Thread: Trailer Build

Originally Posted by HappyHammer

True but you'd have to leave the trailer behind anyway so why not just leave the tracked monster and come back and get it? Unless of course it's the end of the day and it's too late to dump 'til the next day then you'd be stuck I admit.

It's just that I see a lot of bobcats and diggers in the back of trucks.

I like the trailer anyway Dazzler.

HH.

Dump on way home HH saves fuel etc.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Dump on way home HH saves fuel etc.

I've considered that but worried about getting arrested.

HH.

Originally Posted by HappyHammer

I've considered that but worried about getting arrested.

HH.

Thats right no road side porta loo's in the country

Hey all,

Originally it was in the back of the truck.

BUT

When I ordered the machine the cattledog stated its length as 2950mm from end to end. So I bought a truck that was 3000mm inside the tray so it could reverse in (proper weight distribution) and the bucket would sit flat on the tray.

BUT

They import them without a bucket and put a local designed bucket on which is 70mm longer so she no fit no more without having the bucket raised over the tailgate. A lot of operators happily sit the bucket this way but it chips/wears away at the tailgate. I was also in the habit of jumping down from the truck which does my stupid knees no favours.

I also needed to carry the auger driver and trencher which could fit in the back with the machine but is a squeeze and pain to get off. So in the end I had to build a trailer anyway to carry either the ancillery stuff or the machine.

So after much debate went for an all in one which a number of the positrack operators use.

It can also be towed by a landcruiser or dual cab ute so adds some versatility in the future.

Plus I needed a project while work is slow until yellow pages and local directories come online in the new year.

cheers

Originally Posted by dazzler

Hey all,

Originally it was in the back of the truck.

BUT

When I ordered the machine the cattledog stated its length as 2950mm from end to end. So I bought a truck that was 3000mm inside the tray so it could reverse in (proper weight distribution) and the bucket would sit flat on the tray.

BUT

They import them without a bucket and put a local designed bucket on which is 70mm longer so she no fit no more without having the bucket raised over the tailgate. A lot of operators happily sit the bucket this way but it chips/wears away at the tailgate. I was also in the habit of jumping down from the truck which does my stupid knees no favours.

I also needed to carry the auger driver and trencher which could fit in the back with the machine but is a squeeze and pain to get off. So in the end I had to build a trailer anyway to carry either the ancillery stuff or the machine.

So after much debate went for an all in one which a number of the positrack operators use.

It can also be towed by a landcruiser or dual cab ute so adds some versatility in the future.

Plus I needed a project while work is slow until yellow pages and local directories come online in the new year.

cheers

Like the idea of the mudguard two in one ramps.Very solid looking trailer.
A guy here in town who has a similar set up ,used old truck tyres for mudguards .
He cut them up with a jigsaw .Look just like two arcs bolted at the ends over the wheels with straight brackets coming off the trailer frame .
I asked about them once and he said they beat folded metal one coz they kept getting bent and buckled .The tyres just bounce back into shape .
I thought it was a good way to recycle tyres and get some flexiable mudguards.

Kev

Great looking job Daz, appears to be well thought out and those alloy wheels do add a touch of class.

Originally Posted by dazzler

Plus I needed a project while work is slow until yellow pages and local directories come online in the new year.

Reason enough

HH.

Looking great Dazzler.

Love the idea of using the ramps as guards, solves the usual problem of providing storage for them. Bear in mind though, you'll need to fit a mudflap (either bolt-on flexible or permanent rigid) to one of the two rear outriggers. The regulations for building small trailers state that the guards must provide continuous protection between a point forward of a vertical line at the front most point of the front tyre, and a point no more than 230mm from the ground at the rear of the rear tyre.
Probably easier with this picture; (Page 31 of 37)
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roa...pdf/vsb_01.pdf

With your guard-to-tyre clearance, the thing about load-sharing suspension is that your axles will have heaps of travel just with the centre rocker of the springs pivoting, and that's without the springs flexing with the weight on it. (Back the empty trailer up onto a gutter with only the rear wheels and you'll see what I mean.)

What controller have they sold/recommended to you? There are many out there; some are great, some will leave you wishing you had bought a great one, and there are some that while legally they do the job, shouldn't be allowed to be sold in this country.

A couple of little suggestions for those finishing touches:

- Weld a couple of half chain links to the inside of your drawbar to hook your safety chain onto when not in use.

