Wrecked Enclosed Trailer

[engineman56]

Heres something I got talked into doing. LOL Imagine that! LOL

This is a wrecked Stealth trailer. Thats the brand name. This guy wants it fixed.

Heres the story. This is a contractor that owns it. It was sitting in one of his employees drive way one evening a few monthes ago. A drunk driver was going about 100 mph in front of this employees house when he jumped into the ditch tore out 4 shrubs hit a car banged into the front of this trailer hit a truck and flew up a tree and lived. LOL I did see the marks on the tree.

So a few weeks go by and a guy I know knows the owner of this trailer. They are out drinking beer and he tells him I know a guy that can fix this trailer for you. I'll give you 3 guesses and the first 2 don't count. LOL

So at first I don't want to do it. So I mess around for a coupla more weeks. Then the owner finally talks me into comming out to look at it. I really didn't look like it is going to be too bad of a job. So I told him the price and I thought it was outrageous. Then he don't even think about it just says when can you take to get started. LOL

This is how Sh!t Happens! LOL

Anyhow I'm doing it. I started hacking on it last week.

I knew I had to replace all the bows and sheet metal in the front. I had to also replace the trailer tongue. To just move it to my shop I had to weld the old tongue back on the trailer where the wreck tore it off. I ended up doing it with Pugslys 110v flux core welder. It worked well just to get it from there to my shop.

When I got it all stripped out I found out the left frame rail was bent too. That took 4 hours to get it back. The man door was all whoppered out of shape too. It drug the lower threshold. I got that straightened out too.

After all the straightening I got to weld on a new tongue. Which wasn't too much work at all. I'm getting ready to assemble the front bows too. This will be tomorrow after work.

I told the guy I can't do the lock in the sheet metal like the factory but I can rivit it just like a semi trailer. I cut out some sheets too. This isn't too much work at all.

So heres where I'm at with this repair. I got the tongue all welded back in. I'm getting ready to weld in all the front bows. I think on wednesday I will have it all rivited. At least thats my goal. I might even have it done this weekend. I'm ready right now to install the floor boards.

This guy has the cash and I want it. So i'm motivated. I would like to saw some flooring for mine.

Heres some pics. Alls it takes is a little cash and I can be talked into almost anything! LOL

Pic 1&2 The wreck when I got it here.
Pic 3 The right side with the 1st panel cut off. I had to remove that one because it was wrinkled from the wreck.
Pic 4 The front panels off.
Pic 5 The new tongue.

[Walker]

Nice start on it. Ive done some similar repairs. I don't like doing them that much, but the money is usually very good.

[H80N]

RIVET FAN SPACING TOOL

lf you do not already have one... you might consider ordering one...

will make panel replacement much easier... and keep the original aesthetics...

This stainless steel, accordion style tool maps out and space the rivets easily and with great accuracy. Capable of variable adjustment from 1/2" to 2" spacing in 1/4" increments. Sizes are stamped on tool for easy reference. Has an updated design that reduces the tool from locking in the wide-open position.

http://www.yardstore.com/browse.cfm/4,4131.html

and a hole finder..

6" Standard Hole Finder #10

Drill an accurate hole in overlapping skins. Hole to be duplicated is drilled through the bushing when the pilot is in place. Tapered back end of handles are convenient for prying sheets apart.

http://www.yardstore.com/browse.cfm/4,4128.html

might be a good excuse to get yourself a few dozen CLECOs while you are at it...

that stuff will make the skinning part much easier and faster..

http://www.yardstore.com/browse.cfm/2,398.html

[tnmike]

Kevin that looks like a real mess. If you bring it back to new you are the man.

[digger doug]

That almost looks like you could latch the doors up tight,
and make SOMETHING go Woof, and it would fix itself.....

ether, acetylene, propane.....

[engineman56]

Walker, I don't think its going to be that hard. Once I tore into it It don't look to bad its pretty simply constructed. I did think it was going to be a real pain in the rear.

Kevin

[engineman56]

H80N, I wondered if they made something like that. I did get the sheets cut out already tho. I want to buy those tools. Thanks for posting the links.

Looks like you have done a few before. LOL I don't normally do these jobs.

Thanks, Kevin

[engineman56]

Mike, Its not that bad. The worst part was straightening the left frame rail. That and the man door took me 4 hours. When I straightened the frame and the door it took 99% of the wrinkles out of the roof panels. It was kinda like straightneing out a tin can with a towmotor.

I will try to make it look good.

Kevin

[engineman56]

Doug, I never thought of that method. LOL I was trying to keep the neighbors from calling the fire dept on me. LOL

Kevin

[milomilo]

What kind of rivets are you using?