Enclosed Welding Skid Idea

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So I first started using sketchup yesterday and I really like it.I have no previous drafting or cad experience.The idea is I can plunk this down onto a flat bed truck and take it off easily to tow the RV etc. I want it all enclosed because we get a lot of snow and that is a pain in the but. I haven't drawn in the doors yet and I am not 100% sure how I am going to make them open.The side with the red tool box is the going to be the driverside of the truck.The main key to this whole thing is that it needs to be able to come off super fast. I would like to be able to get into hotshots as well as weld sometimes without buying another truck. This unit may also plunk down on a trailer nicely if the need ever came up.I may make the whole thing a bit lower as well but I need to go check some measurements on my truck to see how high this would stick up. The ledge above the paper towel is to hold welding rod tubes.The welder will roll out on tracks from the driver's side for servicing and will be fueled up through the hatch on the top of the box at the rear. Before Rolling the welder out I will have to disconnect an exhaust pipe that will poke out through the roof.Above the room with the oxygen bottles is going to be a big lid that swings up so I can stand up in there. I will put my pipe stands and bevelers in there to.This project is still in the dream phase and may never happen. We will see.I haven't been too concerned about structural integrity at this point as this stage is all about where things are going to go.It gets extremely cold here so I want a heater of some sort in the room with the hooks so I can hang up my muddy / frozen coveralls and boots in there and not drag them into the cab of the truck.This unit should be short enough that it leaves room for a work table @ the back of the truck and if not then I can make a swing down table like a lot of skid units have. Attached ImagesLast edited by feetfats; 01-21-2011 at 05:57 AM.
Reply:I'm thinking that the exoskeleton will be steel and then the box and door will be aluminum but that will probably change if I ever get a quote for materials.I would like to plunk this down on a brand new Dodge 4500 cab chassis with a pretty standard oilfield flat deck. My current truck still needs to be run for a couple more years though so that will have to wait.I also want a Perkins Vantage 400 in there.I just need to figure out how to pull money out of my a$$ faster then I can dream up ways to spend it.
Reply:I really like your idea, as my truck is set up with a similar idea in mind.  In half an hour, I can be rolling down the highway headed to get a dump-truck load of dirt.  My biggest concern with your setup is that it appears that the welder will be fully enclosed, and if so you're going to have overheating issues.  I'd consider making both sides and the rear of that compartment so they can open during use, or even remove that as a compartment, and make it like an open rear deck.  If you did that, I'd also move the bottles to outside storage.You'll want louvers in your front compartment as well, since you're transporting propane in there.
Reply:might be cheaper to adapt a small shipping container, they come in many different sizes.. i think they start at 5x5 and go up from there.tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:FF, if you are looking at a Vantage 400, why not make it to use the original covers of the welder as the outside of the box.  Make your skid wide enough to support the welder, then a "cage" around it.  Then behind the welder, make your box for other stuff.  You avoid the overheating issue, get good service access & won't need to build slides for the welder.It could still be palletized & have a lift ring attached to the top.  If you are concerned about snow/ice/water getting inside the welder, find a sign shop that makes magnetic signs & get some of that material to go over the louvers/radiator.  Would be much faster to put to work that way.A slide out for the welder is gonna have to be awful stout, as a Vantage 400 weighs a ton.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:To answer some of the questions and concernsVentilating propane area- Valid point that I have been considering. Ventilating will make it harder for heater to keep area hot. Either need ventilation or find a better spot for propane.Shipping Can to save money- The shipping can could look nice, clean, professional and probably save money but I don't think it will look pretty enough or suit my taste. A project like this is partially to showcase my ability to design and fabricate. It would be a big rolling resume' When I see a welder with an ugly deck / setup, I cannot help but think that he builds ugly things. Not always fair as sometimes it has a lot to do with budget when a guy is just starting out. I was there once to but I always tried to make it look as good as I could. Some guys clearly do not care,, now what does that say about his work? Maybe nothing, but it does cause a negative influence, In my opinion.This is what I am liking about sketchup as it helps to visualize the project and avoid making something ugly. I think it is critical that the angle of the slope to the box is correct and that the bend isn't set too high or too low. My design will probably change 50 times between now and completion.Airflow to welder - doors will open on both