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Ed's camper trailer build
- Thread starter Paddler Ed
- Start date
I used to keep my hitch weight as close to 80kg as possible.
Too light and the trailer will wander around.
If it's negative, a weighted trailer will go out of control. (Ask me how I know).
More than 80kg upsets the balance of the towing vehicle and causes cornering problems.
Too light and the trailer will wander around.
If it's negative, a weighted trailer will go out of control. (Ask me how I know).
More than 80kg upsets the balance of the towing vehicle and causes cornering problems.
Paddler Ed
Well-Known Member
Up date time!
So, I've been doing some labour bartering with a mate as well as a loan of the trailer... I helped him take the floor out of his horse truck (5 sheets of 5mm chequer plate and 50mm x 50mm RHS cross members (10 of)) and fixed the tail lights on his ute where the dogs chewed through the cabling... and he'll do welding and accurate cutting for me on the trailer.
Loan of the trailer I'm sure was for taking tools etc down to help on one of their mate's properties... nowhere was there mention of it becoming a stock trailer and bringing back sheep!
Not the end of the world, it was in for sand blasting a couple of days later:
It was only a rough blast so we could see what needed fixing up:
we found a few cracked welds on the suspension (which we knew of already) and those were fixed with low hydrogen rod stick welds:
There were a couple of bits that were already identified, and were the original motivator for sorting it all out:
Pete did the cutting this time, I'm not accurate enough yet with the grinder:
Gal was used as it was from the offcut pile where my mate works:
We also patched up the front panel:
and moved the spare wheel mount to fit the 31" tyres on (no pics, as we were getting hungry/thirsty at beer o'clock)
So, I've been doing some labour bartering with a mate as well as a loan of the trailer... I helped him take the floor out of his horse truck (5 sheets of 5mm chequer plate and 50mm x 50mm RHS cross members (10 of)) and fixed the tail lights on his ute where the dogs chewed through the cabling... and he'll do welding and accurate cutting for me on the trailer.
Loan of the trailer I'm sure was for taking tools etc down to help on one of their mate's properties... nowhere was there mention of it becoming a stock trailer and bringing back sheep!
Not the end of the world, it was in for sand blasting a couple of days later:
It was only a rough blast so we could see what needed fixing up:
we found a few cracked welds on the suspension (which we knew of already) and those were fixed with low hydrogen rod stick welds:
There were a couple of bits that were already identified, and were the original motivator for sorting it all out:
Pete did the cutting this time, I'm not accurate enough yet with the grinder:
Gal was used as it was from the offcut pile where my mate works:
We also patched up the front panel:
and moved the spare wheel mount to fit the 31" tyres on (no pics, as we were getting hungry/thirsty at beer o'clock)
Paddler Ed
Well-Known Member
It's back (nearly).... been primed, filled and painted in 2-pack:
Paddler Ed
Well-Known Member
Well, it's home now. It needed a bit of a retouch on one section as it had run a bit where the paint went under the folded over top of the tub. Painter wasn't happy so he re-did it (twice) till he was happy.
Fitted the new hubs (now with brakes - you can see the backing plate in the 2nd picture above) and adjusted the bearings but I had a rumble... Couldn't work it out, but had it booked in for inspection (NSW trailers over a certain weight have to be pink slipped (MOT'd) annually, and as mine has had brakes fitted it needs a blue slip (more detailed inspection) which can only be done at a couple of workshops in town) in a weeks time.
I also got someone to wire all the lights for me, as I can't do wiring neatly, and I needed to get the brakes wired up.
Spoke to the guys who are doing the blue slip about the rumble and it turns out I'd mounted the brake backing plate too close to the drum. Luckily there were a couple of washers used to space it out a bit, but I pulled them out and it seems to be pretty much spot on. One side drags a little, but I might be able to tweak that out with the grinder on the plate to give me the space I need... I hope... If I pull it apart after a bit I should be able to see where it rubs and adjust accordingly.
And now the pictures:
All the wiring is soldered and conduited, and all the lights are now LED's:
Fitted the new hubs (now with brakes - you can see the backing plate in the 2nd picture above) and adjusted the bearings but I had a rumble... Couldn't work it out, but had it booked in for inspection (NSW trailers over a certain weight have to be pink slipped (MOT'd) annually, and as mine has had brakes fitted it needs a blue slip (more detailed inspection) which can only be done at a couple of workshops in town) in a weeks time.
I also got someone to wire all the lights for me, as I can't do wiring neatly, and I needed to get the brakes wired up.
