BIGR
Lucky To Be Here
Looking good.
-
Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.
Your truck knowledge is missing!
- Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
- We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
- Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
- NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
Problems registering? Click here to contact us!
Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!
1978 Nomad Trailer Restoration/Project: 88GMCtruck is at it again.
- Thread starter 88gmctruck
- Start date
88gmctruck
02GMCtruck
Been awhile since I have modified the trailer, but I figured I'd update the thread. I recently graduated and am moving across the state, so I haven't had much time for mods, nor the money. Anyway, A few weekends ago I pulled the hubs apart on the trailer and checked the brakes, bearings and grease, everything was in tip top shape.
The trailer weighs roughly 3,600lbs dry with it's gear. It has 3,500lbs axles and the tires are rated at 2,038lbs each. So, I have a bit over 3,000lbs of cargo capacity, not that I will even come close to touching that anyway. Just nice to know I'm not overloading it though.
I'm going to load my travel trailer up like a u-haul, and I also borrowed my dad's 16' flat deck car trailer with 3' sideboards to load up. I'm curious to see how many trips it takes me, I'm figuring at minimum 3 back and forth, which will be about 1,800 miles total, about 1,500 of it towing.
The trailer weighs roughly 3,600lbs dry with it's gear. It has 3,500lbs axles and the tires are rated at 2,038lbs each. So, I have a bit over 3,000lbs of cargo capacity, not that I will even come close to touching that anyway. Just nice to know I'm not overloading it though.
I'm going to load my travel trailer up like a u-haul, and I also borrowed my dad's 16' flat deck car trailer with 3' sideboards to load up. I'm curious to see how many trips it takes me, I'm figuring at minimum 3 back and forth, which will be about 1,800 miles total, about 1,500 of it towing.
88gmctruck
02GMCtruck
Started loading the trailer with my possessions today.
3500GMC
What T F, over
Room to spare. Check the tires for the trip.
88gmctruck
02GMCtruck
Oh, i'm have not even begun packing. This is just the crap I can't actually live with at the moment, and extra truck parts. There is still furniture, clothes, tools, etc.
Trailer was checked out a few weeks ago, tires are good and will be checked for pressure prior to leaving of course.
Trailer was checked out a few weeks ago, tires are good and will be checked for pressure prior to leaving of course.
88gmctruck
02GMCtruck
Back from the dead!
Well, I've fallen off the face of the forums because I was unemployed and madly on the job hunt, but there is a separate thread on that in the off topic section. Long story short, I'm employed again.
In my down time, I've done a few misc cheap things to the trailer.
Trimmed the fender skirts. Before & after.
GMT400 spare tire jacks welded to the frame for cheap stabilizers. Before I had the old school aluminum frame and adjustable screw setup. The trailer needed to be perfectly level and they took while to setup, etc. Well, I'm still using the aluminum base stand from the original setup to make up the height (they are rated for 6k each), but just having the ability to adjust the level of the trailer with these is eliminated the hassle of wood blocks to level it side to side, etc.
I also grabbed some old GM emblems from the wrecker's. I modified the "Camper Special" by taking the 10,000 GVWR off the bottom. I also picked up "Trailering Special" emblem but didn't hack it up.
Mounted on the trailer side
And I mounted a matching set on the cabinet inside.
Another little finishing item, I modified the original aluminum control cover for the fridge to fit the one that I replaced it with. I also drilled a smaller hole in it to check the pilot light without removing it.
A few weeks ago I found a leak in the left front corner inside. I suspected the roof or corner of the trailer, went through at the time and re-sealed the entire corner and re-coated the WHOLE roof. Then, last week we had a good rain, went to check the trailer and had the same leak up front. In a bit of a fit of anger I said $(#* it and started pulling paneling and insulation apart, and the front shelf since the water was pooling on it.
Turns out the front siding at the front window has a bit of a manufacturing defect that allowed water in where the siding overlaps and meets the upper window corner. Nothing some butyl putty didn't easily fix.
So, the next plans for the trailer are to re-panel the front, kitchen wall, bathroom and ceiling, then paint the interior walls a lighter color, and convert the remaining 120v interior lights to 12v.
Well, I've fallen off the face of the forums because I was unemployed and madly on the job hunt, but there is a separate thread on that in the off topic section. Long story short, I'm employed again.
In my down time, I've done a few misc cheap things to the trailer.
Trimmed the fender skirts. Before & after.
GMT400 spare tire jacks welded to the frame for cheap stabilizers. Before I had the old school aluminum frame and adjustable screw setup. The trailer needed to be perfectly level and they took while to setup, etc. Well, I'm still using the aluminum base stand from the original setup to make up the height (they are rated for 6k each), but just having the ability to adjust the level of the trailer with these is eliminated the hassle of wood blocks to level it side to side, etc.
