After driving tow truck for 11 years I would suggest cutting keyholes in the deck instead of welding immovable D rings down, you can weld supports underneath the keyholes for strength. BELIEVE me you will regret welding those on. Best of luck and keep up the great content!!!!
The d rings in the middle will abraid the winch line and cause snags when winching A nut welded under the deck anda set of eyebolts that can screw into the nuts will give you the anchor points without the obstruction
One thing I would add for the winch is a snatch block and short chain as used with tilt traytow trucks. These allow you to pull things onto the deck without being directly in line with it by redirecting the pull. A suitable sized and rated snatch lock would also allow you to double the potential pull, or halve the load on winch and battery system for the same pull reducing the current flow and voltage drops at the expense of doubling the winding time.
with this idea in mind put a small box under on the passenger side you raise it any way and keeps them safe out of sight. there are alot of things you can put in the box depending on what your hauling etc.
Roller fairlead is for metal cable - the hawse fairlead, like you have, is designed for your synthetic rope. I’d also put a cover over that winch of some sort to keep the sun’s UV rays from slowly breaking down the rope. Sweet trailer!
Beat me to it! The rolls prevent the metal cable from wearing out prematurely from friction against paint/metal/etc. Since the synthetic rope has much less friction and is a softer material (think Rockwell scale not CareBear Scale) than metal rope and thus the issue of cable wearing on metal/paint/etc. reduces to the point a well smoothed over slot in a hunk of metal with enamel paint on it is more than enough for the lifespan of the rope.
While I do thoroughly enjoy the saving of old “junk”, it’s nice to see you splurge on some new once in awhile! This is not only fun but also functional! Can’t wait to see it in action!
Get the pockets to sink the d-rings in the deck of the trailer , lot less chance for something to catch on . Be sure to place them next to a solid frame member . Put one right in front of the winch to use as an anchor for the hook and also get a couple of snatch blocks with hooks that have the screw bolt to split the snatch block to install or remove the cable/rope . I built my trailer 20 years ago and have hauled just about everything you can imagine and my trailer has been in more states than I can think of . A pressure relief valve would be and a very solid mount and pin to prevent the tilt from being activated when it should not be tilted . Really nice trailer . Can't have too many d-rings , even the small one's for smaller ratchet strap's . Great video .
An option for the lid tether: possibly have gone with a rubber bumper design on the front rail for the lid to hit, but still allowing room for the wire. Still good 👍🏻
I would have thought some rubber bumpers on the rail above the lid would have kept the spacing for the wire. One at each end of the lid and one close to the middle near where the wire is. Heck, you could even put a notch in the center one to keep the wire in place. Thanks for the great video, as always!
@@mustie1 Yeah, my idea about the notch in the center one is no good for that, but the bumpers are only needed when the bed is down, so if they go up with the bar then that's okay, since the lid wouldn't be hitting the bar. Dunno, just a thought.
I would've centered all the d-rings down the middle however used recessed d rings instead of the surface mounted as they stay outta the way but are still available for use when needed... Also make sure you grease those d-rings at the weldments so you don't get rust streaks from the weldments (try some nice penetrating spray grease for the d-ring weldments
Lights, lights, lights. :) Area lights to light the ground around the trailer to avoid trips and forgotten tools, tie downs, etc. Loading lights to light the start of the ramp to get the everything lined up. Bed lights to light the D shackles and to light the underside of the car you are strapping down. Also maybe add some sort of external socket on the battery box to make it easy to power additional items, like a corded light it would also make a handy spot to plug in an external charger in case the solar panel doesn't keep up, thinking middle of winter, snow on the panel. If it's raining you won't want to keep the battery box lid open so an weatherproof external socket might be handy. Also for your specific use case lights for filming would be an additional consideration. And definitely check LED lights for colour and flicker on camera.
You could have put a braided copper ground strap connecting each frame on either side of the pivot point. It is flexible enough to withstand a lot of flexing. That way you could ground the winch through the frame and save 23ft of black wire. I have my Jeep mounted winch grounded through the frame without problems for the last 15 or so years and it gets used a lot.
nice trailer and setup! what you always should do with a new wench cable: unwind full length, hook it onto something solid and stretch it, then roll it up again under some load as you would also do with a fishing line so that it doesn´t get stuck in previous windings.
You might try installing an Anderson connector on the side of the battery box, connecting to the breaker/battery. Then make your 12 volt winch wiring just long enough to plug in when the bed is raised to what you feel is a good height, installing another matching connector on the end, and cabling the two winch leads together for a neat appearance. Then, you can store those leads out of harm's way when not using the winch. I've seen this arrangement on antique car or race car trailers before, and it seems to work out well.
Good comment! I have these, always called them fork-lift connectors because thats where I got the idea. These work awesome! (And now I know the proper name)
You must have been an awfully good boy to get a birthday present like this. Thats a nice trailer Mustie and your improvements are a really nice touch and will come in very handy.
*Diagonally brace the box section of the frame right behind the hydraulic pump toolbox. When four wheels off the ground and you're driving anything real big up that thing it's going to twist... or in eight years when you refurb it lol. Hate to grind on a brand new trailer.*
@@MrTonyPiscatelle fair point but you have to consider the amount of views, thumbs up or down and comments per video let alone what he's saved up cause we all know he's not a big spender. Like I've said before I'm not hating on him just reminding how good TH-cam and what he often calls himself a "cheapskate" allows him.
Aaaargh! It would be easy to secure a solid ground (flexible wire) between the two sides of the pivot and save running the long run to the negative. I spent half an hour trying to figure out why my neighbor's trailer lights were intermittent before realizing that it was a tipping trailer and the ground at the pivot was very poor.
That is my suggestion too. A non insulated, flat, braided steel ground cable of AWG # 2 or # 4 about 18" long would take care of the ampacity requirement for the negative leg of the circuit.
I really love the wireless control on my winch. It’s great when you are working by yourself. You don’t have to run back and forth between the vehicle you’re loading and the winch control, trying to steer and load at the same time. I also put a small solar charger on my trailer to keep the winch battery topped off. Works great!
Instead of D-rings in the center, use chains from side to side and clip your tie downs wherever you need them. The chains could be run through sections of steel pipe to take up some of the slack. The pipe/chain sections could be stored by clipping them on the side D-rings. Another good addition would be an electric tongue jack. You always make interesting videos! Thanks!
You could also have added ground straps between the deck and the frame, near the pivot. That would've been just over a foot of cable, roughly, and that would've done both sides. You only need to bridge the connection basically. For the lid, I would've used a gas strut. Since the lid is almost vertical when open, it would fall shut pretty easily if you wanted to leave it open. Not that there's really a reason to be in that box for long, but still, it may be nice not to have the lid lie down on your remote wire when winching. Other than that, while you're at it, I'd highly recommend adding working lights. I know you tend to do your pickups in the light, since you also video them, but sometimes it's just dark, and man are those lights nice in those situations.
I bought my first motorcycle last week and got it running in two days for the price of a new chain and fresh oil. Tank and carb were varnished and I didn’t have a carb kit, and didn’t want to wait for parts. Definitely inspired by your frugality!!
Couple of thoughts: On either side where you are considering the tie down rings - there is a beefy, vertical strap from pocket to pocket all the way along both sides. THAT is where the hooks from your tie down straps are supposed to go to - not the side pockets. Infinitely variable. Tie down rings down the middle will be handy once or maybe twice a year but will be a Royal PIA the rest of the year by always being in the way as well as a constant tripping challenge. The cute battery / hydraulic box has one area of big consideration - moisture. The grounding strap material ('Chinese Handcuffs") will allow rain water to be pushed under the lid and into the box while driving in storms. There are 2 primary sources for water getting into that box - rain pushed by air going down the road (through even the smallest crack or opening) and condensation. Bottom line is that there is No Way to keep that box dry. Consider 1/4" drain (weep) holes in all 4 corners to let any water drain while keeping bees and wasps out. The black color will help warm and assist with helping to evaporate a little moisture inside while parked in the sun. A flip out sheet metal plate which stores inside the battery/hydra box will keep the solar collector safe and it can flip out while maintaining the battery in storage. The tow vehicle's charging system can maintain the battery before, during and just after use. One heck of a nice trailer! - Joe -
Behind the lid - just some plain old bumper stomps. Why not nuts and bolts vs the self tappers for the solar panel? And lastly - I hope you don't regret those tie downs in the middle. I was yelling not to put them in! I hated mine and ended up removing them and putting in a few recessed tie downs (lots more work with a lot of welding to get them flat. Best of luck with it!
I'm with you on that. I was yelling at him to cut 2 half moon holes, with a space between and weld a rod under the space. Then you can loop a rope or fit a hook. You can then still slide a log or wheel-less vehicle up the middle. We might both be watching Darren re-do those in a future 'project'. 🥽🔥
Darren can I say a big warm thank you for your punctuality in bringing me a midday video every Sunday here in London. No nicer way to enjoy a Sunday lunch, cheers mate👍
Probably the only channel where you see something new get fixed. Well, not fixed, let's say improved. I hope the new toy serves you well, it's surely a blessing for your back :))
i'd use a couple of those gas struts to hold the lid. keeps it open, and stops it from opening too far all in one unit. they make them for toolboxes like that, and honestly, i'm surprised it didn't already have them. what a thing to cheap out over considering the cost of that trailer. you should use the recessed d rings in the center to avoid the issues you brought up. just cut holes in the deck and weld the pocket from the underside so nothing is above the deck when they are folded down. you could also run auxiliary tail lights on spring loaded stalks mounted on the outside of the stake pockets to raise them up to make them easier to see with a large load. i made some for my boat trailer using some old trampoline springs i modified to fit some emt conduit. they make it easier to load the boat when the trailer is underwater as well.
