Topkick fifth wheel hauler project

[NASTYZEN]

way too far in this to mod doors. Need more sleep.....These 12 hour days are killing me. I'll update in a couple of days.
We are gluing panels today with F-18 Epoxy glue. Stinks badly!

 

[Strouty]

way too far in this to mod doors. Need more sleep.....These 12 hour days are killing me. I'll update in a couple of days.
We are gluing panels today with F-15 Epoxy glue. Stinks badly!

It isn't the 12 hour days that are killing you, it is the 5 hour nights that are doing it!

 

[NASTYZEN]

Great project!! A inspiration for me as I am planning a new project for towing my trailers.

If this can inspire just one person to go out to his garage and fab something up. It would be worth the effort of posting up this project.
If it fits inside, it can be done!

This thread movtivated so much, I've been looking for a Kodiak/Topkick. They have proved very difficult to find a decent, low mileage one.

This one is gas powered,even harder to find. If you do find one and make a build, please post up your build.

Nasty - don't know if I've seen it - and it's waaaayyy too late here, but have you thought of having the door gaskets on the door instead of the box? That would help prevent them from getting cut up as chains, tools and whatnot are dragged across the gasket.

I don't recall ever seeing a truck box with the gasket on the door though... Must be a reason. Just idle wondering before my coffee this morning.

Keep up the great work!

Thanks aggierailroad, I saw that setup on a Hydro truck here the other day, but it was already too late. Looks cool as heck, I'll have to go look at one.....some day.

It isn't the 12 hour days that are killing you, it is the 5 hour nights that are doing it!

Could be the 7 day thing as well.

Fathers day today. I'm off!

Here is that update I mentioned. Been to busy working on the darn thing!

After reviewing the number of hours into the project, we decided to go the easier way and use square corners.





Figured out the offset for the bike door which will have a 2.0'' tube frame.



RH front side pretty much done.



Welded up side.



Filed and plenished.



Some more CAD











On to the LH side.







Starting the fitting of the front LH Door opening and gas filler location.



Now, the main reason for all this, other than hauling a fifth wheel. Is to be able to carry the mans Goldwing. Does it fit????!
First try.



Going, going.



Darn! It sticks out by over 6 inches...



After moving the whole lift thing, modding the cradle and tie down mech. and notching the frame.


It now fits!





Now that the bike thing is figured out we can take the box off the truck to weld the under side. But first, final fit of the arch.





Happy Fathers day guys!

More when I get a break.

 

[ADSR]

holy ****! That's just awesome work right there!!!!

 

[SiGmA_X]

Looks fantastic! Great work!!

 

[bullnerd]

DAYUUUM!!

Thats a lot of welding!

Is the arch multiple pieces of sheet?

 

[neonnblack]

A page or two back he has the build on the arch, but yes, multiple pieces.

 

[kbs2244]

I have been watching this progress with amazement.
Your workmanship is beyond belief.

But today something occurred to me.
You are in Canada.
That means a lot of road salt.

This build is aluminum.
And it has tons of nooks and crannies in it.

How are you going to keep the salt from rotting all this work away?

 

[bullnerd]

A page or two back he has the build on the arch, but yes, multiple pieces.

Thanks, I missed it.

 

[NASTYZEN]

holy ****! That's just awesome work right there!!!!

Thank's. More like an awesome amount of work.

Looks fantastic! Great work!!

Thank's

DAYUUUM!!

Thats a lot of welding!

Is the arch multiple pieces of sheet?

Huge amount of welding. Over 50 hrs so far. 2 bottles of Argon

I have been watching this progress with amazement.
Your workmanship is beyond belief.

But today something occurred to me.
You are in Canada.
That means a lot of road salt.

This build is aluminum.
And it has tons of nooks and crannies in it.

How are you going to keep the salt from rotting all this work away?

Thanks for the kind words.
The box will get painted and it will get undercoating. The rig will be far South of any snow in the winter.

 

[Thumper68]

That's a hell of a lot of filler rod on Page 7 pic 13. Now I remember why I'm using steel for my bed project.

