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naddis01
18th Jun 2010, 10:56 PM
Well I have recently found this forum and I thought I would post some photos of my old trailer. I plan on building a new one which will be a similar concept but will hopefully have some better features, assumming there aren't too many dollars involved.

Anyway here goes...

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb33/naddis01/IMG_0066.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb33/naddis01/IMG_0080.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb33/naddis01/Hill1.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb33/naddis01/Tent3.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb33/naddis01/Tent6.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb33/naddis01/Tent1.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb33/naddis01/Tent2.jpg

buildspacetrain
19th Jun 2010, 08:13 PM
Bet you get a few second looks when your out on the road!! Looks fantastic and unique. Well done. Please post photo's if you build another.

naddis01
19th Jun 2010, 08:50 PM
Yeah I always got people taking a second look at it. Everyone seemed to like it. I wanted something a little different to the usual camper trailer out there. I actually bought the basic trailer off someone else, then modified it a bit, added the hard top and added the tent. Unfortunately though the person that built it wasn't a very good welder so I ended up selling it. I also got an offer I couldn't refuse on the tent so it went as well.

I now have a few parts for a new one though. As you can see...

Tub
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb33/naddis01/Image065.jpg

Wheels
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb33/naddis01/Wheels.jpg

Hardtop (The same as this)
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb33/naddis01/Hardtop.jpg

The hardtop will lift up higher, front and back, the tent will be bigger and there will be a couple of other things but I will mention them when I build it.

jatt
19th Jun 2010, 11:16 PM
The hardtop will lift up higher

I would use this to your advantage and create more of a fall in the roof of your next tent. Re: tent3.jpg

But thats only my opinion.

Its always a bummer when ones feet stick out the tailgate:)

Nice trailer. If it was mine I would be afraid to take it off the bitumin.

naddis01
19th Jun 2010, 11:49 PM
I would use this to your advantage and create more of a fall in the roof of your next tent.
Thats the plan. :bgth: I am about 6'3" so head room was limited as it was, but I couldn't put any more slope on the tent the way the hardtop was on that trailer.


Its always a bummer when ones feet stick out the tailgate:)

Nice trailer. If it was mine I would be afraid to take it off the bitumin.
My feet didn't really stick out of the tail gate as the inside of the tub is just over 6'. The mattress I had was slightly longer than that and it just compressed a little when the tailgate shut. I have an idea though on how I would do it so I could have a longer mattress in there. ;) I also want to be able to have a second mattress in there as well as we now have a little daughter.

It rarely went off the bitumen. We generally just camped in caravan parks.

Yonnee
30th Jun 2010, 06:53 PM
Although I'm not a Ford bloke, I love the concept. Looks even better with matching wheels.

And now with a third seat required, you'll have to do a matching XR8 Wagon tow vehicle.

naddis01
3rd Jul 2010, 06:28 PM
You are missing out Yonnee by not being a Ford man.

I did have the exact same wheels - BA XR6 wheels - on both the trailer and the ute at one stage but I can't find a photo of it.

Only drama with the XR8 wagon is that Ford don't make one. It would be even better in the coming months with their supercharged V8 that is coming. The only wagon they have is the poxy base model one but that has now been discontinued.

We have recently bought a Mazda 6 diesel wagon which has a few changes coming for it as well.

Yonnee
6th Jul 2010, 11:49 AM
You are missing out Yonnee by not being a Ford man.


Only drama with the XR8 wagon is that Ford don't make one...
...The only wagon they have is the poxy base model one but that has now been discontinued.


Who's missing out?:doh:

V-Series Sportwagon in both Calais V8 and SS, are among 9 different Wagons available. And then there's the HSV options... :2tsup:

Big Shed
6th Jul 2010, 12:07 PM
Who's missing out?:doh:

V-Series Sportwagon in both Calais V8 and SS, are among 9 different Wagons available. And then there's the HSV options... :2tsup:

There is a reason why they are called Sportswagon, they're not really a wagon by the accepted definition.

The amount of room in the back is so small as to be laughable, my daughters' Mazda 3 has more room in the back:o:doh:

Yonnee
6th Jul 2010, 04:58 PM
Then the Falcon 'ute' is not really a Ute by proper definition... but this is a discussion for a different section. Let's keep on topic please.

naddis01
6th Jul 2010, 07:28 PM
Who's missing out?:doh:

V-Series Sportwagon in both Calais V8 and SS, are among 9 different Wagons available. And then there's the HSV options... :2tsup:
Not me. I think I will pass on the constant electrical problems that have plagued the VE's. :harhar:

My mate sold his and went back to a VZ because his VE was back at the dealers about 20 times in a bit over a year with electrical problems and failing batteries that don't recharge in the conventional manner.

Anyway, back on topic. I am at a bit of a cross roads as to whether I sell the wheels I have and go to something different. It is a case of going for style (which I guess is what this type of project is about) or going to something more practical (ie cheaper).

