I have decided to build a new trailer to transport my drag car to and from events . I will endeavour to explain what I do and why I do it . I am not an engineer , but I have built several trailers over the past 15 years .
I have purchased some 50 x 50 box section for the main frame that is 2 mm thick . I have some 50 x 25 for bracing also 2 mm thick . The sides and roof will be mostly 20 x 20 x 1.6 that will be covered with a 3 mm thick aluminium composite panelling on the outside . The draw bar is 100 x 50 in 3 mm wall .
I have not yet decided on a dual or triple axle set up , however it will have 4 wheel electric brakes . The frame will be 7.4 m long and 2.4 m wide and around 2 m high . I have always used slipper springs , but I will now change to the rocker spring set up as I can spread the wheels wider apart for more stability .
I am aiming to have this finished for the VW meeting in February , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
Today I have been cutting and welding all day . Here is the outer frame in the 50 x 50 box section . The 2 centre runners are 1.4 m apart as this is where the wheels will run . I will use a 3 mm thick aluminium propeller plate as the flooring and as these sheets are 1.22 wide I have welded a 50 x 50 at where they join every 1.22 m .
In between I have a 50 x 25 as bracing in the centre of each sheet and tomorrow I will run another 50 x 25 directly down the centre , giving me a maximum span of 600 x 600 mm on the entire floor .
I have decided to taper the front of the trailer and the front of the roof section so it is a little narrower and lower than the tow car to make it a bit more aero dynamic , ROD.
BrisDubba ·
I will struggle to change my trailer rego label by February and I still think you will beat me...
Stanley ·
Why a new trailer Rod
Aussie Dubbin ·
Thanks Rod a good read
LIFE IN THE LOW LANE ·
Have you sold your old trailer?
modnrod ·
Rod, when you're done (and by the way thanks for the trailer-building refresher! 👍) could you please let us know what the total weight is?
RodPenrose ·
Stanley , My enclosed trailer is about 12 years old and is not quite big enough for the new car . Every scratch and mark on the car is from getting it in and out of the trailer , so I will build the trailer to suit the car .
Brendan , I have several people interested in the old trailer .
Modnrod , My open trailer that is 4.8 x 2.0 / dual axle electric brakes / full aluminium floor is 420 kg's . The enclosed trailer is 6.0 x 2.3 x 1.8 / triple axle / electric brakes , from memory is about 870 kg's .
I need to be able to transport the tow buggy , tool boxes , pit shade and spares along with the car to each meeting . I will have the generator and compressor permanently mounted in the new trailer along with benches and necessary gear need to make each meeting more comfortable , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
Yesterday I started on the roof section . This is all 20 x 20 x 1.6 with a 50 x 25 outer frame .
I have a 25 mm pitch in the centre so the water will run off easier . I have raised this roof section to the level I want it so I can start on the sides today .
I will also turn the bed over to weld the underneath side so I don't have to weld up side down . I will also add the draw bar at this time . ROD.
modnrod ·
RodPenrose wrote:Modnrod , My open trailer that is 4.8 x 2.0 / dual axle electric brakes / full aluminium floor is 420 kg's . The enclosed trailer is 6.0 x 2.3 x 1.8 / triple axle / electric brakes , from memory is about 870 kg's .
Thanks man. 😎
nbturbo ·
RodPenrose wrote:I have a 25 mm pitch in the centre so the water will run off easier .
That thing will be long enough to put gutters down each side and put a rainwater tank underneath.
modnrod ·
nbturbo wrote:That thing will be long enough to put gutters down each side and put a rainwater tank underneath.
Should come in handy in Sydney then........ 😊
HappyDaze ·
Finished that trailer yet, Rod ? 🙄
humpty ·
modnrod wrote:
nbturbo wrote:That thing will be long enough to put gutters down each side and put a rainwater tank underneath.
Should come in handy in Sydney then........ 😊
Please god, not another washout!
modnrod ·
humpty wrote:
modnrod wrote:
nbturbo wrote:That thing will be long enough to put gutters down each side and put a rainwater tank underneath.
Should come in handy in Sydney then........ 😊
Please god, not another washout!
It's an expensive way to get to use your Pantene Simon! 😂
(and yep, I'm jealous of your trip, haha! Hope you have a great weekend this time).