Have you switched to tig only or are you still using both?

 

[NASTYZEN]

That's a hell of a lot of filler rod on Page 7 pic 13. Now I remember why I'm using steel for my bed project.

Have you switched to tig only or are you still using both?

Tig on the skins except on some fillet welds where mig will distort less as well as be quicker.

 

[Todd.Brock]

Hello, Any updates by chance? This thing is just awesome to watch come together!!

 

[Sunbimmer]

Hello, Any updates by chance? This thing is just awesome to watch come together!!

My thoughts exactly !!

 

[NASTYZEN]

To busy to upload.This one is taking so much juice..Plus I have a business to run. I wish it would of been this way when I was starting out.
But update you ask for, you get.

Took it off the truck to get to the underside.



Spent a solid 8 hours under there.





The air compressor in its spot.



Couple mods for the ramp.





Started on the door.



BOOM!



Maman! Bou hoo!



I should of known better... The clamp on the miter saw broke a while back and I had been using a *********** vise grip instead.
But it dosn't work well with the 2.'' tube, so I was holding it with my hand.....
Aw man, that was two weeks ago and it still hurts like a SOB when I bump it.
You never realize how much you use something until you mash it good.

 

[ADSR]

Damn that must have hurt! And you were only taking off a 32nd off the piece as well.

Hard to work with a fuked up finger.

 

[Thumper68]

Oh man I feel for you, I got that same finger with a hammer stapler last fall, the nail is finally back to looking normal. On a good note the 11 yo made sure that I showed all his friends the completely black nail and then again when it fell off. 11 yo boys think gross is so cool.

 

[neonnblack]

What saw are you using, also what blade?

 

[fredbaly]

This build is great... Now I want to build one!

 

[Strouty]

What saw are you using, also what blade?

It is a bosch but don't know what blade he is using. Shouldn't matter much with aluminum. Sorry about your finger. As they say stupid hurts! Ask me how I know this.

Sent by carrier pigeon.

 

[NASTYZEN]

Hard to work with a fuked up finger.

Makes hammer and dolleying much more interesting it does!

Oh man I feel for you, I got that same finger with a hammer stapler last fall, the nail is finally back to looking normal. On a good note the 11 yo made sure that I showed all his friends the completely black nail and then again when it fell off. 11 yo boys think gross is so cool.

No bragging rights, the color left and it was barely swollen the next day. BUT IT STILL HURT A LOT!! Felt like it was glowing in the dark. Why do fingertips have to hurt so much? Constantly.

What saw are you using, also what blade?

Bosh 12'' I use it industrially. I cut 2 x 2, 2 x 8, 4 x 4 Solid T-6 Alu. all the time with it. The blade I use is a 80 tooth 12.0'' x .126'' x 1.o'' blade from Royce. One tough saw, except for the clamping part.

This build is great... Now I want to build one!

Don't forget to take pictures.

Well, now onto some more progress.With the bike having moved from where it was meant to be, it changes the side slopes...To far into the making of the left panel, I decided to add to it rather than making a new one.





First panel in place final. Woo hoo!



Starting to glue on some panels.



Gives off an awful stench when it burns.







Capped.



Started the side doors.



Even got to instal the girlies.

 

[Strouty]

Looking great, was the glue expensive?

 

[Dmaxman]

Very nice build Did you buy that adhesive from a company in Baie D'urfe?

 

[NASTYZEN]

It's free bee stuff.
Past shelf life and gets thrown out. At least now it will go to good use.
I have no idea where it gets bought. They use it to fix F-18's near here.

 

[Dmaxman]

The package says supplied by Air Dynamics. I believe that is the name of the company owned by one of our customers at the shop.

 

[pdizzleinmt]

Wow the bed is looking great! Cant wait to see it finished up.

 

[neonnblack]

Bosh 12'' I use it industrially. I cut 2 x 2, 2 x 8, 4 x 4 Solid T-6 Alu. all the time with it. The blade I use is a 80 tooth 12.0'' x .126'' x 1.o'' blade from Royce. One tough saw, except for the clamping part.

