A New Trailer for the Ratbag ...

Ratbag · Jan 19, 2015

Mate, I think I already have at least two of almost everything ... :poke:

My little German shifter, 15", always lives in the car for giving the tow ball (pin, these days ... ) a little attention if it needs it. Never has, yet. I do those big nuts up TIGHT! :lildevil:

crazydave · Jan 20, 2015

Ratbag,

My comments were not particularly intended to be directed to a shopping expedition but rather you only need limited tools - or at least I have convinced myself you only need limited tools.

If you can't fix the problem with the 10,12,14 and 17mm spanners and couple of grabbing type tools (shifter, pliers, vice grips)your problem is bigger then not having the right tool for the job. With those tools you can replace struts and change a drive shaft (assuming the shifter is big enough). I can't see a bigger job that I would take on at the side of the road - hence the need for more tools - I am happy to learn from others on a forum rather than in the middle of no-ware missing that special tool.

Anything requiring more that that you have parts and lifting issues so your are stuffed if you are not in or able to get to workshop.

Ratbag · Jan 20, 2015

Gidday Dave

I do understand what you have said ... :iconwink: :biggrin:.

Just a little while ago, I moved the trailer jockey wheel further forward on the A bar so that I am less likely to take flaming great bits out of my knuckles now that the spare has been reversed and is mounted on three studs, not two. The back of the rim faces forwards.

There are wheel nuts threaded onto the back of these studs so as not to distort the rim chamfer. The wheel nuts that hold it onto the studs are put on with the flat facing the rim. One of them is a security nut, the same pattern as those on both our cars.

Moved the jockey wheel about 30 mm closer to the hitch, which is now possible because the McHitch is longer than the 50 mm ball hitch and the pivot centre is considerably further from the car than it was with my old 50 mm ball hitch. A benefit all round.

Because of the trailer, I will have to carry some extra sizes, and will probably end up taking 12-19 mm in open end, ring and socket, plus some special sizes - e.g. the socket that fits over the end of my security wheel nut key. Also Subaru spark plug socket. 3x extension bars, ratchet handle, vice grips, 200 and 380 mm shifters. I have already dropped the weight by around 0.6 kgs, without removing the sizes outside the range above. I expect to lose about another 2 kgs from the car set.

My computer toolbox will travel in the car (it contains 4" and 6" shifters). It has all sorts of specialised tools that can also be used with cars for the same sorts of jobs. I am also going to work on my brother's computer when I get there, so this kit is essential.

Planning to remove my Dad's army chest, and replace it with 5 ply dividers that can be disassembled to make room for the army chest if I need to take lots of tools with me for a specific reason. This change will decrease the weight by around 20-22 kgs.

With some other changes, I reckon I can get the GVM down to around the 650 kg mark fairly easily, and without compromising either safety or comfort.

A work in progress!

zippo · Jan 20, 2015

^ This. Having carted complete socket/OE/ring sets and more all over the country I'm pretty much in agreement with Dave. I've had to remove the fuel pump from under a 1974 VW Kombi on the roadside at Devils' Marbles and similar tasks on a variety of others, but the sub-set of tools used can be boiled down to those prime few on 99% of instances.

Ratbag · Jan 20, 2015

OK.

Just did some fiddling about and measuring. The trailer bed is exactly 1203 mm lip to lip internally at the front. It is exactly 2110 mm long internally.

The lid height under the hatch (1090 x 685 mm) is about 345 mm, less about 10 mm for the thickness of the roof basket mesh - i.e. can fit items up to 335 mm high. This makes a difference! This extra depth can be seen here:

The height under the rest of the lid is about 305 mm to the bottom of the reinforcing steel (20 x 20 mm), so there is a little wriggle room if one avoids the lid framing, or one puts squashable items on top.

It can be seen how this works out here:

The extra height is gained from the depth of the lid reinforcing (21 mm) plus the height of the offset (about 24 mm) that is necessary because of the projecting bits under the tent base board:

My roof rack is 1185 (L) x 930 mm (W).

