GregB_00XJ M101 CDN2 "Way too Red" Build Thread (finally)

[VanIsle_Greg]

Well folks, I finally decided to whomp together a build thread. Now that I am 99% complete phase one that is! heh I still have a lot of work to do, but I figured as I spend 90% of my online time on this forum, and 99% of my spare time working on the trailer, I may as well back-fill my project and add my trailer into the mix here on ExPo. I was sure that I had a thread on here at one point, I searched and came up with nada?

Here is my "project" so far...

After looking for one for months, I finally found what I was looking for in Vancouver BC. Actually, it found me! I posted an add on CL in Van, and a guy who was "thinking" about selling his sent me an e-mail and said I could have it if I was interested? Wow, after a year of looking for the right one...I was stoked.

SUPER nice guy, loved this little trailer too. You could tell he didn't really want to sell it, but it was taking up space at his shop, and was replaced by a MUCH larger trailer to haul their new quads (behind the M101 in the first pic). Still, I think he was a little teary when I pulled out of the parking lot. lol Anyhow, here it is the day my dad and I picked it up, 1992 M101 CDN2 1/4 Ton trailer, Canadian Military Spec with BAD Tremclad paint job.

Paid $1200 for it, more than I wanted to spend, but hey...when opportunity comes a knocking, you better answer right? When I picked it up it was wearing a set of 215 x 85 x 16" E Load rated Cooper ATR's on it, brand new. He was using it to get to the cabin, some 500 miles away...and wanted nice road tires with some grip. Very nice tires, but not quite what I had in mind.

Coopers

Also came with the stock Michelin X military spec rubber.

I really wanted to get the trailer wheels and tires to match my XJ, so I picked up a set of drums with the 5 on 4.5 bolt spacing, and proceeded to pop them on. In the process discovered that my brakes were also brand new. Everything in the drums was in perfect condition, which made my day.

Brakes (yay)

new drums (princess auto SKU number 8211716 if you want some)... has electric brake backing plates to match too, not on mine yet.

NEW shoes (new to me tires on brand new Soft 8 rims)

Installed!

Also installed a 1500# swivel wheel for the front to augment the footy... very nice add on (but really a cheapo wheel setup I found out later).

custom spacers made, took 20 minutes to install.

First trip (to the landfill) with the new tires and drums with a load. 250 KG and it towed like a dream.

More build to come. Next steps are Monsta liner for the tub, POR15 for the frame, axle, running gear. Nice matching red industrial enamel and chassis saver on the frame. A couple of Gerry Can holders and a lid! Oh and a 2" receiver hitch to mount my bike rack.

Stay tuned...more to come.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

After way too much time, I finally got back to work on the wee trailer project. After the wheels and tires etc it basically sat for the better part of a year. I used to infrequently to haul garbage and yard crap to the landfill, but I was gathering parts and ideas (and steam)! I had been conversing with a local on this forum as well as another, and he and I were talking trailers and more importantly lids! He is a true craftsman (look for Wavebreakers "Woody ExPo Trailer build in this forum") so I knew whatever he made was going to be awesome. I was NOT wrong.

Lid is finally under way (because I took so long to get back to Mike). The lid is a one off build by Mike @ Trekken Offroad here in Victoria. Mike the owner is a buddy of mine and he designed and built it for my trailer. It is made from 100% certified void free Baltic Birch from Russia. It is 100% void free (certified), waterproof and is glued and screwed together with a metric buttload of stainless screws and waterproof glue.

It is supported by custom designed trusses and laminated corners and plates. It was skinned with the same material then all holes filled with bondo. After a ton of sanding and prepping it was glassed with 1 coat of cloth and West System epoxy. Followed up with 3 flood coats of epoxy, a good sand and 4 coats of high build automotive primer. The interior is sealed with clear urethane and a neoprene "P" gasket will ensure the inside stays watertight.

Detail photos...

Speed Holes!!

First test fitting.

Mike successfully avoiding being in this picture...lol

It is designed to follow the same shape and angles as the top of the tub.