sides, ventilation may be needed on back wall yes.Slider for the heavy welder-I know people that have done it, I am pretty sure there is a website that sells them to. My concerns with it will be weight, cost and required height clearance.Putting welder out in the open-I am not worried about snow / ice getting into the welder. I just don't like snow buildup between the welder and toolbox as it is a pain to get out without a pressure washer. I am going to do up a design similar to this but with the welder in the open and see how it looks. The problem is that there will need to be  a gap between the welder and the box to facilitate servicing as this 300d needs access to both sides. I believe the vantage only needs access to the right side. Sliders probably won't work out in the open because they will get packed up with mud and ice but maybe that won't be an issue. If I could use sliders out in the open then that may be a good option. I will play with some ideas. Using a different design to get the truck working sooner-Valid point, I would expect this build to take me 2 months depending on how much time I have available and then it will need to be sent for sandblasting and epoxy painting. I will spend days wiring 12v and 110 lights, wiring and setting up a heater etc. I have no misconceptions about this being a huge time consuming project. I built my current deck including the tool boxes and everything and that was a big job. This box thing will probably be double the work. I will probably sub out some of the project such as the custom drawers to a company that builds them every day because they make them cheap and I want them nice.I have a good welding truck that works and want to build "my dream setup" I will keep the original setup operational until completion of the box skid. Then when it comes time a day or two of down time will be needed to take my spools of my current deck, transfer the welder and tools, etc etc.Last edited by feetfats; 01-21-2011 at 02:55 PM.
Reply:feetfats,Glad to see you've adapted to Sketchup so quickly.  (You asked about the models for work lights in another thread and I found them by using the search tool in Sketchup and searching on 'work light' or 'flood light')I will encourage you to stand your O2 bottles up.  I know this is a sore point with a lot of folks.  But my sense is that those horizontal bottles will cause you headaches with the various regulatory agencies that watchdog jobsites and commercial vehicles.Your hinging roof design is interesting.  Think long and hard about how you will keep water out.  Rain isn't too bad, but rain+70mph driving speeds will push water into just about any cracks.  Sealing your hinged roof panel will be a real challenge.A hinged worktable will work well.  Look at using gas shocks or some kind of cable winch to raise and lower the hinged work surface so you're not lifting the full weight all the time.If you're using a crane to lift your box on and off the truck, you need to think about the center of gravity for the box.  this is also truck if you're using a forklift for that matter.  Your welder being in the back corner of the box is going to make it want to swing or rotate without some special rigging to keep the box level while moving it.A removeable box will need some serious mounting hardware.  Maybe some steel pins that the box sits down overtop of?  Or just chains and binders with hooks?Fueling through a hole in the roof...What happens when you spill fuel overtop the welder and it runs down inside the box?  Fire hazard?  or just a pain to clean up?Those are the things I can think of for now.Keep posting prototype drawings...and more stuff will occur to us.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Originally Posted by A_DAB_will_dofeetfats,Glad to see you've adapted to Sketchup so quickly.  (You asked about the models for work lights in another thread and I found them by using the search tool in Sketchup and searching on 'work light' or 'flood light')I will encourage you to stand your O2 bottles up.  I know this is a sore point with a lot of folks.  But my sense is that those horizontal bottles will cause you headaches with the various regulatory agencies that watchdog jobsites and commercial vehicles.Your hinging roof design is interesting.  Think long and hard about how you will keep water out.  Rain isn't too bad, but rain+70mph driving speeds will push water into just about any cracks.  Sealing your hinged roof panel will be a real challenge.A hinged worktable will work well.  Look at using gas shocks or some kind of cable winch to raise and lower the hinged work surface so you're not lifting the full weight all the time.If you're using a crane to lift your box on and off the truck, you need to think about the center of gravity for the box.  this is also truck if you're using a forklift for that matter.  Your welder being in the back corner of the box is going to make it want to swing or rotate without some special rigging to keep the box level while moving it.A removeable box will need some serious mounting hardware.  Maybe some steel pins that the box sits down overtop of?  Or just chains and binders with hooks?Fueling through a hole in the roof...What happens when you spill fuel overtop the welder and it runs down inside the box?  Fire hazard?  or just a pain to clean up?Those are the things I can think of for now.Keep posting prototype drawings...and more stuff will occur to us.