Suburban rig.

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Thanks to welding web i am soon to be back in business. Since my trailer was stolen; given my location I figured it would be a better idea not to build another trailer for some dam thief to hook up and drive off with. So, here is the plan. I am turning this 1ton suburban 4x4 into my mobile rig. Ive already started by building a fold out work table. So there we have the days progress the table folds down landing on stops and folds up landing on stops. The angle of the up position is enough to keep the table from hitting the doors when accelerating but not so much that is hard to fold out.
Reply:Now make a rack for the hitch to carry your gas bottles in, please don't carry them inside the car.Mike
Reply:You can remove the row of seats behind the driver's seat and mount an engine drive in there crossways and run the exhaust out a window. Open a door to access the control panel of the welder, but you probably already thought of that.leightrepairs, that is an enclosed truck, not a car. Cars aren't rated as 1 tons, and Suburbans are based on pick-up truck frames and running gear.
Reply:Sure you are correct it is built on a truck frame. The problem is it is enclosed, doesn't really matter if you call it a car or a truck. It is foolish and dangerous to transport compressed gasses in.
Reply:One of those roller platforms would also have worked good, I want to build one for my pickup.Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
Reply:Some nice tinted Windows and you can have a nice surprise if some sorry sob comes for secondsMillermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:Originally Posted by leightrepairsSure you are correct it is built on a truck frame. The problem is it is enclosed, doesn't really matter if you call it a car or a truck. It is foolish and dangerous to transport compressed gasses in.
Reply:Just do a search either here or google  acetylene explosion and you will find some amazing reports of the damage from just a small amount of gas.Mike
Reply:Originally Posted by bandaidmdOne of those roller platforms would also have worked good, I want to build one for my pickup.Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
Reply:[Q UOTE=leightrepairs;3904731]Just do a search either here or google  acetylene explosion and you will find some amazing reports of the damage from just a small amount of gas.Mike[/QUOTE]Rodj has a pretty cool story about using acetylene gas in small bags for fireworks  sounds fun and dangerous. Believe me I respect the gas. Also as rodj had suggested on my other thread i will be getting a PC system mounted in the truck rather than the A/O system. I will only be carrying dry air at that point. And using the gas torch in the home shop. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:Cant wait to see this all finished! Good Lucksyncrowave 250Millermatic 211Fabricator 211iBobcat 250 EFI12VS Extreme24x40 shopSOME OF THE STUFF I HAVE BUILTwww.facebook.com/gowildfabhttp://www.gowildfabrication.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by drillerjoeThanks to welding web i am soon to be back in business. Since my trailer was stolen; given my location I figured it would be a better idea not to build another trailer for some dam thief to hook up and drive off with. So, here is the plan. I am turning this 1ton suburban 4x4 into my mobile rig.So there we have the days progress the table folds down landing on stops and folds up landing on stops. The angle of the up position is enough to keep the table from hitting the doors when accelerating but not so much that is hard to fold out.
Reply:drillerjoe,Just a thought to toss out here...is there a "secure", like gated, storage facility near you?  It might be worthwhile to put your stuff back on a small trailer and park the trailer inside a locked storage unit.  When you needed it, drive over to the storage facility, pick up your trailer and go to work.  Might be a lot of trouble and added expense, but your stuff might be safer there than parked out on the street...tinted windows or not, locked trucks are easy to jimmy and hotwire.
Reply:Keep the bottles out of the cab. No matter what they are.
Reply:mad welder 4 The plan is a partition (much like a cargo van) to separate the cab area from the work area. The partition will be 14ga and just behind the back seat, and make access to the tool area impossible from the cab area. The partition will go in last to accommodate the installation of all the equipment; the windows will be blacked out, and I am installing slats in the window openings in the event some one wants to break out a window; they will be met with some good ole steel to contend with. shortfuseThing is if I build another trailer and it gets stolen again, I am out of business. Home owners wont cover the tools on the trailer no matter where its at, they would only cover the trailer...(which of course is the cheapest part of that equation) I have a garage but it is of course full of "stuff" although that is changing real soon as i am currently working out of the garage and will be clearing it out as i go. Until then the burb will be parked at the garage door with the jeep in front of it in the driveway; not to mention we are putting a gps transmitter in the mix as well
Reply:Originally Posted by TSCGG13Keep the bottles out of the cab. No matter what they are.