Old Hutcho ·
Well folks the build for the trailer has come to a sudden....and painful halt. Rodney was working on his new trailer and has done something dramatic to his knee. He apparently cant see his knee cause its now ten times bigger than his head! We all know how big that can be. So the poor bugger is in bed awaiting an appointment to have an MRI scan. He needs support now guys. I for one am prepared to go to his bedside and ask him what I can do to help him finish this trailer. Then I am prepared to sacrifice some of my life by actually laying hands on the project. If he trusts my poor workmanship that is!
regards
Old Hutcho
1303Steve ·
That's no good, get well soon Rodney
modnrod ·
Bugger!
All the best for a quick escape from "hostipal" Rod.
Get well soon.
HappyDaze ·
Old Hutcho wrote:Well folks the build for the trailer has come to a sudden....and painful halt. Rodney was working on his new trailer and has done something dramatic to his knee. He apparently cant see his knee cause its now ten times bigger than his head! We all know how big that can be. So the poor bugger is in bed awaiting an appointment to have an MRI scan. He needs support now guys. I for one am prepared to go to his bedside and ask him what I can do to help him finish this trailer. Then I am prepared to sacrifice some of my life by actually laying hands on the project. If he trusts my poor workmanship that is!
regards
Old Hutcho
Is it his clutch knee, or his accelerator knee?🤪
Put me on the list to help with the trailer...MIG, TIG, or whatever.
I can slip down the hill in about 45 minutes, and most days are good.
Cheers, Greg
Camo ·
That no good to hear, about Rod.
Although I am looking after my daughter on school holidays, let me know what day you plan and I will do my best to get there.
My daughter can always play with Rods son as they are close in age. As long as it isn't Doctors and Nurses, as Rod is in need of those 😂
Cheers, Kev
Old Hutcho ·
Its his clutch knee Greg. I tried to ask if we could modify a broomstick just for the day and make it a hand or shoulder clutch. His reply cant be printed here 😊
regards
Old Hutcho
SuperOwen ·
Torque converter time!!!
humpty ·
Oh crap... Good thing his liquid refreshment elbow wasnt damaged.
Get well soon Rodney!
RodPenrose ·
Hi guy's , I am back on deck , sort of . I am hobbling around with a left knee that just doesn't want to work . The MRI scan today revealed some not so good bits inside . I will have to wait until the Doc is back on Monday to make an appointment to try to get it fixed .
I have been able to do some light work on the trailer to get the final shape today . A big thanks to Morgan for his time to get me out of the shit with the welding . I have the rear of the trailer finished as well as most of the front . I will try to do some more of the small bracing tomorrow so I can order all of the axles/springs/hubs etc. on Monday .
I have a 50 x 25 at the rear to match up with the 50 x 25 that runs along the outer edge of the roof . I also have another 50 x 25 vertical 2/3 the way from the back so I can mount the access door hinges from . The rest is all 20 x 20 light weight steel for the front . Hopefully I will be able to finish off the frame this weekend with all of the gussets required .
The draw bar adds an extra 1100 mm to the overall length of 7400 , making it 8.5 m long . All of the cross bracing is there to keep it all square until it is all welded .
This will be removed once the frame is welded , ROD.
essex ·
Good luck with this Rod, some things just cant be planned, well done Morgan,
cheers Barry
Aussie Dubbin ·
Tough break rod, cheers for the update. All the best with recovery
23split ·
Good to see you're back on deck Rodney; we'll sort off at least! 🤪
Take care of yourself and get that knee fixed once and for all.
All the best for 2014 mate.
Cheers, Paul
RodPenrose ·
I am still hobbling round like an old fart , but am keen to keep working on this . I have the outer frame all finished , welded and braced .
I have ordered all of the hardware and have ended up with a triple roller rocker suspension set up . I am hoping all of this may be here by the weekend so I can get it sorted and rolling . I will now concentrate on the mounting brackets and slides for the toolbox and the generator . These will be mounted one on each side just in front of the wheels .
I will have a small access door on each side and I have ordered some funky little drawer slides so the toolbox will always stay in the trailer and can be accessed from the outside . I will now move the front access door a little forward to accommodate the box and generator .
I have yet to decide if I will use the back door as a ramp , or if I will make 2 lightweight barn doors that open from the centre , ROD.
Aussie Dubbin ·
So what the hell is going to tow this moving house? I imagine fully loaded you are really adding up the KGs quickly.
dangerous ·
Towing with that blue Kombi I think.
It has an 1835, that should be enough no, Rod?
andrewmurphy ·
dangerous wrote:Towing with that blue Kombi I think.
It has an 1835, that should be enough no, Rod?
