A New Trailer for the Ratbag ...

Gidday Folks

This has been an epic in the making!

[EDIT]

For a distillation of the design factors that I eventually came up with for my trailer and tent, see this post and the following post.

The fitting and commissioning of my camper trailer tent is in a separate thread, here.

[end edit]

My 7x4 trailer is just over 30 years old.
The tyres are also 30 y.o. ... 165x13.
The wheels are possibly 20 years older than that; probably Holden rims, I don't know.

About 10~13 years ago, I had the ladder frame replaced with 2x1" structural box. I also had the floor and half way up the sides replaced with 16 gauge galvanised steel.

The front has been converted to a drop front.

The spare wheel holder has mostly rusted through, and needs replacement.

The wheel bearings, axle, hubs and springs are in good serviceable condition.

The trailer tows straight and true at all speeds (up to over 130 km/h).

It really needs 3x new wheels and tyres, and an urgent replacement of the spare wheel holder bar.

After that, it needs some love and affection; some minor repairs that any competent handyman with a welder can do; some elbow grease with a wire brush and sand paper, and a repaint.

Beyond me, and even if it weren't, I cannot fit 16x6.5" Subaru wheels on it without replacing the axle; hubs; mud guards - you get the drift. Cost more for me to have someone else do all this than a new, purpose-built trailer!!

I have found someone this arvo who has helped me source proper hubs to fit my Subie steel wheels. Proper clearance. No extra over 'standard' hubs for the hubs, or the axle. This was a BIG hurdle!!

So. 6x4 box trailer with 18~20" sides, and a locking lid and 16x6.5" Subie wheels.

The company can do the whole job; including water/fuel jerry can holders; tool box; side mount spare wheel; side opening steel lid; gas bottle holder - including locking brackets all over the place.

Judging from the trailers under construction on the floor, they are not into making crap! Their "basic duty" trailer makes most "heavy duty" trailers I have looked at look lightly built ...

Have had a rough guesstimate. Will get a proper quote from them next week.

To be continued - as the story unfolds ...
 
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Ratbag said:
I need to defrost the freezer in our fridge anyway. It was bought in about 1978. Still going strong :).
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Ours too - 1978 and going like a train. Just weeks back we relegated it to "drinks fridge" status and installed a new upside-down F&P model (SWMBO's choice, not mine). Salesman said if you get 10 years out of ANY current fridge you have done well.
 
Ratbag said:
The Gasmate also uses 90W whether running on 12V or 240V. I suspect that some of these fridges use less power when running on 12V. Don't know though.
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From both my own measurements and reports from others on caravan 3-ways, the DC consumption is >100W and they are still less effective on 12V. It's a case of "it's a fridge/freezer on 240 or gas but a fridge ONLY on 12V, and not a flash one at that". The only car/van fridge-freezers that are decent performers on 12V are compressor types. As always, YMMV and yours may be different ....
 
We had a Crosley Shelvador fridge from the early 1950s as our drinks fridge until 2007, when we sold the house. The fridge still worked perfectly!
 
zippo said:
From both my own measurements and reports from others on caravan 3-ways, the DC consumption is >100W and they are still less effective on 12V. It's a case of "it's a fridge/freezer on 240 or gas but a fridge ONLY on 12V, and not a flash one at that". The only car/van fridge-freezers that are decent performers on 12V are compressor types. As always, YMMV and yours may be different ....
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I understand that. However, I do not have the desire or need to spend $1500-2000 on a miniature power station ...

Much of the time, my fridge will be running on either 240V or gas. Only on 12V when travelling in the car.
 
Ratbag said:
Much of the time, my fridge will be running on either 240V or gas. Only on 12V when travelling in the car.
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I understand that, but those occasions as Crazydave mentioned (post #221) can catch you out on 12V.
 
^ True enough.

However, I also don't expect it to be a freezer either, just a cold Esky that stays reasonably cold.

A couple of other points is the power consumption versus the capacity and type of fridge. 90W going into a chest type fridge with a capacity of 35L will be far better than 100+W going into (say) a 60 or 70 L fridge. If the fridge opens at the front, any kind of 12V technology is in for a hard time of it.

Personally, I would have preferred a 25 L fridge with the same working parts.

Obviously, it helps the poor thing enormously to have a doona for the really hot times when running on 12V.

Equally obviously, this would be literally disastrous when running on gas, and/or if the insulating cover blocks any of the air flow vents.

Even my old Peltier effect device cool box could manage to keep Coke cans cold-ish for quite some time.

I also have to be able to lift the fridge when full, without doing my dodgy back in ...
 
Gidday Folks

I have finally figured out and made a travelling cover cover. Made out of a silvered SCA PE tarp. Has 8 mm shock cord around the perimeter. Is fixed to the trailer by a whole lot of ends off old octopus straps that had lost their stretch quite a while back. These hooks are tied to the trailer side, front and rear tie down bars with 8 mm nylon rope. The hooks for the front bar are made from old cargo net hooks. A couple of eye bolts here and there to fix the various ends.

The ropes, shock cord and hooks are arranged so that they don't rub on the travelling cover.

It detaches completely in about 60 seconds. The front is fixed so that it can stay attached. Flip it back over the front tool box, then roll the proper travelling cover into the same position, then wrap the PE tarp over it to protect from stray sparks etc when camped. Pretty much as quick to put back on.

Travelling cover costs around $400 - 800. A new PE tarp costs about $13.86 ...

Chuck some 8 mm nylon rope over the lot, and it's not going anywhere.

The back of the tarp is black. I plan to spray paint "HELP" in big white letters on this side. Easier to see white on black from the air than it is to see piles of rocks on rocks ... ;).

Some photos to come when I upload them.
 
This is the rough fit to check the size, and contemplate just how to tie the bloody thing on. There is a surprisingly large number of permutations and combinations for this. Nearly drove me more nuts than usual ...

E-30_JAK_2014-_9032616.jpg


E-30_JAK_2014-_8242615+copy.jpg


E-30_JAK_2014-_8242614+copy.jpg


E-30_JAK_2014-_8242613+copy.jpg


Photos of the finished solution in the next post ...
 
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Here is my solution. The ropes over everything show how much I trust anything that's held on only by stretchy thingies .. :lol:.

E-30_JAK_2015-_2253087.jpg


E-30_JAK_2015-_2253090.jpg


and some of the details:

The front behind the tool box:

E-30_JAK_2015-_2253088.jpg


Still a bit rough in places, but tight and won't flap.

E-30_JAK_2015-_2253086.jpg


The "insurance" ropes:

E-30_JAK_2015-_2253089.jpg
 
ateday said:
Looks good.
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Thanks, Ate. Just about ready to go for a short shake down run to somewhere close, like Cape Paterson camping ground.

I need to fit the cargo barrier, and make a fridge shelf for the back seat.

An interesting observation. We needed a new stove for SWMBO's and her brother's rental property. It wouldn't fit into her SH, but easily fitted into my SG with the back seats up! Obviously, her car has a lot more rear passenger room than mine, but the cargo area is about 50 mm shorter.
 
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