Reply:Originally Posted by drillerjoeI am building a hitch haul for the bottles as well, and then the plan is a PC mounted in the tool area running off of the compressor. Then i should rarely have need to bring the bottles along.
Reply:It is possible to carry a small set of bottles safely inside a vehicle like that. But it requires a separate compartment that can be sealed to the inside with vents to the outside.  In this case it could be a box where the spare tire was with louvred vents out the side of the vehicle. It's a rather extensive and permanent modification to the vehicle is the real drawback. While a plasma cutter is fine for cutting there's still always heating and bending that needs done in the field. It's hard to get away from a torch.  I do think that using propane for the heating and cutting would improve safety and be cheaper to boot.  The small sized acetylene bottles really are of limited usefulness anyway.  Now I assume you're planning on mounting the welder back there as well. You'd have to mount it with the engine towards the front. Keep in mind that the engine cooling air is sucked in at the flywheel opening. You need a source of fresh air for that in your 14ga wall. Preferably at least semi sealed to the air intake of the engine. Then there's the problem of getting rid of the heat from the engine, generator, and muffler which all comes out the middle of the welder. It blows a lot of that down the side of the welder with the flywheel fan so that's going to help. But the muffler area is going to get really hot with only air from the generator there. Also there's the problem of the generator picking up the hot air from the side blown hot air and sucking it in the generator cooling air vents on the control end of the welder (which is why I modified it to blow that hot air up when it was mounted against my headache rack).  Just some things to keep in mind while you're building this. Ideally you'd have a way of opening up the side windows to allow air to flow through and keep things cool. I don't see a easy way to make that happen though.  You might want to rethink not having a drawer setup to allow rolling the welder out the back along with a work bench. I know the budget is tight but I think it could be done fairly cheaply if you build it yourself.   I'll think about it some and see if I can give you some ideas when I have more time.Millermatic 252XMT 304'sDynasty 280DXHypertherm PowerMax 1250Miller Trailblazer 302 EFIOptima PulserXR feeder and XR Edge gun and more athttp://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook/index.htm
Reply:Most home owners insurance won't cover "work " tools. You need a separate Inland Marine policy for tools and materials. Mine is a rider with my business liability insurance. You DO have business insurance right?My Inland Marine is set at $15K to cover tools on the work truck should I get ripped off or the truck stolen. That's way less than I have invested in tools on the truck by now, and it most likely needs to get raised next time I talk with my broker. I picked $15K originally because I estimated that would be the minimum number I'd need to get replacement tools if the truck got stolen so I could at least continue working and bring in income. If your tools are critical to your lively hood, it makes sense to cover your azz in the event they decide to take a walk. Cost of that coverage, like liability insurance, is part of doing business and that is what overhead costs are all about. I can't afford to get ripped off. I can't afford to not be able to work because of it even less. Thus I have coverage to help deal with that should it occur..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Oh one other thing. How is the Suburban insured? My big truck has a commercial policy on it. My F250 has a " farm and service" policy. ( I can't remember the exact term this morning). Neither has a personal policy.Talking with my agent since I use the 250 for transporting fuel, moving materials and tools and plowing, a personal policy won't cover things like this. They can deny coverage on a vehicle if it is used for work and has a personal policy. In theory, even having 25 sheets of plywood in your pickup could void your coverage if the insurance company chose to say you were using the truck for business. Even if you ended up winning in the end, you'd still lose since while you fought you wouldn't get paid for the loss and most likely have to fight in court. With the insurance company, you have to prove YOU are right and they are wrong.The coverage on my 250 isn't all that much extra over the standard policy with the same limits, Something like $50 extra per 6 months. That's pretty cheap if there should be an issue. You will have a very tough time convincing anyone this ISN'T a work vehicle.Should you have an accident and the adjuster sees all that stuff or thinks it might have contributed to the damage, say a fire due to the gas in the welder being damaged in the crash, you may find yourself with zero coverage not just for damages, but also liability..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by farmshopSome nice tinted Windows and you can have a nice surprise if some sorry sob comes for seconds
