1993 Chevrolet P30 Food Truck Build

OH yea Reese, what is your plan for your concession door. I know you said you were gonna build your own, I was just wondering about your design ideas.

nwcw2001


THOSE ARE AWESOME PRICES!!!! How many did you get? With that length, I figure we'd need between 4 and 5, depending on the brightness. With them being waterproof you could have them as part of your exterior lighting for night/winter services!

 
I ordered 8, they are 1/2 meter (1.5ft) long and can be chained together. I will order a different style for under my awning door.

nwcw2001


OH yea Reese, what is your plan for your concession door. I know you said you were gonna build your own, I was just wondering about your design ideas.

I will post a picture of my design later but it will basically be aluminum u channel trim for the frame, aluminum outside with a small rectangle window (blue tinted acrylic) and the underside/inside will be white FRP and I will mount 2 LED lights to the inside as well. I already have all the supplies but have not had time to focus on the build but I just purchased a riveter so this will speed up the awnign build versus using aluminum epoxy and screws.

reese77

BackAlleyBurger


hey Reese-
if that unit works and your not going to use it want to sell it ?
if so want first dibs please :)

I will test it, the battery it is hooked up to is dead but I will take it to Auto Zone to be charged than test the inverter. It it works, you can have for a trade.

 
sounds like a plan to me :) if it is what i think it is, its perfect for something i want to do....
 
and great find on the lights !  SUPERBRIGHTLEDS has been one of my favorite sites for a couple years now

I was trying to draw up a plan in Google Sketchup but you cannot really see detail. So I will just describe my awning design and when I get back home tomorrow, I will build and upload pictures.
 
The awning is basically 58 3/4" x 34 1/2", the outside is aluminum and the inside panel is FRP, between the two pieces of material is a 3/4" sheet of styrofoam and an aluminum frame made of 1" aluminum u channel. I will cut out a 4' x 8" hole to fit my 1/2" acrylic tinted window. Real simple. I will run 12v wiring inside the frame and out of a hole for the LED light before I sandwich close the frame.

I got some work done on my awning today as well as the actual window frame opening on the truck. The styrofoam that I have that would have gone between the FRP and aluminum sheet is about 2/8" too thick and the aluminum I have left over is not enough to cover the awning with one sheet so I would have to merge to pieces. I will have to check out the foam options at Home Depot tomorrow in order to finish the awning.
 

 

 

 

If you have an orbital sander use that to plane down your foam.  It is a mess to do it this way but, you can use what you have.

I actually was going to build a foam planer using a battery and thin wire. The wire will get hot and I can just slide it over the foam. However, I rather buy a new solid piece of foam at the right size as the foam I have is in multiple sheets not one solid piece.
 
I would have to go into my backyard with a long extension cord to to sand the foam, you are right about how much of a mess that will cause and the foam shavings stick to everything.

Reese, what are you using to join your 45's together as a perm ? I am really studying this design and hope to duplicate it for my own truck. I am looking forward to seeing lots more pics ( hint ) lol  :-)

I cut a piece of square aluminum bar and stuck it in the corner where the 2 45 degree pieces met, than drilled 1/8" holes and riveted.
 

sweet, i like the blue, where did you come by that ?
 

THE WILD DOG


sweet, i like the blue, where did you come by that ?

I updated my last reply with the picture. I orders the acrylic from Tap Plastics, they have a website. I used to live in CA and they have a shop there where can order all types of acrylic and plastic parts.

IM looking forward to seeing your completion... i'm a little nervous about making the 45's  in all honesty, this being my second build. I've never had to cut a 45. lol  any suggestions on whats the best method to cut that easily bendable alum channel. LOL  if i look at it the wrong way it  bends lol

The wire would work too, but melted foam sticks and burns like nepalm.  I use a coping saw blade and wire to a battery for carving foam for christmas displays.  It works slick but you got to watch the melted foam.
 
I think you are right, just buy the right size and thickness and be done with it.

I have been using my miter saw and it has a standard wood blade on it, I just go slow. I get bits of hot aluminum sprayed on me but I haven't bent any pieces as of yet. I tried to use my jig saw with a metal blade to cut the angle when I first started but I do not have a steady hand. You could buy a cheap plastic miter box and use a hack saw, this method works well and leaves a nice 45 degree angle.
 