After the test fit (it was bang on) it was ready for skinning, glassing, priming and then of course finally ready for some glazing and final paint.

Mike is an artist with wood. I was set on getting a steel one built, but he swayed me towards wood. He has built this so strong I have no concerns it will support my kids and wife and I in the RTT <edit: it supports us and the CVT Mt Hood NO PROBLEM with not one creak and zero flex>. The best part, it weighs in and around 40-50 pounds.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

So the lid was ready for finishing... the trailer on the other hand, not so ready for prime time. It was now time to paint!! Oh and I also scored a custom made tongue box for the CDN m101. It was made a little wide to line up with extended fenders and front shelves...which I plan on doing at some point.

I also spent the next few weekends working on the trailer tub inside getting it ready, priming with POR15 and then applying 2 coats of Monstaliner. I ground the heck out of it, flapper disks are my new BFF at this point! I then cleaned the whole thing from top to bottom and then sprayed with POR15 metal prep spray.

Sprayed after a good cleaning. POR15 metal prep is great, you clean it all from top to bottom, then liberally apply the Metal Prep spray in a nice cool shaded area keeping the raw metal wet for 15-20 minutes. Once the time is up, you rinse the whole area with good clean water. Seems counter intuitive to wash bare metal with water, but the prep spray seemed to stop all the flash rust and it just looked nice and shiny before primer.

Sprayed and rinsed.

POR15, amazing stuff. I used the better part of a liter of the POR15 satin on the entire tub inside and out. I am a firm believer int he quality of this product, it sticks like crazy and dries hard, very hard. Apparently it all but completely stops any future rust too, so yeah... sweet!

First coat of the Monstaliner. LOVE this stuff too, cannot say enough about how well it worked.

And final (2nd) coat of Monsta... AMAZING stuff, highly recommended.

Decided on Interlux one component Polyurethane Marine Enamel for the final exterior coats in Flame Red of course to match the XJ. I was pretty torn as it looked really good in the black satin primer, but I had a vision and was sticking to it. So red lid and tub, black fenders, black frame and chassis. Nice!

This thing is going to look amazing.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

While I was waiting for primer to dry, I spent 20 minutes re-furbishing the triangle reflectors on the rear of the trailer. Sand, mask, paint a few coats of semi-gloss black.

These are one of my favorite parts of these trailers, and they are nearly impossible to find.

Next I spent some time working on the fenders, the tub and the prep for paint. I decided to strip the fenders, they were beat pretty hard, and the paint was in terrible shape. I used Circa 1850 gel stripper, works like a hot damn! I glopped on LOTS of it and worked it into the layers. I have used this stuff hundreds of times in a previous life (was a professional wood finisher and re-finished) so I know how to work the gel. It took all the paint off in minutes right down to the bare steel.

I then ripped the fenders off the trailer, removed the seam sealer, and sanded the bejeasus out of the bare metal. Ready for paint.

I primed them with more POR15 and decided to bedline them once I saw how pitted they were. It wasn't going to look very good with a shine on it and all those pits.I must say (again) the Monstaliner turned out great!! I also beadlined the arch under the fenders, and the underside of the fenders as well, this will stop the rust and rock chips.

Small 4" foam roller and lots of careful back-rolling and you get a VERY nice low texture with the Monstaliner.

finish of the bedliner with a small foam roller is great, nice and uniform with a nice texture. At this point I wished I had gone with the Red Monsta for the whole tub!!

I had then finish sanded the tub exterior, and primed the entire thing with the last of the POR15 I have. I had to pick up another can for the underside of the trailer! I am now ready for the Interlux one component Polyurethane, which I am stoked about. So close to using it again. It looks finished now, and looks awesome black, but I am sticking to the red colour scheme and thing it will look stellar with the Cherokee. No pics, it was dark when I finished and I was painting with a halogen work lamp.

Oh and I also picked up my lid from Mike. Popped it on, and man what a snug perfect fit. This thing weighs like 50 pounds and is super strong...I couldn't wait to mount the tent!

