Integrated Cargo Carrier

[wudboatVT]

Hi folks,

I’m building the ICC right now before starting in on the camper itself. The instructions suggest a 1/4″ fillet in the carrier where the drawer will slide in. I think my fillets were a little generous but not much. I’ve sanded and filed them down to nearly NOTHING. And yet, the drawers don’t fit. There might be a millimeter or so clearance, but not everywhere so it gets stuck about a quarter of the way in. My next step is to start trimming the tops and bottoms of the drawers themselves.

…Unless someone has any other ideas or experience?!

John in Chicago

@okoume_overland (instagram)

[glcmranger]

John: I just completed the drawers and now will be assembling the frame. I also was worried about the filets on those seams….. Thanks for sharing — I think I’ll make them very small BUT use plexiglass tape to provide the strength. Please let me know what other challenges you encounter with the ICC. Sorry I don’t have anything to share,,,, but, once you start on the Teardrop,,,,,, I’ll have a lot of suggestions for you. CHEERS!

[wudboatVT]

Thanks, man. I think I’ll have to shave down the “runners” (i don’t know if they’re called that) on the bottom of the drawers. The fit is extremely tight. I don’t think I did anything “wrong” but rather it’s just time to futz a little to get them to work. This morning I woke up thinking about the layers of expoxy and varnish/paint. It’s only going to build up the surfaces even higher!

John in Chicago

@okoume_overland (instagram)

[wudboatVT]

You know, in retrospect, some fiberglass tape maybe an inch wide on those seems with unthickened epoxy might be a much stronger option. And, the edges of the tape would sand down nicely I think. The fillets, now hardened, are like cement.

[scoop]

I had to do some shaving off to fit the drawers and sand the drips off a few spots.  I shaved the runners. I just glued together the drawers last night and tried the fit this morning, wonder if finishing with epoxy will make them thicken enough to stick, hopefully not. Had to change the position of the puck because of the shaving.

[wudboatVT]

@scoop – tell me more about having to move the puck. Not sure I can visualize why you would need to do this after shaving the runners…

[Andrew]

Hi John,

I haven’t built the ICC but while reading your post I thought this tip from the manual that might be of help. It isn’t mentioned in the manual (or wasn’t in mine) until you are fitting the hinges I think but it is a very useful technique applicable much earlier on in the build and might help you make shallower, smoother fillets that are ‘blended’ better into the two faces that they join. It is on p246 of my manual and says:

Smooth epoxy fillets with a finger dipped in denatured alcohol.

First allow the epoxy fillets to gel for 60-120 minutes . The epoxy should be at the consistency of modelling clay before you try this.

Dip you finger frequently in the denatured alcohol and sculpt the epoxy to perfection with your finger tip.

Though it may be a little late for the ICC fillets that you have done so far the technique might allow you to make finer and lower profile fillets elsewhere to give you the clearance you need. I discovered this tip early on in my build and found myself using it everywhere because it saves almost all sanding of fillets once they are dry, which as you know by now is a horrible and tedious job!

Good luck,
Andrew

[scoop]

I think since I lowered the drawers a bit, to clear the obstruction, I adjusted the puck so it would still nestle into the recess in the longitudinal stringers when the drawer was closed, checking the position with the drawer closed), for me,I think, a little higher on the drawer than indicated on the computer drilled markings (I did not use the markings). Of course, I took the drawer out while the epoxy set to keep from gluing the drawer in. I used some shallow screws from the inside to hold the puck while it cured.

[scoop]

I am calling the runners the longitudinal projecting pieces of wood on the underside of the drawer. I was lucky that the narrow dimension of the opening for the drawer for me was the up-down, rather than side to side

[wudboatVT]

That makes total sense, @scoop. Not sure I would have gotten to that conclusion on the drawer pucks for a while yet! Low friction tape work well?

[scoop]

The low friction tape does seem to work well.

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