7'*18' V-Nose Cargo Trailer Toy Hauler Conversion

[flboy]

The few years I spent in Florida I never dared venture into the woods. From the road you could see these gigantic spiders with like 8' webs spun between the trees. I can't even imagine walking or even worse riding a motorcycle into one of these things. (Insert Horrified emoji here) Have you encountered this nightmare in your travels?

LOL... Oh yeah... We use to take turns riding lead in the trails first thing in the morning. First rider in clears the spider webs! I have never gotten seriously bit by one yet. :-) They are big spiders and I think are venomous (we call them Banana Spiders, but I don't think that is the real official name), but their mouths are too small to bite and deliver venom to a human (meant for smaller prey)... so no problem.. This only really happens in the summer... don't recall too many spider webs in the winter when it is cooler. No doubt about it in Florida... if you are going to enjoy the outdoors... better have a high tolerance for insects and reptiles.. I always wear long pants and sleeves when in the woods... better to be a little hot than have the exposed skin for various insect bites..

I grew up here since age 10... so I doesn't really bother me... just part of life.

[flboy]

If it wouldn't be to much trouble, could you also post links to the materials for your bed system.

Thanks, Darin

I'll do that Darin when I am finished and have a complete list. That should be sometime later this week.

Hey Darin,

Nice job on the ceiling bed! Exactly what I was hoping to do for my ctc 6x12.

Was skimming through the thread and wanted to double check if you ever got around to posting the materials used?

Thanks
Ben

I went back and looked.. I don't have a good list, but if you start at the link below.. I show the struts I got from Home Depot , The Trolleys, and the hardware as I built it up. The thread will be about three pages. Everything except the Trolleys which I got off E-Bay or Amazon, I got from Home Depot. When I get some time next month, I expect to hook of the pulleys, cables and electric winch for the lift. Right now the bed is static in one position and just high enough so I can load the bikes and still use the space below. I'll detail the lift system as I build it...

The gas struts didn't work because they don't lift evenly and the trolleys bind in the struts if they don't all stay level. There are ways to make that work if you let one end float... but I didn't want to do that.

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=65498&start=855


Here is the Amazon link for the trolleys that I used with the struts channel..

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KN ... UTF8&psc=1

[Padilen]

I didn't realize you'd used the trolleys with the struts. My idea for struts did/doesn't use upright track or trolleys. But I'd need to figure out away to avoid play, that would twist/bend the struts.

[flboy]

I didn't realize you'd used the trolleys with the struts. My idea for struts did/doesn't use upright track or trolleys. But I'd need to figure out away to avoid play, that would twist/bend the struts.

By struts... I am talking about the tracks which are called struts ... The trolley run in struts/tracks....

I also wanted to use the "Gas Struts" for lift.... that doesn't work with tracks due to the uneven lift and the binding it causes. I think you are right . Can't use "gas struts" with trolleys in tracks (also called struts).

[McDave]

Hey Don,
I ran across something VERY INTERESTING this AM. I know you are very busy now and already have a plan for your bed lift, However, This is a game changer for the home built bed lift. EVEN I can engineer this to do the work. It looks pretty damn good, and safe and should have plenty of capacity (300 lbs) and is simple and cheap. Says it holds in any position.

Here is the ad.
https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hard ... yer_hosted

And the PDF
https://hw.menardc.com/main/items/media ... ctions.pdf

It looks like 10- 15 mins. of reconnoitring and 1hr of install time and Viola!!! LIFT BED NIRVANA ACHEIVED!
Check it out, make it happen, Thank me later.

McDave

[flboy]

Harbor Frieght had 25% off coupons today and they had their 1800 lb. capacity (overkill) Motor Cycle chock on sale, so I ended up getting this for $44.25 + tax. Great deal, I thought. I needed to get a better mount for my Victory Kingpin and I was going to drill holes for a removable mount since it is longer than my Vulcan was. The nice thing about this mount is that it does not need to be drilled in (can if you want to). It has a wide stance (bar up front plus 2 eye holes for straps on the chock) and locks the front wheel in for side to side forces . Then, the tie downs at all four points will keep it in place for forward and reverse directions. I may also put a tire wedge under the rear just for safe measure. In any case, it is adjustable and removable , so whatever bike I have in there, I'll need no new holes. The removable mounts I already have drilled in will work great for the dirt bikes.

When the Kingpin comes out, this mount will just lift out and I can put it outside.

I'll have the trailer in the driveway next weekend as I prepare for my camping trip to Ocala NF the following weekend. I'll test it out with the Kingpin and post some pics before I remove it and put in the KTM... but I believe this mount is a winner for how heavy duty it is and the price.

[mrwall1]

Nice!! I haven't thought that far ahead yet!! Great to know they carry them...