Just upgrade to 1915.....should be good then!
vw54 ·
I have yet to decide if I will use the back door as a ramp
Yep do that for sure Rod will save lugging 2 ramps around and will be lighter in the long run
Sides ·
vw54 wrote:
I have yet to decide if I will use the back door as a ramp
Yep do that for sure Rod will save lugging 2 ramps around and will be lighter in the long run
Ooo ooo - can I guess "Hummer H3, 6.2 L LS2 V8... that's then been tweaked".
Yes Rod - as you know I'm envious of your tow veh...
😉
nbturbo ·
"Yes Rod - as you know I'm envious of your tow veh..."
Wouldn't mind betting you would think differently if you had to pay at each fuel stop - it's a very "thirsty camel"
LIFE IN THE LOW LANE ·
andrewmurphy wrote:
dangerous wrote:Towing with that blue Kombi I think.
It has an 1835, that should be enough no, Rod?
Just upgrade to 1915.....should be good then!
Steroids motor with twin plug set up?
humpty ·
LIFE IN THE LOW LANE wrote:
andrewmurphy wrote:
dangerous wrote:Towing with that blue Kombi I think.
It has an 1835, that should be enough no, Rod?
Just upgrade to 1915.....should be good then!
Steroids motor with twin plug set up?
Hahahahhahaa..... Funny guy.
RodPenrose ·
I will still use the H2 at the moment and I will probably bring a turbo diesel Dodge Ram back with me when I am in the US again in June . I didn't get much done today as the parts I wanted aren't here yet . I decided to start making some overhead aluminium cabinets for storage . These will be sheeted in the aluminium composite that is also used for the internal lining . I also put the new toolbox in place that will be permanently mounted and accessed from the outside of the trailer with the aid of some slides . I am hoping the slides will arrive tomorrow . I have worked out that I have 375 kg's of steel in the trailer so far , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
I finally had all of the axles and suspension parts turn up this week so I had something productive to do . I have mounted the springs to a 6 mm plate that was welded between 2 of the 50 mm box sections . I also added a 50 x 25 mm to join the rails that added some extra strength to the mounting plates . I have positioned the centre axle 125 mm to the rear of the centre line of the trailer . I have found that in the past this seems to work well , ROD.
Aussie Dubbin ·
Looking good
h ·
👍 great story n pics
thanks Rodney
RodPenrose ·
Today I ended up making some inner mudguards and have them all finished and welded into place . I started with a sheet of 1.6 mm steel plate and had it cut into strips and folded as I needed . I have then welded the ends onto them to make it easier to install . I decided to fold the rearward ends for the guards for more strength and looks . The front of the guards will end up against the inner cabinets that cover the toolbox and generator . The guards were stitch welded to the frame rails near the springs and to the outer rails on top of the wheels , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
Here are the installed guards . I still have a 1.8 m floor space between the guards , ROD.
humpty ·
Looking very neat Rodney.
RodPenrose ·
Today I spent all day on small fiddly shit . I have mounted the toolbox and the generator onto the slide frames I made and all seems to work well at this stage , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
I also made the front access door , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
I now have the polished aluminium 3 mm propeller plate flooring and have cut it to size . I have made the small door frames for the toolbox and generator but am unsure if I should hinge them from the top or side . I will sleep on this tonight and mount them tomorrow , ROD.
ragged ·
Rod, I just wondered whether you could have a sliding door for the generator that slides up, like a sash window! You could slide it up, slide out the generator and then slide the door back down to keep the fumes and noise outside? Dave
RodPenrose ·
Ragged , maybe not a bad idea , I am now looking into some cantilever hinges if possible , thanks ROD.
Camo ·
RodPenrose wrote:Today I spent all day on small fiddly shit .
Coming along nicely Rod and some great ideas, but I thought you had a bung knee 😂😂😂😂
Kev
Dak-A-Tak ·
Rod , lot of guys put there generators on the opposite side , then pitting , to keep noise down . Then run power points throught Out trailer . What about a air compressor to , have found it to be great thing to take to track sa well .
How you going to fit alloy floor sheets ?
Big job Rod well done
Craig Torrens ·
Its on the opposite side to the toolbox, so I guess that's the opposite side to pitting 👍
great trailer Rod 👍👍
RodPenrose ·
Camo , I am still progressing , however just a bit slow . I have seen the doc and he has booked me in for a small tune up job on the knee next week , however after confirming with him that I cannot do any more damage to the knee by driving a manual car , I have rescheduled it until the Monday after the VW drags in Feb . This way I can have another couple of weeks to get ready to see if I can push the clutch pedal in .
