Lionelgee
30th August 2019, 08:51 PM
Hello All,
Firstly, I do realise that the reference to "trailers" is made in relation to sleeping - camping ... "camper" trailer. However, it does say the word "Trailer". So I will take a liberty ... I picked up my new 3048 mm X 2133.6 mm (10 x 7 feet) flat top trailer on Thursday 29th of August. I drove down from Bundaberg with my 2004 VY Commodore Wagon to the Gold Coast. I bought the trailer off the internet - sight unseen. I had the list of materials and dimensions; then compared it to the local suppliers.
One of my brothers is a boiler maker and originally made a trailer for our dad. I bought the trailer off dad when he downsized his vehicle. A couple of years ago I put a "ute" crane on this trailer - however I needed a bigger trailer. My brother suggested it is more economical to buy a "cheaper" trailer. This trailer can be used as a basis to upgrade off to suit your specific needs - than to make a trailer from "scratch". Or perhaps he had just grown tired of spending his weekends making trailers for other people?
I just got back from my first trip with a load from Brisbane back home to Bundaberg. It was a "shake-down" trip for a longer event that will happen next week.
Having been through the trip I learnt a couple of things.
1) soon as I saw my new trailer in the flesh I had a re-run of an old Jeep advertisement from TV flash through my brain. You know the one where a dad brings home a new Jeep. A little toddler looks at the new Jeep and then turns to a little tinnie in their yard. The toddler says, "looks like we are gonna need a bigger boat". I saw the trailer and I thought to myself, "OMG looks like I need a bigger car!"
2) Do not feel embarrassed about sitting in one's car and typing in the GPS address from your notes about how to get from the dealer's place to the nearest transport inspection site so the trailer can be registered. I thought I will just drive the trailer out of sight from the yard and then I can pull over somewhere and take my time. Nope, there was no where to pull over within cooee - then damn I was on a freeway. It took a while to find a safe place to pull over and a quick trip turned out to be a long one.
Take a ratchet drill and some tek screws with you when you pick-up the trailer - newly registered trailers need a number plate fitted to it. Thanks Harry for helping me out.
My first load: Just because you have lots of rachet tie-down straps does not mean they will fit the tie-down rail of your new trailer.
Lucky for me there was a Bunnings - within a 10 minute walk. Second lesson: when you are in Bunnings; or any close-by hardware store; do grab a range of different sized "D"shackles - do not put them down and walk out of the shop. When I looked at the safety chains after the trailer was loaded I had to shorten a couple of more links. The "D" shackles I had on the trailer and in my car were not the right size for the new trailer's safety chains.
Forklift drivers who show off by going fast down a slope towards your car which causes the pallet to slide off the forks and break the pallet equals a gift that just keeps giving. The pallet breaking meant that the metal straps that held the load down to that pallet become loose. The extra - "you never know if you might need them" ratchet tie-down straps were fully utilised the first time I pulled over to check the load. The second stop resulted in my finding still more room for improvement and I bought two extra tie-down straps for the broken pallet's load. The extra strapping solved the problem with no further adjustments or further straps needed.
Thank you to Harry Ho Har for the advice about safety chains from earlier this morning too.
Future Changes: duplicate the headboard frame so that the trailer also has a tailgate frame.
Add on at least one storage box to the trailer. My trip went by without any need for tools. However, during my trip home if I did have to access any tools it would have meant unloading the back of the wagon and accessing the spare tyre compartment.
When I drove the last section of the country roads home in the dark the sides of the trailer looked pretty dark behind me. Some side clearance lights are on the shopping list. Okay I like nice shiny lights on a trailer! In all seriousness though - I think some people who overtook me tonight got a bit of a surprise about how wide the trailer was when they went past me.
Before I unload the trailer tomorrow I am going to take it to a caravan place to see how much advantage a set of load levellers would make to improving the geometry and the towing quality. Of course they will say that the difference will be wonderful - then they will ask me for my EFTPOS Card... "While I have your card ... do you want to buy some magic beans?"
Outside mirror extensions. While I could see vehicles behind me the "blind-spot" did increase. I like to see what is coming up behind me.
An electric winch is on the shopping list and the "Ute" crane from my old trailer will be swapped over onto the new one. This was discussed in a previous thread.
As mentioned previously - this trip helped solve a storage issue that I have had for over a decade in my "new" shed. It also was a "shake-down" run for an interstate trip next week. I am much more confident that the car and trailer will handle the next task .
I am going to buy more ratchet-straps tomorrow - "you never know when they might come in handy".
With the trailer loaded the back wheels and suspension still had adequate clearance. The car did not bottom out on bumpy roads or in potholes. Still ... I would like more of the back tyres showing. The car's steering was firm and the trailer followed really well behind the car.
Oh - another thread mentioned how getting a new higher capacity tow-bar fitted does not mean that you should expect that the trailer lights should be tested by the fitter and that the lights should work. Anyway, after going to an auto-electrician to get the trailer lights sorted out, I also had the new headlight assemblies that I had stored away fitted to the car. The difference the new headlights made tonight was amazing. I reckon I could see stuff off to the side of the road that I have not seen in years. I did a five hour trip at night a couple of weeks ago with the old headlights. I covered some section of the same road tonight with the new headlights - the difference in vision and ease on the eyes tonight was really chalk and cheese. Hmmm now if I add some driving lights too... I wonder?
What mob had the electric winch and driving light kit in their latest catalogue? That's right....