The hatch in the base board of the CT tent is 1090 (L) x 685 (W), set in about 120 mm from the internal edge of the lip at the top of the trailer side.

If I place the roof rack in the trailer bed under the hatch, all parts of it are easily reachable through the hatch, and the lip of the roof rack should keep everything more or less in the right place.

This leaves an area 400 x 1200 (w) at the back of the trailer bed, which is just right for my winch, cable and handle to fit. It also allows the 2x 10L military style Jerry cans to fit with room for the compressor case there as well and Sidchrome tool box (350 x 240 x 80; it's not very big).

There is another area forward of the roof rack that is 525 x 1200 (w). The sun room annex bag and exhaust/air jack fit very nicely there.

The lid lifting struts also have to have room to move in these spaces. They reach from the inside bottom at the D/S to about half way across the lid.

This leaves an area on the opposite side from the roof rack (i.e. the opening side of the trailer lid when the tent is stowed or erected; the D/S) that is 270 (w) x 1185 (L). That is just the right width and length to fit longer items, like my long-handled spade, etc.

Both 20L Jerry cans are on the D/S which will compensate for the weight of the winch and recovery gear being on the P/S. Always best to have the D/S of a trailer slightly heavier than the P/S, it helps to compensates for any increase in the propensity to roll on the P/S due to camber, pot holes, etc on the verge of the road.

Gas bottles are on the P/S, so less likely to get side-swiped in traffic, or by vehicles passing me.

The card tables can go under the travelling cover, instead of in the trailer bed. I must say, they have been a PITA to fit comfortably anywhere in the trailer bed ...

I will use the front aluminium toolbox for light and/or delicate items. My camp chairs fit nicely in there. If I need more tow ball weight, I can easily put my Sidchrome toolbox in there.

With this loading method, there will be no need for any internal dividers - lose 23 kgs immediately ... . It also moves much more of the weight towards the rear of the trailer than previously.

This will compensate for the spare and jockey wheel being mounted so far forward on the A bar.

If it comes in at around 660-680 kgs fully loaded GVM, with a ball weight of around 40-45 kgs, it will suit me just fine. This will put it about 60-90 kgs under the legal maximum of 750 kgs for an un-braked trailer - i.e. about 10% less than maximum.

I think that I'm getting there, with a lot of help from my friends ... :poke:

:ebiggrin:. Thanks, everyone ... :biggrin:.

Ratbag · Jan 20, 2015

Further to the above post, I have now done some trial packing of almost all the major items - i.e. bulky and/or heavy. Some photos below.

Front area:

Front and middle:

Middle showing the roof rack under the base board hatch:

Rear area:

Whole trailer bed:

The wrapped up item in the last shot is the ladder for climbing up into the bed chamber ...

Surprisingly (to me), there is quite a lot of space left! I will try to get some plastic storage boxes that fit in the roof basket. These can be used to carry dry and tinned food, and other non-perishable items. I also plan to put my travelling clothes and kit in the trailer in this area.

At this stage, the card tables are still in the garage. The front tool box is almost empty.

I have a couple of bulky items to go in yet. Washing up and washing bowls, for example. These can have other stuff packed in them, of course.

At last I am starting to feel quietly confident that this is going to work well ... :iconwink: :biggrin:. The Gods, and all of you, know that it's taken long enough!

Maybe I will get enthusiastic about finishing the reversing lights and wiring loom reinforcement tomorrow!

Has it been worth all this effort?

I think it is, and has been.

Leaving the tent or equivalent to one side entirely, the trailer is carrying nearly a cubic metre of gear, and that doesn't take into account the fuel, water and gas panniers, or the spare wheel. I don't have to have a roof rack on my car, except in an emergent situation (I hate roof racks. Even aero bars drive me nuts with the noise and they wreck fuel economy IME).