Valid point about the trailer lights. You want MAXIMUM VISIBILITY. We have a machinery trailer at work and I noticed just how much a dark coloured trailer can disappear in the dark night or early morning, so I slapped plenty of that yellow reflective tape along the sides and the drop down ramp. There is no way that anyone can claim that they "didn't see the trailer" now.
@@markfryer9880 that's why when i repainted my beaver tail trailer, i painted it safety orange, rather than the black that it originally was. i backed into it at home just one too many times in the dark.
Hi Mustie, i would suggest that you keep all the 80ft of rope and get a small pulley with a soft shackle and that will give you a lot of extra pulling force (x2) if needed. You will need a good point in the trailer where to attach the hook.
I backed my trailer into a soft yard once. I used a snatch block at the back of the trailer then run the cable to a solid place or vehicle in front of my stuck vehicle. When I retracted the cable it basically pushed the truck/trailer out. I also used the same technique to pull a junk car off the trailer. Length gives you options.
To use the wide rachet straps with the flat steel hooks, lay the hook flat in your press and press the hook slightly closed until they will clear the inside of the stake pockets. Also, put the hook down through the pocket and have the hook grab the outside of the stake pocket. If your strap loosens in transit, it will not come unhooked as it would if the hook was only hooked to the bottom of the stake pocket.
Remember if you’re attempting to slide something up on the trailer, like your lathe or a heavy milling machine, the tie downs in the middle might be an obstruction. I think I recall you loading up something by sliding it onto the old trailer.
That should be kevlar in the line. Nylon has a stretch factor that makes it dangerous in a snap back situation. Rollers are for steel wire the fairlead is for the synthetic. Keep it smooth so it doesn't chafe the line. I make the point so that down the road you don't mistakenly replace that line with a nylon one. Once you have seen a line part of any size over 1/2 an inch it is something you take very seriously.
Be sure to cover the winch to keep the sun off the rope. The rope is less dangerous than cable, but the hardware is still dangerous. I would throw a blanket or jacket over it while winching. You are supposed to run the rope all the way (leave 6 turns on drum) then roll it up under load before you use it.
nice trailer! In my experience, you can NEVER have too long a winch cable.. but back up to a muddy field and you'll enjoy the added flexibility of the longest cable possible, especially with a latch block.
My friend has the same trailer. I suggested using the self retracting cord from a scrap vaccum and it works great after removing the lock pawl from it.
Use magnets on the solar panel so you can store it when the trailer is in use and no holes in the box. For a circuit breaker check out marine (Blue Sea) components for high amperage. I would have used a piston for the lid, you can get then for short money.
When you first started talking about adding those D rings down the middle, the first thing I thought of was the old video where you had to slide that old Bridgeport off the trailer. For a multi use trailer adding those d rings in the center might not be a good idea, it will definitely impede your ability to slide things like a giant paper weight.
That synthetic rope is amazing, the breaking strength is stronger than stainless. It's being used for yacht rigging now and it has a lot of advantages. The big disadvantage is abrasion. If it starts catching on those D rings it will abrade and begin losing integrity fast. Another thing you might want to think about it a cover for the winch. UV degradation on any exposed part of that cable will shorten it's life significantly. On yachts they use an abrasion sleeve that is UV stabilized and abrasion resistant.
The synthetic ropes use a “hawse”, rather than a fair lead with rollers. The synthetic rope can work its way through the gaps between the rollers and get snagged up. It’s not possible to do that with a hawse as it’s a continuous hole machined from a solid billet.
Thanks for that part about the "sythentic rope can work its way throught the gaps" that makes sense. Knowing WHY not to use a roller fair lead is the best way to prevent us from making a mistake that would seem obvious when we saw it!
My dad was supposedly a genius mechanic. He bailed on the family when I was three. He never even taught me how to use a wrench or screwdriver. I have learned so much from you Mustie! You have brought out my inner “ genius “ and I end up being pretty good with small engines, mini bikes, go karts and my 70’s Toro Workmaster 3 wheeler. Mustie gets me to slow down and finish all parts of the job. What a blessing on Sunday mornings.
I’m sorry to hear about how your Dad bailed on your family. Have to learn from the situation (no matter how painful) and be the man/father that he couldn’t be. Forgive and move on. On the other hand I’m happy to hear that you are learning from this channel (mustie is awesome)…….stay positive my friend 👍 and God Bless
@@alcopower5710 Thank you for the kind words. I never had any kids and am 55. I spent my life as a successful Industrial Outside Salesperson. I faked my way through the mechanical knowledge part of it pretty well, never having seen any man work on anything. I just started to figure it all out after watching Mustie. The guy is my dad, but with a personality, sense of humor and a heightened ability to teach and explain….man stuff. God Bless all you guys out there. 👍
Instead of going all the way to where the pivot of the deck is with your cables, you can have them have their own pivot point to the side with a spring pulling the cables out of the way. You’d only need less than half the amount of cable. Lift the deck up all the way and see how much cable you’d need to make the connection, then put the spring halfway and secure the end to the side of the deck. You’ll soon see how much give the spring has to take up and proceed accordingly. I hope I’m making sense to you, as I can see it so clearly but I may not be painting the picture properly. Love your channel, keep it up.
Use the plastic guide chain way like you see on man lifts and other equipment. They use it to support and protect hydraulic hoses and control cabling. I don't know the actual name of the product but I used it when I rebuilt a rollback wrecker to contains hoses and cabling about 20 years ago
Love the content, thanks a ton. Your solar panel. Since it will only be used when the trailer is sitting, a couple neo magnets on the corners would allow you to store it on the inside of the lid when not in use. Keep it outta the weather and road grime when driving. Neodymium are strong enough to hold it if you need to use it while driving.
@@andrewbratos6907 No, it's steel. Steve B had the same thought as I. The PV array he had wasn't waterproof. It's going to get soggy and quite possibly short out the PV. To me it would have been better with magnets, and store the thing out of the way in the hydraulic box when he's working with the trailer. The other thought I had was despite the tubing trick, it would have been better to cut off most of the protruding screw tips, *then* use the tubing for the remaining stubs. Or some plasti-dip.
Number one the greater the diameter of rope on the spool the greater your Leverage number 2 for the Box piano hinges both sides pretty inexpensive and they lock up number three rubber baby buggy bumpers between trailer and box lid van wire cannot pinch number four don't cut rope you can use a pulley when doubling the Rope to frame to increase pulling power it is called a snatch block love your videos just a different perspective from a loyal fan
@@charlesgstockmeister8128 Doubling the diameter of the drive pulley makes it go twice as fast, but the pull is halved. You increase leverage by *reducing* the diameter. Which lifts more? A crowbar pivoting near your hand, or pivoting near the load? It's the latter because it has more leverage - more mechanical advantage. A pulley/snatch block would double the pulling power, but halve the speed.
I have a home built 17.5 ft tillt deck with a 8k axle best trailer ever the tilt deck makes everything so easy I can haul any thing from a small zero turn to a full sized tractor happy to see you bought a nice trailer 😁
For future referrence for anyone wiring in a winch or hydraulics on a breaking trailer like this one... Lift front of trailer to maximum lift,measure cable or hydraulic lines straight from whichever to the tongue directly below.. Say its 5' then install the 5' wiring or hydraulic lines and go back to the crossmember that is just further than half the distance( say 3 to 5') of the wiring or lines and add a tension spring by drilling a 5/32" hole through lowest point on that crossmember and adding a spring,which can be bought for gladhand lines on any big truck trailer and attaching to the lines or wiring using the ring that comes with it... Saves you many feet of cable,wiring,or hydraulic lines as well as the added resistance and heat of electrical...it will fold the same way every time and have tension to keep the supply lines taught and off the ground, frame or dragging. ...
The overhead cabinets from a motorhome have short pistons similar to hood or trunk lifts would be perfect to hold the lid and could be mounted on the inside of the box to keep the lid from opening all the way against the outside frame. Just a thought..
Smart move on the solar panel trickle charger. I run that one trailer for my winch. I love it! But instead of bolltng it down. I ended up jb welding heavy duty magnets to it so I could take it off for transport
for the winch and trailer battery, you can make a pigtail with heavy wire and anderson plugs to use the vehicle's electrical system in tandem with the trailer while connected. anderson plugs are what you want for the connectors for disconnect. great video as always, and have a great day.
That is one beautiful trailer and you are going to make it better fantastic even better its a mustie trailer thank you for sharing and your time can't wait for next one.
For a safety to keep the bed up, you could put a couple pieces of U-channel on the hydraulic cylinders with a lock pin thru 2 hole to hold them in place. That is how aircraft landing gear is made safe for maintenance.
Dang that's a good idea. I have some older equipment here on the farm, made in the days when safety was an afterthought, and this will be a lot nicer than propping it up with a 4x4 to work underneath. Thanks!