Also bought a CVT awning from Mike, mounted that to the Jeep... it is fantastic!!!

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

So after a LOT of hard work, and an unbelievable amount of patience from my wife, it looked like this...after like 30 hours of painting and prep.

The painting was tough. I had to sand the entire trailer with 220, and then add a coat of high build grey auto primer. The red would not cover the black of course, so I needed the barrier primer not for adhesion, but for colour and coverage.

I painted it for HOURS to get it to look like this

So shiny!

Then it was on to under-body and frame etc. More of the venerable POR15, now in gloss black because I bough the wrong stuff (DOH)! Tis OK, I actually prefer the gloss now.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Now that the painting was complete (mostly) it was time to finally mate the lid to the trailer. I had to do some extra curricular activities to get it all locked down, but it is very solid. With the new "P" seal installed it is nearly airtight! Might need to install a vent actually!

I mounted the lid, sorted out and adjusted the latches, and figured out a safety catch for them as well. I installed the lid seal, I also worked on a plan to mount the Dee Zee tongue box. The steel one I got is just too heavy and is bigger than I need...so after all that is it going back up for sale.

Dee Zee (not yet mounted, just in place for "testing" and sizing.

Latches/Hinges/a LOT of stainless hardware... and by a lo I mean a LOT. The upper 2 bolts on the latshes are actually threaded into the L bracket...that was fun actually, I like fab work. I only wish I had more tools and a proper shop!

I also picked up a pair of Plano lockable, stack-able sealed boxes. I love the design, they have integrated tie downs and 4 latches. $19.00 at Wally World. Hate that place, but they are way cheap. It is also the ideal setup for the trailer. They fit like they were made for the M101 CDN2 and they are ease you load and lock in place.

Fit like a glove!

Next up, tongue box and tent.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Tongue box dilemma...

OK, so I bought an incredibly well made CUSTOM M101 CDN2 tongue box, but it is a bit on the heavy side for my liking. Don't get me wrong, it is amazingly well made and a perfect match for the trailer, but it weighs about 60# empty. Too much when you add the deep cycle and the electronics etc. So I found a Dee Zee on sale (previous pics) and grabbed one. It is a perfect fir, and weighs more like 15#...that is more like it. The Group 24 Deep Cycle, tongue box and inverter weigh in still less than the empty box.

Mounting. I made up a wood frame for the tongue box in the interest of saving more weight. I used a nice straight kiln dried fir 2x4...no knots or flaws. I measured up and built this with the chop saw and the bottom of the tongue box as my template. I used epoxy coated deck screws countersunk in and then bondoed all the holes. I sanded the lell out of it, painted it and then undercoated it with 3 coats.

I bolted the box to the wood frame with a good layer of RTV between them. I then bolted the both of them through the trailer frame with LONG stainless bolts and the supplied washers.

I then made a wood floor and a back panel to mount the electronics to, but had to stop on all that for a few days to install the RTT! I popped over to Mikes shop, where he had been storing my RTT for the past few months (sorry Mike). We popped open the box and mounted it up directly to the lid. Lower COG and a superbly solid mount!!

Oh yeah!!

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

And a bit more...so close to being done.

I then got front leveling supports installed. Mike welded the bungs to some plate and I cleaned them up, mounted them and painted them. Worked out fantastic, nice and solid and no more rocking trailer. Just need to get the rear fold down pair extended and installed. I painted them black to match the trailer frame...but forgot to take a finished pic?

Then I set up the trailer to show the wife and more importantly...the kids!

Kid Approved!! Wife likes it as well, fits all 4 of us. I then installed the last lid attachment for the time being...the lock.

Fugly (Functional-Ugly)... and secure. Back plate and BIG bolts, you would be hard pressed to get that off. I then worked on the tongue box. I picked up a battery box too, so next steps are wiring related and of course, lights! I figure 5-7 hours of wiring and I am DONE phase 1. 1000 Watt inverter, 4 LED lights for external lighting, internal box lighting and some LET tent lighting.

