Todays heavy load.

 

I need to change the hitch position and fit a straight inline hitch to the rear of the bike and a straight tow bar to the trailer bed. The one major flaw I have found since I enlarged the flat bed is the weight and the wide swing arm draw bar causes the bike to still fall/tip over, even with a wide stance center kick stand. Hence in the pic I have used a gas cannister to prop the trailer from tipping the bike over.

 

Or possiblly it needs a jockey wheel on the bend of the tow arm.

 

That does look heavy. It's great nothing falls off. Does it handle oddly, not being on the centreline? CF offer an expensive (as usual) support arm for propping up.

 

I can't get a straight line with the Homcom hitch arm, not with a 50kg load. Can't get the QR tight enough, always rotates downwards.

 

I was debating whether to attempt moving a big old electric cooker using the CF Small Y. It would just about fit, if it didn't move. But it's hilly and it'd be dangerous and awkward. Weighs 52kg, is 1.3m long, 55.5cm wide and almost 60cm deep. Securing it to the flatbed firmly would be a challenge, even with ratcheting straps... just a couple of cms of movement either side could be catastrophic on the road, would hit the wheels. Decided against it - too wide.

With my ratchets and anchors points the load doesn't move much mor ethen 1 or 2mm.

Cars couldn't miss be today with a high load and the diamond strips high up, they won't miss the flags when they arrive as are 18" x 12".

18" x 12"

My IKEA trailer is great, however, when empty or running light it has flipped over hitting a bump with one wheel, this has snapped the grp flagpole. It's 6mm dia. Inserted into the rear frame. Snapped where it enters the frame.

My thoughts are that I need some sort of spring and a metal flagpole, so the spring would bend when the pipe hits the deck. Any thoughts on the idea or sourcing a spring welcome. The grp could possibly survive if a it had a spring base, so maybe 7mm ID tight wound spring 100mm long?

For a pole one could simply opt for a green shoot of Bamboo, the stuff is everywhere and am sure if one hasn't a plany could ask any one with one for one cutting.

 

I have ordered a £6 F/G pole but if it breaks or I have issues I shall pop over on to the rail embankment and cut a shoot or two down growing at the end of my garden.

 

Pole mounting wise for trailers there is very little to choose from over here.

Edited August 5, 20223 yr by Nealh

In the US one can get them.

The Springy quick release flag mount (jerichospecialties.com)

 

Flag Spring - The Flexible Flag Pole

In the US one can get them.

The Springy quick release flag mount (jerichospecialties.com)

 

Flag Spring - The Flexible Flag Pole

Exactly so. I'm pondering one of those door buffer springs that screw onto the skirting board.

I have bamboo canes, there is also some growing in a local wood, however it wouldn't survive any better than the GRP, just snap off where it enters the trailer frame.

Exactly so. I'm pondering one of those door buffer springs that screw onto the skirting board.

I have bamboo canes, there is also some growing in a local wood, however it wouldn't survive any better than the GRP, just snap off where it enters the trailer frame.

 

5 here for £2.28 if you have a toolstation nearby............

 

https://www.toolstation.com/spring-door-stop/p90295?store=M4&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=_dc&pcrid=&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI18Tp5piw-QIVwrHtCh0YEAuIEAQYASABEgJrcfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

The Bamboo though is cheap and free.

5 here for £2.28 if you have a toolstation nearby............

 

https://www.toolstation.com/spring-door-stop/p90295?store=M4&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=_dc&pcrid=&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI18Tp5piw-QIVwrHtCh0YEAuIEAQYASABEgJrcfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Top man I hadn't thought of those, will be ideal for my use on the trail as many bushes and low branch bits.

5 here for £2.28 if you have a toolstation nearby............

 

https://www.toolstation.com/spring-door-stop/p90295?store=M4&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=_dc&pcrid=&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI18Tp5piw-QIVwrHtCh0YEAuIEAQYASABEgJrcfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yes, that's the one, I have one for free in my box of spare bits. I'd prefer a longer cylindrical spring if I can find one.

Thinking about it the dorr stop spring may e to springy and bendy, one may need something a it firmer and dearer.