Reply:Originally Posted by drillerjoemad welder 4 The plan is a partition (much like a cargo van) to separate the cab area from the work area. The partition will be 14ga and just behind the back seat, and make access to the tool area impossible from the cab area. The partition will go in last to accommodate the installation of all the equipment; the windows will be blacked out, and I am installing slats in the window openings in the event some one wants to break out a window; they will be met with some good ole steel to contend with. shortfuseThing is if I build another trailer and it gets stolen again, I am out of business. Home owners wont cover the tools on the trailer no matter where its at, they would only cover the trailer...(which of course is the cheapest part of that equation) I have a garage but it is of course full of "stuff" although that is changing real soon as i am currently working out of the garage and will be clearing it out as i go. Until then the burb will be parked at the garage door with the jeep in front of it in the driveway; not to mention we are putting a gps transmitter in the mix as well
Reply:Maybe I'm crazy, but wouldn't a pickup with a topper be a better option?
Reply:Bd1 I had no issues with the police or troopers when the bottles were exposed on the trailer. The bottles travel exposed on every purpose built rig out here. Irish I certainly welcome any insight you have as far as the slide out for the welder. It would of course be ideal. Im just not certain how to pull that off with a limited budget that i have at the moment. Madwelder I agree. Im sure they will be back in the area, hopefully in the same truck. Thats why we are installing the cameras around the house this week as well. I hadnt thought of the kill switch. Im going to look into that as wellI do have an 18' trailer for materials. But I am not putting my tools on another trailer. Ever. That was way to easy for them to take. As for insurance i carry an umbrella ill have to look into the inland marine bit with them some time this week. The burb will be under the company insurance. Antibling. If i had a 1ton truck laying around i would probably still figure out how to use the burb. I want to keep everything out of sight out of mind. Until we move out of san antonio i dont want anyone to be able to drive around while we are sleep and know from the street what the score is.
Reply:I'm starting to think you are going to have to reduce your tools to a size that will fit in your shirt pocket or buy an armored car! All you can realistically do is be diligent about securing your stuff and carry enough of the right kind of insurance to cover loss when it happens.GravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.On the roll away work top:  Nah!  Your flip up idea gives you space ahead of the table when it's folded up, space where you can stow things.  A roll away configuration would require you to build a separate shelf above the track ways to stow things.You probably need to engineer some kind of support legs on the free end of the work top to keep from concentrating an upthrust loading to the hinge/mtg brackets where the work top attaches to the bed.  The legs could be attachable/adjustable height, or hinge down and lock.Your idea for partitioning the cargo space from the occupants space is a sound one, but you need something a lot more substantial than 14 gauge material, and it needs to be solidly mounted and reinforced to become a barrier, not just a draft stopper.  You need to consider that partition as a "headache rack" (like behind the cab of semi trucks that pull flatbed trailers). If you have loose objects like tools and materials in the cargo space and (God forbid) you hit something (or some vehicle hits you) on the highway.............all that loose chit is gonna shred 14 gauge material, and you..........as it tries to exit through the windshield at 65 MPH.
Reply:Solid sheet steel inside the windows with a vinyl printed scene of the messy interior of a family owned suburban.Airco Heliweld II AC/DC HomeMade Wire FeederLincoln 255PLincoln HD130Everlast PP804x8 CNC TableWelding helps me build my hobbies and takes up time on the side.
