part. It was really being an unsung hero since he was off in his own little world.

Checking the old bracing

Bob decides it needs to be redone

While attaching the first sheet of flooring, Mike and Tina showed up. Mike immediately began screwing down the second sheet of flooring into the frame. At this point there was a small dilemma, and a new piece of plywood was required along with more #2 Phillips head bits, and some decking screws to assist Bob in his bracing. When I returned, the third middle floor section was cut and attached.

Before we could drop the shell, we would have to get the C channel on, and the belly pan. I bolted the channel through each outrigger with a wide head elevator bolt, and bent the end of the bolt over once the nut was fastened tightly. Between the outriggers I used hex headed zinc plated screws with neoprene washers on them. I hope the washers will prevent some of the corrosion that had occurred with the last floor bolts that were installed.

With the middle flooring and C channel installed, we turned out eyes to the belly pan. First temporarily fastened it to the C channel on one side with some Cleco fasteners. After the Clecos were in, we began to form it to the bottom of the belly pan with the help of some pulling, and 2x4's to hold it against the floor bottom. I laid under the trailer and drilled up through the belly pan and the frame to have a good spot to rivet. The frame space just rear of the axle was left open inbetween the main frame rails. This will allow me to accompdate a gray water tank in the future. We dud however wrap from the channel to the main rail.

Cleco Vision

Mike forms the rear wheel well pan

Mike measures while I drill holes, and rivet the pan into place

Mike measures for the partial belly

Roger, Mike, and Alan cutting the partial pan

We finally finished fitting the belly pan for the middle section, and it was time to buck rivet the pan to the channel. I had bought my rivet gun and bucking bar so long ago, and finally I had a chance to use it. I was unsure about the bucking process, but Mike (MASTER of all trades) was very familiar with it. He held the bucking bar and told me to just feather the trigger to mash the buck tail. A few seconds later, I felt like I had mastered the process. Bucking rivets isn't anything like I imagined. It was fast, easy, inexpensive, and very fun. Bob wanted his turn at bucking as well since he will be restoring his Around the World Ambassador. Roger, Jonathan, and myself fell into such a groove while bucking rivets down the line. Jonathan compared us to a NASCAR pit crew since we were moving so fast.

Clamp, rivet, repeat

Roger takes over as the bucker while I hammer the rivets

The pit crew in action

Bob tries his hand at bucking

The weather was starting to get cooler out, and we were losing daylight. We knew we had to get the shell moving if we were to get it done. We rolled the chassis out of the spot we were working on it, and up in front of the shell.


We hooked the chassis up to Alan's truck so when we put weight down, it wouldn't shoot the tongue up in the air. All six of us went inside the trailer and lined up three in front, and three in the back. We lifted the shell by the bracing, and walked forward. I was the first to arrive at the chassis, and had to step over the first cross members, and then onto the first section of flooring. The others followed until we were completely over the frame.

The three young guns prepping to lift

Over the frame shimmying into place

After the shimmy, we were finally in place to stop. The shell is back on, but not completely fastened yet. That will have to be done once I get the new flooring and belly pan in place. It looks a little weird without the fender covers over the wheel wells and missing half the pan, but it doesn't look that bad to me.

Shell on...for at least another 56 years

We cleaned up our giant mess, people loaded their tools into the vehicles, and we proceeded to feast on BBQ and the normal fixings. I am sore, tired, but overall extremely grateful for the friends who game me their Saturday.

Steve