Manky Monkey Motors

started buiding a 14ft trailer for a family member on tuesday, picked up the chassis i have custom made and galved.

looks/sounds like a ,BIG JOB,, breaking out

kit came on tuesday morning, 2 x 20ft x 8ft 11mm grp sheets and 2 x 8ft ones. all the capping and angles and a twin skin fiberglass roof.

had the fully boxed stainless archs made,[ stops any water getting any where that matters] and cut the side rail and fastened on..because she intends to keep it a good few years i got som 3 inch strips of 3mm ally to go under where the floors join. again to keep the water out.

next was to cut the 18mm coated ply for the floor, counter sunk some stainless 8mm bolts to bolt through the ally strips. nice tight fit up to the side rails.

.dropped all the boards down and cut them to size, at the price they are now its measure 20 times cut once.

.pillar drill has really come in handy for the repetitive drilling. get the first panel bolted into place. the first one has to be held even when bolted till the next one is fastened to it to make it stable.

made some clamps to hold the joints till we slot the roof on. used them every time since neccessity made me invent them.

Is trailer building your business then Dobby?

love building em mike. 
      only build them mm when needs be, realised years ago that what folk were paying 30 k for i could do my own for 8. dont have the overheads and build them in my own time. seems to be something that i have an eye for but too busy to do it full time.
 cut the door appature out of the end panel,  once nearly split the panel because you have to cut so much out, learnt that if you leave a strip across the bottom its a lot stronger for lifting and you would have to cut that much off the door panel to fit the capping anyway

roof blew over in the wind and damaged the truck even after i told the lads to put a good lean on it.  what can you do, my fault for leaving it there. very little wieght to them.

cut the side rail for the door to fit,  like to keep job tidy and make lads put every thing back in place so we know where it is for next time.

prep the roof for fitting, measure all and drill all the bolt holes while indoors and easier to do than when up on top.

all the sides in place, measure the center of each panel and mark it and the centers of the roof then when the roofs on crow bar every thing to line up. pre drilled roof makes it far easier. before i cottoned on to marking the centers we had trouble getting the whole thing square,

once the box is together, start trimming the door frames up after we sort the corners. instead of bolting the corners which i think are ugly i put a 2inch angle down the inside with panel adhesive on then pop rivit  it in to the grp while putting a straight edge on the outside to make sure its all straight

next thing is to cut the vending hatch out, ends up being a three part thing when its finished

looks the job after the cappings are in place. hard to keep it square. the cut out is few inch short of the 14 ft length of the trailer and when bonded and rivited measured for square and was only 1/16 of an inch out. [ better than some iv done]

was getting too cold to work out side so made the door up inside with the heater on.  will fit in the morning.
 took 3 days to get this far but one lad of the three of us has never done anything like it. so quite happy with progress.

Amazing how quickly you can put that together when you know what you're doing!

started on the vending hatch today. the longer they are the harder to get straight.

A very nice job you've made of that Dobber

hatch hung in place with deep stainless hinges, have to be long to get good purchase through the grp as when closed its quite a dead weight , plus it has a fold up piece which creates an angle to stop it sagging under its own weight.

cheers dizzy, i enjoy making them when not in a rush.
  hung the door and sorted the  internal slam lock and a gravely fastner to lock from the inside.
 put dome head nuts on the inside so the girls dont catch when cleaning. [all heart]

eeeaarrrr  have you put the ,hatch, on the right side  ;) ;) ;) ;) 
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looking good
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how about some teardrop caravans next  ;)    i,m going to do one

hi mike. [ pm sent] ,put hatch on either side  ,its swings n roundabouts which is best on the show fields. we have some of each so they can go door to door on events. or if you have a tight pitch it can make all the difference wether you drive it in or reverse it.

Fascinating thread - never occurred to me to wonder how these things are made!

a mate of mine does these and has a waiting list of customers   
we make the frames at work for the counters etc out of stainless box sect (suprising how quick mild steel stuff rust)  the hatches are held on with water tight hinges that run the full length of the hatch it holds it firm and is easier to open/close i enjoy working on these when we get them in 
all the work and stuff that goes in  make you see why they charge so much for the food etc at the events
keep up the good work

preped the hatch to take the spring bases [gas rams] put 1000newtons on but because the hatch is smaller than intended it wont even pull down. will replace with 600n.

when fitting the trim across the appature at the top it has to have a joint in because of the miters so to make sure its straight in the past i used a piece of ally angle to hold against it as a straight edge. then thought why not put the angle on and leave it so i can bolt through the hinge, thrugh the capping the grp, the other side of the capping and finaly the angle. very strong. then decided to mount one of bthe off cuts from the side panel off it and use it for light storage.

to save on materials i use the two end off cuts to make the equipment counter along the front. use the same capping to edge it and hide the joint under the equipment. even make the supports from the capping too.. ready to start putting gear in. waiting for a delivery to finish the hatch bottom.

Cant believe how much youve got done! its looking fab. 