Pete , as Craig has mentioned the generator is mounted on the far side of the trailer . I will wire the entire trailer for a 240 volt system so I can either use the tracks power or the genny to power up the trailer and not have to run leads everywhere . I will fit some internal and external power outlets to make it neater and safer . I will use a urethane compound such as sikaflex to secure the walls and floor as per the manufacturer's recommendation thus eliminating the use of rivets and screws . I also have a small compressor that will be mounted , I just need to find a suitable place .
I am hoping today I may start to splash some paint on the parts that will start to rust if it keeps raining down here , ROD.
silver ·
RodPenrose wrote:I now have the polished aluminium 3 mm propeller plate flooring and have cut it to size . .
never heard it called that before, cute
I have only heard tread plate and checker plate.
RodPenrose ·
Silver , You can still get the tread plate , this is a new patterned plate that looks like a propeller . It is available in a high polished finish and doesn't seem to dull like the tread plate .
In between engine building this weekend I managed to get some more done . I have the front plate and safety chain welded as is the front jack . In the next pic I decided to use the hinges I had to mount the toolbox door . It will now open up and rotate 180 degrees back onto the trailer , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
I have fitted the brake brackets to the axle . These are a 10" electric drum brake that is mounted on the front axle only . I also have a handbrake mechanism that is operated from the lever on the front coupling , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
Today I welded some 20 mm box section to the frame that is in between the wheels . This lightweight frame is a little extra support for the aluminium propeller plate that will be mounted to the lower portion of the sides . I will cut 3 x wheel arches in this plate so I can remove the wheels . I also had enough time to splash a bit of paint on the frame where necessary , ROD.
Stanley ·
Excellent job Rodney. Enjoying this build.
RodPenrose ·
Today I welded in the tie down rings .There are 8 in total , 4 for the car and 4 for the tow buggy . I also modified the framework to fit the windows . I have 2 windows on each side that are tinted and open for extra ventilation . They are also high enough for security and privacy , Tomorrow I will start to fit the floor sheets and mount the winch , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
Window openings , ROD.
Camo ·
You wouldn't happen to be trying to finish this trailer for maybe an event in February, at maybe WSID would you 🙄😵👍😂
LOWBUG ·
Will it be ready for Sydney event?
RISKY4LIFE ·
i dont think it will be ready for sydney ! and i hope the welds on the safety chain and hitch plate are mega good ! i have even seen 2 links welded on safety chain ! anyways awesome trailer ! will it have a break away system ?
RodPenrose ·
Kev , the idea is to be able to use the trailer to get the buggy and car to the Sydney event . This way I only have to do one trip with everything I need . It may not be totally finished on the inside , but the internal lining and fit out can be done as I find the time .
I have spent days trying to design a rear door assist mechanism and am happy that it all works well . I have purchased some components from a garage door supplier and actually made it all fit . The rear door at the moment is about 48 kg's in weight and is a bit heavy to lift . Now with the assist , I can do it with one hand . I managed to get the flooring cut today and will I will cut the tie down holes tomorrow and glue it all in place , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
Flooring .
RodPenrose ·
Progress is so shitty at the moment with so many stuff ups . Before I started on the trailer I confirmed with the tyre shop that I can get a 15 x 6" mag wheel as a std replacement wheel as I have std wheels off a commodore to use as a set-up wheel . 2 weeks ago I went to purchase the 6 mags and now he informs me that they are in fact 6.5" with a slightly different off-set . After exhausting all avenues I decided to order new hubs in a ford 5 x 114.3 pattern as this is very common . I ordered the wheels to suit , and had the new tyres fitted to only find that the new hubs need to have the centre bore machined to fit . This has now been done and the wheel nuts now are a special order due to the small mounting holes in the wheels . I went to bolt them on tonight and they are still not correct as the tool for the lug bolts will not fit in the rims . I will have to do some more running around tomorrow to try to fix the problems .
I have managed to secure the floor and I have cut all of the interior lining sheets as it was easier to do this now before the exterior sheets are attached . Yesterday the exterior sheets turned up and if I can get it back on it's wheels tomorrow I will sheet it over the weekend . I have also given it a wheel alignment and tightened all of the suspension bolts and with the addition of grease nipples , all lubed ready to roll , ROD.
Steve , thanks for the link , I have an account with Nice and they didn't have what I need . Today I made some brackets that were welded to the top of the frame so I can mount the pit tent as well as extra attachment points just in case I want to make a larger purpose built awning . I attached some rear supports to the rear of the trailer so it will be stable when not coupled to a vehicle . I ended up sorting out the wheels problems and now they are all mounted .
