twist locks to disconnect your camper from the trailer

[Grid Runner Adventures]

Hello all. I have designed some twist lock fastners to disconnect my camper from the trailer when needed so i can still utilize having a flatbed trailer for hauling stuff. hope you guys enjoy.



basically its two plates. one is keyed and inset in the frame of the floor of the camper. also in that plate i put 4 nodules at 90 degree's to the keyed opening. that way when the twist lock is in place it cant vibrate and spin back out.

the bottom plate has a pipe welded to it and a 5/8ths bar stock L shape with a bolt welded to it to stop the spring. the end of the pipe is capped with a hole through the center for the 5/8ths bar to ride through. in addition to this the pipe is drilled and tapped for a grease fitting to keep the spring assembly in fine working order.

the spring will continually try and push the keyed bar stock down keeping the key in the nodules in the top plate so it cant spin and come unlatched.

[Ageless]

Wouldn't just using 1/4 turn fasteners save work?

[Grid Runner Adventures]

link? not sure what those are.

[Ageless]

http://www1.mscdirect.com/Quarter-Turn-Fastening-System/Fasteners/0002008632.HTML?KNC-T7L391316886&cm_mmc=Didit-_-SEM-_-ItmDtl-_-PypClk

[Grid Runner Adventures]

i wonder how many of those i'd need.

[Ageless]

They use them to hold body panels on 200 mph race cars. They have (4) to hold the entire front body on. They can change everything forward of the firewall in seconds.

[Grid Runner Adventures]

how long are they.

i have the frame of the trailer, 3/4 inch plywood,1/8th ply,2x2,1/4 inch ply to go through

[Ageless]

Think the other way. I'm not sure of the structure of your frame, but some receptacles cab be bonded into the wood and then run the fastener from the outside of the frame

[Grid Runner Adventures]

the recepticle would have to go on the top side of my 2x2 floor framing right?
then the stud would have to go through the trailer frame up through 3/4 inch deck on my trailer and into the 2x2 camper floor frame.

[Grid Runner Adventures]

a new and better and easier idea has entered my mind!

the 4 corners of my trailer i will mount a 5/8ths post bottom will be threaded to mount it to the trailer. and the top will have a hole drilled through it horizontally.

these 4 posts will go through a hole in the frame of the camper and then slide a quick release pin through the hole to lock it down.

i've seen some nice flange plates that ican mount on the inside of the camper floor to help spread the weight out so the quickrelease pin dosnt bite into the wood. and give it that finished look.

[Ageless]

http://www.carrlane.com/Catalog/index.cfm/26825071F0B221118070C1C512D020609090C0015482013180B041D1E173C3B28535742

Like these?

[Conestoga]

deleted my dumb idea. back to work

[Ageless]

If you bore horizontal, thru the frame, (2) in Front and rear; them bond the steel insert into the wood for the ball-lock pin

[Grid Runner Adventures]

hey dont delete that idea. thats actualy an interesting idea. cutting chunks of pipe and fastning it to the edge of the trailer and the trailer frame and sliding pipe in is a good idea. nice and quick and strong.

how would you attach them to the edge of the camper. and trailer so they line up right to slide a pipe into.

[jnowis]

I had a similar idea to attach the teardrop to a utility trailer through stake pockets used to add a railing to utility trialer. I posted a drawing here:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=35474

Drawn in sketchup, I did not bother making the bolt having threads or a nut. But you should be able to get the idea.

I kind of gave up on having the trailer having multiple uses. I figured it would be easier to borrow a utility trailer when I needed one instead of dealing with having it removable.