Welcome to the forum Vicky  :)

HI,,, YA,,, vicky  :-*    by eck you av, a lot to put up with,, with that ,,dobber,,, :D :D :D :D

geez you dont hang about do yer fella!!!!!!

oh yea ,HI VICKY!!!!!

hi bb,  having today and mon off cos other things to do and ordering stainless bits and more profile. back on it tuesday and hope to be virtually finished inside and out by friday   [dependant on equipment delivered] as got a few events on next weekend. now the bodys built will be chasing the viynl guy to wrap it too

oooooh! is it gonna have pretty pictures too?

Do these have to be inspected or licenced by the local authorities Mr Dob?

its cheaper and easier to put the stickers on than paint now, plus theres a lot more scope / choice. plus if you scrape it you just pull the sticker off and wack another on which is held in the sign guys computer.

some events say you must have  electric and lpg certs  but not had any yet that actually look at them. just covering their own arses.

    the health people come to my depot every two year ish now. the less problems they find the longer between  checks.[ low risk]  but as every thing in this country goes, if your illegal they tend not to bother you,its  too hard for them . if your legit your easy pickings.  we do get checked by local area health authoritys at a lot of events,vast amounts of paper work now. plus when your booking the event a lot check to see if your registered with your home council. lot of people think the trailer has to be certified but each area has different rules, if your tidy and staff look the part they only glance round anyway.   but as allways we obey every rule, cough cough.

Hi dobber just reading about this catering van build. have you got a link where these panels a trim can be bought from. no i don't want to get involved in building trailers i am thinking of building a tier drop caravan. and this looks light and flexable

Hi. Its cool if you dont mind the ocd in his tool store and a few flying objects when things dont go to plan!

Welcome to the forum Vicky.

Dont you line/insulate them dobber like a caravan type thing or are they just the single skin?

its just a single board nabsim, grp means glass re,enforced ply, will take a good knock before permenant damage. not the lightest but prefer it. units get stiflingly hot in summer with all the gear in them.                                                                                                                                                     there isnt much flex at all in the board terry, as above its ply wood with a coating really.

not done any work till today  on this cos too flaming cold. got a delivery of stainless piano hinge and some capping so back on it. did the fold down bit which becomes the customer counter and reduces the size of the hatch which sticks out when working. surprising how many folk in vans run into them because they only see whats at eye level.  on a job with a lot of show traffic we put bins in front so people at least see them. but had idiots move the bin and still try to get past.

got some 600 newton rams came so got them swapped so can pull the hatch down closed. used a off cut from a side and put it up as a headboard. sticks out above every thing and can be seen from a distance. the idea being when you first see BURGER GRILL  / BAKED POTATOES  from way back you notice it, as you get nearer you think "i could eat a burger" then when you get close your thinking " if i dont get a burger now i will waste away"

the bit on the end of the hatch is a flip up which mainly causes a right angle which stops the hatch bending under its own weight but is also another place to advertise and again shortens the hatch from sticking out.

to hold the counter up and the flip up we use container hooks and catches made from coated steel.   to hold the hatch closed during transport we used the little chromed gravely fasteners. the gas rams when closed some how hold the hatch in a bit so theres very little pressure on the fasteners.

As Bobbi said, you see these trailers all the time at shows & never think about how they're put together. Interesting thread Dobby.

couldnt have picked a colder time to do it.  m/m
                       making a custom stainless spud oven for it with help from the stainless shop. be a new challenge.

Not everyone has that problem Dobber, i have told you before...just keep your head down!! Glad you have swapped the rams, had visions of me swinging from the hatch trying to close it! using part of the hatch as a counter is a better idea, the seperate ones need seperate fixings and are a pain to keep them clean underneath. The piano hinge looks smart.

managed to get back on this build, cut out the side where the generator will live, trying to suss a slide system where you open the door and pull the genny sideways out on a frame where it can run without lifting it to the ground. it will be a lpg genny which i intend to connect to the trailers gas supply via a bayonet fitting.
 started to build the inside cabinet and get the rear counter in place.

using the offcuts again with lots of pink grip.

strips of ally fastened to the counter to hold the bottle cooler in place,   a hole thru the counter so if the power goes off you can get your fingers underneath to undo the till drawer

every thing bolted in or down.

cut out the hook up box hole, slotted in the box

got some stainless boxes made to french in the lights so less likely to get smashed.   guy forgot to put a 1/2 inch rim round to mount them so had to return them.

holes cut in ready,  def measure twice, cut once.

started cutting and triming the boards ready for the gas and tool store which mounts over the towbar.,,   then ran out of profile again.

the other day i was mostly being an electrician, got the lights in and a consumer rcd along with the sockets, not a great deal to do in this one.

then back to a carpenter or fitter whatever there called these days putting the gas box and storage thing together, in the afternoon a gas man, fitted the change over valve, when one bottle runs low it swaps to the other then shows red to let you know its empty.
the bit at the top is a tool store with a sloping lid so folk dont put their rubbish on it.

made the doors for the front up, use a square but find it easier to bond them then sit them in place and line the line marks in the profile up. going to hinge them on the outside so they open right back to the trailer giving lots of room to swap the bottles.
things at this stage never seem to move, allways waiting for bits delivered and the stainless guy got busy, looking like a day of collecting stuff on monday then will see a good result day tuesday which as all us project doers know gives you a much needed kick up the rear.