There is no way that I can erect any kind of comfortable tent to put these old bones in. Even my Crusader tent is all but beyond me now.
I can erect the CT tent so easily it's ridiculous. It's also infinitely more commodious and comfortable than any kind of ground tent I have ever owned. Queen size mattress. HUGE windows. Silver roof canvas on the tent and annex.

The full catastrophe erected has a floor area of around 3.3m x 2.05m = 6.76 sq.m. (main tent) plus the open annex of 2.4 x 3m = 7.2 sq.m. (the annex is semi-permanently attached to the main tent with both zips and Velcro. It folds back over the top of the main tent roof when packing it away). A total of about 14 sq.m. or 150 square feet.

The 'Sun Room' consists of three walls, a heavy duty vinyl floor and a fill in panel for the rear of the trailer. Any or all of these can be put up after the main tent and annex roof have been secured. They attach with very heavy Velcro stripping that's continuous along the seams. The annex walls and floor have peg loops.

Methinks that if the weather got a bit windy, one would be well advised to fold the annex back over the main tent roof, and tie it and the main tent down with additional guy ropes. There are very well sewn in attachments all over the main tent and annex roof for this purpose.

Bliss!

stilson · Jan 21, 2015

Fantastic RB, I have to admit I am a little envious.

Scooby2 · Jan 21, 2015

RB ... It's all looking brilliantly organised. Are you going for a trial run for a weekend?

Ratbag · Jan 21, 2015

Gidday ST and S2

stilson said:
Fantastic RB, I have to admit I am a little envious.

Thanks, mate. You have a PM. It gets a lot of crap out of the car, and off its suspension. Modern cars are designed to carry the number of passengers, plus some luggage for each of them. Very few are designed to carry anything over that. The GVM for our cars is 1950 Kgs maximum. The series II SG has a tare weight of 1405 kgs, with no one in it, and half a litre of fuel in the tank ... .
Allowing 80 kgs each for driver and passenger, and 3x 50 for kids (or 2 additional adults). That's about 1,765 Kgs with a full fuel tank. Doesn't leave much for anything but fairly sensible luggage.

Having a tag along rectifies that huge problem.

Scooby2 said:
RB ... It's all looking brilliantly organised.

Thanks, mate. It is getting there ...

Are you going for a trial run for a weekend?

It all depends ... :poke:

.

Scooby2 · Jan 21, 2015

RB... get your squeeze to go with you for a trial run. Best piece of advice I was ever given & didn't take... just do a short trip and see how everything goes.

In those famous words... Just Nike it man!

Best regards,

Ratbag · Jan 21, 2015

^ Haha.

My SWMBO loathes camping even more than she loathes cheapie motels ...
She did a heap of it as a child, and her Dad could never stay in one place for more than a day or so. They had one of those big canvas family tents that were so common in my youth, and her memories of it all are not fond ...

Anyway, depending ( ... ), I might take it for a short trial run somewhere like Cape Patterson before the Brisbane trip.

It's 34°C here today, and 55% relative humidity - loathsome weather :puke:

.
If I liked this kind of weather, I would have stayed living in Brisbane where I grew up! Fortunately we don't get much of it here in Melbourne, and not usually for more than a few days to a week when we do.

So it hasn't exactly been the perfect day for fitting my LED reversing lights to the trailer, but I have very nearly finished the job - soldered up the wiring; insulated this; drilled the 6 holes; sprayed the holes with cold galv paint and fitted the lights. Also completed installing the split corrugated armouring tube over the rear of the wiring loom. Just have to tape these bits at the ends and middle so that they can't peel off (fat bloody chance - I've nearly taken the ends off my fingers and thumbs fitting it!).

Then I will pull the number plate light off and relocate it so that it doesn't hit the perimeter frame of the trailer on the upswing. Then it's into the pool for a well earned swim. I reckon I've lost about 1-2 kgs through sweat!

I can just about taste the open road ... :poke:

:biggrin:

Ratbag · Jan 21, 2015

^ Number plate took a bit more effort than I thought. I had to insert two chain links so that it had sufficient free swing if I drag my tail ...

