Gord100's Trillium Trailer Projects

01

Screen Door

Make sure the trailer is level before you start. There are four crossbars in the door, counter-sunk 1 inch into the side frames — this gives the door stability. Measurements are unique to trailers. No nails are used; everything is glued. The bottom panel adds to structural integrity, which is why there is no screen on the bottom. Three hinges hold the door. I used a small latch with two rollers to keep the door closed. Use 4 coats of Varathane Clear Waterborne Outdoor for protection. Once the two side pieces are secured in place, take the final measurements for your door size.

Trailer with screen door — Measure twice, glue once.

Tracing the side edges — Start by tracing out your right and left side edges.

Latch edge screws — Four screws were used to hold the latch-edge to the cupboard.

Door handle — You can use any handle you like. I have this lined up with the door below the screen. The handle is screwed in from the opposite side.

Screen fit detail — Also, see here how the screens fit. They are also countersunk and have to be carefully built to fit the door properly. A router was used to create the countersink.

All components before assembly — These are all the final components in relation with the trailer, just before Varathane and assembly. Notice the curved side pieces — they are shaped to fit their respective sides.

Finished screen door — Here's a finished view.

Top anchor point — Notice the top anchor point secured against the top shelf. Here I used two 4″ screws with nuts and washers. Use any method to secure the hinge-side of the door.

Finished door from inside — Here's a view of the finished door from the inside. A wooden knob was used so that screw heads would not show from the outside.

Counter-sunk screw — The screw on the right here is counter sunk, and the narrow door stopper is later placed on top to hide this screw.

Screws holding the frame — This shows the top of the two screws holding the frame on the left-hand side. When the edge-piece is installed, those screws are hidden.

02

12V DC Power Source

WARNING: check with a qualified automotive technician if you have questions about connecting live wires. You can now set up your trailer 25 feet away from your car and still have power! I use the power for lighting, or for my water pump. Keep in mind that you should not let your car battery discharge — I've used my power source for 2 days before recharging the car battery.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, find me on the Boler website and contact me, “Gord100”.

12V tap from car battery — This picture shows how I taped off 12V DC from the car battery source. To find the right source of power, you need a volt meter. Use the volt meter to find a constant 12V DC source — make sure the car is off so your 12V source won't require your car keys! Notice the 15-amp fuse (check Canadian Tire) that I installed to protect against short circuits.

25 foot lamp wire run — From the power source I created, I ran a wire under the car to inside the trunk. Notice the long brown wire coiled on the ground — this is 25′ standard lamp wire (~14 gauge). Attach this long wire to a 2-prong automotive connector (check Canadian Tire). You can disconnect this wire during transportation.

03

Shorter Wheels

These are short plywood wheels I made to get our 1975 Trillium Trailer into the garage for winter storage — our trailer roof is slightly higher than the garage door allows. Obviously I use these wheels for storage, not for towing! The picture below shows a 12″ diameter plywood wheel made of 3 × 5/8″ plywood, fortified with carpenter's glue and screws. If you want to make your own shorter wheels, follow these instructions:

How to make the wheels

Jack up your trailer and remove the wheel bolts. There are 5 bolts.
Remove the wheels (tires).
Take a piece of paper and trace where the bolt holes are on the flange. Also trace the center hub.
Make a circle on the plywood using a protractor. My wheels are 12″ diameter.
Trace your template onto the plywood, making sure it's centered.
The five holes should be about 11/16″ each.
The center hub should be about 2 ¾″.
Drill out the holes and cut out the center hub.
Glue on two more pieces of plywood for support — but you MUST have a 6″ center hole for these, because the bolts should only go through the first plywood. Attach all pieces before cutting the outer circle so all three pieces are the same.
After gluing, use clamps and let the glue set for a good day. Reinforce the 3 pieces with wood screws — this prevents the plywood from separating if you store the trailer in a damp location.
After gluing is complete, cut the 12″ diameter using a band saw or jig saw.
Once the wheel is made, bolt it onto the trailer hub.
Do the same for the other shorter wheel and you're done!

Plywood wheel vs normal wheel — This shows the plywood wheel with the normal trailer wheel behind, to show the size comparison.

Front and back of wheel — This shows the front and back of the plywood wheel and a height to the top of the wheel well.

6 inch drop — This shows a drop of 6 inches in trailer height with the plywood wheel installed.

Clearance at garage door — This shows the ½″ space between the top of the trailer and the top of the garage door.

