Truck is in the shop - new fuel pump being installed tomorrow: time to get some mods / repairs done to the trailer.
The main frame is about 7.5" tall by 1" and the top and bottom, and is made of what looks like 1/8" stamped steel. The main issue is one of the gaps between the top and bottom of the frame: it limits the possible locations for bolt holes. This comes into play when ordering custom fabricated brackets at 25 bucks each (I need 4 for this part of the plan).
The brackets: they have to be strong enough to hold a few hundred pounds without flexing/bending/failing. The answer is 6" angle iron that is 3/8" thick. I got them to cut them into 1.75" wide strips and punch holes at certain locations. I made a mistake with the hole locations, so it will limit where I can place the brackets.
The joists: I'm using the 1 5/8" x 1 5/8" Unistrut bars which will be perfectly fine to handle the 58" span between the opposing 6" brackets. I will make 2 of these assemblies, and place them about 24" apart.
The floor: the bottom of this floor is not meant to handle being supported from below with something narrow like a joist. The reason is that it is made of 1/8" plywood (veneer, practically) with foam insulation above it. My concern is that the load of the trailer and people walking on it will cause the floor to give in a bit where the joists are. My solution is to get a 24" x 68" sheet of 1/8" aluminum and install that above my joists.
I will also make some pieces of Unistrut to go in between the 2 joists, and use them to act as support between the joists, as well as a place to hang a spare tire or maybe a storage compartment.
The added bonus will be the stiffening of the beam which means my steps shouldn't flex at all when stepped on!
Once I get my parts, I'll take pictures and post them. :)