Mustie1, if you keep the solar panel connected to the battery 24/7 you risk overcharging and/or damaging the battery. Best solution is to get a solar panel charge controller. They are cheap and easy to install in the box. Also, you may want to run your cable through the box lid underneath the solar panel. The cable will be out of harms way. Don't forget to use a rubber grommet for the cable hole!
@@johnmcdonald8240 Whether or not that is true, depends upon the solar panel's open-circuit output voltage, and some other specs/curves of the battery and the solar panel. It's fine to crank 10 watts into a car battery, until the battery reaches a voltage where it's not OK. The solar panel may or may not already have a charge controller, a cutoff voltage, or a max (open-circuit) output voltage that is OK to keep your battery floating at. You need one of those 3 things to be true, or you need to manually keep tabs on the battery voltage and disconnect (or cover up) the panel when the battery reaches a good float voltage for the amount of time it's going to spend floating. If we're talking months, 13.2 volts is great. If a week or two, 13.5v is fine. If you're going to be using the battery soon, 13.8v is good. It's not the same as when you're driving your car for a few hours and the battery has some loads on it also. Pumping 10 watts in for several hours a day without watching the voltage or using the battery, likely exceeds the correct trickle charge rate to maintain the correct float voltage on a battery that size. For some particular size of (presumably quite a bit larger) battery you might luck into it being the right trickle current. Many "12 volt battery" solar panels have output voltages of 18-22 volts by the time their output current tapers off almost to zero. So if not regulated, you're gambling that the battery can continually absorb the solar output power without its own voltage rising above a safe trickle/float voltage. It's confusing because you can hook a "2 amp" trickle charger up indefinitely. But that doesn't actually force 24 watts in without regard to voltage, it tapers off to much lower power by the time it reaches a standard float voltage. It's much less of a constant-power or constant-current charger than an unregulated solar panel is.
For the center D-rings I would have used the bolt in ones that drop down into a pocket. A little more work, but you wouldn't have to worry about snagging them.
That braid for the hinge strap will eventually turn green and start to decay if you don't coat it in some kind of sealer. Back when I was working we used a lot of that stuff for electrical grounds that had to flex. What we used on the ends were terminal lugs so we could run screws through them for anchor points. Crimped the ends and rarely ever had to bother with them again. In your application I would say to use lock nuts set just slightly loose so the lugs can pivot but the lock nuts won't back off. Just an idea.
That looks like one sweet toy! Some random thoughts: The "BSF Recovery Team" channel has been using rope like this on the main and front winches on their tow truck for a couple of years now, and I don't think they have had any major problems with it. They do winchouts and recoveries for trail rides on muddy trails, so that is not the best conditions for moving cables. You might want to look at their channel, or even send Eric an email and ask him about his experience with the stuff, and if he does anything special to prevent the cable digging in on the drum. I use a solar panel like that to keep the battery on a little-used vehicle charged, and it works just fine. I just drop it out on the roof when the vehicle isn't in use and dump it on the dashboard when it is. With your fixed installation I'd suggest drilling a hole for the wire under the panel rather than running it around the edge of the lid, and just grommet and silicone the hole to keep water out of the box. I'm pretty sure those battery clips are just connected with bullet connectors, so you should be able to feed the wire thru a small hole. That braided shielding you used as a stop on the lid is made of copper wires, and not really designed to move around all that much. After a while the wires are going to rub on each other and start stretching and chafing and breaking. But it will probably work for a year or so.
Musti's Transformers Trailer. Excellent birthday present. Great job on the welds. One thought with sliding machinery or other flat bottomed items.....what if you got a sheet of textured T1-11 and notched where the welded tie downs are thus giving you the option of a level surface provided the thickness of the sheet is higher than tie downs. Just a thought. A 4x8 sheet is all you need. Just install it when you know you're picking up something. Heck it can even be a piece of OSB.
Hey Mate from Australia. Make sure you do a Winch- in before you start using your winch cable, because it will cut into itself. I did that when I first switched over from steel cable to synthetic and destroyed it pretty much straight away. I’m sure there’s plenty of videos on how to do a winch in I won’t waste your time trying to explain how to do it. Love the videos please get them coming. 😉
Great video. I would replace the cable ties holding the hydraulic hoses as well. I think that cable ties are a very Mickey Mouse way of holding hoses. Congrats on the new trailer. It's a beauty.
Seeing the cable line will be elevated when your pulling something onto the trailer. Use a snatch block roller that you can hook into one of the center D ring tie downs which will keep the cable laying parallel to the trailer.
PS: Polypropylene has the most stretch, nylon would be next then Dacron then the Kevlar. On the large ships our working lines were all Dacron/poly blends (mainly to save money) which later in the eighties were supplanted by the Kevlar (trade name there are other similar types) lines as they are so much stronger per unit if weight. The Kevlar chafes much easier though so most have a Dacron jacket over the core to protect it. Kevlar is much more expensive as well. Wire is harder to maintain and kinks more easily it also doesn't have much stretch. Problem with wire is that it can rust inside the lay and look good on the outside (even galvanized) while it has no strength. Wire is much cheaper for equivalent strength than the 'super synthetics' and of course it is best for chafing if you tend to abuse your pulling gear. Lines can wear by getting dirt between the lay and chafing while wire is pretty impervious to working in the dirt. Keep your line clean. Best to have a canvas cover for all winches to keep road dirt and the elements off.
Good info, plus even with nylon or polypropylene, dirt between the fibres can cause wear as well. Not to mention deterioration from exposure to the elements. I equate his cable to boat lines. They are put under similar stress (not big honking ships, I'm not that rich lol). My boat was 9000 lbs and when the wind is howling the stress put on the dock lines is incredible. I replaced all my white lines with black (just matched the boat better) and even after just 1 season, the 3/4" white lines that came with the boat were really stiff. The 5/8" I bought (I seem to recall) were rated at 27,000 lbs gradual, and 15,000 snap. (lingo is wrong I know but you get my drift). They could handle much more weight when the load was applied gradually as opposed to instantaneous. ON a side note: I did a favour for the hardware buyer at the company I worked for so as payment, he ordered me in a 250' roll of 5/8" black. Instead of just tying a loop in the end I bought the fid and got the booklet on how to weave in the eye. So one saturday, got out the deck chair, put on some tunes and cracked a beer and started weaving. BIG mistake. Soon as the other boaters saw I could do it "hey, could you do mine"? "could you do mine"? lol. I found out a) you can't do it on used lines and b) it's a good way to make some extra money. I charged $20 a line and I made my beer money doing it that summer lol. Buying dock lines by the foot or roll was about 1/4 the price of buying one at the marine store.
Wonderful! I've been trying to convince myself I need one just like yours. I can live vicariously through you for a little longer ;) I'm glad for you - you deserve this. Cheers!
Personally, I think if trailers used a dedicated ground wire at every light fixture instead of a chassis connection the lighting would be much more reliable.
years back I was involved in offroading in the UK. Synthetic ropes were just becoming a thing here, steel wires store the energy and whip back when they break, synthetic lines just drop to the ground, definitely a lot safer to use. Only thing to remember is if they get muddy then just give it a wash out in a bucket of water.
I guess it would depend on the material. That one looked like it stretched quite a bit and stretch is stored energy. If it stretched to a smaller diameter and stayed there, then the energy isn't storied but it appeared to return to the original diameter. Comparing this to boat lines, I was putting eyes into the ends and part of the process is putting it under stress to shrink the outer cover over the core. This locks the weave into place. I had a buddy pull on one end while I pulled the other and he let go one time and it didn't just drop, it flung back at least half the distance. .....
@@muskokamike127 Since it is significantly lighter the energy stored is much less. Plus, they have an initial break-in stretch. Like you have to stretch them once before you install them or they will stretch later.
@@muskokamike127 Stretch doesn't equate to stored energy alone. You can stretch a weak spring very far, but it hardly stored any energy. You can hardly stretch a powerful spring, but it stores a lot of energy. Also, if something's gonna come flying at me at high speed, I'd rather have it be a lightweight, not sharp wire than a heavy sharp metal cable. A metal cable not stretching is actually why it's so dangerous. You can't see that you're putting so much tension on it, because it doesn't seem to be doing anything. Plus, the tension could rise very quickly if you have a constant RPM winch, unlike with a stretching rope, where tension always builds slowly.
Wow. You started offroading in the 1930's? (That's when they started pushing the new-fangled synthetic ropes). Personally, I'm a fan of 'natural fiber' rope, and just replacing it regularly. Little to no stretch like plastic rope, no real snapback like steel, and a biodegradable renewable resource.
I love the new trailer. I have very big concerns about the D-rings holding a vehicle. The welded ones are made to hold major loads, but I think they are only good for static loads. Lumber and Motorcycles sit solid and still on while you go down the road usually. When you are hauling a car or truck, they rock and bounce back and forth. I know the rails along the side are rated for vehicles for sure. You might want to call up the guys at the place you bought the trailer and see if the d-rings are rated for vehicle anchoring. I would like you to be protected against liability. If a vehicle jumps off the trailer and hurts you or someone else that would be horrible. Keep up the great content. I wish you good luck and good health.