Trailer inside garage — This shows the trailer inside the garage with the plywood wheels installed. Note that this is for our trailer only — anyone doing this should take their own measurements.

04

Interior Shelving (front & rear)

Shelving is useful to hold towels, books & magazines, or whatever you fancy. They're made of ¼″ plywood with a 2″ border trim around the edge. It's tricky to fit the shelf into the rounded contour of the trailer, so I made a cardboard template before I began to cut any wood. The shelf is screwed in place by 90° brackets.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, find me on the Boler website and contact me, “Gord100”.

Front left shelf — This is the front left-hand side shelf. Note the shower-type bar installed for hanging clothes or drying towels.

Rear left shelf — This is the rear left-hand side shelf. Note the 120V fluorescent light fixture mounted under the shelf. Behind this light is a small 12V incandescent light — very handy if you want to read in bed at night.

05

12V Water Pump for Faucet

Here we have a 12 volt electric pump for the trailer sink! The water comes from our water tank, which is stored under the rear seat (bed). You can buy a kit and get the pump, faucet and switch from your local trailer accessories store.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, find me on the Boler website and contact me, “Gord100”.

Pump switch — Notice the red switch. It's called a “maintain switch” that comes with the pump. Push once, pump comes on; push again, pump goes off.

Pump hoses and wiring — Notice the two white water hoses. The bottom is the water intake (from the tank) and the other goes up to the sink's faucet. Also notice the white and red wires. The red from the pump connects to the white wire from the 12V DC power source; the black wire from the pump connects to the switch; the remaining black wire from the switch connects to the black wire from my 12V DC power source. You need to secure the pump to something — in my trailer there's a piece of wood that makes a good brace.

Wiring schematic — This is a rough schematic, but all hookup instructions come with the pump kit.

06

Custom Rear Platform / Bike Rack

If you're pulling a Trillium Trailer and want to bring your bicycles, there's no convenient way unless you have some way to carry them. I made this simple wooden platform that attaches to the back bumper of the trailer. I also use it to keep camping equipment off the damp/wet ground — wood, boxes, chairs, etc. Here are 8 pictures I took the summer of 2001, each with a small description.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, find me on the Boler website and contact me, “Gord100”.

Platform attachment diagram — I'm going to try to explain how this platform is attached. The diagram on the right represents the picture directly below. Notice the 3″ × 3″ × ¼″ plate (BLUE) that I welded on myself. The hole is big enough to handle a 5/8″ bolt — in my case the bolt is ~3″ long. Of course you need two brackets (one for each side). Don't forget a large washer on top and two secure nuts on the bottom so they don't loosen off.

Platform bolted to frame — Here you can see the platform bolted to the bracket on the trailer frame. Notice the eye bolt, used for hooking bungee cords.

Platform boards — The two wooden platform boards extending from the trailer are about 5 feet long (extending from the bumper about 20″). It's up to you to decide how long your platform extends from the trailer.

Platform view — Here's a good shot of the platform.

Eye bolts for bungee cords — You can fasten eye bolts around the platform to help hold your bungee cords.

Bikes on platform at campsite — Here's a picture after arriving at the campsite. The bikes are attached to the platform using bungee cords.

Bungee cord attachment — The bungee cord I am holding here attaches from the bottom of the platform, over the bikes, and to the back of the spare wheel support where I have also mounted more eye bolts.

Bungee cords detail — I used about four bungee cords. Two short ones keep the wheels in place at the bottom, and two longer ones extend over the bikes.

Camping gear on platform — I also use the platform to keep camping equipment off the damp/wet ground — wood, boxes, chairs, etc. You can put a plastic cover over the platform to protect things underneath.

07

My Scissor Jacks

I've made some updates to my rear scissor jacks and can finally post them on this website. This is very handy when travelling — you don't have to store the jacks in the trailer because the jack is closed when driving. It's very easy to set up and level the trailer when camping. Scissor jacks are an easy way to keep your trailer level and support all four corners no matter what terrain you're camping on. I found my four scissor jacks at flea markets for a couple of dollars each — they were originally used for the Chrysler K car. Here are 3 pictures I took the summer of 2001, each with a small description.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, find me on the Boler website and contact me, “Gord100”.

Angle iron with scissor jack — This shows a piece of angle iron (3″ wide across the top by 2″ deep by 9″ long) welded to the frame of the trailer with a scissor jack bolted upside-down.