RodPenrose ·
I ended up with a 15 x 6" wheel with a +45 off set . The tyres are a 185-65 and now I have some extra tyre clearance . Tomorrow I will start to sheet the sides and maybe the roof , ROD.
modnrod ·
RodPenrose wrote:I ended up with a 15 x 6" wheel with a +45 off set .
Nice and shiny Rod!
New Corolla Accessory rims?
RodPenrose ·
I had a big weekend and with some help from Klaus , and I managed to mount the sides . The sheets are 4.0 m x 1.5 m and are a 3 mm thick aluminium composite . Gloss black on the outside and gloss white on the inside . I also managed to start on the propeller plate lower sections , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
Inside view of the framework and the sheets . The sheeting is attached with a flexible urethane compound called Sikaflex . Today I will trim the roof sheets ready for attachment . I also have some joining moulds for the sheets that are a mill finish only , so they are getting powder coated gloss black today , ROD.
Craig Torrens ·
love the black 👍
mactaylor ·
sikaflex is the best rod, so many compounds and sticks like shit to a blanket! I use it on a daily basis and cant spruke it more!
gordysbeetle ·
It won't get a vin number. It will get it's own post code.
Super1302 ·
Good work Rod, keep it come'n
humpty ·
That's an extremely sexy trailer Rodney.... Awesome work.
modnrod ·
Gday Rod.
It looks like I might have something to play around with here at work that could possibly use some of that ally composite sheeting you are using for your build.
Could you please provide a link or a manufacturer name or something so that I can check the stuff out?
Thanks,
Dave
RodPenrose ·
Dave , there are a few different brands around , Alupanel , composite panel , The one I am using is Q Bond out of Vic I think . The Q Bond is available in a 1220 x 2440 , 1500 x 3050 , 1500 x 4000 and 2000 x 4000 sheet , in about 30 different colours on each side . I am happy with the product as it is easy to cut , bend and attach to the framework of my trailer . I can weigh a sheet for you , but I think the 1220 x 2440 sheets are about 12 kg's . The sheets have a plastic protective coating on both sides , ROD.
modnrod ·
Perfect!
Thanks man!
RodPenrose ·
Well , a couple of big days have seen me finish the sheeting , install the windows , and thanks to type 3 Chris , the 240 volt wiring has been installed and neatly routed through the frame . Tomorrow I will do the sheeting on the doors along with all of the capping for the openings . I have also had a small roller machined up that I will mount in the tailgate so the winch cable will not scuff , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
Here is an inside view looking through the rear door . The wiring will be hidden out of sight , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
Another productive day today . I attached the front sides and sealed all of the roof with the urethane to make it water proof . I will put a hose on it tomorrow before I start the capping to double check for leaks . I also lined the 3 doors and they will be capped and fitted tomorrow , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
The doors will lay flat tonight with weights added to prevent the sheets lifting , ROD.
hellbugged ·
Good show
Is the car race car ready to go ? 😁
RodPenrose ·
Daimo , the car is ready to go . I did all of the prep work after Adelaide and was going to run it just before Christmas and pulled the pin due to the heat .
I managed to get the roller fitted today that will support the winch cable as it runs over the ramp . The ramp also has all of the propeller plate fitted and should be edged tomorrow . I also managed to do some of the rear capping over the top of the rear door , ROD.
RodPenrose ·
I have added the sheets to the outside of the rear door and the anti rattle pins are welded in place . I have also added a few thin strips of aluminium angle that is already powder coated black to the rear of the roof . The aluminium angle is a mixture of 50 x 25 and 70 x 25 in 1.6 . ROD .
RodPenrose ·
I have also attached the 25 x 25 x 1.6 angle to the rear door as a finishing mould for the flooring . The 3 front doors hare also mounted and are waiting for the edge mouldings . ROD.
nbturbo ·
Awesome work Rod. Pushrod tube seals arrived today- thanks.
RodPenrose ·
Well , I didn't end up finishing the trailer in time for the Sydney event last weekend . All was good until last Tuesday when the edge moulding were attached to the doors and they would not fit back onto the trailer due to the hinges . I didn't leave enough room for the hinges and they fouled on the edge mouldings . I have cut off the hinges and replaced them with some good quality stainless hinges to only find that they have way to much slop in them . I then replaced them with a stainless piano hinge and still no good . Today I have purchased some more of the original hinges and I will now modify them to suit my needs . ROD.
Stanley ·
Awesome work Rod...nothing you do is by halves...keep it up