I managed to get the battery and most...ok some of the electrical work done. Nothing too crazy planned for Phase 1, battery, a few LED lights, an inverter (1000w) etc. Battery is mounted with a custom hold down and all the basics are done.

The black box is a project box from a local electronics store, I love those things. I mounted a switch on top of it and ran power to 2 x LED lights in the box itself, works great for seeing all your crap in there. I have also installed a battery cutoff switch to disable power (not pictured). It was midnight when I finished, so the finished pics are not getting taken until today.

These also showed up.

Scepter water jugs in Nato Blue.

 

[robertwalker2003]

Nice job. I love the lid. I still need to come up with a plan for mine.

Robert Walker

 

[Aspen Trails Trailers]

Great looking trailer Greg, nice work and it certainly looks like you have some happy kids, read to do some serious camping. Have fun man.

Bob

www.aspenXtrails.com

Home of the strongest, most trailworthy
Off Road Tear Drop made.

 

[Matt]

Great job on the trailer! That lid is awesome!

 

[Septu]

Looks amazing! Am jealous.

 

[Mark Harley]

Looks great! NEVER too much RED!

 

[robertwalker2003]

I would love to know about that lid. I didnt think you could make one out of would that would be strong enough for a RTT and not weight a ton.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Thanks all... I figured it was about time I stopped clogging up the "What did you do to your trailer today" thread and start a proper build thread. It is pretty humbling to get so many props from people who I was and am following on this forum with their builds. I got a lot of inspiration from a lot of different people, and a TON of help from my good friend Mike (Wavebreaker) from Trekken Offroad. He has been not only a big help, but has also inspired me to do a lot of things that I hadn't though of for my project.

Having said all that... I managed to get a few more hours in to it today, and the tongue extension is finally COMPLETE! Sadly however I ran out of daylight and did not get a test tow in. Was sooooooo looking forward to backing it up with the longer draw bar/tongue and actually being able to jackknife it all the way.

To get back on track with this thread I will finish off documenting the major stuff, and some of the details that others might find useful and then post up some thoughts.

A few things that I have done that have been some of my favorite parts of this build involved things found (used) and things found cheap! The things found cheap, the nose wheel setup I have. I started off with the cheesy 1500# bolt on swivel wheel. Worked great, but not the best quality mounting. It would come loose all the time and was a PITA to tighten up. I knew I was adding adjustable lift legs to the sides, so I didnt need another lift, so I hatched me up a plan to nose wheel the stock landing leg.

The cheap part, the 800# HD castor with the axle zerk and the swivel zerk for $16.00 on sale. The steel to mount it was FREE from Mike's scrap pile (thanks yet again Mike) and for your time to tack it all together.

and installed...

Works really well, and all in all it was not a ton of work and I can go back to stock in minutes! Did I mention that nearly everything I have done on this build is reversible? In case I ever long for the olive drab stock skinny tire look... it is a matter of a days work (although I did sell those stock wheels)?

The next cheap part, the tongue extension. I picked up a stock M101 CDN2 lunette from an ExPo member for a really good deal. He wasn't using it, and I had me another plan! I didn't come up with this, I have seen a few others do this too, so if you did this before me....THANKS! I lopped the end off of the lunette and used the flap disk to square off the edges just enough to slip into a receiver extension. This gives me the option to run different couplers depending on the trip.

chop chop

Once again, Mike to the rescue... and his welder. I had drilled out the 1/2 hole for the BIG grade 8 bolt which BTW took about 1 hour to do. The cast was too hot to touch! Ready to weld to...ha ha.

not going anywhere now.

Oh and the found used... landing legs. I found a used set of stabilizer legs locally from a guy who was no longer using them. Paid $15.00 for the set, promptly cut them up. lol

inserted some 1 1/4" stock, and boom... correct length for my trailer. Some stainless hardware, some rubber feet and I bolted them up under the rear of the trailer. They tuck up out of the way and seem to work great so far.