OMG such an awesome job. I would expect nothing less. Retention the rope. Attach to a tree and tow your trailer and truck backward to retention and tighten the rope. If it gets off-center. release the tension and manually back off the wench. Then reposition the cable by pulling the truck forward a little and rewinding the spool. You can put sides on it and deliver bark mulch to yourself. From an NH resident to yourself. Love your videos. I always look forward to you and your help to people like us. Just a learning experience that no college degree will ever surpass. Thank you, kind sir. Daren is so much appreciated. Bless you and your family. Maybe we could meet one day. I thought you were in Litchfield at first. But I realized you were in the lakes region after 2 years of watching your videos.
That's a fantastic trailer! With the tie downs you welded on, there should be plenty of tie down options. I'm retired but work part time for a lawn and garden shop delivering and picking up mowers and equipment like rental skid loaders and excavators. That row up the middle is a great idea.
Hey Mustie, you may want to think about a charge controller for your solar panel so you don't over charge and cook out your battery. i know it's not a large solar panel but left out in the sun for a long period of time could overcharge your battery. love that trailer. great gift for yourself. jim in central florida
that's really cool. had a friend several years ago get a solar panel for his car that would sit awhile without being started. after 2 days it drained the battery because it didn't have a diode.
You need to get a couple snatch blocks,you never know when you will need them.The towing company i used to work for had one in every truck,they come in handy for sliding sheds and cars that are just in the wrong spot.Happy Birthday.
Nice setup! You should be fine with that 250 breaker. The vast majority of my dump trailers and trucks consume about 130amps when lifting and will max out around 200amps if you bottom/top it out and egregiously hold it there. 250 will give you protection against a short, but you'll likely never pop it even under severe "normal" use.
It may be too late now, but if you consider the fastening points on a roll-back (for chains), you have those slots that chain can catch in (See Ron Pratt's - Mid West Truck videos), that might be a far better solution for your needs. Have rings on chains, perhaps - and you can use whichever position you need at the time. That gives you far more flexibility for tying down. Also, look at the way he has pulleys on chains for directing the winch cable - he always has the pull perpendicular to the winch.
@TakeDeadAim Your setup sound great! It will be intersting to see if Mustie1 changes his set up after hearing all of this. It is also nice to hear that others agree and better yet, love them. There are always improvements that can be done... Then again, the hardest lesson to learn as an Engineer is when "Good Enough" is good enough.
The only problem with this is the fact that the paint will scrub off and eventual rust will take over here in the salted roads of the North East. I have seen those Pratt videos. Daren can still attach a pully with his d-rings with a shackle and pully. Yes, disconnect at some point. But longevity is the goal.
One thing I learned when I built my trailer: Everyone has an opinion on how you should have done it. Those same people get real quiet when they want to borrow it though...
Nice. I would definitely weld a piece if square tubing with a pivot point somewhere... so you'd have a fail-safe in case of an accidental hydraulic pressure loss. All surviving truck mechanic appreciate these things. 😉
For the battery box lid you can also do simple rubber stops between the lid and rail. For the D-rings you may consider recessed D-rings down the center...just an opinion. Thanks for the upload!
It would be nice if you could fit the winch controller in the front box, it's extra weather protection, and makes the short manual controller more useful instead of standing at the top of the slope of the deck. Also better protection if the rope snaps your stood behind the metal deck and much less likely to be hit by the cable. It's an awsome trailer though :D.
I would never drill any holes in that electrical box lid for a solar panel or anything else to let moisture in. Further more get yourself some weatherstripping for around the underside of the lid to help keep moisture out! Save yourself a lot of headaches. Very Nice trailer! 🙂
Same winch as mine...but with a different label on it! Had it 8 years without a problem and that remote control works for the whole 100 feet of winch rope.
You need to get ahold of the manufacture of the trailer and ask them where you gas shock is for the box lid. It should have a gas shock, strut for the lid like a hood shock or rear hatch lift gat has thats why it has a lip for it to sit on and the holes for the bolt side of it. Keep up the video's.
Considering they used cable ties to secure the hydro lines, I wouldn't be surprised of it was left off on purpose. I dont get the feeling this was a really high quality trailer.
You might perhaps of tried just adding an earth loop across the pivot point so that you could use the chassis as the negative and saved 20 odd feet of copper cable. Nice project looking forward to seeing how it performs.
@Murray Martin - you beat me to it. Then again, is it worth drilling two holes in the chassis to join the two sections electrically, and then have to weather-proof the two ground connexions, all to save 20 foot of wire? I think *I* would, but given the cost of the rest of the project, it's not going to make a significant difference overall.
Forget welding the center row bolt them on you could remove them if needed. Those shackles are better with chain's and binders! Cool trailer Must Have 👌
Only thing I would've done differently is mounting the solar panel in the middle so that you can use the top as a table from either side when the trailer is full. I assume that panel has a built-in charge controller? If not it's cheap insurance to protect that battery. 😎
It's basically just a solar panel and a diode to prevent draining the battery in the dark. That model can only make an amp or two at the very most, so it is basically a trickle charger, and there shouldn't be any overcharge problems with a car-size battery. I've used one just like it (but one size smaller) to maintain the battery on a van for a couple of years now with no problems.
I'm going to miss the excitement of watching you bring a Bug home with a wheel precariously close to falling off the trailer and worrying the cabin of the bug was so rusted it would slide of it's frame because of the awkward positioning on the trailer. Looks sweet.
Nice job! Get some Harbor Freight 50Cal Ammo Cans and attach them to the neck near the box up front to store items like cables, gloves etc. Then paint them black. I think the cans are sealed too, so water won’t get in them.
Great Trailers. I bought a Sure-Trac 7 x 14 SA Tube Top ATV Hauler about 3 years ago. I absolutely love it. It is a side and rear loader. The Ramps are built into the sides. A bit heavy but Well Built Units.
Great trailer, well earned too! However, I would have done the solar panel a bit different. I would have made it portable/removable as intended. They do have large snap connectors that you can utilize the now existing holes. The reasons for this are unforeseen situations, being removable you don't risk weathered damage and mold to the cloth case. Also if you do need to step up in that area for any reason it can easily be removed without tools. If you know you will be needing the trailer, you can place it on charge ahead of time, and store it in the compartment. also I would have slipped some fuel hose over the wire to protect it in the pinch zone. Just thought I'd offer some simple solutions to future issues that may arise, and sorry if I've overstepped my boundary.
After driving tow truck for 11 years I would suggest cutting keyholes in the deck instead of welding immovable D rings down, you can weld supports underneath the keyholes for strength. BELIEVE me you will regret welding those on. Best of luck and keep up the great content!!!!
The d rings in the middle will abraid the winch line and cause snags when winching
A nut welded under the deck anda set of eyebolts that can screw into the nuts will give you the anchor points without the obstruction
Maybe but it's not a huge deal he can always cut of the welds and modify it.
completely agreed, now if he needs to slide anything on the deck it's going to catch on those.
A flatbed with self installed speed bumps.
I was thinking the same thing
Holy cow you actually bought something new. Atta boy
covid really got to his brain 😂
TH-cam subscibers bought it for him good channel
Boooooo👎
One thing I would add for the winch is a snatch block and short chain as used with tilt traytow trucks. These allow you to pull things onto the deck without being directly in line with it by redirecting the pull. A suitable sized and rated snatch lock would also allow you to double the potential pull, or halve the load on winch and battery system for the same pull reducing the current flow and voltage drops at the expense of doubling the winding time.
with this idea in mind put a small box under on the passenger side you raise it any way and keeps them safe out of sight. there are alot of things you can put in the box depending on what your hauling etc.
Roller fairlead is for metal cable - the hawse fairlead, like you have, is designed for your synthetic rope. I’d also put a cover over that winch of some sort to keep the sun’s UV rays from slowly breaking down the rope. Sweet trailer!
Beat me to it!
The rolls prevent the metal cable from wearing out prematurely from friction against paint/metal/etc.
Since the synthetic rope has much less friction and is a softer material (think Rockwell scale not CareBear Scale) than metal rope and thus the issue of cable wearing on metal/paint/etc. reduces to the point a well smoothed over slot in a hunk of metal with enamel paint on it is more than enough for the lifespan of the rope.
Cover on the rope is mandatory unless you like annual rope replacements, OR you keep it in the garage/under 100% UV cover for 99.99% of the time.
@@TheOriginalFreak Put the solar panel on this new winch cover.
Mustie, that sleeve on the synthetic line is for abrasion protection. Just slide it to where the line will rub 👍
While I do thoroughly enjoy the saving of old “junk”, it’s nice to see you splurge on some new once in awhile! This is not only fun but also functional! Can’t wait to see it in action!
Get the pockets to sink the d-rings in the deck of the trailer , lot less chance for something to catch on . Be sure to place them next to a solid frame member . Put one right in front of the winch to use as an anchor for the hook and also get a couple of snatch blocks with hooks that have the screw bolt to split the snatch block to install or remove the cable/rope . I built my trailer 20 years ago and have hauled just about everything you can imagine and my trailer has been in more states than I can think of . A pressure relief valve would be and a very solid mount and pin to prevent the tilt from being activated when it should not be tilted . Really nice trailer . Can't have too many d-rings , even the small one's for smaller ratchet strap's . Great video .
An option for the lid tether: possibly have gone with a rubber bumper design on the front rail for the lid to hit, but still allowing room for the wire.
Still good 👍🏻
Agreed, I thought about this same solution while watching as well.
I agree!
The problem is the front rail raises with the deck, which would let the lid fall back.
