Modifying the front of my expando-van habitat

[serpico760]

I did a lot of cutting and dissecting on the front of this currently trailer mounted habitat that will go on my M1083A1. Water had gotten in there and caused a lot of rust and aluminum rot from wet fiberglass. I needed to modify the front anyway so all of that had to go. I have completed the cutting and reused some of the pieces I cut out for chamfering the front edge by one foot. I will be using one and three quarters square tube to fill it back in with structure then reskining it and using polyiso foam insulation. I welded in supports prior to cutting so that nothing moved. I will be removing a couple of the side windows to put larger lower windows in and repositioning those side windows into the openings I'm making. Can you guess the reason for the chamfer? This area will no longer be used for heaters or air conditioners as I have removed those and scrapped the air conditioner. Instead it will be a bunk bed nook for my daughter.

 

[serpico760]

Btw, the front chamfer is too allow cab tilt, while having the habitat positioned with the wheel wells over the truck tires as close as possible and as far forward as possible. The habitat actual has 3 wheel wheel per side even though the trailer only has two axles, but the spacing is closer on the trailer than on the truck, as the trailer is a 1991 model with 11R-20 tires. On the trailer the wheels are beneath the rear two wheel wells, on the truck they will be under the front two wheel wells.

 

[serpico760]

I've remodeled the main trailer body using weldments in SolidWorks based upon my best measurements so far. This will give me more accurate ways to understand how am I modifications will affect the design strength etc.

 

[serpico760]

I've remodeled the main trailer body using weldments in SolidWorks based upon my best measurements so far. This will give me more accurate ways to understand how am I modifications will affect the design strength etc. View attachment 922902View attachment 922903View attachment 922904View attachment 922905View attachment 922906View attachment 922907View attachment 922908View attachment 922909View attachment 922910View attachment 922911View attachment 922912

If anybody wants a solid model for the expansible van body, which comes on the m313 trailer among others and the m930 6x6 among others let me know and I can send it to you