Trailer Tips, Tricks and things you would change.

[1Sinner]

That's pretty sweet

 

[pennsylvaniaboy]

How long can you power the lights of 5aH m18?

 

[Gravy]

How long can you power the lights of 5aH m18?

I'm not completely sure.

The amazon adapters, I think, are rated at 15 amps with a low voltage cut off.

The slim pack dewalt battery last for a few hours.

 

[Gravy]

Added some amazon exterior trailer lights. They are not the brightest, which turned out better than expected, as it's nice not being blinded.

2 lights on side and 1 on the back are on a switch. 1 light is on a separate switch on the tongue side for the hitch and truck bed area.

Wired the reverse lights from the truck into the rear exterior light. When backing up at night, it should make seeing objects and the person helping better.

Added roadmaster diodes to prevent back feeding the truck during normal use. Also added a diode to prevent back feeding the trailer 12v and side lights when in reverse.

This also lights up the taillight reverse lights when using the exterior light switch, not that it helps much.

It's nice hitting the truck key fob lock button in your pocket and lighting up the rear light. I feel like tieing the side lights into the reverse circuit, but feel it would be annoying.

 

[Gravy]

How long can you power the lights of 5aH m18?

Give ya an update.

I was able to run the pictured 12v fridge freezer for a complete night, approximately 8 - 10 hours, no problem on a dewalt 60v "i think" 10 ah battery.

A milwaukee battery "I think" 10 ah ran for 10-12 ish hours the next night. The milwaukee battery's seem to be better.

Granted, it was not a hot weekend, 60-70s. I had everyone charge their battery's and bring them along. Haha... Returned to find the regular 4-5 ah (well used old) battery's dead during the day rides.

It cut down on running the generator and we only purchased 2 bags of ice for the beer cooler.

In summary,
- During the night the big battery's would keep the fridge running. It was nice and quiet. No generator.

-During the day time riding a big battery would hold up, but we killed the smaller battery, and used the generator to catch the fridge back up. Rinse and repeat.

- it's a nice substitute but not a replacement for a real setup. If you have the battery's already, it just gives you another avenue for use.

 

[ridered3]

Gravy nice light additions to the enclosed. Having trailer reverse lights is definitely a game changer.

 

[Boomtacoma01]

Lots of great ides here. I have a 1st gen Tacoma spare mount that will eventually be going on my 18+2 car hauler.
I tapped into the trailer plug harness and added 2- 4" light bars with a waterproof toggle on the tongue for night ops. Definitely helps when strapping the crawler down/wrenching on it at night.

Next pressing project will be widening the 84" deck and adding some steel to strengthen the fenders up.

Any input on using some 2x8 rectangular tubing with inserts to go in the stake pockets to widen the deck? Naturally, it will be secured in the stake pockets and the truck will be secured to the part of the deck that hasn't been extended. The new rig's width will be pushing 90ish inches wide on 42" Reds.

 

[rockota]

2 is 1…. 1 is none….

Been carrying the second spare in the truck for too long. Finally cobbled together a couple of carriers.

 

[CarterKraft]

Lots of great ides here. I have a 1st gen Tacoma spare mount that will eventually be going on my 18+2 car hauler.
I tapped into the trailer plug harness and added 2- 4" light bars with a waterproof toggle on the tongue for night ops. Definitely helps when strapping the crawler down/wrenching on it at night.

Next pressing project will be widening the 84" deck and adding some steel to strengthen the fenders up.

Any input on using some 2x8 rectangular tubing with inserts to go in the stake pockets to widen the deck? Naturally, it will be secured in the stake pockets and the truck will be secured to the part of the deck that hasn't been extended. The new rig's width will be pushing 90ish inches wide on 42" Reds.

We need pix but if support the idea.

 

[rockota]

2 is 1…. 1 is none….

Been carrying the second spare in the truck for too long. Finally cobbled together a couple of carriers.

$32 in Amazon covers

 

[ntsqd]

Didn't see it mentioned, so maybe it was mentioned and maybe not.

Put a trailer light connector in/on the tongue. Then your TR to trailer connectors are fairly short jumpers, but two important things fall out of this.
1) They can be stored out of the weather when the trailer is sitting.
2) No more cutting and splicing to work with a different TR's light connector. Make a new jumper. Anyone who cuts an existing jumper gets strung up!

MISF & I built a community use utility trailer and making a new jumper is the rule if there isn't an existing one that works in the tongue box.

I have seriously considered changing all of the 7 flat pin RV type connectors to 7 round pin OTR type connectors. Hard to find a high quality, durable RV type, seems easy to find that in an OTR connector.

 

[06h3]

badass idea ntsqd

 

[pcorssmit]

Didn't see it mentioned, so maybe it was mentioned and maybe not.