Yonnee
8th Jul 2010, 02:09 PM
Show me a car manufacturer without some sort of dramas with one model or another... :q

Anyway, I reckon if you're going to the effort of a matching trailer and towvehicle, then it looks unfinished if the wheels are different. Even more so if the trailer is the same colour and style.

naddis01
8th Jul 2010, 07:14 PM
Show me a car manufacturer without some sort of dramas with one model or another... :q
Yeah I know. My post was tongue in cheek. Ford are stupid not to have a decent wagon.


Anyway, I reckon if you're going to the effort of a matching trailer and towvehicle, then it looks unfinished if the wheels are different. Even more so if the trailer is the same colour and style.
Thats the thing, I don't have a matching tow vehicle as I have a work surplied ute now. I might even end up building the trailer then selling it. I think it ould be easier to sell with the wheels I have at the moment.

Do you think 50x50x3mm RHS would be right for this job? I have access to some in Gal for a relatively good price.

Yonnee
9th Jul 2010, 12:54 AM
Yeah I know. My post was tongue in cheek. Ford are stupid not to have a decent wagon.:;
Nothing stopping you making one. There's a Wagon forum where on of the contributors took his wife's V6 VT Wagon, a heap of VZ Clubsport parts including Coulsen seats and S/Charged LS2, and some bits from a HSV Avalanche, and made himself a full bells and whistles VZ Clubsport Wagon. And he's also done a Senator version.



Thats the thing, I don't have a matching tow vehicle as I have a work surplied ute now. I might even end up building the trailer then selling it. I think it ould be easier to sell with the wheels I have at the moment.
Something you don't have to outlay for...


Do you think 50x50x3mm RHS would be right for this job? I have access to some in Gal for a relatively good price.
For the chassis, Yes. And it'd probably be OK for the drawbar too, although I'd lean more towards a 75 x 50 drawbar. If you're going to sell it soon after, then looks are important. A 75 x 50 drawbar just looks a bit more substantial, even if the difference in strength is negligible.

naddis01
9th Jul 2010, 11:35 PM
:;
Nothing stopping you making one. There's a Wagon forum where on of the contributors took his wife's V6 VT Wagon, a heap of VZ Clubsport parts including Coulsen seats and S/Charged LS2, and some bits from a HSV Avalanche, and made himself a full bells and whistles VZ Clubsport Wagon. And he's also done a Senator version.
Yeah I could but it would still look pretty bad. The back end of the wagon was first released with the AU back in 1997 and we all know that the AU made your eyes bleed. Not to mention that I have had the same interior, in 2 vehicles, since 2003. I will probably crack the decade by the time the current one is pensioned off. So I don't think I could handle it in our car as well.

There are a few guys around that have put the turbo motors and FPV bits into wagons. I can't see the point in spending all that money in doing a conversion like that but then still have a car that looks like it was from last century.


For the chassis, Yes. And it'd probably be OK for the drawbar too, although I'd lean more towards a 75 x 50 drawbar. If you're going to sell it soon after, then looks are important. A 75 x 50 drawbar just looks a bit more substantial, even if the difference in strength is negligible.
Would it be able to manage with over a tonne? It will be registered for 750kg but I would prefer to have a little safety margin incase I get a bit optimistic. If I keep it of course.

Yonnee
9th Jul 2010, 11:49 PM
Would it be able to manage with over a tonne? It will be registered for 750kg but I would prefer to have a little safety margin incase I get a bit optimistic. If I keep it of course.

A tonne easy. Most 6x4's are loaded over the tonne quite often, and few are more than 40 x 40 x 2.0 RHS chassis.

naddis01
10th Jul 2010, 11:23 AM
I would say it might be loaded over 1000kg GVM sometimes as the trailer itself will weigh between 400 - 500kg by itself I would say, so it doesn't leave much room under 750kg for an actual load.

The other thing I was thinking of doing was just going with brakes etc and register it for a little heavier. What is the next GVM level up with brakes? How much extra would it be for rego?

Yonnee
11th Jul 2010, 12:58 AM
I would say it might be loaded over 1000kg GVM sometimes as the trailer itself will weigh between 400 - 500kg by itself I would say, so it doesn't leave much room under 750kg for an actual load.

You're right. I doesn't take much for a load to exceed 250Kg.


The other thing I was thinking of doing was just going with brakes etc and register it for a little heavier. What is the next GVM level up with brakes?
This depends entirely on your weakest link. Which ever is the component of lowest capacity (axle, springs, coupling, tyres, etc.), then that's your trailers maximum.
1) Most couplings start at 2000Kg.
2) Spring sets vary depending on number and size of leaves, and it's ideal to have them either the same or slightly less than the axle capacity.
3) Tyres will need to be Commercial or Light Truck tyres for much over 1250Kg.
4) The axle you'll need to get right the first time. Not only for its length, but its brakes and its capacity. There are three common configurations;
An LM axle uses Holden front wheel bearings and is rated at 1000Kg on a 40mm beam.
A Composite axle uses a Holden inner and a Falcon outer bearing and has two ratings. 1100Kg on a 40mm beam, and 1200Kg on a 45mm beam.
A Slimline axle uses Falcon front wheel bearings and requires a 45mm beam for the larger seal journal. It's rated to 1400Kg.


