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

[hankaye]

flboy, Howdy;

Don, with that emergency window, there are a lot of RVers that loose them going down the road.
Simple trick to keep them where ya left'em is to use a small zip tie to keep the actuating arm in the
secured position and you'll keep it from going sight-seeing on it's own.

hank

[flboy]

flboy, Howdy;

Don, with that emergency window, there are a lot of RVers that loose them going down the road.
Simple trick to keep them where ya left'em is to use a small zip tie to keep the actuating arm in the
secured position and you'll keep it from going sight-seeing on it's own.

hank

Thanks for the tip Hank! Don't want to loose the window.

[hankaye]

flboy, Howdy;

Don, not a problem, ... a lot of Rvers also have some sort of Safety Straps to secure their Awning arms.
Nuttin' worse then a self deploying Awning while going down the "Green Stamp".

hank

[McDave]

Hey Don,
I was at an Agri.Expo today and looked inside of a toy hauler with the lift bed. They were using chain driven nylon slides to move the bed. I didn't get to see the motor or worx, but the vertical rails in each corner had a chain running up to a sprocket and back down inside the rail and slides attached to chains that used nylon to sandwich the rail and ride inside the groove. No rollers at all. All chains moved simultaneously, so I would guess 1 motor moving 2 drive shafts with sprockets at each end, that drive the vertical chains and slides on walls at each corner. I tried to get pics. but they are not good.









Just food for thought...

McDave

[Padilen]

flboy, Howdy;

Don, not a problem, ... a lot of Rvers also have some sort of Safety Straps to secure their Awning arms.
Nuttin' worse then a self deploying Awning while going down the "Green Stamp".

hank

I use a strip of double sided Velcro.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[flboy]

Hey Don,
I was at an Agri.Expo today and looked inside of a toy hauler with the lift bed. They were using chain driven nylon slides to move the bed. I didn't get to see the motor or worx, but the vertical rails in each corner had a chain running up to a sprocket and back down inside the rail and slides attached to chains that used nylon to sandwich the rail and ride inside the groove. No rollers at all. All chains moved simultaneously, so I would guess 1 motor moving 2 drive shafts with sprockets at each end, that drive the vertical chains and slides on walls at each corner. I tried to get pics. but they are not good.


Just food for thought...

McDave

Thanks Dave. That appears to be alot like the Happijac bed lifts. They are expensive.. but very nice.

I am planning on getting a 12VDC electric winch ($59.00 deal from Harbor Freight) and mounting it underneath the trailer in the middle with cables going to a pulley on either side and then up 90deg through the floor. I'll need to reconfigure the cable pulley/capstan on the winch a bit to accommodate two cables instead of one. The cables coming up will connect the same way folks are doing the bed lifts with Garage door springs by pulling on another cable between pulleys in each corner mounted on the Unistrut.. except I'll have it connected to a cable going down through the floor to a winch instead of a big spring. I think that should lift and lower evenly on all four corners which is why I get binding trying to do manually with gas struts and uneven lift (not much play). I have a lot going on right now and will not likely get to build this until later in the spring. In the meantime, I am enjoying the trailer with the bed in a fixed position.

I think the main reason I want the lift all the way to the ceiling at some point is just for ease lounging in the back. The motorcycles fit in fine and I just have to duck down a bit when getting seated in the chairs we set up in the garage area. Not to mention the cool factor of an electric bed lift. :-)

[flboy]

flboy, Howdy;

Don, not a problem, ... a lot of Rvers also have some sort of Safety Straps to secure their Awning arms.
Nuttin' worse then a self deploying Awning while going down the "Green Stamp".

hank

I use a strip of double sided Velcro.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My awing has locks built in as shown below supposedly to prevent an inadvertent awning deployment going down the road. They seem to work well, but I think I will get some Velcro straps just for that "extra measure of safety".

[Tommy B]

Hey Don, that winch Idea has me thinking as It is kind of hard lifting my bed up and down every morning and evening.
Do you see a practical use for that winch here please.

I would detach the cable probably when its down and just winch up the cable to get it out of the way. This would be great maybe.

Thanks.

[McDave]

@ Tommy,
The gas struts may work for you much like a hatchback car. Assists in raising and lowering and holds it up or down. ?

@ Don,
It is similar to happijack but the others Iv'e seen use threaded rods to move the supports up/down, Also,
NEVER discount the cool factor. Plus, just the opportunity to conquer and solve the puzzle. Obviously, you can't let the puzzle win... It can be done, somebody has/will do it, He/She is probably no better equipped than you
just sayin'..

McDave

[flboy]

Hey Don, that winch Idea has me thinking as It is kind of hard lifting my bed up and down every morning and evening.
Do you see a practical use for that winch here please.

I would detach the cable probably when its down and just winch up the cable to get it out of the way. This would be great maybe.

Thanks.

Tommy, you could probably get a small winch in the cabinet in the center line over the bed and drop a cable down 90 degrees and connect to the outer side of the bed to pull up and lower. Like you said, you'd need to simply disconnect the cable in the lowered position to get it out of the way.

I didn't realize your bed was that hard to get up and down.

Harbour Freight has their smallest 2500 winches on sale now for $59.00. Most of the time they are on sale for $69.00. That size would be more than enough, but take up some of your cabinet space.

Check it out and think it through before you spend the $. I will be working on mine sometime after Devil's Creek. Let me know if you need some help.

[Tommy B]

Mcdave, I have considered the gas struts before but I was thinking they would be in the way at least on the end by the door.

Yes the bed has weight to it and if it ever got momentum coming down it could hurt you. Bad. I have anxiety that the lower eyelet screwed in the wood will rip out and that it will come crashing down. You have to use the lower eyelet when the bed is made with sleeping bags, pillows etc. , due to added thickness factor. I have been meaning to lengthen the chain so I can secure it like you see here. This is where I stand when I lift the bed and it still raise evenly. I then have to push like hell to reach the lower eyelet in the wood there as the chain is then too short.

I will about it some. I am not in too big of a hurry but say if my wife had to lift it all she would have trouble. Or if I got hurt riding like an arm or what ever I might not be able to get it done.

Anyway thanks all

[flboy]

My wife gave me a little lens to put on my cell phone camera that makes a wider angle view. I made two quick videos of the CTC from my cell phone. I thought you may like to see it a little closer up in a video instead of the still pictures.

YouTube Videos of Finished Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FASF-x9ofMY - Interior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb-pvBbyyBs - Exterior

[Padilen]

The platform/loft bed I use isn't perfect but it's not that strenuous, for one person. That's the point of the springs. To make them do the work for you. I think with a little planning and use of struts, trying out somethings it could be improved. And allow adding a winch or come-a-long to lift.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Iconfabul8]

My wife gave me a little lens to put on my cell phone camera that makes a wider angle view. I made two quick videos of the CTC from my cell phone. I thought you may like to see it a little closer up in a video instead of the still pictures.

YouTube Videos of Finished Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FASF-x9ofMY - Interior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb-pvBbyyBs - Exterior

Videos look great. I picked up one of those little lenses a while back, I just wish I had a finished trailer to shoot with it. Nice job though, I really enjoyed your build.

[flboy]

Thanks Iconfabul8! Hope you get back on your CTC soon.


Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk