M116A3 Build

[lfhoward]

Thanks, Pete & Rob! I appreciate the support.

-Lauren

[lfhoward]

Thinking ahead to the boondocking trip, I have a question about logistics that I posted in the General section. I would love to hear some opinions from folks who have camped in the wilderness before!

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=73403

[lfhoward]

I paid the trailer a visit today and tried firing up the heater. Unfortunately I couldn’t get it to run. The sparker would ignite the flame but it wouldn’t stay lit. It struggled with a few puffs of flame, then died. (Did this more than a dozen times.) I changed nothing since the other day when it appeared to be working flawlessly. The only difference was today was 32°F (0°C) and the other day was 40°F. I wonder if I have some ice crystals in the regulator. Lengthening the combustion intake pipe, which seemed to fix it before, did not help today. Well I have 3 weeks to fix this before our boondocking trip. Suggestions/hypotheses welcome, especially from people who have a Propex in their own rig.

[lfhoward]

So why the anemic flame on my Propex the other day?

There are lots of possibilities but here is my favorite hypothesis (since factors like the intake hose length didn’t change between working and not working):

https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-to-reset-the-propane-regulator-on-a-gas-grill/

The article is about a regulator on a gas grill but it sounds like what mine is doing. I’ll check this first because it’s easy to eliminate. After that, if needed I’ll look into changing hose length, increasing gas pressure, and looking for any water in the gas line. Fingers crossed for the easy fix!

[lfhoward]

Some acquisitions for boondocking have arrived!


On the left is an airtight bucket for packing out wag bags of poo! On the right are four, 4-gallon aquatainers for water. Three will stow under the bed in the rear of the trailer (also helping to balance out some excessive battery weight on the tongue). The fourth can go on the bench to the left of the entry door.

Since there would be five wasted inches between the in-use aquatainer and the shelf above, I designed a removable dry sink to go underneath. This can catch any drips, but also can be used to wash hands, faces, etc. before bed.






The removable sink is a 9 cup Rubbermaid container. Waste water can be tossed in the morning.

[featherliteCT1]

I really like that removable dry sink!

[lfhoward]

I really like that removable dry sink!

Thanks Featherlite!

The aquatainer idea is in response to our larger 7 gallon water container freezing during our last winter camping trip. The large water container was in the kitchen side tent because it is too big and unwieldy to be put inside the trailer. The vent on it drips if you tip it sideways. After 24 hours sitting outside at 15°F, it was not usable. Since these smaller 4 gallon units can be inside the heated trailer, we will have water no matter how cold it gets.

[lfhoward]

Update:

The Propex heater was happy and worked today just fine. I had to hook up the Coleman stove first and burn off the residual air in the line, then the heater sustained a good flame. The article I posted above about “burping” the regulator was right on.

Also, the dry sink and aquatainer fit perfectly in the space under the folding shelf. Very happy with that. I also confirmed the aquatainers will fit under the bed.


And last, I have a slow leak in the passengers side tire. After 2 or 3 weeks since I pumped it up, it’s looking a little flat. I changed the valve core last time, so it must be leaking around the rim. The tire is almost brand new. The steel rim is pretty old.

[lfhoward]

Today I dug my trailer out of a snowbank.





I was able to drag it out of there and take it to the tire shop. It’s had a slow leak for weeks and it’s time to get that fixed.

I fired up the Propex to check its reliability and no problems!

[lfhoward]

The tire was slowly leaking air because of a bad valve stem. Problem solved, without a lot of money spent.

[lfhoward]

A trailer build is never truly “done,” right? Here is my next mod.

I am thinking ahead towards spring when I want to be able to bring our bikes with us on camping trips. Putting them inside the trailer introduces dirt and chain oil into the living area, so I want a hitch on the rear of the trailer for my bike rack.







This receiver is built for a Toyota FJ Cruiser by a company called LOD and sold through BumperSuperstore.com. It’s made out of 1/4” thick steel and is beefy. It should bolt right up to the steel crossmember on the rear of my M116A3. I’ll test fit it in a future post and figure out if I need to make any spacers or backing plates.

I like this receiver unit because it’s no frills and bolts directly to a beam both on the horizontal and vertical axis. Few stock receiver hitches are set up this way, except the 4Runner. This is a cleaner install than that would have been, and the receiver itself is tucked underneath so I won’t hit my leg on it while walking past the rear of the trailer with the bike rack off.

——
P.S. A couple more thoughts on this receiver.

This receiver ought to be strong enough for my HitchHaul hitch basket also, which is great for my work as a forest ecologist. I can fasten my chain saw and a gas can to the hitch basket with ratchet straps, keeping dirt and gas fumes out of the living area. I had been traveling with those items fastened to the Jeep’s roof rack when pulling the trailer, which works but is not convenient. This mod will make it easier to transport the saw and gas at the same time as towing the trailer.

The receiver will likely be bolted to the beam to the right side of the central landing leg, which stabilizes the trailer when parked. I don’t need this hitch to tow with (and it would be crazy and illegal to tow a trailer with a trailer anyway), so I don’t care if it’s not located dead center on the back bumper. The trailer is wide enough that the bikes and basket will not care.

[YJlover63]

If you did mount it in the center, you can get a step system that goes into a receiver ( I think I saw them on etrailer.com) and that would eliminate your miniature step ladder. And you wouldn't have to worry about your step ladder kicking out from under you if you stepped on it from the side. Just a thought. Trailer looks really cool.

[lfhoward]

If you did mount it in the center, you can get a step system that goes into a receiver ( I think I saw them on etrailer.com) and that would eliminate your miniature step ladder. And you wouldn't have to worry about your step ladder kicking out from under you if you stepped on it from the side. Just a thought. Trailer looks really cool.

That’s a really cool idea! I haven’t ever seen or heard of steps like that before, but a Google search has brought up lots of options that are designed for pickup truck campers. The best ones look like they are made by EasyHitchStep.com. Here’s a link to what they make:
https://www.easyhitchstep.com/shop/

[lfhoward]

I visited my trailer today to do some measuring for the rear hitch. I ended up relaxing and taking a short nap. Having the Propex heater is so convenient!

Also, I verified that the Propex will run off of auxiliary 1 lb canisters as a backup in case the main tank gets used up. Worked great. I have some of the Flame King refillable cylinders for the lantern and Little Buddy heater (for the side tent) that can be repurposed if necessary.

[lfhoward]

Just a pic to represent that I’m working on some ideas about mounting the hitch.


Mounting it will require making a spacer and backing plate. The scrap of angle iron is standing in for the backing plate in the photo. The hitch mounts with 6 stainless bolts. I’ll also need to get more washers and lock nuts. These bolts and nuts I had left over from mounting the propane tank.