Reply:Originally Posted by JKMotorsportsSolid sheet steel inside the windows with a vinyl printed scene of the messy interior of a family owned suburban.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveOr just a pic of a standard woman's vehicle where there are 6 places to sit, but only room for the driver because of all the useless crap laying around...lol
Reply:Best way to do the kill switch is wire a switch in line with the fuel pump relays' power supply.Thats way the switch and added length of wiring will only have to handle the current needed to pickup a small relay (well under a half amp) as opposed to a direct fuel pump interrupt that would have to handle several amps.Best thing about the fuel pump killswitch is the vehicle will crank, then fire and run for about 5 seconds and wont fire again after that, but will keep cranking. Then in court there is no doubt they tried to steal the whole vehicle, if they manage to get that far.Oh and take pictures and save all recepts for insurance.old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:How do you plan on getting the welder in there in the first place?? Haha!The burb is a good idea. You could remove one of the windows make it a hatch instead. Route tool lines, exhaust etc through there. Keep ya from needing to open the rear doors (when not needed) to show the whole world what is in there. Also, get magnetic business signs. Go to a job, slap them on there, then leave, pull them off and bam. No one even knows you have tools at home, let alone in it.Roof racks also help for anything BUT bottles. Throw a generator up there, air tank/compressor/ etc. Though it might see to high for clearance, you gotta remember there are a ton of trucks way higher doing welding out there. Just pull the stuff off at night. No risk, no worries.Stealth welding! The new era!Good luck! Keep us updated!
Reply:Originally Posted by walkerweldHey, that's my wife's van you're talkin' about.
Reply:What size plate do you all figure would be sufficient for the partition? I was planning to use up the scrap 14ga pieces i have here, I want to use a minimum but obviously want for it to be effective. There are several good strong points to bolt a walk into where i plan to put it. Ill also be stitch welding. I am kind of thinking a solid wall and planned to use automotive caulk to keep the rear sealed separate of the cabin area. Then of course adding ventilation through the roof and out the back doors to keep the rear area breathing separate.
Reply:Originally Posted by JKMotorsportsSolid sheet steel inside the windows with a vinyl printed scene of the messy interior of a family owned suburban.Or just a pic of a standard woman's vehicle where there are 6 places to sit, but only room for the driver because of all the useless crap laying around...lol Hey, that's my wife's van you're talkin' about.
Reply:Ok here's some drawings of what I'm thinking about.  You can make your rollers out of anything that's easy and cheap to get. I prefer hard rubber tires like is used on shopping carts and some casters. But some people use ball bearings. What ever is easiest for you to get.   This first view shows the back. I'm showing a roller like a conveyor roller here. If you could find a couple of those they would work great. If not you could use a wheel like in the back but would need to cut a hole in the floor and sink it down till only a inch or so sticks up above the floor.  This shows the back. Notice the runners are made from angle iron. I've drawn it with 4"x4"x1/4" angle on the outside and 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 3/16" angle on the top. Lots of ways to go about this. The top could be strap but angle works easier. The nice thing about runners like this is that you can size them to the wheels you can find.  I don't know what materials you've got on hand or can get easily but hopefully this will give you a idea of what can be done.  A tray like this could be slid out till about 1 foot or so is left overlapping on the rollers. Any more and there won't be enough leverage to hold things up.  I would keep the fold up table and mount it on the back of the roll out tray. Adjustable legs would support the table on the outboard end.Millermatic 252XMT 304'sDynasty 280DXHypertherm PowerMax 1250Miller Trailblazer 302 EFIOptima PulserXR feeder and XR Edge gun and more athttp://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook/index.htm
Reply:Originally Posted by BistineauWell, that settles that, walkerweld can provide the photos necessary to get the vinyl printed screens made of the interior of a woman's vehicle with all the useless crap laying around. The van windows should be close in size to the suburban windows, so that will be a good fit. Think you can get some pix made walkerweld?
Reply:Best of luck drillerjoe!Hobart Handler 175Lincoln 225Rockwell 15-017 Drill Press
Reply:Originally Posted by Poppa SteveBest of luck drillerjoe!