Impressive work D.

you would think that was built by a professional  ;D

as opposed to a dodgy bloke wielding a saw with a mouthfull of nails and a hammer hanging out his arse pocket. thanks m/m. looking forward to seeing it with the lettering on.

bit more progress, slow going this far in. all the hinges and catches on.

generator cupboard sorted and more of the gas work layed out

stainless front counters arrived and got the lights up and running

got the fourteen foot rain channel for above the hatch hinges and got it fitted. double sided tape to hold it in place then stand on the forks while someone drives me down putting all the screws in.

got the front counters in place. [ stainless fabrication price gone through the roof]

got the sink area sorted, bit of a change of plan due to lost space but sorted, then some flooring dow. measured and cut in the depot then a thousand further cuts in the trailer.

Lookin' good.
Where do you get those hooky strut things for holding the flaps open? Might be the very thing to hold the bonnet on my truck.

bout 6 quid a set,[ 1 hook 1 plate] 150mm long. called a container hook and plate. plate can have a spring flap bit in it or just plain.  can get one in the post if needed.

Def your best one yet! love the gas cubard, will be nice to have somewhere to put my tools ect.
One of the menu light boxes has arrived, not sure what you will think of it...its worth trying. Back to the drawing board if not!

Mr D, I'll have a measure up -might be up for buying a pair off you.

maiden voyage.  off for the vinyl  then back for a few snagging jobs and sealing. then wait for the custom oven.

A month from start to finish. I'm impressed.

so whens the test fry-up? ;D

very nice job that!!very professional.

cheers guys, could have shaved a week off if everything was readily available. hopefully back from signwriter tomorrow. not sure what colour scheams to be.. will get a photo or two.

got the trailer back from the signwriter, quite loud but sticks out.   fitted a light up menu ready to be lettered

got the rehashed light boxes in, bonded them in with the pink grip we use a lot of and it reacted with the vinyl covering. need to be carefull with that one in future.
   trailer now in storage untill the custom oven appears then a couple of days snagging n out to earn its way.

Looks fantastic! Well done to you & your crew mate.
As I said, it's never occurred to me how much work goes into these things. I'll take a better look next time I'm queueing for a burger.  ;D

cheers m/m, not sure about the pictures myself but love the colour, the lettering and vinyl costs less than spraying the trailer. .just ordered the roof of the next one.   there routine builds, quite simple compared to trikes n pick ups.

But so interesting!  Like Manky said, you just don't think about all that as you queue for your burger!

Looks good Dobber. Are you having a trailer warming party ?

got the oven from the stainless guys, not cheap.  niece towed it with her new landy county, tows well

put the gas taps to the 2 seperate burners on a mounting plate

mounted the oven,  put a mount in the gennerator cubboard for the gas generator plumbed into the trailer supply so she doesnt have to have a seperate bottle for it.

got the sinks n tap fitted with the waste pipes straight to outside.  sinks are two half pans with mobile home drain fittings in bonded into the work top.  ends up 35 quid to make n fit as opposed to paying 40quid apiece or more

had a bit of a test run up at the farm its stored at.   first spud out of it.


had the warming party andy.

got it back at the depot for a few snaggings and a hour down the stainless shop. few minor problems with metal expanding and making doors stick.

while we waited for the oven to be made, started on the next project, a ten ft coffee unit with tripple hatches.
 gonna be all black with brushed stainless and burnt orange lettering

There's just no stopping you is there! Nice work Sir.

Its out at Wetherby races next weekend. fingers crossed everything works ok now! Love the oven, its perfect! thanks D x

that rain cost us again. the new trailer was supposed to be at its first event on sunday. was cancelled for the rain.
 made a move on the new coffee thing so i could get at the trike again.

Both units were at Otley Show for their first day, ive put some pics on facebook/colecatering and for the new coffee unit facebook/espressocoffeestop

Had a bit of an accident and ripped the headboard off on Saturday! Dobber to the rescue with a temp fix so its ready for the races again today.

Can we have a piccie of the units in action Vicky, just to bring the story full circle. A really interesting thread -& nice to meet the Dobber clan at the Basingstoke show the other week.

this is the finished coffee unit. looks good on site. cant seem to find one of the spudder at the mo.
the logo we came up with is based directly on the beam pattern of the triangular head light i put on the trike.

Very professional.
Nice to see you back mate.

Yep it would tempt me!

hi m.m  n bikergran. been a while. hows gerti going.

Don't ask!  I'm reaping the rewards of a long-standing lack of maintenance............

,this is the spudder at vjmc, bike show  at lotherton hall.
 cradel to grave....