K4 Lower Box Assembly Complete

If I wanted a motorcycle cargo trailer, I’d be about done. But with the K4 lower box assembly done, I can start thinking about what it will take to make it a tent camper.

After attaching the fold down entry and the main lid, I wanted to get a feel for the layout. I attached a pair of PVC legs to the lid and a pair to the entry, cutting the PVC so that the two openings would be level. This also gives me the opportunity to take measurements to determine the height of the aluminum tube support bows I’ll be building in the next phase.

Even though this design is slightly narrower than the K3, I can’t really feel it. That may be because it is longer and the wheel wells are not in the way. It is also a lot more stable at speed. I temporarily screwed down the entry door and lid so I could take it out for a test run around the neighborhood and even with the sharpest turns I could not upset it. Once I get it further along I’ll load it up with some weight and see what happens. This video shows the first run.

I’m attempting to do a better job of sealing the box on new builds. My previous boxes did pretty well, but you know how water is–it can find any opening. This time, I made sure that I caulked around every fastener that penetrated the box and at every seam. At the front where rain will hit the box at speed, I caulked the joints both inside and out.

There aren’t that many steps left to turn this motorcycle cargo trailer into a camper. After fabricating the support tubes, I will measure for the tent and begin making that. I do need to spend some time figuring out the best way to run the lighting in the rear since the lights will be mounted on a panel that moves 90 degrees. I don’t anticipate this being a big issue, it’s just something I need to get done. After installing the lights and tent, the rest is finish work.