I would have thought some rubber bumpers on the rail above the lid would have kept the spacing for the wire. One at each end of the lid and one close to the middle near where the wire is. Heck, you could even put a notch in the center one to keep the wire in place.
Thanks for the great video, as always!
I was thinking the same thing capt.
Yelp. That what I was thinking also.
cant, bar behind cover goes up and down with tilt
@@mustie1 Yeah, my idea about the notch in the center one is no good for that, but the bumpers are only needed when the bed is down, so if they go up with the bar then that's okay, since the lid wouldn't be hitting the bar. Dunno, just a thought.
I wonder if there would be a way to put a gas shock on the lid.
I would've centered all the d-rings down the middle however used recessed d rings instead of the surface mounted as they stay outta the way but are still available for use when needed... Also make sure you grease those d-rings at the weldments so you don't get rust streaks from the weldments (try some nice penetrating spray grease for the d-ring weldments
Just gonna say that, good idea
Flush would be better for obvious reasons
Or you could just say, Nice Trailer!
Awesome idea dude!
Lights, lights, lights. :) Area lights to light the ground around the trailer to avoid trips and forgotten tools, tie downs, etc. Loading lights to light the start of the ramp to get the everything lined up. Bed lights to light the D shackles and to light the underside of the car you are strapping down. Also maybe add some sort of external socket on the battery box to make it easy to power additional items, like a corded light it would also make a handy spot to plug in an external charger in case the solar panel doesn't keep up, thinking middle of winter, snow on the panel. If it's raining you won't want to keep the battery box lid open so an weatherproof external socket might be handy. Also for your specific use case lights for filming would be an additional consideration. And definitely check LED lights for colour and flicker on camera.
Yes lights for sure. A lot of other good suggestions that sound solid. Snatch block rewire and shorting cable run remove center permanent tie downs
You could have put a braided copper ground strap connecting each frame on either side of the pivot point. It is flexible enough to withstand a lot of flexing. That way you could ground the winch through the frame and save 23ft of black wire. I have my Jeep mounted winch grounded through the frame without problems for the last 15 or so years and it gets used a lot.
My brain was hurting when he suggested running ground all the way😂
That would be fine, they have been used for years between engine and chassis and have no problem with the current draw from the starter.
I have some that are easily 1” wide but they are stainless steel ground straps.
Copper work hardens. With that much movement and frequent movement it will get brittle and break.
@@dontblameme6328 MAYBE with thousands of bends... also, the radius is so that the hardening is NOT a factor.
Can we spare a moment to admire the complete _end-to-end flatness_ of this trailer?
He solved that! Lol
nice trailer and setup!
what you always should do with a new wench cable: unwind full length, hook it onto something solid and stretch it, then roll it up again under some load as you would also do with a fishing line so that it doesn´t get stuck in previous windings.
pull the forklift up a hill
You might try installing an Anderson connector on the side of the battery box, connecting to the breaker/battery. Then make your 12 volt winch wiring just long enough to plug in when the bed is raised to what you feel is a good height, installing another matching connector on the end, and cabling the two winch leads together for a neat appearance. Then, you can store those leads out of harm's way when not using the winch. I've seen this arrangement on antique car or race car trailers before, and it seems to work out well.
Excellent suggestion. Less wiring exposed to potential damage from the road surface.
this would be the best option
Good comment!
I have these, always called them fork-lift connectors because thats where I got the idea.
These work awesome!
(And now I know the proper name)
They work well for jumper cables too, Anderson connector on one end jumper clamps on the other end.
I envy you. I'm 75 now and winding down on buying stuff. I still have a 3-car garage full of tools & equipment. My Son & GrandSon will Love it..
You must have been an awfully good boy to get a birthday present like this. Thats a nice trailer Mustie and your improvements are a really nice touch and will come in very handy.
*Diagonally brace the box section of the frame right behind the hydraulic pump toolbox. When four wheels off the ground and you're driving anything real big up that thing it's going to twist... or in eight years when you refurb it lol. Hate to grind on a brand new trailer.*
More like TH-cam has been a good boy to him, not hating just saying.
@@Joker_68 I was being nice, but he's only posting 1 maybe 2 videos a week how good could that really be?
@@MrTonyPiscatelle fair point but you have to consider the amount of views, thumbs up or down and comments per video let alone what he's saved up cause we all know he's not a big spender. Like I've said before I'm not hating on him just reminding how good TH-cam and what he often calls himself a "cheapskate" allows him.
Aaaargh! It would be easy to secure a solid ground (flexible wire) between the two sides of the pivot and save running the long run to the negative. I spent half an hour trying to figure out why my neighbor's trailer lights were intermittent before realizing that it was a tipping trailer and the ground at the pivot was very poor.
Just what I was going to write!
Yeah, I was thinking of a ground jump too. No biggie when he's gotta run + anyways though. Still drilling just as many holes.
That is my suggestion too. A non insulated, flat, braided steel ground cable of AWG # 2 or # 4 about 18" long would take care of the ampacity requirement for the negative leg of the circuit.
First thing I always check wit trailer wiring is the ground. I made sure my trailer won’t have that problem when I rewired it.
I really love the wireless control on my winch. It’s great when you are working by yourself. You don’t have to run back and forth between the vehicle you’re loading and the winch control, trying to steer and load at the same time. I also put a small solar charger on my trailer to keep the winch battery topped off. Works great!
Instead of D-rings in the center, use chains from side to side and clip your tie downs wherever you need them. The chains could be run through sections of steel pipe to take up some of the slack. The pipe/chain sections could be stored by clipping them on the side D-rings. Another good addition would be an electric tongue jack. You always make interesting videos! Thanks!
You could also have added ground straps between the deck and the frame, near the pivot. That would've been just over a foot of cable, roughly, and that would've done both sides. You only need to bridge the connection basically.
For the lid, I would've used a gas strut. Since the lid is almost vertical when open, it would fall shut pretty easily if you wanted to leave it open. Not that there's really a reason to be in that box for long, but still, it may be nice not to have the lid lie down on your remote wire when winching.
Other than that, while you're at it, I'd highly recommend adding working lights. I know you tend to do your pickups in the light, since you also video them, but sometimes it's just dark, and man are those lights nice in those situations.
Agree, Ground straps joining the deck to the frame on both sides would save long ground leads.
Yes, work lights are well appreciated when you really need them.
I bought my first motorcycle last week and got it running in two days for the price of a new chain and fresh oil. Tank and carb were varnished and I didn’t have a carb kit, and didn’t want to wait for parts. Definitely inspired by your frugality!!
Couple of thoughts: On either side where you are considering the tie down rings - there is a beefy, vertical strap from pocket to pocket all the way along both sides. THAT is where the hooks from your tie down straps are supposed to go to - not the side pockets. Infinitely variable. Tie down rings down the middle will be handy once or maybe twice a year but will be a Royal PIA the rest of the year by always being in the way as well as a constant tripping challenge.
The cute battery / hydraulic box has one area of big consideration - moisture. The grounding strap material ('Chinese Handcuffs") will allow rain water to be pushed under the lid and into the box while driving in storms. There are 2 primary sources for water getting into that box - rain pushed by air going down the road (through even the smallest crack or opening) and condensation. Bottom line is that there is No Way to keep that box dry. Consider 1/4" drain (weep) holes in all 4 corners to let any water drain while keeping bees and wasps out. The black color will help warm and assist with helping to evaporate a little moisture inside while parked in the sun.
A flip out sheet metal plate which stores inside the battery/hydra box will keep the solar collector safe and it can flip out while maintaining the battery in storage. The tow vehicle's charging system can maintain the battery before, during and just after use. One heck of a nice trailer! - Joe -
Behind the lid - just some plain old bumper stomps. Why not nuts and bolts vs the self tappers for the solar panel? And lastly - I hope you don't regret those tie downs in the middle. I was yelling not to put them in! I hated mine and ended up removing them and putting in a few recessed tie downs (lots more work with a lot of welding to get them flat. Best of luck with it!
I'm with you on that. I was yelling at him to cut 2 half moon holes, with a space between and weld a rod under the space. Then you can loop a rope or fit a hook.
You can then still slide a log or wheel-less vehicle up the middle.
We might both be watching Darren re-do those in a future 'project'. 🥽🔥
Darren can I say a big warm thank you for your punctuality in bringing me a midday video every Sunday here in London.
No nicer way to enjoy a Sunday lunch, cheers mate👍
couldn't agree more with this comment!, up here in scotland!
😳 5:00 am here.
I second that from northern ireland!
And a welcome addition with my morning coffee here in North Carolina at 7am. Cheers!
A Lancashire lad also agrees with this
Probably the only channel where you see something new get fixed. Well, not fixed, let's say improved. I hope the new toy serves you well, it's surely a blessing for your back :))
i'd use a couple of those gas struts to hold the lid. keeps it open, and stops it from opening too far all in one unit. they make them for toolboxes like that, and honestly, i'm surprised it didn't already have them. what a thing to cheap out over considering the cost of that trailer. you should use the recessed d rings in the center to avoid the issues you brought up. just cut holes in the deck and weld the pocket from the underside so nothing is above the deck when they are folded down. you could also run auxiliary tail lights on spring loaded stalks mounted on the outside of the stake pockets to raise them up to make them easier to see with a large load. i made some for my boat trailer using some old trampoline springs i modified to fit some emt conduit. they make it easier to load the boat when the trailer is underwater as well.