Spoke to the guys who are doing the blue slip about the rumble and it turns out I'd mounted the brake backing plate too close to the drum. Luckily there were a couple of washers used to space it out a bit, but I pulled them out and it seems to be pretty much spot on. One side drags a little, but I might be able to tweak that out with the grinder on the plate to give me the space I need... I hope... If I pull it apart after a bit I should be able to see where it rubs and adjust accordingly.
And now the pictures:
All the wiring is soldered and conduited, and all the lights are now LED's:
Paddler Ed
Well-Known Member
Quick update...
We took the trailer for Roadworthy and details update, such as brakes and tare weight.
Now have the brakes adjusted - with the wheels in the air, the brakes stop the wheels on 4 on the RedArc, and at 10 the trailer holds the whole lot on a slope.
Tare weight was originally 320kg on the papers, and 420kg/400kg pre-brakes and repaint. Now weighs in at 440kg with brakes and the rear steadies.
Picked up the canvas on Saturday from Gordigear on the Gold Coast (Southport) and came back via Ikea.
Towed great... except for the clutch deciding that it didn't like me at the top of the Toowoomba range.... pedal hit the floor and stayed there. We suspect that DOT3 brake fluid has too low boiling point, so we need to change to a higher temp rating as the right hand cylinder bank's extractors run past the clutch slave. Made for an interesting 400km home!
We took the trailer for Roadworthy and details update, such as brakes and tare weight.
Now have the brakes adjusted - with the wheels in the air, the brakes stop the wheels on 4 on the RedArc, and at 10 the trailer holds the whole lot on a slope.
Tare weight was originally 320kg on the papers, and 420kg/400kg pre-brakes and repaint. Now weighs in at 440kg with brakes and the rear steadies.
Picked up the canvas on Saturday from Gordigear on the Gold Coast (Southport) and came back via Ikea.
Towed great... except for the clutch deciding that it didn't like me at the top of the Toowoomba range.... pedal hit the floor and stayed there. We suspect that DOT3 brake fluid has too low boiling point, so we need to change to a higher temp rating as the right hand cylinder bank's extractors run past the clutch slave. Made for an interesting 400km home!
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Paddler Ed
Well-Known Member
This weekend was more progress - Pete came round Tuesday evening to work out what we needed to do next, and decided that the plan was to get the trailer out to his and go from there.
So, Christmas came early! Cardboard everywhere:
(in the background is the truck that we need to re-floor... 5 full sheets of plate to go in... the floor is 6m x 2.4m; the original rusty one got cut out a while ago...)
This weekend was more progress - Pete came round Tuesday evening to work out what we needed to do next, and decided that the plan was to get the trailer out to his and go from there.
So, Christmas came early! Cardboard everywhere:
(in the background is the truck that we need to re-floor... 5 full sheets of plate to go in... 6m x 2.4m which we cut out a while ago...)
Cattle rail worked very well as the metal to move it around on whilst we set things up
Packer at the front as the trailer was longer than the camper floor frame
Setting up the side wings as the trailer was narrower than the frame... of course...
Holes for the rivets - 2 lots of stainless steel to go through, and in the end a whole pack of 4mm drill bits was used up!
And on the way home:
Cattle rail worked very well as the metal to move it around on whilst we set things up
Packer at the front as the trailer was longer than the camper floor frame
Setting up the side wings as the trailer was narrower than the frame... of course...
Holes for the rivets - 2 lots of stainless steel to go through, and in the end a whole pack of 4mm drill bits was used up!
And on the way home:
So, Christmas came early! Cardboard everywhere:
(in the background is the truck that we need to re-floor... 5 full sheets of plate to go in... the floor is 6m x 2.4m; the original rusty one got cut out a while ago...)
This weekend was more progress - Pete came round Tuesday evening to work out what we needed to do next, and decided that the plan was to get the trailer out to his and go from there.
So, Christmas came early! Cardboard everywhere:
(in the background is the truck that we need to re-floor... 5 full sheets of plate to go in... 6m x 2.4m which we cut out a while ago...)
Cattle rail worked very well as the metal to move it around on whilst we set things up
Packer at the front as the trailer was longer than the camper floor frame
Setting up the side wings as the trailer was narrower than the frame... of course...
Holes for the rivets - 2 lots of stainless steel to go through, and in the end a whole pack of 4mm drill bits was used up!
And on the way home:
Cattle rail worked very well as the metal to move it around on whilst we set things up
Packer at the front as the trailer was longer than the camper floor frame
Setting up the side wings as the trailer was narrower than the frame... of course...
Holes for the rivets - 2 lots of stainless steel to go through, and in the end a whole pack of 4mm drill bits was used up!
And on the way home: