Tired of junk production car haulers/ equipment trailers- this is a build

[sweetk30]

when I install the hitch to the plate I add a shim washer to it to take out the slop when bolt tight = no play no more.

but what ever floats your boat . this is how we live and learn .

what scares me is some of the trailers they sell with play pen size safty chains

mine just got 3/8 chain and bog slipper hooks with lock tabs.

 

[twoslo4five0]

I have 3/8s chain with slipper hooks and lock tabs and 5/8s rod connecting them to the trailer.

These chains

http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/p-532-sc3841-g43.aspx

and this rod

http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/p-5799-sc58b.aspx

 

[twoslo4five0]

checking my connections, thankfully everything work. Now to the other side.

 

[twoslo4five0]

At the advise of everyone, I got the hitch plate welded up and painted today (paint was still wet in pic)

Got the vin on, signed off by police offer, now back to DMV to get the title. Where it had name for trailer, its titled as "built not bought" :laughing:

Got the break a way in, wiring done and made a license plate mount. If the tag is sticking up to tall for a load, I can take the bolts out and put the plate down for loading, just can't leave it that way as it blocks the 3 LED center light.

upgraded to brake box on the tow rig as well.

I'am having one issue with the trailer brakes. Ive tried every way possible to wire up the brakes but every time I put power to them (18v cordless battery) I get an arc (like a short) and never hear the magnets engage/ disengage. The axles were prewired, the wiring on my end is correct. Ive literally taken the scotch locks off and take the 3 inch wires coming out of the backing plate with the same end result. The wires never get hot or smoke but it throws and arc when hooking up, that goes away. Im not real sure what to do here. Im at a loss. Has anyone had the same issue? Am I putting to much voltage to the brakes at 1 time? I figured something would happen, but all thats happened is my frustration level is rising.

Lumber is coming in tuesday, should be decked, inspected and ready for the road by friday so long as I can figure out the braking issue

 

[twoslo4five0]

Oh yea and this

 

[twoslo4five0]

Sometimes its good to take a step back when your frustrated call a few friends, listen to some advise then attack the issue the next day. Thanks to formud and davidparkerracing I hooked the brakes up today with no issues. Rolled it out the shop. Huge sense of accomplishment today.

The aftermath of my shop, for some reason My shop usually looks bog after rolling something out, this time it doesn't. Picking up wood tomm and cleaning up.

 

[fastazz81]

Nice work

 

[JoshHefnerX]

What did you end up doing to the brakes to make them work?

 

[twoslo4five0]

really nothing, thats the most frustrating part. Everything was the same as yesterday. I'm fairly certain they were working right yesterday but these brakes must be a "new" style as you don't hear the magnets lock and unlock.

 

[FOR MUD]

I'll take full credit on this

I can't wait for the "Jays got wood" segment of this story.

 

[dremu]

WRT the brakes, I don't believe they actually operate on 12V DC on/off like, you know, normal things. I think the controller throws some kind of PWM at them (not really AC, just a frequency of DC, call it.) My Ferd's factory controller actually "knows" different trailers by their brake's EM signatures, which is trippy as hell.

Anyway, for the non-engineers among us, the point is that testing trailer brakes is a beeyotch, and is best done by actually connecting the bastards to the tow rig/controller. Whether you then bang the brake pedal or just fiddle with the bias adjustment or whatever at that point is specific to your installation.

-- A

 

[twoslo4five0]

Picked up my oak boards today, a whole 109.91 out the door with tax for 16 boards. I forgot how bad smelling oak is until now lol

 

[brans87]

Nice score!

 

[JoshHefnerX]

That's not a bad price, you get that at a local lumberyard?

 

[twoslo4five0]

sawmill, 6 bucks a piece. very good price for white oak. Douglas fir non treated in the same size (but 2x) is 9 bucks a board. at the oak will get stain this summer and will probably last forever. I have some oak boards from another trailer that are still in decent shape (no rot) and almost 30 years old.

 

[FOR MUD]

I like the smell of cut oak.....Is it done yet??

 

[sreidmx]

Looks awesome!!

 

[twoslo4five0]

I like the smell of cut oak.....Is it done yet??

Haven't you ever heard of taking your time! lol

Stated getting the wood on today. Screws will be in tomm. some of the boards were already a little warped, nothing a set of ratchet straps and a little motivation couldn't fix. I will let the straps sit on it tonight then leave them on tomm when putting the screws in, then finish the rest of the deck.

I also got all the paperwork done and a tag ordered for it. All in all it was 200 bucks for the vin, permeant tag and title paperwork.

 

[skunked]

looks good.

Might want to think about a spring loaded hinge for the license plate.

 

[twoslo4five0]

Its going to sit up like that for now, can't drag but I would like to have a way to flip it down. As it sits I can take out 2 bolts and put it down flush with the rail if I'm loading a car, etc. not perfect though.