[flboy]

I also picked up another anti-sway bar just like the one below. Used the 20% off coupon at Harbor Freight so this was less than $30 (I love Harbor Freight for this kind of stuff). The information says you can use these for a trailer up to 6,000 lbs and that is about where I run loaded. I know they typically put some margin in their claims for dummies like me, but since the hitch can accommodate one on each side, I like the idea of having the two for any really strong cross wind situations. The last time I pulled the trailer with the single sway bar, it was already rock steady with some decent cross wind and large trucks passing at highway speeds.. so I suppose this can't hurt and can only help. Also, I am thinking about moving the axles from over the leaf springs to under the leaf springs (flippping) to provide some extra ground clearance for "unimproved" road situations. The 4 or so inches gained in height will change side wind profile some, so this may help counter that?

Is that too much or is there any downside to having two sway bars installed, other than having to unhook two instead of one before backing up?

[McDave]

Hey Don, Good to hear from ya,
So, if I am looking at this correctly, the front wheel rides over the rear "clamp" and into the stationary front clamp, and the weight of the wheel makes the rear clamp close onto the tire tread surface? Therefore the heavier the weight on the wheel, the tighter the clamp holds the wheel. That's Genius! It's like a Judo move. "Use your enemies' own weight and momentum against him, Grasshopper. Only then will you know the way of the Shao lin.".... I just made that up, but still pretty cool design. Now, I can see an enterprising young man finding a way to attach some rollers and a dolly for the rear wheel, so as to move the bike at will when stored in garage for the winter. Probably not an issue in Florida, but still could be handy. Are ya gonna' have to cut a hole in the side of the trailer with an access door to move the chock in and out? It's been a while since you cut a hole that trailer. I mean, you could just use the ramp opening, but where's the fun in that? Plus, there's the whole distraction/procrastination from the lift bed deal. And, you had a coupon, so there's that...
We just recently got a Harbour Freight in Billings, still 200 miles away, but when we head up to Red Lodge in June I am gonna try to stop in and check it out. I'll have to make a list, otherwise I may be overwhelmed and forget what I need, end up with a stupid "multi-tool" combo potato peeler/nail clipper/tuning fork unit. ...Again. ...Why do they put these things together? Everybody knows tuning forks are used for corn....
just sayin.....

McDave

[hankaye]

flboy, Howdy;

Don, my only experience with weight distribution/sway control hitches was with my older Travel Trailer RV.
The seller included an Equal-i-zer hitch when bought it. Small learning curve (about 30º).
http://www.equalizerhitch.com/
Have been thinking about getting one for mt CT. After all, the annual real estate transfer is about to occur,
where we in N.M. watch Az. blow and Tx. suck while we in the middle watch the dust go from the West to
the East and leave about 1/2 the bulk on everything we have.
, , .

hank

[flboy]

McDave, the chock will fit out the door. No more holes. :-).

Hank, the equalizing hitch is just a variation of the load balancing hitch I have. They help sway in and of themselves by balancing the load.. The sway bars are an add on and resist sway by friction at the pivot point. I don't think you can over do that.. but my experience is limited also. Thanks.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[flboy]

Anyone have problems gettiNg cellphone signal in the CTC?

There is always the case of the fringe areas, but even when there is a strong signal outside, the aluminum shell of the CTC stops almost all signal.

I just ordered a SureCall 3G/4G LTE range extender which has an external omnidirectional antenna and a repeater that goes inside the CTC, basically creating another cell inside my CTC and providing about 40db gain. The antenna can go up on a mast for even better signal when there is tree cover.

I have an unlimited data plan and I am hoping to be able to use 4G inside the CTC with decent data rates in fringe areas like ONF. We'll see. May be able to use Netflix on my Smart TV?


I should have it installed before my trip coming up where I cannot get signal inside and only about 1 bar of 3G outside. If it doesn't do the trick, I'll return it.

Tommy, supposedly this thing will work with all North American carriers. We can test you phone also.

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[Tommy B]

Very interested in this for safety reasons. Thanks!
Still looking at those Google satellite maps on the east side of 19. Very interesting images of a spot behind SSR area. lots of trucks, tents and a few blue tarps set up in what seems like in the middle of no where.

I did hear a few times from someone that there was lots of single track out there but I could never find it heading out to the ferry. Will be fun exploring if we go that way.

Man I hope it will be in the low to mid 80s.

MAYBE check out those really big hill climbs too.

[flboy]

Have you seen the 1972 drama called Deliverance? If we are out there and we come upon some blue tarped place and I hear banjo's... I'll be riding like an A class racer getting out of there. ;-)

I wandered into a place way out in the middle of the forest years ago that was secluded ... Plant's growing on top of two old trailers and a couple rows off dogs in kennels and beer cans thrown all over the place with some vehicles on blocks. It appeared, at the time, to be some sort of dog fighting setup .... as soon as I realized what was going on, I never looked back... That's the kind of place where the redneck just shoots you and no one ever finds you.

[mrwall1]

We have a few places like that up here in Washington... called meth labs!!!! We ran across one I had my shotgun so felt a little secure... until they came out with some fully automatic rifles and sawed a tree practically in half!!! We told the ranger on our way out... they just had the look... we ain't goin up there!!!