Kind regards
Lionel
Firstly, I do realise that the reference to "trailers" is made in relation to sleeping - camping ... "camper" trailer. However, it does say the word "Trailer". So I will take a liberty ... I picked up my new 3048 mm X 2133.6 mm (10 x 7 feet) flat top trailer on Thursday 29th of August. I drove down from Bundaberg with my 2004 VY Commodore Wagon to the Gold Coast. I bought the trailer off the internet - sight unseen. I had the list of materials and dimensions; then compared it to the local suppliers.
One of my brothers is a boiler maker and originally made a trailer for our dad. I bought the trailer off dad when he downsized his vehicle. A couple of years ago I put a "ute" crane on this trailer - however I needed a bigger trailer. My brother suggested it is more economical to buy a "cheaper" trailer. This trailer can be used as a basis to upgrade off to suit your specific needs - than to make a trailer from "scratch". Or perhaps he had just grown tired of spending his weekends making trailers for other people?
I just got back from my first trip with a load from Brisbane back home to Bundaberg. It was a "shake-down" trip for a longer event that will happen next week.
Having been through the trip I learnt a couple of things.
1) soon as I saw my new trailer in the flesh I had a re-run of an old Jeep advertisement from TV flash through my brain. You know the one where a dad brings home a new Jeep. A little toddler looks at the new Jeep and then turns to a little tinnie in their yard. The toddler says, "looks like we are gonna need a bigger boat". I saw the trailer and I thought to myself, "OMG looks like I need a bigger car!"
2) Do not feel embarrassed about sitting in one's car and typing in the GPS address from your notes about how to get from the dealer's place to the nearest transport inspection site so the trailer can be registered. I thought I will just drive the trailer out of sight from the yard and then I can pull over somewhere and take my time. Nope, there was no where to pull over within cooee - then damn I was on a freeway. It took a while to find a safe place to pull over and a quick trip turned out to be a long one.
Take a ratchet drill and some tek screws with you when you pick-up the trailer - newly registered trailers need a number plate fitted to it. Thanks Harry for helping me out.
My first load: Just because you have lots of rachet tie-down straps does not mean they will fit the tie-down rail of your new trailer.
Lucky for me there was a Bunnings - within a 10 minute walk. Second lesson: when you are in Bunnings; or any close-by hardware store; do grab a range of different sized "D"shackles - do not put them down and walk out of the shop. When I looked at the safety chains after the trailer was loaded I had to shorten a couple of more links. The "D" shackles I had on the trailer and in my car were not the right size for the new trailer's safety chains.
Forklift drivers who show off by going fast down a slope towards your car which causes the pallet to slide off the forks and break the pallet equals a gift that just keeps giving. The pallet breaking meant that the metal straps that held the load down to that pallet become loose. The extra - "you never know if you might need them" ratchet tie-down straps were fully utilised the first time I pulled over to check the load. The second stop resulted in my finding still more room for improvement and I bought two extra tie-down straps for the broken pallet's load. The extra strapping solved the problem with no further adjustments or further straps needed.
Thank you to Harry Ho Har for the advice about safety chains from earlier this morning too.
Future Changes: duplicate the headboard frame so that the trailer also has a tailgate frame.
Add on at least one storage box to the trailer. My trip went by without any need for tools. However, during my trip home if I did have to access any tools it would have meant unloading the back of the wagon and accessing the spare tyre compartment.
When I drove the last section of the country roads home in the dark the sides of the trailer looked pretty dark behind me. Some side clearance lights are on the shopping list. Okay I like nice shiny lights on a trailer! In all seriousness though - I think some people who overtook me tonight got a bit of a surprise about how wide the trailer was when they went past me.
Before I unload the trailer tomorrow I am going to take it to a caravan place to see how much advantage a set of load levellers would make to improving the geometry and the towing quality. Of course they will say that the difference will be wonderful - then they will ask me for my EFTPOS Card... "While I have your card ... do you want to buy some magic beans?"
Outside mirror extensions. While I could see vehicles behind me the "blind-spot" did increase. I like to see what is coming up behind me.
An electric winch is on the shopping list and the "Ute" crane from my old trailer will be swapped over onto the new one. This was discussed in a previous thread.
As mentioned previously - this trip helped solve a storage issue that I have had for over a decade in my "new" shed. It also was a "shake-down" run for an interstate trip next week. I am much more confident that the car and trailer will handle the next task .
I am going to buy more ratchet-straps tomorrow - "you never know when they might come in handy".
With the trailer loaded the back wheels and suspension still had adequate clearance. The car did not bottom out on bumpy roads or in potholes. Still ... I would like more of the back tyres showing. The car's steering was firm and the trailer followed really well behind the car.
Oh - another thread mentioned how getting a new higher capacity tow-bar fitted does not mean that you should expect that the trailer lights should be tested by the fitter and that the lights should work. Anyway, after going to an auto-electrician to get the trailer lights sorted out, I also had the new headlight assemblies that I had stored away fitted to the car. The difference the new headlights made tonight was amazing. I reckon I could see stuff off to the side of the road that I have not seen in years. I did a five hour trip at night a couple of weeks ago with the old headlights. I covered some section of the same road tonight with the new headlights - the difference in vision and ease on the eyes tonight was really chalk and cheese. Hmmm now if I add some driving lights too... I wonder?
What mob had the electric winch and driving light kit in their latest catalogue? That's right....
Kind regards
Lionel