memeber designin on the road

[Ron Dickey]

I had hoped that this would stay here because it is part of my Build.
I have built most of it but there are parts to be changed and I see this as part of member design notes for Box Kite phase III.

We have found a need for more organization. we have no galley as yet but might put one in. after the first desasterous night where we only could sleep in half a bed.

We are looking at drawers not in the middle but at the top facing in. Wife is not tall and part of our magrage agreement is I get the tall stuff and she gets the low stuff. I can cook but she likes to more.

I keep hitting my head on the hatch one time it knocked me to the ground need some lights flags, got any ideas

I have the advantage of the hatch in heat I can open it and the windows for cross air but if I close off the hatch a top vent will be needed.

Have areas still to inslate doors, hatch, and rest of roof that was left open of perhaps a top vent.

Still working out what goes in the car and what in the trailer

What do you folks do or how did you figure the organization of your trailer
as to where the chairs went ,the clothing, the coolers (I know the Galley
)
Other thoughts maybe a mirror, a place for shoes,
My charger and my tire do not both fit in the chest so for now the tire wins out. but now I am thinking of putting the tire under the front chest and more room will then fit Electromate 400 plus at night, also thought of a motorcycle battery (we have little need for much electicity.

Kingsmand 2nd stop many more to go and lots of figuring.

[Ron Dickey]

remind me to change that pix of the Box Kite it does not look like that any more fenders, chest, hatch looks almost sexie

Ron

[devigata]

Isn't part of using your trailer a way to make adjustments? We haven't built (yet), but I would think that actually using it can give you more ideas of things that "need to be done".

We have a tiny trailer that stores our camping equipment (I SO wish the trailer were big enough for conversion). I'm constantly moving things around to make more room, adjust weight, or make access more convenient.

Hang in there and make notes on changes you need. It will be exactly what you want when you're finished, I'm sure!

[Ron Dickey]

my Carolla is to far down to the ground and if I am not watching will scrap my tailpipe I am going to try and add some more air to the back tires.

Because I got a old trailer the way the axel is designed I can not pull it forward so more of the weight is to the front which makes the tung go down my wife said one day I will have a newer truck or small suv. It has been suggested I put in loader springs in the back.
Being low means better gas milage so there is the trade off.

More organized and now we are figuing how to set up and take down more quickly and what we need to add to the trailer to make that sol giving us more time to enjoy camping and not just the put up and take down.

Ron D.

[bobhenry]

Madison last week was our 3rd organized campout with " Chubby"
I added 5 more things this time and all 5 proved to be excellent ideas.
a clamp on window mounted neich containing a 5000 btu ac unit.
a 10 x 10 first up ( Thanks to Sid and side) as a galley canopy and "dining and setting room"
3 scissor jacks to level the trailer ( each side rear and tongue)
Our red neck water heater a 42 cup coffee maker to dispense hot water to wash with. It was great for dish clean up and a quick personal wash cloth bath and a ready source of hot water for instant coffee or hot chocolate.
and best of all my telescopic privacy room for changing clothes.
none of which are new ideas on this forum but as you become more experienced with the needs while camping these ideas make more and more sense.

As to the loading question. coolers in the back seat with drains to the front (up hill) cast iron on the rear floor. Greasy little grill double bagged in garbage bag and in trunk with charcoal and starter.Dry goods and misc. pots pans and hardware in a tote in the tear. with chairs and pop up.
If it will wet or soil my bed it is not invited into the tear.

[Ron Dickey]

always always always check your trailer fully and totally before I did look at my new shocks but I guess I missed something

as I drove my hitch got lower and lower soon I was using a jack to the hitch to get the front wheel down. I albuquerque we heard a squeek we thought it was the spring and drove into a food store for some breakfast. when I came out. my wife said she figured it out and pointed

the tire was bent inward at the top and was rubbing on the wood the axel is welded to the wheel mount
I was able to bolt it down and it worked for a while but I removed non of the weight and soon it snapped off the front bar that stablelized the axle kept it from falling off now I have a strap helping the bar stay in place.
It sits near the university with a note" please do not tow axel broken have to weight will monday to get it welded."

I did not get road side service for my trailer. I bit the bulliet and got shot.
I tryed to rent a Uhaul to pull it home but they only had ones for cars.

manwhile I sit in a motel with runing water a shower a toilet and and and the olympics blaring out for my wives ears.
Ron

[mikeschn]

Ouch,

A broken axle, a long way from home can not be much fun.

So Monday you'll have it welded it, and you'll be on your way again. Good for you!

Mike...

[Ron Dickey]

I have 3 alternatives
because the top is removable I could if welding dose not work buy a utility trailer and slide if over but mugh work would be needed to do so it is very attached to the trailer but it does have a 2nd floor.

I tried to rent a c ar hualer but they would only rent if if it were a car.