 

HEAVY DUTY 3/8 CB Antenna saver Aerial Shock Spring 7625699310525 | eBay

Edited August 6, 20223 yr by Nealh

Thinking about it the dorr stop spring may e to springy and bendy, one may need something a it firmer and dearer.

 

AERIAL MOUNT - BARREL SPRING (STAINLESS STEEL) | eBay

That looks very like the USA flag spring posted earlier. However it might be too strong, it's for a long aerial with greater leverage. It needs to readily bend 90deg and return, or the flagpole would still snap. Also a bit expensive to buy and try. I'm off to root in my shed for the door stop spring, I may be some time...

Cheaper one.

Spring-S Antenna Shock Spring 3/8 To 3/8 Fitting | eBay

 

Let us know how one gets on with the door spring once fitted.

I'm back, given it a quick try with the remaining pole, only .5m long, it falls over, spring too weak

I had a feeling this may be so, I posted a cheaper spring base at a tenner.

Edited August 6, 20223 yr by Nealh

Just ordered one, medium duty. Arriving later this week. Will report back.

I have modified my already modified CF large.

The larger 9mm birch ply floor flex's using the rachet straps when tying down my large lidded boxes and bee boxes, so I have done my winter modding job early ready for next years usage.

I bought some 30mm box section ali and using a mapp gas torch and low melt point ali brazing rods have made up a rectangle sub chassis for the ply floor. I used sash cramps to keep the box section material in place and having prepped the joints brazed them ok, for more strength rigidity of the joints I also brazed some small ali angle fillets to the internal right angle joints of the sub chassis.

 

The brazing is quite easy, one uses the heated ali temperature to molten the ali braze rod and not heat direct via the torch. One heats the ali box to temp and when hot enough 330c or 430c ( depending on if one is using 300 or 400c melt point ali rods) one simply runs the ali rod along the hot joint to form a fluid brazed joint.

 

The original Y frame is used as it is the axle carrier as well as also being the tow arm attach point, this sits under the sub chassis. The ply floor, sub chassis and Y frame are all bolted together as one in five places using m8 80mm cs head ss bolts. In several other places the floor is bolts to the sub chassis using m8 55mm ss bolts.

 

See if I can take a pic of the underside of the trailer tomorrow.

Edited October 8, 20223 yr by Nealh

So, you reckon you could move a body then ?.

The brazing is quite easy, one uses the heated ali temperature to molten the ali braze rod and not heat direct via the torch. One heats the ali box to temp and when hot enough 330c or 430c ( depending on if one is using 300 or 400c melt point ali rods) one simply runs the ali rod along the hot joint to form a fluid brazed joint.

 

I had no idea such low melting point welding rods existed for that sort of job, which for me opens up a lot of ill advised home projects, such as constructing a battery box using smaller box section (or quite awful art) for which I was considering using a lot of nuts and bolts - welds would overall be lighter and long term stiffer. I wonder what the alloy the rods are made from, because the melting point of pure aluminium is 660.3C.

 

for more strength rigidity of the joints I also brazed some small ali angle fillets to the internal right angle joints of the sub chassis.

 

This is deffo a good idea IMHO. I'd be interested in seeing some pics, especially of the strengthened welds of the internal right angled joints.

Edited October 9, 20223 yr by guerney

Underside of trailer, awaiting some penny washers to arrive to spread the nut force across the sections.

As the trailer is for a mundane job of towing and is simply a tool for the job, I didn't do anything special in cleaning up the over weld on the joints. On the top & bot faces I simply put a burr removal end in my dremel tool and then a wrie brush attachment in my cordless drill to smooth off the joints.

[ATTACH type=full" alt="DSCF1452.JPG]49099[/ATTACH]

 

Two of the simple ali angle gussets on the internal corner joint. I didn't fettle any of the gusset brazes and just left them as they are.

A better job would be TIG welding but that is costly and for diy use the brazing is an adequate solution.

A decent mapp gas torch head is < £30 and one can get cans of mapp gas for <£10, the Yellow mapp gas is a propane mix and burns a lot hotter then butane so heats up the metal faster. Durafix is a 400c melt point ali braze rod to buy (approx. £2.50 per rod) and a very good rod to use, one can also buy (approx. £1.30 per rod) a 300c melt point one ebay as well.