Crank and extended jack — This shows the crank with the scissor jack extended.

Jack bolted to angle iron — Close up showing the jack bolted to the angle iron.

Square tube welded to frame — I started by welding a 1′ long 1.25″ × 1.25″ square tube (made from steel) to the frame of the trailer. A 5/8″ nut is welded at the bottom of this tube, while the top is welded shut with a small piece of steel.

Threaded rod install — When I'm ready to install the jacks, I thread a two-inch piece of threaded rod into the nut. The jack fits below the rod, which easily slips into place. The threaded rod keeps the jack from slipping off.

Back bumper view — Here's a back bumper view of the square tubes. Notice the back platform attached to the trailer.

Square tube length — The reason the square tubes are so long is that they help protect the trailer shell. They don't need to be this long — you can even weld the 5/8″ nut right onto the frame.

08

Add-A-Room Factory Option

People have asked to see an original Trillium Trailer Add-A-Room and the canopy that comes with it. The canopy has three spring-loaded bars across the top and three poles which support it, so no support cables are required — keeping you from tripping over cables. It's very easy to put up. The Add-A-Room walls are zippered along the top, attaching them to the canopy. You'll notice there are snaps along the side of the trailer, which fasten the canopy walls securely to the trailer. The walls have screen windows with outer roll-up curtains made of canvas. We find this canopy handy when camping for any extended length of time — we can put the picnic table and lawn chairs in there; it also reduces the wind and keeps out flies and rain. Here are 12 pictures I took the summer of 2001, each with a small description.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, find me on the Boler website and contact me, “Gord100”.

Snaps on trailer side — You can see me pointing to the snaps on the side of the trailer (notice the far end too). The side walls of the Add-A-Room attach here.

Canopy support — Here you can see how the canopy is supported. You can't see it very well, but there is a top/front horizontal bar that secures the three front vertical supports.

Canopy groove — The canopy is attached to the trailer by sliding it through a groove mounted to the trailer.

Poles under canopy — Notice the poles under the canopy. There are three of them. They're spring loaded (like a shower curtain bar), so they do a great job keeping the tarp on top stretched.

Adjustable poles — The poles are adjustable for height. They also have a metal loop at the bottom to hold them in place with tent poles.

Canopy in weather — If it rains very heavy, you'll need to push up from under the canopy to drain the water. Other than that, it's very secure and stable in all kinds of weather.

Add-A-Room attached — Here's a look at the Add-A-Room securely attached to the trailer, with the side canvas curtains down.

Vertical zipper — The red arrow indicates the vertical zipper used to “get in” to the Add-A-Room. You can also see the strings above used to tie the rolled-up curtains.

Curtains tied up — Here's a look with the curtains tied up.

09

More Storage

This lets you access the storage area under the back seat in the trailer. I still have my water tank installed on the other side, so I only put a door on the one side. This is very useful — you don't have to remove the back seat or bed to quickly use this storage area. Outside dimensions: 17.5″ × 11.5″. Inside dimensions: 14.5″ × 8.5″. You can buy these at trailer retail outlets (I bought this from someone who renovates trailers). I recommend the hinge be at the bottom. Try to install the door on a relatively flat area. To attach the door, pre-drill the holes and use self-tapping stainless steel screws. Use a sealant to keep the rain out.

Storage door locked — Door is locked closed.

Storage door open — Open, showing easy access to the storage area.

Room inside storage — Very roomy and easy to access!

10

Emily Provincial Park 2002 Reunion

Cheers! Rick Myers and Fred Taylor organized this event. I took video footage of our time there. Here's the link to Emily's website: ontarioparks.com/park/emily

Gord100 at the reunion — Here's me, Gord100.

Directions map — Here's a map detailing how to get there.

Campground map — Here's a map of the campground itself.

Turkey deep fry — Doug from Miami cooked the turkey for the potluck. His style is to deep fry the bird.

Bob's melons — Bob showing off his melons on the way to the potluck.

Campfire — Here's a shot of the large campfire. Everyone always got together to exchange a few ideas.

Welcome to Gord100's Trillium Trailer

The Build

Screen Door

12V DC Power Source

Shorter Wheels

How to make the wheels

Interior Shelving (front & rear)

12V Water Pump for Faucet

Custom Rear Platform / Bike Rack

My Scissor Jacks

Add-A-Room Factory Option

More Storage

Emily Provincial Park 2002 Reunion