Semi Trailer Mechanic

What's goin' on... I'm seen suspensions like this on 1:1 trailers. I wanna say they were 8 ft spreads? Here's a 10 ft spread I scratch built for a refer trailer still in progress. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?...&p=74092662

What's goin' on... http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?...&p=75605475 Here's a W900L I'm working on using the Griffen Designs W900 Areocab. 1 3/4 inches was removed from the bunk to make this a single bunk cab. The resin lights got lost so a set from the R/G 359 are being used. These will take some work to look proportioned. The reissued K100 from AMT/ERTL is being used as a donnor for the chassis. Thanks for looking!!!

What's goin' on... That's cool!!

What's goin' on... Looks like a good project. I have several pictures in one of my EPSON albums a fella took for me at work who pulls gravel trains up near Bay City Michigan. He took the time to edit/lable everything. Check em' out they might help? http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex...31982333&f=

What's goin' on... I believe it's a Wabash or an "OLD" Timpte. Tim and I threw opinions back and forth about what trailer this is a while back in another discussion group a while ago. It's one of the two makes. The only thing good about this kit is the refer unit. That has details on it in both 24th and 25th scale. As far as the rest of the trailer goes I might use it for a donor. I thought about getting the Container kit but I just can't justify spending 50+ greenbacks for something I can scratchbuild. Years ago I built a 20ft chassis/container trailer from scratch it turned out ok. In the future I plan on building another one. Those tri axle chassis' w/ the beefed up necks there at the coupler plates are kinda cool I'm not sure what company builds them. As far as the R/G Beall kit goes I picked up two of those right when they were reissued. To date I have no plans to build that.

What's goin' on... Ray Thanks man! Actually what I did is used two of the trailers from US MAIL kits and made a 35 footer if I remember right. Back when I worked for SWIFT Transportation (Columbus,Ohio trailer shop) there was an old Trailmobile rib side used for storeage that I got the idea to build this model from. Somewhere in that EPSON album is a picture of that trailer. I had to use a sheet of 1/4 inch thick styrene adding details to the back giving the illusion of a set of doors. Using the 1/4 thickness gave the rest of the box (trailer) rigidity because everything wasn't square and would not have been had functioning swing doors been made. Look forward to seeing your Trailmobile completed! Good Luck

What's goin' on... As far as trailer kits go over the years Ertl AMT offered several trailer kits. The most common kits found these days are U.S. Mail truck/trailer kit,tri axle Loadcraft,CCR Trans tanker,tri axle dump trailer and a few of the Great Dane van/flatbeds are still out there. Italeri has a few kits out there as well as R/G. I recommend not using Italeri trailer kits mainly they're geared more towards Europian models and the only North American trailer kit that's out there isn't that good in my opinion. The only good thing about that is the Thermal King refer unit. Check out local hobby shops,EBAY,word of mouth,shows, and so on for kits. I like to use a kit for a donor and then scratch build the rest. Don't just rely on EVERGREEN SCALE and Plastruct products to work w/. Try looking outside the box. Example. I built a chemical tanker using PVC pipe for the barrel. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?...&p=74037117 If you got any questions you can email me . I've been a (1:1) semi trailer mechanic for nearly 15 years. It might be a while before I reply but I will. scottwp1972@yahoo.com

What's goin' on... Here's a pair or projects that's been in the works now for two years! The W900 is the AMT W925 (Watkins) w/ the AMT (reissue)K100 air ride suspension. This truck's been plumbed using fishing wire and the rubber tubing found in AMT truck/trailer kits. Other things such as the air ride leveling valve/linkage emergency/service valves and other misc have been scrtch built. This link is to earlier in progress photos of the W900. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex...31499726&f= The trailer started out as a CPS bottom dump but I couldn't find enough reference to complete it like a CPS. So I found some info about the Ranco and finished it up as one of those. All but the suspension (from the AMT tanker kit) is scratch built. Soon I'll build a tarp assembly for it. This link here as well shows earlier in progress pics. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex...31982156&f= Thanks for lookin'!!!

What's goin' on... I'll try this again..... Here's the 359 hooked to a dump trailer. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?...&p=75436734 And here are some other shots of it granted there are other 359's in this album here as well. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex...1072769&f=0 Thanks for looking!!!

What's goin' on... Thanks for the compliments on this one! Excuse the delay in repling. My computer spun a main bearing so when I get the chance I use my folks comp. As soon as Uncle Sam sends my taxes back then I'll get a new system. Anyway I work for a trucking company that pulls these trailers, roll offs (spread axle) and walking floors. Being in the garage seeing these things,and knowing how to fix em' helps out for building reference. In this link are some pictures I took of one of the J&J Walking floors out at work a while back. This one is a 2006. I took these for reference to build a 25th scale one. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex...32296275&f= Dave thanks for reposting the picture for me!

What's goin' on... Here's another project. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex...2500663&f=0 This is the old AMT/ERTL Fruehauf dump trailer. I built this to ressemble it having a steel chassis and an aluminum tub. This has a scratch built working tarp assembly (based on a Mountain Tarp Assembly). The tarp itself is HO scale fence material. The side boards are thin strips of balsa I stained w/ one of those Minwax (Light Oak) stain touch up pens. At the rear I added a tail gate lock bar. Underneath the latch lock assembly was scratch built including the air chamber and linkage. On the gate and side the hooks from the AMT 359 wrecker were installed and some chain were used to make "chain locks" I didn't want to use the older Dayton/WEBB style (spoke) hubs so I cut off the Pro-Par style hubs and used some AMT 10 hole rims in place. This gives the trailer a whole different look! Thanks for looking! Scott

What's goin' on... Here's my version of the R/G Alaskan Hauler. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View?u=406...=0&res=high This ones built as a day cab. The back panel was cut out and one from an AMT 359 cab was installed in place. This has a scratch built headache rack and the light bar is from the Ghostbusters Caddy kit. Also I've added a wet line to this consisting of.... (scratch built) PTO,dump pump, deverter valve,plumbing,hydraulic oil filter assembly,shut off valves, and the reservoir. Also there's a scratch built diamond plate box where the service/emergency glad hand hoses, 2 pig tails (for trailers w/ accessories that require additional circuits than just a single 7-way pigtail can provide) and two additional auxillary glad hands (for dump trailers that operate tail gate locks,drops the lift axles,dumps the air ride ETC...) And that's about it! Thanks for looking! Scott

What's goin' on... Here's one of several projects I recently finished! http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View?u=406...=0&res=high This is a tipper trailer (trash) built along the lines of a Mclain EZ Pack,MAC,and an older J&J. It's 98% scratchbuilt. The suspension is from the old IMC van trailer kit the bulkhead is from the US MAIL (AMT) Trailmobile pup and the rims are modified AMT (10 hole aluminum style) to be BUDDS. Thanks for looking! Scott

Dave Thanks. Yeah that's supposed to be a gauge. I plumbed this almost idetically to one of the trucks at work (FLD120 and Century Class Freightliners) Here's the photo index if ya haven't already seen the othe pictures. Keep in mind there are other 359 project pictures in this album as well just scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll find the pictures of this project. That's for looking. http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex...1072769&f=0 I'm going for the well maintained work truck here. Scott

What's goin' on... Here's my R/G 359 built as a day cab. Still got more work to do to it! http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?...&p=74697558 Scott