- Similarly, weld an offcut of your chassis (or exhaust pipe if you have a 7-pin round plug) to fit your electrical plug lead into when not in use).

- Run a minimum 4mm twin core cable for your electric brake wiring down the trailer. The blue wire in the 7-core loom just isn't big enough for 4 wheeled brake situations, and can lead some voltage drop causing the trailer to pull to one side. Also on this, don't earth the brake wiring to the trailer chassis, this is just asking for trouble.

Think about where you're placing your clearance lamps and where their associated wiring runs. You posted earlier that it will only be about 2050mm wide overall. If you're under 2100mm, you'll only need two white lights facing the front, but you can eliminate these if you put a red/amber light each side at the front and rear, which you'll need if it's over 2100mm anyway. (I'm a big fan of people being able to see my trailers at night. My car carrier will be lit up like a christmas tree.)


An idea for fixing your guards/ramps. Drill a hole either end of the ramp in the middle. Drill a coresponding hole through the outriggers each end of where your ramps sit. Weld a nut to the bottom these outriggers. Get a bolt long enough to go through the lot. Weld a 3-4inch long piece of 1/2in rod across the top of the bolt head as a T-handle allowing you to loosen and tighten them without having to find a spanner.
If you want some clearance for your fingers, get the T-handle bolt another inch longer, drill the thread out of a nut, and weld the nut an inch down from the bolt head. And if you really want to get clever, place a washer between this nut and the bolt head before you weld the nut on, then you can weld a bit of small chain to this washer, then attach the chain to the chassis so you dont loose each of these T-handles.

All the best with it. Looking forward to seeing it finished, but keep up with the progress photos.

Peter, "Yonnee".

I am impressed by the design and workmanship especially the welding,a thought when you come to the electricals such as tail brake indicator set up get the new super dooper combination low wattage ones they are so efficient and kind to the vehicle connections,they use so little power the towing unit fuses are then safe from overload and you can afford to light it like a xmas tree,they cost higher in singles but kits much cheaper.They are fitting them in traffic lights around here.

Take care Peter

They would be LED lamps.
Try these ones, http://ledautolamps.com/products.htm
They're very well priced, top quality, and has now got quite a range, including ones with built-in reflectors.

Thanks Yonnee and Penpal for that advice. Sorry I hadnt seen the posts earlier but u know xmas.

Will do. Particularly thanks for the 4mm wire suggestion!

Hi

The electrics supplied (and opened and boxes ripped so I cant return them ) are;

Voyager 9030 inertia activated proportional braking system.

Breaksafe 5000 breakaway braking system

and a Redarc EB24A 24 volt converter.

Please oh please tell me they will be okay

Originally Posted by dazzler

Hi

The electrics supplied (and opened and boxes ripped so I cant return them ) are;

Voyager 9030 inertia activated proportional braking system.

Breaksafe 5000 breakaway braking system

and a Redarc EB24A 24 volt converter.

Please oh please tell me they will be okay

The Voyager's perfect. Make sure the date sticker on the back is fairly recent.
The Breaksafe is also "THE" one to have.

Now, the converter. How many circuits does the EB24A have? The reason I ask is that you'll need one circuit to power the controller capable of handling 12 amps @ 12V, and a second to power the charging side of the breakaway unit...

...OK, scratch that. I just googled the EB24A. It seems that its main purpose is to allow hook-up to the 24volt brake-lights. It still requires hooking up to one of your two batteries. You could do this for your brakesafe charging too, but it does put some strain on the one battery.

You could get a 24 to 12 volt reducer with two circuits, or one with the capacity of around 20 Amps.

All the best with it. Looking forward to seeing the completed project.

Started to fit the handbrake cable to the electric brakes after a big xmas lunch.

The handbrake is actuated by a lever than engages the shoes. The lever is designed to move in a linear plane towards the front of the trailer and there is a small plate fitted to accept a sheathed cable on the backing plate. They are an ALKO system and even thier website doesnt show a sheathed cable to fit the backing plate . In the pic you can see the lever and the slotted plate.

Attachment 63192


Trailer parts place supplied a long stainless cable handbrake kit which doesnt allow a linear pull as the pulleys attach to the side of the trailer and there is a minimum of about 20deg pull from straight. Not acceptable in my book. This is what the cable kit is like.

Attachment 63193

Have searched online but unable to find something better. Oh well, will try tomorrow or when the business community comes back to work.