Ever think it could handle mild steel?

 

[NASTYZEN]

The package says supplied by Air Dynamics. I believe that is the name of the company owned by one of our customers at the shop.

Internet makes this world so much smaller.

Wow the bed is looking great! Cant wait to see it finished up.

You and me both!

Ever think it could handle mild steel?

I would think it has way to much rpm?
What do those metal cutting carbide saws turn at anyway? The ones for table saws. If you multiply that by the dia. you would get ridiculous surface speeds. Much to fast for carbide to stand up to it. Even with coolant.
I've worked on cold metal circular saws before, But they turned something like
60 to 80 rpm.
Sure would be convenient to be able too cut steel tubing on my Bosh.

 

[aggierailroad]

My dry cut Northern Tool knockoff Bosch cuts mild steel like a hot knife in butter. The tip that I got was to adjust your feed pressure so as to generate as few sparks as possible. I've cut 1.25x0.75 inch steel bar with nary a hiccup. Tubing cuts even better.

I might have misread your saw's features, but wouldn't hurt to give it a whirl on an old blade. As info, my saw spins at 1300 RPMs and uses a carbide tipped blade.

 

[Strouty]

My dry cut Northern Tool knockoff Bosch cuts mild steel like a hot knife in butter. The tip that I got was to adjust your feed pressure so as to generate as few sparks as possible. I've cut 1.25x0.75 inch steel bar with nary a hiccup. Tubing cuts even better.

I might have misread your saw's features, but wouldn't hurt to give it a whirl on an old blade. As info, my saw spins at 1300 RPMs and uses a carbide tipped blade.

The bosch saw should turn 4300 RPM, I wouldn't try it. Aluminum is totally different than mild steel.

 

[aggierailroad]

Is it a woodworking miter saw? If so - disregard! Now I'm really curious.

 

[zmotorsports]

NASTY, amazing work as usual man. I feel bad I hadn't seen this until today. I just read through the entire project. Fantastic work. Thanks for sharing the build with us.

Mike.

 

[biker]

You Good Man!!!

 

[neonnblack]

Im just trying to be a cheap *******, but dont want to hurt myself, lol.

 

[NASTYZEN]

NASTY, amazing work as usual man. I feel bad I hadn't seen this until today. I just read through the entire project. Fantastic work. Thanks for sharing the build with us.
Mike.

Thanks Mike. Don't feel bad, just keep posting up your cool projects.

You Good Man!!!

Lol!

Im just trying to be a cheap *******, but dont want to hurt myself, lol.

You cheap *******!

The bosch saw should turn 4300 RPM, I wouldn't try it. Aluminum is totally different than mild steel.

Had a look and the label sais 3800 RPM.

Is it a woodworking miter saw? If so - disregard! Now I'm really curious.

Yep, woodworking one.

Making the gas filler hole for the front tank.



All welded and glued in place.



Gluing the top on.



Applying some pressure while the glue cures.



All welded and glued.



gluing the front panel.



Fitting the rear deck.



Figuring out the top box doors. I made a test strip for starters.



Working out the flange bends.



Le door. But I left a 1/4'' gap all around and I don't like it. I will make another with 3/16'' gap.



Well, that's as far as I got so far.
The owner needed to move his fifth wheel, so he left with no doors and no bumper...we should get back to it next week.

The bike was still fitting when we loaded it last. Thank God!

 

[MP&C]

Looking good Claude! You're bound to get some referral work on that one, I'm sure there are others that would like to bring an extra two wheels along.

 

[fury9]

That's turning out Fantastic! Great job

 

[motorscot]

Le door. But I left a 1/4'' gap all around and I don't like it. I will make another with 3/16'' gap.

Just add a strip of 1/8" or smaller and blend it in

 

[Strouty]

It looks great, I can't wait to see it finished. The owner must be very happy.

 

[Blk88GT]

I can't help but ask.... what's the bill looking like?