Last I could put the entire trailer on a utility trailer and slowly drive home

suddenly welding seems real real cheep

We took to much stuff and put the largest amout of weight on the back of the trailer to it would not bring the car back down to far which will scrape the muffler on to steep of a driveway before loading. this is the disavantage of using a small car. I have thought of putting a metal caster under the hitch part of the car like they put on the back of RV's

Well off to check on the trailer and see if it is still there. and the note also.

I tried contacting a local teardrop owner but he has not responded as yet So I guess I will engoy the town and see how much it has changed sence I lived here in 1966. I have seen familiar streets and some walls, schools, and my old houses I lived in still stand all chenged in one way or another.

Ron.

[Ron Dickey]

Rear hatch polls work but need improvement are PCV with smaller conduet inside and a nail holding it up higher. They fall at times one or the other.

Storeage organization was getting better.

Going to far to fast made it hard to enjoy the camp outs sitll have not had a chance to find energy to cook with duch oven cold sanswiches until we got to Socorro where we stayed with a boy hood freind. for 2 days and got to relax a little but now because of axel we have to rush home and cold sandwiches will be on the menue.

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

talked to a welder who for a little more could have come today to weld my rig, I said I would love to have him come today and get it done, but I did not want to interfer with his family and so we desided monday he will come and weld the axel. In the mean time I called a tow truck and had him move it to the motel with the motels permission.

I realzed how much it matters to have not only insurance on my rig but to own a hitch lock.

I also found out from a guy who came up to me and talked with me a while that it turned out I went to junior high with, that cars have been destroyed on the block, and tires cut, that I was lucky and know one even touched it I even by mistake left a lock unlocked though it was locked from the inside from the hatch. I was fine. But now I can see it out the window and I feel like I got alittle of my life back.

There is a very good chance that if and when I get this back I will have or learn how to weld a new trailer frame for this thing. After following it ride on a towtruck and it left the ground a few times and rocked back and forth, I prayed at that time that like a wild mustang it would not brake it's line and jump the fence.

Susspention is so important and the axel it the life and blood of your trailer.

tomarrow I call the welder.
Ron D.

[Ron Dickey]

while on the road I found 2 TTT s both gray
one was from Ohio it was grey pulled by a SUV and the trailer was very short but it had a carpeted rack on top that looked like a boat holder.
the door was smallest I have seen but you could get inside and a hatch in the back the side door looked like a dutch design.
square box style
The second was also very small driving down hwy 40 toward north Socorro
it was tall in front and had a shape very unusual square in the front then angled down to the rear bumper. It had a canvas down the back like when slept in a tent type back and front was a bed.

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

Ya hoo eee
I'm on the road again

Days in was really nice to us. we stayed 2 nights and stayed after check out time while my trailer got welded proper. I turned in the key and no charges.
The cleaning crew were great, matance, front dest and even the manager.
I am a happy camper. Later I will replace the axel with a new one or just pull the top off an put it on a new frame.

Sleeping once again at Hopland AZ at the KOA nice folks.
and it is raining to boot.

[Ron Dickey]

much more figure'n is needed we pack like we have a van pulling the trailer.
and when it comes time to sleep we pull the stuff out of the trailer and fill the car so we can not sit in it front or back. Then roll out the mat for sleeping. we just leave the trailer hooked to the car.

This time around things made more sence as to how fast we could empty it and get in the trailer. We took so much stuff and lots we never used. forgot a stove except a little single one used mostly for heating water.

The car contiues to ride low even after the fixed axel. maybe to much for the supention. we both agree a Rav 4 or the like would do the trick.

Inside we are looking at wall shoe bag for loose shoes. fix the lighting to dark inside.

we did have a kind of list to start with but it got barried in the mess.
Ron

[Ron Dickey]

on the last leg of my trip

This was a prity cheep trip only 2 days at Days Inn on Munaul ave.(north west side of Albuquuerque was only 44.99 a night plus free breakfast they took very very good care of us including letting us tow the trailer to their lot and have it welded there. Plus stay longer then the close out time because it was considered an emergancy they also offer a free shuttle with in 5 miles. Everyone there helped and it was great.

The car contunues to ride low and I will ltry and move more heavy things bfather back on the trailer to see if it will go up otherwise the struts may be shot.
This last time we got set up in recosrd time I keep feeling we left stuff behind. The idea of haveing a kitchen in the back to get right too is still a very quick way to get food we kept stumbling to find stuff. but we still want most of it outside but know have a much better ideea as to how.

[mikeschn]

Ron,

That sounds like a new build to me...

Did you ever consider something like this...

That's the Generic Benroy which is up there in the menu... you know where...

a la Kirkman...




Of course, any generic benroy in this thread would work...
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=23681


Mike...

P.S. glad to hear you got welded up, and are back on the road again!