Valid point about the trailer lights. You want MAXIMUM VISIBILITY. We have a machinery trailer at work and I noticed just how much a dark coloured trailer can disappear in the dark night or early morning, so I slapped plenty of that yellow reflective tape along the sides and the drop down ramp. There is no way that anyone can claim that they "didn't see the trailer" now.
@@markfryer9880 that's why when i repainted my beaver tail trailer, i painted it safety orange, rather than the black that it originally was. i backed into it at home just one too many times in the dark.
Hi Mustie, i would suggest that you keep all the 80ft of rope and get a small pulley with a soft shackle and that will give you a lot of extra pulling force (x2) if needed. You will need a good point in the trailer where to attach the hook.
The question is will the extra force break the rope?
Recessed D-hooks thru the center would be a better option perhaps.
Hey Mustie, length of cable could be for recovery work using snatch blocks, just a thought. Great show mate. Keep ‘em coming.
I backed my trailer into a soft yard once. I used a snatch block at the back of the trailer then run the cable to a solid place or vehicle in front of my stuck vehicle. When I retracted the cable it basically pushed the truck/trailer out. I also used the same technique to pull a junk car off the trailer. Length gives you options.
That's the same thought I had! You need the length for a snatch block or blocks.
To use the wide rachet straps with the flat steel hooks, lay the hook flat in your press and press the hook slightly closed until they will clear the inside of the stake pockets. Also, put the hook down through the pocket and have the hook grab the outside of the stake pocket. If your strap loosens in transit, it will not come unhooked as it would if the hook was only hooked to the bottom of the stake pocket.
Remember if you’re attempting to slide something up on the trailer, like your lathe or a heavy milling machine, the tie downs in the middle might be an obstruction. I think I recall you loading up something by sliding it onto the old trailer.
That should be kevlar in the line. Nylon has a stretch factor that makes it dangerous in a snap back situation. Rollers are for steel wire the fairlead is for the synthetic. Keep it smooth so it doesn't chafe the line. I make the point so that down the road you don't mistakenly replace that line with a nylon one. Once you have seen a line part of any size over 1/2 an inch it is something you take very seriously.
Usually winch line is made of UHMWPE
Be sure to cover the winch to keep the sun off the rope. The rope is less dangerous than cable, but the hardware is still dangerous. I would throw a blanket or jacket over it while winching. You are supposed to run the rope all the way (leave 6 turns on drum) then roll it up under load before you use it.
nice trailer! In my experience, you can NEVER have too long a winch cable.. but back up to a muddy field and you'll enjoy the added flexibility of the longest cable possible, especially with a latch block.
My friend has the same trailer. I suggested using the self retracting cord from a scrap vaccum and it works great after removing the lock pawl from it.
Use magnets on the solar panel so you can store it when the trailer is in use and no holes in the box. For a circuit breaker check out marine (Blue Sea) components for high amperage. I would have used a piston for the lid, you can get then for short money.
Maybe the lid is aluminum..
A piston or gas shock would also prevent the lid from slamming shut with the wind or trailer being at a bad angle
When you first started talking about adding those D rings down the middle, the first thing I thought of was the old video where you had to slide that old Bridgeport off the trailer. For a multi use trailer adding those d rings in the center might not be a good idea, it will definitely impede your ability to slide things like a giant paper weight.
Very nice trailer, congratulations sweet buy!
That will spare you back some grief!
That synthetic rope is amazing, the breaking strength is stronger than stainless. It's being used for yacht rigging now and it has a lot of advantages. The big disadvantage is abrasion. If it starts catching on those D rings it will abrade and begin losing integrity fast. Another thing you might want to think about it a cover for the winch. UV degradation on any exposed part of that cable will shorten it's life significantly. On yachts they use an abrasion sleeve that is UV stabilized
and abrasion resistant.
That is where that rope got its start was in the shipping/boating industry
Dynema or Dinema???
Awesome info, Bob! Thank You. UV can harm many things, like plastics.
@@johankotze42 Dyneema
The synthetic ropes use a “hawse”, rather than a fair lead with rollers. The synthetic rope can work its way through the gaps between the rollers and get snagged up. It’s not possible to do that with a hawse as it’s a continuous hole machined from a solid billet.
Thanks for that part about the "sythentic rope can work its way throught the gaps" that makes sense. Knowing WHY not to use a roller fair lead is the best way to prevent us from making a mistake that would seem obvious when we saw it!
I saw a guy using one of these the other day at a Copart yard. I must say I had some pretty serious trailer envy going on. Very Nice. Congrats. JC.
I love the tip about the metal hole angle down.. Making the pull on the screw tighter.. That's tight!
My dad was supposedly a genius mechanic. He bailed on the family when I was three. He never even taught me how to use a wrench or screwdriver.
I have learned so much from you Mustie! You have brought out my inner “ genius “ and I end up being pretty good with small engines, mini bikes, go karts and my 70’s Toro Workmaster 3 wheeler.
Mustie gets me to slow down and finish all parts of the job.
What a blessing on Sunday mornings.
I’m sorry to hear about how your Dad bailed on your family. Have to learn from the situation (no matter how painful) and be the man/father that he couldn’t be. Forgive and move on. On the other hand I’m happy to hear that you are learning from this channel (mustie is awesome)…….stay positive my friend 👍 and God Bless
@@alcopower5710 Thank you for the kind words. I never had any kids and am 55. I spent my life as a successful Industrial Outside Salesperson. I faked my way through the mechanical knowledge part of it pretty well, never having seen any man work on anything.
I just started to figure it all out after watching Mustie. The guy is my dad, but with a personality, sense of humor and a heightened ability to teach and explain….man stuff.
God Bless all you guys out there. 👍
Instead of going all the way to where the pivot of the deck is with your cables, you can have them have their own pivot point to the side with a spring pulling the cables out of the way. You’d only need less than half the amount of cable. Lift the deck up all the way and see how much cable you’d need to make the connection, then put the spring halfway and secure the end to the side of the deck. You’ll soon see how much give the spring has to take up and proceed accordingly. I hope I’m making sense to you, as I can see it so clearly but I may not be painting the picture properly. Love your channel, keep it up.
It's the same as what they do on the slide out for a travel trailer
Or cables/hoses on tractor trailers.
tough the same
Use the plastic guide chain way like you see on man lifts and other equipment. They use it to support and protect hydraulic hoses and control cabling. I don't know the actual name of the product but I used it when I rebuilt a rollback wrecker to contains hoses and cabling about 20 years ago
What a wonderful tool for bringing more projects into the shop.
The cable will probably stretch a certain amount after you use it, which might keep it from digging into itself as much. Nice trailer!!
Love the content, thanks a ton. Your solar panel. Since it will only be used when the trailer is sitting, a couple neo magnets on the corners would allow you to store it on the inside of the lid when not in use. Keep it outta the weather and road grime when driving. Neodymium are strong enough to hold it if you need to use it while driving.
great idea, but isn't the box aluminum?
@@andrewbratos6907 No, it's steel. Steve B had the same thought as I. The PV array he had wasn't waterproof. It's going to get soggy and quite possibly short out the PV.
To me it would have been better with magnets, and store the thing out of the way in the hydraulic box when he's working with the trailer.
The other thought I had was despite the tubing trick, it would have been better to cut off most of the protruding screw tips, *then* use the tubing for the remaining stubs. Or some plasti-dip.
Number one the greater the diameter of rope on the spool the greater your Leverage number 2 for the Box piano hinges both sides pretty inexpensive and they lock up number three rubber baby buggy bumpers between trailer and box lid van wire cannot pinch number four don't cut rope you can use a pulley when doubling the Rope to frame to increase pulling power it is called a snatch block love your videos just a different perspective from a loyal fan
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@@charlesgstockmeister8128 Doubling the diameter of the drive pulley makes it go twice as fast, but the pull is halved. You increase leverage by *reducing* the diameter. Which lifts more? A crowbar pivoting near your hand, or pivoting near the load? It's the latter because it has more leverage - more mechanical advantage.
A pulley/snatch block would double the pulling power, but halve the speed.
I have a home built 17.5 ft tillt deck with a 8k axle best trailer ever the tilt deck makes everything so easy I can haul any thing from a small zero turn to a full sized tractor happy to see you bought a nice trailer 😁
For future referrence for anyone wiring in a winch or hydraulics on a breaking trailer like this one... Lift front of trailer to maximum lift,measure cable or hydraulic lines straight from whichever to the tongue directly below.. Say its 5' then install the 5' wiring or hydraulic lines and go back to the crossmember that is just further than half the distance( say 3 to 5') of the wiring or lines and add a tension spring by drilling a 5/32" hole through lowest point on that crossmember and adding a spring,which can be bought for gladhand lines on any big truck trailer and attaching to the lines or wiring using the ring that comes with it... Saves you many feet of cable,wiring,or hydraulic lines as well as the added resistance and heat of electrical...it will fold the same way every time and have tension to keep the supply lines taught and off the ground, frame or dragging. ...
"Do it once, do it right". No truer words spoken for any job... or any lifetime.
The overhead cabinets from a motorhome have short pistons similar to hood or trunk lifts would be perfect to hold the lid and could be mounted on the inside of the box to keep the lid from opening all the way against the outside frame. Just a thought..
Flames! It needs flames painted on the sides!