How much extra would it be for rego?
NSW RTA have a ridiculously high and complicated fee structure for trailer registration based on TARE weight. As long as you can keep the trailer under 764Kg for the weighbridge ticket, then it doesn't change from a trailer that weighs 255Kg.

naddis01
11th Jul 2010, 09:58 AM
You're right. I doesn't take much for a load to exceed 250Kg.


This depends entirely on your weakest link. Which ever is the component of lowest capacity (axle, springs, coupling, tyres, etc.), then that's your trailers maximum.
1) Most couplings start at 2000Kg.
2) Spring sets vary depending on number and size of leaves, and it's ideal to have them either the same or slightly less than the axle capacity.
3) Tyres will need to be Commercial or Light Truck tyres for much over 1250Kg.
4) The axle you'll need to get right the first time. Not only for its length, but its brakes and its capacity. There are three common configurations;
An LM axle uses Holden front wheel bearings and is rated at 1000Kg on a 40mm beam.
A Composite axle uses a Holden inner and a Falcon outer bearing and has two ratings. 1100Kg on a 40mm beam, and 1200Kg on a 45mm beam.
A Slimline axle uses Falcon front wheel bearings and requires a 45mm beam for the larger seal journal. It's rated to 1400Kg.


NSW RTA have a ridiculously high and complicated fee structure for trailer registration based on TARE weight. As long as you can keep the trailer under 764Kg for the weighbridge ticket, then it doesn't change from a trailer that weighs 255Kg.
I will use components that are rated above 750kg. I would use Falcon bearings and hubs on this job for sure. I couldn't use weak Holden gear here. :tongue5:

My weakest link is my wheel/tyre combo. Those wheels are 19". I doubt there are many light truck tyres in 19". :wink: I have a feeling, but would have to check, that the wheels are rated at around 600-650kg each. As for tyres, I am not sure what the highest rated 19" tyre would be. That was part of the reason why I was considering going back to something a little more practical. The other was I could probably sell these wheels and get a set of wheels/tyres for the same money. But they wouldn't look as good.

Yonnee
12th Jul 2010, 04:32 PM
I would use Falcon bearings and hubs on this job for sure. I couldn't use weak Holden gear here. :tongue5::brick::smack:



My weakest link is my wheel/tyre combo. Those wheels are 19". I doubt there are many light truck tyres in 19". :wink: I have a feeling, but would have to check, that the wheels are rated at around 600-650kg each. As for tyres, I am not sure what the highest rated 19" tyre would be. That was part of the reason why I was considering going back to something a little more practical. The other was I could probably sell these wheels and get a set of wheels/tyres for the same money. But they wouldn't look as good.

I did a quick search and there are Commercial tyres available for 19's. Anything with a Load index rating above 98. (Numerical value is Load, the letter is the Speed rating)
I found some Kumho's 255/55R19, Continental 235/55R19 & 255/50R19 and 3 Bridgestone Dueler Highway Luxury D400's in 235/55R19, 245/55R19, 255/50R19 so far. So your rims are probably going to be the biggest hurdle.

naddis01
13th Jul 2010, 08:59 PM
Yeah there are load rated 19's, but they are basically 4x4 tyres. I probably should have said that I would have trouble finding a low profile 19" tyre with a high load rating.

Yonnee
13th Jul 2010, 09:36 PM
I found a couple of Kumho 245/40R19's, load rating 98... :2tsup: but pretty pricey.:o

naddis01
13th Jul 2010, 09:57 PM
Really? Any links?

Yonnee
13th Jul 2010, 10:04 PM
Tech9Tyres - Tyres: Kumho KU19 (http://www.tech9tyres.com.au/index.php/tyres/detail/ku19) 12th from top...

Tech9Tyres - Tyres: Kumho KU31 (http://www.tech9tyres.com.au/index.php/tyres/detail/ku31/) Somewhere in the bottom 1/3

Tech9Tyres - Tyres: Kumho KU27 (http://www.tech9tyres.com.au/index.php/tyres/detail/ku27/) Bottom one.

naddis01
13th Jul 2010, 10:31 PM
Yeah, I was just looking at the kumho website. It looks like the cheapest would be around $400 each. :(

On a side note, check out the price of these 20's...345/25/20 100Y $1090 :oo:

I just found some Maxxis 245/40/19 98W which might be cheaper.

Or from that link you provided....
Some 'quality' Aus Tyre Sport 245/35/19 98w $200

$200 is alright for a 19" tyre. I don't care what it is like as long as it is round and holds the rim off the ground. A 40 aspect tyre would be better than 35. 45 would be best.

I will have to check out on the rims what weight they are rated at.