One tip is that after you measure one side of the frame and your ready to cut, tape two pieces of u channel together and make the 45 degree cuts at the same time through both pieces, this is what I have been doing, than way both pieces are exactly the same.

A bit more progress, I found some 1/2" insulation foam at Home Depot that fits perfectly between the FRP and aluminum.

 

 

 

I see all the work you are doing and I decided to purchas a 5 by 3 slider form home depot and eventually add an rv awning, window is only 200 to 230 with safety glass,its hot here in Fla. so the large awning will be necessary.Also amazon has a lot of aluminum channel with free shipping, killer prices.

americanwiener


I see all the work you are doing and I decided to purchas a 5 by 3 slider form home depot and eventually add an rv awning, window is only 200 to 230 with safety glass,its hot here in Fla. so the large awning will be necessary.Also amazon has a lot of aluminum channel with free shipping, killer prices.

 
I was going to buy a window and awning as well but I had alot of aluminum channel and still do, and I wanted the blue tint window and other features such as locks, led lights etc.. I still think I made the right choice by building my own. It is not alot of work at all, I just have other projects going on and have not spent alot of time on it. I started yesterday and I am almost done. I also wanted an open window like  you see on the Joy Ride truck versus sliding windows.
 
I know the awning looks a little sloppy now but most of the pieces are just dry fitted for now until I have the full parts placement worked out. The finish product will look nice. I will also be wrapping the truck and the vinyl wrap will cover he awning as well, except the frame.

I plan on using a circular saw with carbide blade to cut out window opening, like yours it is also plywood sheeted and skinned in side, 2 questions, one is when I draw my lines out and use a level, they dont match lines of the truck, which will make the window look tilted,solution?and also how did you get both cuts even with each other?

im so trying to figure out and visualize your window completed, and can't get it. lol i'm reverse engineering it as I type this, trying google sketch is wicked hard and fun at the same time. i know it's alot to ask but can you provide alot of pics on your window design.

If you measure from the bottom of your trailer/truck (not the ground) your window should be square if you start with the bottom line first. Then do your top line and connect the two. That is IF your trailer is sitting on level ground. And if your tires are aired to the same level and of course the same size.
 
And some trucks (like my SV) have a slant from front to back.
 
But lets go back to completely level ground which maybe hard to find at times. That is because most driveways are slanted to at least  some degree for water run off. Other drives may be slanted to a great degree for the same reason or just faulty construction practices.  Hope that may help you. And I agree  nothing would look worse or be harder to correct than a crooked service window.
 
Jack

NOW you tell me... when I built my trailer the ground was so not level... but for the most part, my build was level... I see things now that I laugh at that aren't level. I was wondering why the bubble always shot to the left or right at the speed of light when i put it on the countertop. <---

americanwiener


I plan on using a circular saw with carbide blade to cut out window opening, like yours it is also plywood sheeted and skinned in side, 2 questions, one is when I draw my lines out and use a level, they dont match lines of the truck, which will make the window look tilted,solution?and also how did you get both cuts even with each other?

 
I measured from the outside of the truck from the roof down and drew my lines. Do not use a level.

THE WILD DOG


im so trying to figure out and visualize your window completed, and can't get it. lol i'm reverse engineering it as I type this, trying google sketch is wicked hard and fun at the same time. i know it's alot to ask but can you provide alot of pics on your window design.

Yes, I will deconstruct before I permanently fasten all the pieces. I will try tonight to get some more pictures and post another sketch. I will also list the parts that I have used so far. Just got home from fishing and tired, so I will get the info posted later.

bet some good fish & crabs stirred up from the storm, they were talkin how it was going to devestate the east coast and i'm sitting here with all my windows open and blue skys n sunshining everywhere. lol

THE WILD DOG


bet some good fish & crabs stirred up from the storm, they were talkin how it was going to devestate the east coast and i'm sitting here with all my windows open and blue skys n sunshining everywhere. lol

Tried a new lake (Black Shoals Lake Conyers, GA) didn't catch a thing....

I am writing a how to manual for the awning and I will post the PDF once complete.

Reese are you a builder or engineer by profession or just hell a good a mechanical inclinations? lol

PurpleCheetah


Reese are you a builder or engineer by profession or just hell a good a mechanical inclinations? lol

I wish, just a software developer and muti-hobbyist....

reese77


I am writing a how to manual for the awning and I will post the PDF once complete.

Reese YOU are my hero!!!
 
~John