Mustie1, No fair! You get all the cool toys! The tilt on that thing is its best part! Thanks
You might want a canvas cover to protect the winch rope from the weather! Also add two ammo boxes for straps and chain tie downs!
Happy birthday Mustie, only you can make watching a trailer being accessorized fun.
Smart move on the solar panel trickle charger. I run that one trailer for my winch. I love it! But instead of bolltng it down. I ended up jb welding heavy duty magnets to it so I could take it off for transport
Yes, great idea
Maybe the lid is aluminum..
Yeah - I can't imagine the cloth eyelets will hold up under highway speeds for very long.
That's what I came to say. Seems a shame to breach that new box just for that light little thing
for the winch and trailer battery, you can make a pigtail with heavy wire and anderson plugs to use the vehicle's electrical system in tandem with the trailer while connected. anderson plugs are what you want for the connectors for disconnect. great video as always, and have a great day.
That is one beautiful trailer and you are going to make it better fantastic even better its a mustie trailer thank you for sharing and your time can't wait for next one.
For a safety to keep the bed up, you could put a couple pieces of U-channel on the hydraulic cylinders with a lock pin thru 2 hole to hold them in place. That is how aircraft landing gear is made safe for maintenance.
Dang that's a good idea. I have some older equipment here on the farm, made in the days when safety was an afterthought, and this will be a lot nicer than propping it up with a 4x4 to work underneath. Thanks!
Mustie1, if you keep the solar panel connected to the battery 24/7 you risk overcharging and/or damaging the battery. Best solution is to get a solar panel charge controller. They are cheap and easy to install in the box. Also, you may want to run your cable through the box lid underneath the solar panel. The cable will be out of harms way. Don't forget to use a rubber grommet for the cable hole!
It's only got 10 watt no need a charge controller.
@@johnmcdonald8240 Whether or not that is true, depends upon the solar panel's open-circuit output voltage, and some other specs/curves of the battery and the solar panel.
It's fine to crank 10 watts into a car battery, until the battery reaches a voltage where it's not OK. The solar panel may or may not already have a charge controller, a cutoff voltage, or a max (open-circuit) output voltage that is OK to keep your battery floating at. You need one of those 3 things to be true, or you need to manually keep tabs on the battery voltage and disconnect (or cover up) the panel when the battery reaches a good float voltage for the amount of time it's going to spend floating. If we're talking months, 13.2 volts is great. If a week or two, 13.5v is fine. If you're going to be using the battery soon, 13.8v is good. It's not the same as when you're driving your car for a few hours and the battery has some loads on it also. Pumping 10 watts in for several hours a day without watching the voltage or using the battery, likely exceeds the correct trickle charge rate to maintain the correct float voltage on a battery that size. For some particular size of (presumably quite a bit larger) battery you might luck into it being the right trickle current.
Many "12 volt battery" solar panels have output voltages of 18-22 volts by the time their output current tapers off almost to zero. So if not regulated, you're gambling that the battery can continually absorb the solar output power without its own voltage rising above a safe trickle/float voltage.
It's confusing because you can hook a "2 amp" trickle charger up indefinitely. But that doesn't actually force 24 watts in without regard to voltage, it tapers off to much lower power by the time it reaches a standard float voltage. It's much less of a constant-power or constant-current charger than an unregulated solar panel is.
For the center D-rings I would have used the bolt in ones that drop down into a pocket. A little more work, but you wouldn't have to worry about snagging them.
What an awesome toy! It's like a Transformer. Enjoy yourself.
That braid for the hinge strap will eventually turn green and start to decay if you don't coat it in some kind of sealer. Back when I was working we used a lot of that stuff for electrical grounds that had to flex. What we used on the ends were terminal lugs so we could run screws through them for anchor points. Crimped the ends and rarely ever had to bother with them again. In your application I would say to use lock nuts set just slightly loose so the lugs can pivot but the lock nuts won't back off. Just an idea.
Also, a tool box cover for the winch would be a great idea, like the one you put in the bed of the single cab. That was brilliant!!
And with its own battery and eliminate all that battery cables.
Respect to your speed reading abilities.
That looks like one sweet toy!
Some random thoughts:
The "BSF Recovery Team" channel has been using rope like this on the main and front winches on their tow truck for a couple of years now, and I don't think they have had any major problems with it. They do winchouts and recoveries for trail rides on muddy trails, so that is not the best conditions for moving cables. You might want to look at their channel, or even send Eric an email and ask him about his experience with the stuff, and if he does anything special to prevent the cable digging in on the drum.
I use a solar panel like that to keep the battery on a little-used vehicle charged, and it works just fine. I just drop it out on the roof when the vehicle isn't in use and dump it on the dashboard when it is. With your fixed installation I'd suggest drilling a hole for the wire under the panel rather than running it around the edge of the lid, and just grommet and silicone the hole to keep water out of the box. I'm pretty sure those battery clips are just connected with bullet connectors, so you should be able to feed the wire thru a small hole.
That braided shielding you used as a stop on the lid is made of copper wires, and not really designed to move around all that much. After a while the wires are going to rub on each other and start stretching and chafing and breaking. But it will probably work for a year or so.
Musti's Transformers Trailer. Excellent birthday present. Great job on the welds. One thought with sliding machinery or other flat bottomed items.....what if you got a sheet of textured T1-11 and notched where the welded tie downs are thus giving you the option of a level surface provided the thickness of the sheet is higher than tie downs. Just a thought. A 4x8 sheet is all you need. Just install it when you know you're picking up something. Heck it can even be a piece of OSB.
Hey Mate from Australia.
Make sure you do a Winch- in before you start using your winch cable, because it will cut into itself. I did that when I first switched over from steel cable to synthetic and destroyed it pretty much straight away.
I’m sure there’s plenty of videos on how to do a winch in I won’t waste your time trying to explain how to do it.
Love the videos please get them coming. 😉
Great video. I would replace the cable ties holding the hydraulic hoses as well. I think that cable ties are a very Mickey Mouse way of holding hoses. Congrats on the new trailer. It's a beauty.
I just got an H&H aluminum version of this and I love that thing. You're going to like this equipment!
Seeing the cable line will be elevated when your pulling something onto the trailer. Use a snatch block roller that you can hook into one of the center D ring tie downs which will keep the cable laying parallel to the trailer.
That and it'll double his pulling power when he's fishing another VW out of a swamp.
PS: Polypropylene has the most stretch, nylon would be next then Dacron then the Kevlar. On the large ships our working lines were all Dacron/poly blends (mainly to save money) which later in the eighties were supplanted by the Kevlar (trade name there are other similar types) lines as they are so much stronger per unit if weight. The Kevlar chafes much easier though so most have a Dacron jacket over the core to protect it. Kevlar is much more expensive as well. Wire is harder to maintain and kinks more easily it also doesn't have much stretch. Problem with wire is that it can rust inside the lay and look good on the outside (even galvanized) while it has no strength. Wire is much cheaper for equivalent strength than the 'super synthetics' and of course it is best for chafing if you tend to abuse your pulling gear. Lines can wear by getting dirt between the lay and chafing while wire is pretty impervious to working in the dirt. Keep your line clean. Best to have a canvas cover for all winches to keep road dirt and the elements off.
Similar findings on cables for telescoping towers etc. Internal rust can be BAD. Good
tip on a grime cover. (Former tilt bed operator.) Cheers
Good info, plus even with nylon or polypropylene, dirt between the fibres can cause wear as well. Not to mention deterioration from exposure to the elements. I equate his cable to boat lines. They are put under similar stress (not big honking ships, I'm not that rich lol). My boat was 9000 lbs and when the wind is howling the stress put on the dock lines is incredible. I replaced all my white lines with black (just matched the boat better) and even after just 1 season, the 3/4" white lines that came with the boat were really stiff. The 5/8" I bought (I seem to recall) were rated at 27,000 lbs gradual, and 15,000 snap. (lingo is wrong I know but you get my drift). They could handle much more weight when the load was applied gradually as opposed to instantaneous.
ON a side note: I did a favour for the hardware buyer at the company I worked for so as payment, he ordered me in a 250' roll of 5/8" black. Instead of just tying a loop in the end I bought the fid and got the booklet on how to weave in the eye. So one saturday, got out the deck chair, put on some tunes and cracked a beer and started weaving.
BIG mistake. Soon as the other boaters saw I could do it "hey, could you do mine"? "could you do mine"? lol. I found out a) you can't do it on used lines and b) it's a good way to make some extra money. I charged $20 a line and I made my beer money doing it that summer lol. Buying dock lines by the foot or roll was about 1/4 the price of buying one at the marine store.
Dyneema rope is what is currently being used dynamica rope is the strongest yet lite weight and floats in water
Wonderful! I've been trying to convince myself I need one just like yours. I can live vicariously through you for a little longer ;)
I'm glad for you - you deserve this. Cheers!
Glad you and Mrs M1 made it through the big C , I know a few that didn't, congrats from across the pond.
Personally, I think if trailers used a dedicated ground wire at every light fixture instead of a chassis connection the lighting would be much more reliable.
years back I was involved in offroading in the UK. Synthetic ropes were just becoming a thing here, steel wires store the energy and whip back when they break, synthetic lines just drop to the ground, definitely a lot safer to use. Only thing to remember is if they get muddy then just give it a wash out in a bucket of water.