I also grabbed some old GM emblems from the wrecker's. I modified the "Camper Special" by taking the 10,000 GVWR off the bottom. I also picked up "Trailering Special" emblem but didn't hack it up.
Mounted on the trailer side
And I mounted a matching set on the cabinet inside.
Another little finishing item, I modified the original aluminum control cover for the fridge to fit the one that I replaced it with. I also drilled a smaller hole in it to check the pilot light without removing it.
A few weeks ago I found a leak in the left front corner inside. I suspected the roof or corner of the trailer, went through at the time and re-sealed the entire corner and re-coated the WHOLE roof. Then, last week we had a good rain, went to check the trailer and had the same leak up front. In a bit of a fit of anger I said $(#* it and started pulling paneling and insulation apart, and the front shelf since the water was pooling on it.
Turns out the front siding at the front window has a bit of a manufacturing defect that allowed water in where the siding overlaps and meets the upper window corner. Nothing some butyl putty didn't easily fix.
So, the next plans for the trailer are to re-panel the front, kitchen wall, bathroom and ceiling, then paint the interior walls a lighter color, and convert the remaining 120v interior lights to 12v.
Pepperidge
Member Advocate
Nice work once again...sounds like you have some nice improvements planned... 
we just 2 weekends in a row camping with the 2 little girls and wife at the river and lake. used the tent trailer we drove from Texas to Coleville Sk to get. was made in 1967 but sturdy. have done a few things to it but is nice to have when the ground is hard, it's raining or it's hot and the a/c works. wife is so attached to it, we were talking about getting a slide-in but she couldn't let it go. when she was a baby, she slept in a box on the counter. going put the logo 'four winds' on the side of it. after a night of camp beans, you can imagine where the winds are coming from.
BIGR
Lucky To Be Here
Well, right now is the time of the year I really get interested in camping. The weather cools down and the next thing I know it will be deer season and I head to deer camp for 2 to 3 weeks. The camper is already there since I took it up there on 9-9-2011 and did some work around camp. I spent two nights up there then and enjoyed every minute of it.
billm
New Member
If you would be willing to email me your telephone number, I would very much appreciate a few minutes of your time. I am very envious of your project as I am looking for a vintage Nomad to restore and having trouble finding one near North Carolina. Email is [email protected]. Thank you. Bill M
07HDClassic
New Member
You forgot to add some paint on those welds on the jacks
88gmctruck
02GMCtruck
It's on the to-do list, just have to get around to it one weekend.
Another round of teardown has started! Last night I began removing wall paneling, in preparation for the lighting upgrades and panel replacement.
I also bought new light fixtures with a much better lens to help disperse the LEDs more. After removing the incandescent bulb sockets, I built new LED boards with twice the amount of LEDs and designed them in a 2-stage lighting configuration.
More updates to come!
JiFaire
Land Mine Finder
VERY cool ... that LED lighting will really extend your battery life!
Nice work, as usual!
Nice work, as usual!
88gmctruck
02GMCtruck
I built LED lights for the original light fixtures and it helped tremendously. The only problem was the trailer has 120v and 12v lights fixtures, and the 12v ones are in all the wrong places. So i'm adding more.
Pepperidge
Member Advocate
do they make an led bulb to replace the newer all glass camper bulbs?
a panel of LEDs like you made would be awesome if it had the same style plug in...
a panel of LEDs like you made would be awesome if it had the same style plug in...
Pepperidge
Member Advocate
sorry about the hijack...
so would this be what I would need?
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-...=DispPage&Page2Disp=/specs/WLED-x6.htm#photos
Wled-6 ?
Warm White or Natural White would be my choice not sure about that cool white(bluish)
these things are expensive $3.74 each...I'd need 14 of them
I'd like to find a board that just plugs into that socket...that would be worth it...
so would this be what I would need?
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-...=DispPage&Page2Disp=/specs/WLED-x6.htm#photos
Wled-6 ?
Warm White or Natural White would be my choice not sure about that cool white(bluish)
these things are expensive $3.74 each...I'd need 14 of them
I'd like to find a board that just plugs into that socket...that would be worth it...
88gmctruck
02GMCtruck
Pepp, your current bulbs are a 921, which has the same base as a 194 auto bulb. Using a replacement 194 like linked above isn't going to give you much light output being as the light is straight out the tip. You want something like this. Still going to run you a few $$ http://www.ebay.com/itm/White-12-LE...11-2-578-194-Ba9-194-/180689488034#vi-content
This is why I built boards for myself; so I could get the dual intensity and because they are outrageously priced. All in, I have about 4 hours of beer drinking time and $20 into the supplies that made 14 boards.
This is why I built boards for myself; so I could get the dual intensity and because they are outrageously priced. All in, I have about 4 hours of beer drinking time and $20 into the supplies that made 14 boards.