Use a small brass or steel wire brush to prep the surfaces to be mated, this removes surface tarnishing.

[ATTACH type=full" alt="DSCF1453.JPG]49101[/ATTACH]

 

I didn't use a small g gramp to hold the angle gusset in place, hence they aren't very straight. One has to keep the butt joint of the frame under tension as any heat liquifies the joint. I tinned the back of the angle with the ali rod and also tinned the internal corner of the frame, waving the mapp torch over the area and using a pair of pliers to press the gusset in place once the tinned ali has melted to push it firmly in place and to ooze out excess molten braze material. Then whilst the metal is hot run the ali rod along the edges /seems as well.

[ATTACH type=full" alt="DSCF1454.JPG]49102[/ATTACH]

Edited October 9, 20223 yr by Nealh

I ended up with excess weld rods as the sellers dispatch dept messed my order up.

I orderd 5 braze rods so I could practice with the first one, however they didn't read my order correctly and sent out just one rod and a wire brush.

I jumped straight on the ebay message centre and had a grizzle to which the seller apologised and would pop the missing 4 rods in the post, in the end the package arrived with an apology and 8 rods.

Don't be tempted to buy cheap rods from china sellers, they promise 400c melting point but they lie as I found out bt wathcing some video reviews.

The UK OWS seller with Durafix appears to be one of the best reliable rods to use another UK ebay seller offers 300c rods which also work well.

Edited October 9, 20223 yr by Nealh

Underside of trailer, awaiting some penny washers to arrive to spread the nut force across the sections.

As the trailer is for a mundane job of towing and is simply a tool for the job, I didn't do anything special in cleaning up the over weld on the joints. On the top & bot faces I simply put a burr removal end in my dremel tool and then a wrie brush attachment in my cordless drill to smooth off the joints.

 

 

Two of the simple ali angle gussets on the internal corner joint. I didn't fettle any of the gusset brazes and just left them as they are.

A better job would be TIG welding but that is costly and for diy use the brazing is an adequate solution.

A decent mapp gas torch head is < £30 and one can get cans of mapp gas for <£10, the Yellow mapp gas is a propane mix and burns a lot hotter then butane so heats up the metal faster. Durafix is a 400c melt point ali braze rod to buy (approx. £2.50 per rod) and a very good rod to use, one can also buy (approx. £1.30 per rod) a 300c melt point one ebay as well.

Use a small brass or steel wire brush to prep the surfaces to be mated, this removes surface tarnishing.

 

 

I didn't use a small g gramp to hold the angle gusset in place, hence they aren't very straight. One has to keep the butt joint of the frame under tension as any heat liquifies the joint. I tinned the back of the angle with the ali rod and also tinned the internal corner of the frame, waving the mapp torch over the area and using a pair of pliers to press the gusset in place once the tinned ali has melted to push it firmly in place and to ooze out excess molten braze material. Then whilst the metal is hot run the ali rod along the edges /seems as well.

 

 

You've extended the towing arm too! That sub-frame should deffo prevent the platform sagging. I hope you don't mind the following food for thought - if you're hauling very heavy weights, I have concerns about the strength of the aluminium box section at points 1 and 2 in this image, where it might bend or fail, because compared to the CF's alloy, that aluminium box section is not going to be to be as strong (unless it's sufficiently thicker walled). Also, I think there's a risk of turning force being applied at point 3, which you can avoid by bolting through both the box section (plus another bit of supporting box section underneath) and the platform at point 2. A twisted CF Y arm would be an awful result, and the Y frames are expensive to replace, especially given CF's bonkers delivery prices from Germany. Welding L plates at all four corners could be a going bit overboard. On the other hand, my concerns may be completely unfounded, and it will perform as expected.

 

[ATTACH type=full" alt="49117]49117[/ATTACH]

The tow arm arrangement is the same as it was previously when I added the larger base board any tow arm twisting is taken out by the lollipop elastomer, the tow arm was extended at the time as there was not enough rear wheel clearance on both the road rat and the ute.

 

Good spot regarding the space under point 2, I have excess box so I can wedge a bit under and drill thru for another bolt fixing.

Edited October 10, 20223 yr by Nealh