Put a trailer light connector in/on the tongue. Then your TR to trailer connectors are fairly short jumpers, but two important things fall out of this.
1) They can be stored out of the weather when the trailer is sitting.
2) No more cutting and splicing to work with a different TR's light connector. Make a new jumper. Anyone who cuts an existing jumper gets strung up!

MISF & I built a community use utility trailer and making a new jumper is the rule if there isn't an existing one that works in the tongue box.

I have seriously considered changing all of the 7 flat pin RV type connectors to 7 round pin OTR type connectors. Hard to find a high quality, durable RV type, seems easy to find that in an OTR connector.

I can kind of see the logic for a communal use trailer, but in this day and age who doesn't have the standard 4 flat or 7 pin connectors? I just convert any trailer to one of these two, and keep a standard 7-4 flat adapter handy.

For a personal trailer, I'd rather not have an extra set connection to worry about. I mounted a box similar to this one on the front of my flatbed to keep the plug out of the dirt. Works good.

You are being redirected...

 

[ntsqd]

That works for keeping the contacts clean and free of corrosion, but what about UV/ozone/smog degradation of the cord's jacket? It's a real problem in these parts.
My partner in the trailer doesn't, his is a 6 pin. And he won't be swayed away from it, I tried. A lot.
We don't use one of the J-Boxes raved about in this thread (frankly not a fan), so the number of actual connections is the same. The real bonus of the J-Box is that you can easily replace the cable between the TR and the trailer. Um, well..... or is that ?
The robustness of a contact's connection is partly what has me looking at going to the round 7 pin connectors used on OTR trucks.

 

[Gravy]

Needed more room and move the gear from the floor. Built a shelf in the front dead space.

Used e track around the perimeter and across the 2x10 backside. Then used 2x4s braces to support the floor.

Used the little e track brackets to connect everything. This allows us to take everything into peices, using a screw driver, if we decide to haul something different.

I can also use different 2x4s and plywood if the self needs extended/shorten.

The cooler is snug for grabbing things.

More room, gear out of the way, and better balance when setting tongue weight.

 

[ridered3]

Cool utilization of space project!

 

[71PA_Highboy]

That works for keeping the contacts clean and free of corrosion, but what about UV/ozone/smog degradation of the cord's jacket? It's a real problem in these parts.
My partner in the trailer doesn't, his is a 6 pin. And he won't be swayed away from it, I tried. A lot.
We don't use one of the J-Boxes raved about in this thread (frankly not a fan), so the number of actual connections is the same. The real bonus of the J-Box is that you can easily replace the cable between the TR and the trailer. Um, well..... or is that ?
The robustness of a contact's connection is partly what has me looking at going to the round 7 pin connectors used on OTR trucks.

Didn't know you made it over... good to see you here.

With the Jbox you can have as many connectors as you want wired at the same time so pick yours, put the rest away and eliminate the wiring issue that occurs with newbies...

 

[CarterKraft]

Didn't see it mentioned, so maybe it was mentioned and maybe not.

Put a trailer light connector in/on the tongue. Then your TR to trailer connectors are fairly short jumpers, but two important things fall out of this.
1) They can be stored out of the weather when the trailer is sitting.
2) No more cutting and splicing to work with a different TR's light connector. Make a new jumper. Anyone who cuts an existing jumper gets strung up!

MISF & I built a community use utility trailer and making a new jumper is the rule if there isn't an existing one that works in the tongue box.

I have seriously considered changing all of the 7 flat pin RV type connectors to 7 round pin OTR type connectors. Hard to find a high quality, durable RV type, seems easy to find that in an OTR connector.

I like that but id use a Deutsch or similar bulkhead connection. One trailer connector is enough for me....

 

[CarterKraft]

Needed more room and move the gear from the floor. Built a shelf in the front dead space.

Used e track around the perimeter and across the 2x10 backside. Then used 2x4s braces to support the floor.

Used the little e track brackets to connect everything. This allows us to take everything into peices, using a screw driver, if we decide to haul something different.

I can also use different 2x4s and plywood if the self needs extended/shorten.

The cooler is snug for grabbing things.

More room, gear out of the way, and better balance when setting tongue weight.

Link to those e track 2x4 brackets?
That's pretty slick and configurable.

 

[Gravy]

Link to those e track 2x4 brackets?
That's pretty slick and configurable.

Harbor freight or e trailer

They have a version with a hinge mount that allows alot of flexibility. You can use the x track or vertical track for multiple shelves.

Etrack opens all kinds of ideas

 

[77fixer]

When we were in VA & WV early this year, Lowes had them in stock and Tractor Supply was starting to. I don't remember the brand, but they had all sorts of different E-track accessories. DC Cargo is the brand
I havent needed any and I see they have to be ordered in Idaho.