I just have to weld the links where I cut them. Just a dab, but not now!

It's now 1730H, both the weather and me are as hot as buggery, and I'm heading for a drink of water or two, then heading for the pool.

Ratbag · Jan 21, 2015

Tested all the lights after dark.

Everything works well. The new reversing lights don't exactly light up the surrounding countryside, but they do provide useful light where the back of the trailer is pointing. Given that they are each 5x 1W LEDS, I wasn't expecting a 'Let there be light' moment ...:rotfl:.

They do work, and are very low current drain. Later I may break into their circuit and put a ciggy plug in it. This would allow them to be run off the secondary battery, without leaving the car hitched up, in reverse, with the ignition on! Needless to say, I would switch this part of the circuit.

As the rear of the trailer faces into the annex area, they would provide background illumination there if I did this.

I don't expect any complaints from neighbours about the bright lights ... :lol:.

PS. The swim was great!!

ateday · Jan 22, 2015

Nearly there.
If you get away before Feb 3 we may pass on the road.
I`m homeward bound.
Then my (much) better half has organised us a few days on Kangaroo Island for my birthday.....
It never ends.

Scooby2 · Jan 22, 2015

RB just a thought if you need a little light.... Aldi had some movement sensored low draw battery operated lights. That might be the ticket... come on when you're there at night and need it and switch themselves off when there's no movement.

Best regards,

Ratbag · Jan 22, 2015

^ Good thinking, S2. Thanks.

I have some of the battery powered LED lights already, but not motion sensor ones.

I can see like a cat at night (and blind as a bat during the day without 85% sunnies ... :iconwink:

), so don't need much light, just some.

Scooby2 · Jan 22, 2015

RB ... not my thinking. My Ma & Pa get up a zillion times during the night and think they are the best thing since sliced bread

Best regards,

Ratbag · Jan 22, 2015

^ I can identify with that ... :iconwink:.

Just took the trailer off the car for the first time in some days. The jockey wheel weight is 42 Kgs, as loaded in the photos above ... :quitar:

.

From experience, the ball weight is about 2-3 kgs less than the jockey wheel weight.

So it appears that all is going to plan, so far.
I almost expected it to sit down on its backside with all that weight in the rear!

Still a fair bit of stuff to go into the tub and the front toolbox, but it is mostly pretty light, just bulky. Probably only around 50-60 Kgs all up.

Ratbag · Jan 23, 2015

I have just done some measurements of plastic lidded storage boxes, and done a trial fitment into my roof basket in the trailer bed.

If I can still get exactly the right shape, it looks as if I will be able to fit 6 in it, in two rows of three.

The two I tried are 1x 25L and 1x 28L. Worst case scenario is three side by side, with two lengthwise behind them. The height is fine. At least 5 mm gap at the top between them and the bottom of the lid framing.

Who wants to bet that this size isn't made anymore? :poke:

Ratbag · Jan 25, 2015

Well, Bunnings have this size (29L) :ebiggrin:.

I bought six of them today, but three will go back tomorrow as they are about 20 mm too long to fit as 3x2. I will exchange 3 of them for 2 longer and wider ones. The larger ones can also be about 30-35 mm higher than the ones I bought today.

Looks as if this system will work really well.

Work is progressing with fitting the shock cord to the travelling cover cover. It looks as if this will also work well.

Also had a look at changing the electrical connector on the car and trailer from a small round 7 pin to either a flat 12 pin or a flat 9 pin. The flat 9 pin is new to me. It consists of a standard 7 pin flat with a second row that has two very heavy pins for 50A supply to the trailer.

Another option is also new to me. This connector consists of a separate 50A pair. This circuit could be run direct from the battery to the rear of the car with one of these connector pairs between the car and the trailer. This option also allows me to easily connect the secondary battery for power to the trailer when camped.

Not that I need anything like 50A ... More like about 5A!

A New Trailer for the Ratbag ...

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