Reply:The best laid out enclosed trucks I have ever seen by far are farrior trucks.Idealarc 250AC 225SVictor OA-older made in USA stuff.And a crap ton of other stuff.
Reply:**** take a picture of the interior of my yukon xl. Should be the same. It's a disaster but it does have a welder sitting in the back at the moment to as I needed to transport it to work. But back on topic, I'm interested in seeing how things turn out!Airco Heliweld II AC/DC HomeMade Wire FeederLincoln 255PLincoln HD130Everlast PP804x8 CNC TableWelding helps me build my hobbies and takes up time on the side.
Reply:Originally Posted by leightrepairsSure you are correct it is built on a truck frame. The problem is it is enclosed, doesn't really matter if you call it a car or a truck. It is foolish and dangerous to transport compressed gasses in.
Reply:It's a lot worse than that.http://blog.powerblocktv.com/acetyle...r-hit-key-fob/http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=291529http://www.news.com.au/national/man-...-1226219643781http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ight=explosionMillermatic 252XMT 304'sDynasty 280DXHypertherm PowerMax 1250Miller Trailblazer 302 EFIOptima PulserXR feeder and XR Edge gun and more athttp://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook/index.htm
Reply:yup good examples Wayne; its the booms not the fumes lol
Reply:Looks good so far man!
Reply:woo hoo sliding the machine in the back tomorrow; then building the retaining wall more pics tomorrow as well
Reply:Really crumbly cell phone pic but. The machine is in there I did have to make a couple changes to the skid. As I had the machine too far forward to shut the drop down table and doors. But it is in there now with room to spare. I'll get some better pics up tomorrow.Building some lead hangers at the moment.
Reply:Sweet!
Reply:a little progress update. On the left there is going to be the Oxygen tanks rack. it will be mounted using the two tabs on the floor of the burb, along with the most for ward tab bolted to the wall on the left. down in the middle there is going to be the resting place for the Acetylene tank.I have the set up where it is easy to remove from the truck for night storage, and again once i am down there will be plenty of ventilation once the bulk head is in and the rear is vented here you can see the exhaust routed through the floor, it will eventually exit the side of the truck, I ran the machine most of the day today with no issues as far as heat or exhaust gases in the cab area.I want to once again thank Mike for this awesome Milwaukee 6'' grinder  Mike AKA machavis sent us this grinder along with a box of cutting wheels a box of flap discs some wire wheels and some grind wheels as well.thank you mikeBob AKA BD1 sent us a ton of stuff ill get to the rest later, but here is the 4'' dewalt grinder he just sent by suprise along with a load of cutting wheels, flap discs, and wire wheels. not to mention diner for the family Thanks again Bob Have to thank Rod AKA Rodj and Wayne AKA Irishfixit for this AEAD 200le Ide be up a **** creek with out it LOL thanks again guys, looking forward to some BBQ in the near future Rod!
Reply:A little rod and disc holder I fashioned up for the back door of the burb along with just a few of the many grinding consumables Mike and Bob sent our way.Here is one of the nice rebuilt victor regulators Bob sent us along with one sweet *** Smith torchI see why you said I would like this torch Bob I honestly have never had heard of smith torches I did have A Victor, Uniweld, and a Harris torch on the trailer, this thing cuts so much cleaner. I did have to change the stem out on the Oxygen regulator as it was nippled up for Nitrogen use. I can send you the Nitrogen stem and nut if you need them BD1Last edited by drillerjoe; 03-23-2014 at 11:16 PM.
Reply:DrillerJOE- it is coming along man, and DUDE I had no idea we had that many bad a$$ guys on this site sending you things. Makes me feel like an A-hole for not sending anything hahaha So to all the guys who sent DrillerJoe something, you should know that YOU ARE A BAD A$$ and good things will happensyncrowave 250Millermatic 211Fabricator 211iBobcat 250 EFI12VS Extreme24x40 shopSOME OF THE STUFF I HAVE BUILTwww.facebook.com/gowildfabhttp://www.gowildfabrication.com/