Customs 1957 Mercury Canned Ham Chopped, Chanelled and Bagged

I built this little trailer to transport my kids bike, pedal cars, and wagons to the car shows and cruise nights. I began with a 1957 Mercury Camper that was in need of a ton of work. Really all I am gonna use from the original trailer is the frame, siding, doors and windows.

 

I used my Econoline TheBox, to get an idea of how much I wanted to chop and shorten the trailer. I wanted it to be proportioned to the van. I backed it up to it first to get an idea of sizing.

 

The trailer was litterally about to fall off the frame from rot here in Upstate NY. I got it on jack stands in the front of the garage and she just about fell apart.

 

I stripped off all the siding, windows and doors. Laid it all out to keep good track of it. It fit in the back of my truck when squished down!

 

I used the original frame to start. Added a few crossmembers, and built the sides from 1x1 steel.

 

I framed up 3 sheets of plywood and laid out the original siding so I could make a 3 piece pattern for the sides of the trailer. I traced that on the wood, (with my best helper), and then remarked it for the chop and shorten. You can see the 2 lines on the plywood, the original tracing, and then about 9 inches taken off all the way around, whick will equal a 9 inch chop, 18 inch shorten, and im gonna channel about 2 inches to get it to sit lower.

 

I took each piece of plywood and cut it out. This is what the sides looked like.

 

I started to put the sides on the frame.

 

I did not cut out any windows or doors on the passenger side yet until I can get the door lined up. Then I started to frame between the sides with 1x4 lumber, and fit the front and rear window in so I could see right through the rear windows of the van to the back.

 

Then I put the original siding back on so I could mark where it needed to be trimmed.

 

Then I installed the doors and windows on the passenger side.

 

Siding is all trimmed up and put on the new sides. Started putting roof skin on.

 

Then I started working on the rear door so I can load my sons bikes, pedal cars, and wagons. I used 2 moon shaped peices of plywood that match the sides of the rear portion of the trailer.

 

Time to start on the suspension. I C notched the frame first.

 

Then I built a 4 link and bag mounts.

 

Thinking about using Econoline headlight bezels for the rear tail lights.

 

The trailer is much more proportioned to the van now. Chopped 9 inches, Shortened 18 inches, and channeled 2 inches.

 

Totally unreal..
What an awesome idea, as well as fab job..
Love it...

 

Pretty cool. Do you have any pics of what the inside looks like now?

 

Thanks alot. I will post some pics of it later. It is just plywood floor right now, my chopper bike fits perfect inside, and the pedal cars and wagons fit on top of the wheel wells. Then there will be a seating area up front for my chick and the kids.

 

Wow - dare to be different project. hope you will get some better mirrors for towing.

 

Nice job rebuilding the trailer and making the modifications. Nice reuse of the siding and windows, without looking inside it appears as just an old camping trailer.

 

Well now, talk about thinking "outside the box!"
WELL DONE SIR!!!!!!!!

 

really cool

 

Thanks for all the nice compliments. I am working on the interior over the next few days, and then a shipper will pick both trucks up from NY and bring them out to the West Coast for the winter. I will be at the Rods and Relics car show in Lake Havasu City October 15th-18th and then Pomona Car Show on the 19th. Stop by and say hello. I will post pics of the interior as I get it done.

 

Nice work. Jim

 

Hey dude. Your house, garage, driveway, van and trailer.....are all too cool. Caddy vert' in the garage? Already saw the hearse, with big wheels. Looks like you always keep your hands full. The trailer, and tow rig...are great. Definitely not a belly button. Thanks for the post. Very nice work. Enjoy the "on the down low"/in cognito trailer appearance the most.

 

Hey, thanks for the kind words. I love to build things and restore things. Houses, cars, toys and furniture. Its a curse, because there is never enough time to do all that goes thru my mind. And you are right, 1965 Caddy Convertible. Im color sanding and buffing right now, then it goes to the interior shop for new top and uphostery.

 

Holy Cow,,that video is cool! HRP