 

[pcorssmit]

That works for keeping the contacts clean and free of corrosion, but what about UV/ozone/smog degradation of the cord's jacket? It's a real problem in these parts.
My partner in the trailer doesn't, his is a 6 pin. And he won't be swayed away from it, I tried. A lot.
We don't use one of the J-Boxes raved about in this thread (frankly not a fan), so the number of actual connections is the same. The real bonus of the J-Box is that you can easily replace the cable between the TR and the trailer. Um, well..... or is that ?
The robustness of a contact's connection is partly what has me looking at going to the round 7 pin connectors used on OTR trucks.

The UV degradation makes sense. It's an issue on a lot of things here (Denver), but I've never had a problem with the trailer wiring. I imagine its worse where you are though.

You are right too that a lot of the 7-pin RV plugs aren't exactly amazing quality.

 

[ntsqd]

I like that but id use a Deutsch or similar bulkhead connection. One trailer connector is enough for me....

The reason that we used a trailer 7 pin is that they're easy and everywhere. At the time that we built that trailer Weatherpack was just starting to gain some traction. Deutsch only really existed in the industrial sector and were hard to find and horrifically expensive, BUT I get it, I'd use them too if they were easy to find.
The OTR 7 pin is likely a better option and was available then, but you had to know where to look and being a community use trailer we needed to make it easy or someone would cut an existing jumper.

No good for securing vehicles and other large loads, but for smaller stuff I'm big fan of L Track and all of those tie-down options. I plan to use two sections of it to cover where the Line-X stops near the inside top edge of the bed in my '73 SBSS C10 rather than continuing the Line-X up and over the top of the bed rail.

Didn't know you made it over... good to see you here.

With the Jbox you can have as many connectors as you want wired at the same time so pick yours, put the rest away and eliminate the wiring issue that occurs with newbies...

Drew? Don't recognize the user or the vehicles list. :)

 

[71PA_Highboy]

The reason that we used a trailer 7 pin is that they're easy and everywhere. At the time that we built that trailer Weatherpack was just starting to gain some traction. Deutsch only really existed in the industrial sector and were hard to find and horrifically expensive, BUT I get it, I'd use them too if they were easy to find.
The OTR 7 pin is likely a better option and was available then, but you had to know where to look and being a community use trailer we needed to make it easy or someone would cut an existing jumper.

No good for securing vehicles and other large loads, but for smaller stuff I'm big fan of L Track and all of those tie-down options. I plan to use two sections of it to cover where the Line-X stops near the inside top edge of the bed in my '73 SBSS C10 rather than continuing the Line-X up and over the top of the bed rail.


Drew? Don't recognize the user or the vehicles list. :)

Not Drew... SOB 7 ish... you rewired max's 2wd EB IIRC

 

[ntsqd]

Yours was a dark blue near stock EB, yes?

I wired it from scratch, it had nothing. The infamous "Broncenstein", had to be very creative with exactly no budget. I think it had all of two switches and push button for the start.

 

[ntsqd]

One of the projects that I've been slowly working towards is that none of my small trailers has a fixed coupler on the tongue. The tongues all end or will soon in a section of .25 wall 2X2 tubing and the various types of couplers pin on with two hitch pins. We did this on the C.U.T. ("Cheap Utility Trailer") mentioned above so that it couldn't easily be stolen. Where it is parked isn't the greatest, but it isn't as bad as it gets in our area. Stuff has been stolen from exactly where it is parked. On that trailer we put a section of receiver tube on the tongue as at the time we only expected to use a ball coupler and that was the easy way to do it. Since then I've been moving away from ball couplers and using pintles instead.

The C.U.T. loaded down with grandad's tools while at Davis Air Park on our way home from OR:

May be able to see the details of the coupler by zooming? I'm not finding a closer pic of it. Link to the largest version of that pic.
IH 3/4t frame and springs, CUCV bed.
Square spline D60's make great trailer axles when you cut the center casting out and stuff the housing ends into a piece of large tubing. It holds about 3 gallons of 90wt., those Timken bearings will never get hot.
Used an S10's spare tire winch under the rear. The drive hex is hidden at the very forward end of the rear socket receiver in the rear bumper and the hex size is the same as the lug nuts.
The best detail on the whole trailer:

One of the things that I see mentioned semi-frequently for the M416/101CDN sized trailers is to make the tongue extendable. The new (then) frame for the trailer below was built with that option in the late 80's. I only ever use it when I am manually moving the trailer around. I've never used it while towing or backing, or coupled for any reason. I'm not convinced that it is worth the trouble.
And it is trouble. Even on this coastal desert water gets down in between the tongue tube and the receiver tube and wants to rust them together. Next time I pull it out grit be damned I'm going to a heavy grease slathering of the whole tongue tube.
This was coming home from the Parker 425 in 2020:

For the curious, what that trailer becomes in camp: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i...357R44HkBwDMDm2vdqRtSn8tSX8/M/i-XKZT8WX-M.jpg