I guess it would depend on the material. That one looked like it stretched quite a bit and stretch is stored energy. If it stretched to a smaller diameter and stayed there, then the energy isn't storied but it appeared to return to the original diameter.
Comparing this to boat lines, I was putting eyes into the ends and part of the process is putting it under stress to shrink the outer cover over the core. This locks the weave into place. I had a buddy pull on one end while I pulled the other and he let go one time and it didn't just drop, it flung back at least half the distance. .....
@@muskokamike127 Since it is significantly lighter the energy stored is much less. Plus, they have an initial break-in stretch. Like you have to stretch them once before you install them or they will stretch later.
@@muskokamike127 Stretch doesn't equate to stored energy alone. You can stretch a weak spring very far, but it hardly stored any energy. You can hardly stretch a powerful spring, but it stores a lot of energy. Also, if something's gonna come flying at me at high speed, I'd rather have it be a lightweight, not sharp wire than a heavy sharp metal cable.
A metal cable not stretching is actually why it's so dangerous. You can't see that you're putting so much tension on it, because it doesn't seem to be doing anything. Plus, the tension could rise very quickly if you have a constant RPM winch, unlike with a stretching rope, where tension always builds slowly.
Wow. You started offroading in the 1930's? (That's when they started pushing the new-fangled synthetic ropes).
Personally, I'm a fan of 'natural fiber' rope, and just replacing it regularly. Little to no stretch like plastic rope, no real snapback like steel, and a biodegradable renewable resource.
I love the new trailer. I have very big concerns about the D-rings holding a vehicle. The welded ones are made to hold major loads, but I think they are only good for static loads. Lumber and Motorcycles sit solid and still on while you go down the road usually. When you are hauling a car or truck, they rock and bounce back and forth. I know the rails along the side are rated for vehicles for sure. You might want to call up the guys at the place you bought the trailer and see if the d-rings are rated for vehicle anchoring. I would like you to be protected against liability. If a vehicle jumps off the trailer and hurts you or someone else that would be horrible. Keep up the great content. I wish you good luck and good health.
OMG such an awesome job. I would expect nothing less. Retention the rope. Attach to a tree and tow your trailer and truck backward to retention and tighten the rope. If it gets off-center. release the tension and manually back off the wench. Then reposition the cable by pulling the truck forward a little and rewinding the spool. You can put sides on it and deliver bark mulch to yourself. From an NH resident to yourself. Love your videos. I always look forward to you and your help to people like us. Just a learning experience that no college degree will ever surpass. Thank you, kind sir. Daren is so much appreciated. Bless you and your family. Maybe we could meet one day. I thought you were in Litchfield at first. But I realized you were in the lakes region after 2 years of watching your videos.
That's a fantastic trailer! With the tie downs you welded on, there should be plenty of tie down options. I'm retired but work part time for a lawn and garden shop delivering and picking up mowers and equipment like rental skid loaders and excavators. That row up the middle is a great idea.
Hey Mustie, you may want to think about a charge controller for your solar panel so you don't over charge and cook out your battery. i know it's not a large solar panel but left out in the sun for a long period of time could overcharge your battery. love that trailer. great gift for yourself. jim in central florida
that and back feed into the solar panel which will drain the battery.
@@fenreon It's got a diode,
Yep, agreed, I think most of these solar floaters have the basic charge controller included now.
awesome! a handful of years ago most did not. that is very good to know.
that's really cool. had a friend several years ago get a solar panel for his car that would sit awhile without being started. after 2 days it drained the battery because it didn't have a diode.
You need to get a couple snatch blocks,you never know when you will need them.The towing company i used to work for had one in every truck,they come in handy for sliding sheds and cars that are just in the wrong spot.Happy Birthday.
Nice setup!
You should be fine with that 250 breaker. The vast majority of my dump trailers and trucks consume about 130amps when lifting and will max out around 200amps if you bottom/top it out and egregiously hold it there. 250 will give you protection against a short, but you'll likely never pop it even under severe "normal" use.
It may be too late now, but if you consider the fastening points on a roll-back (for chains), you have those slots that chain can catch in (See Ron Pratt's - Mid West Truck videos), that might be a far better solution for your needs. Have rings on chains, perhaps - and you can use whichever position you need at the time. That gives you far more flexibility for tying down. Also, look at the way he has pulleys on chains for directing the winch cable - he always has the pull perpendicular to the winch.
Good advice. I am able to get those chain slot plates at my local trailer supply.
I was thinking the same thing.
Also adding the D-rings to the Side of the trailer, rather than the bed.
@TakeDeadAim
Your setup sound great! It will be intersting to see if Mustie1 changes his set up after hearing all of this.
It is also nice to hear that others agree and better yet, love them.
There are always improvements that can be done...
Then again, the hardest lesson to learn as an Engineer is when "Good Enough" is good enough.
@TakeDeadAim That roller's a great idea for directing the cable.
The only problem with this is the fact that the paint will scrub off and eventual rust will take over here in the salted roads of the North East. I have seen those Pratt videos. Daren can still attach a pully with his d-rings with a shackle and pully. Yes, disconnect at some point. But longevity is the goal.
One thing I learned when I built my trailer: Everyone has an opinion on how you should have done it. Those same people get real quiet when they want to borrow it though...
He asked for our opinions.
@@justinfufun5483 I should have been more clear. I was referring to my own experience.
Nice.
I would definitely weld a piece if square tubing with a pivot point somewhere... so you'd have a fail-safe in case of an accidental hydraulic pressure loss. All surviving truck mechanic appreciate these things. 😉
nice trailer, good work on modifications, an electric tongue jack would complete this trailer 100%. stay safe have fun
For the battery box lid you can also do simple rubber stops between the lid and rail.
For the D-rings you may consider recessed D-rings down the center...just an opinion. Thanks for the upload!
rail is not behind it when tilted up
Rail behind isn't an issue when bed is up?
It would be nice if you could fit the winch controller in the front box, it's extra weather protection, and makes the short manual controller more useful instead of standing at the top of the slope of the deck. Also better protection if the rope snaps your stood behind the metal deck and much less likely to be hit by the cable. It's an awsome trailer though :D.
The winch would need to stay on the bed, due to the tilt feature. Otherwise the nylon cable would have to change line of pull.
@@April8989 correct but the winch controller doesn’t have to.
I would never drill any holes in that electrical box lid for a solar panel or anything else to let moisture in. Further more get yourself some weatherstripping for around the underside of the lid to help keep moisture out!
Save yourself a lot of headaches.
Very Nice trailer! 🙂
That drill tapping screw "tidbit" was well worth the price of admission.
Same winch as mine...but with a different label on it! Had it 8 years without a problem and that remote control works for the whole 100 feet of winch rope.
You need to get ahold of the manufacture of the trailer and ask them where you gas shock is for the box lid. It should have a gas shock, strut for the lid like a hood shock or rear hatch lift gat has thats why it has a lip for it to sit on and the holes for the bolt side of it. Keep up the video's.
Considering they used cable ties to secure the hydro lines, I wouldn't be surprised of it was left off on purpose. I dont get the feeling this was a really high quality trailer.
You might perhaps of tried just adding an earth loop across the pivot point so that you could use the chassis as the negative and saved 20 odd feet of copper cable. Nice project looking forward to seeing how it performs.
@Murray Martin - you beat me to it. Then again, is it worth drilling two holes in the chassis to join the two sections electrically, and then have to weather-proof the two ground connexions, all to save 20 foot of wire? I think *I* would, but given the cost of the rest of the project, it's not going to make a significant difference overall.
Moving up in the world...TH-cam money must be good...very nice trailer...
Forget welding the center row bolt them on you could remove them if needed. Those shackles are better with chain's and binders! Cool trailer Must Have 👌
Only thing I would've done differently is mounting the solar panel in the middle so that you can use the top as a table from either side when the trailer is full. I assume that panel has a built-in charge controller? If not it's cheap insurance to protect that battery. 😎
It's basically just a solar panel and a diode to prevent draining the battery in the dark. That model can only make an amp or two at the very most, so it is basically a trickle charger, and there shouldn't be any overcharge problems with a car-size battery. I've used one just like it (but one size smaller) to maintain the battery on a van for a couple of years now with no problems.
I'm going to miss the excitement of watching you bring a Bug home with a wheel precariously close to falling off the trailer and worrying the cabin of the bug was so rusted it would slide of it's frame because of the awkward positioning on the trailer. Looks sweet.
Nice job! Get some Harbor Freight 50Cal Ammo Cans and attach them to the neck near the box up front to store items like cables, gloves etc. Then paint them black. I think the cans are sealed too, so water won’t get in them.
Great Trailers. I bought a Sure-Trac 7 x 14 SA Tube Top ATV Hauler about 3 years ago. I absolutely love it. It is a side and rear loader. The Ramps are built into the sides. A bit heavy but Well Built Units.
Great trailer, well earned too! However, I would have done the solar panel a bit different. I would have made it portable/removable as intended. They do have large snap connectors that you can utilize the now existing holes. The reasons for this are unforeseen situations, being removable you don't risk weathered damage and mold to the cloth case. Also if you do need to step up in that area for any reason it can easily be removed without tools. If you know you will be needing the trailer, you can place it on charge ahead of time, and store it in the compartment. also I would have slipped some fuel hose over the wire to protect it in the pinch zone. Just thought I'd offer some simple solutions to future issues that may arise, and sorry if I've overstepped my boundary.