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

[flboy]

I have ordered the electric winch for my bed lift and will hopefully have some time over the next few weeks to install. I'll be adding a few pulleys and cables along with the winch to raise an lower the bed evenly. If all four corners do not move evenly, it binds. Hopefully this will work as intended. We'll see. I will document well so of it works, folks can duplicate. If it doesn't... I am running out of ideas. The gas struts do not do the job with 4 tracks. Cannot move the bed evenly.

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[Iconfabul8]

Personally I don't think you need guides at all. Just connect the cables and lift from either 2 points in the center of the bed or from all four corners. Once raised you may not even need to lock in in place if you winch it up tight enough. When you let it down, the corners can just set on something or pin into something.

[flboy]

If the electric dont work, I may try disconnecting the backside from the trolley. I have seen some commercial haulers done that way, but beds were very light and it looked flimsy. The issue is the tracks binding up. More food for thought. Thanks.


Btw.. hoping the electric works just for the "cool factor". That's worth something. :-)

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[McDave]

Hey Don,
I watched your youtube videos. Very well done. In fact, you may have missed your calling. Perhaps a career in broadcast journalism could have been a natural fit? But then you'd have to hang out with those kooks, and...eewwww.
Ya, nevermind that. But seriously, nice work on the vids. And your trailer looks really great. The vids give a new perspective to the project as whole.
So, I'm glad to see you've got your second wind and are ready to tackle "the bed" issue. We both know it can be done. And, to a standard complimentary of the rest of your work. I understand that functionally, you're good with the static state, but that's not really the point. Is it? If it was easy, anybody could do it. So this is one of those times when the big red "S" on your cape doesn't stand for Smith.....just sayin'. And, when it's all said and done, I bet it won't be the toughest booger you ever had to pick.
Couple quick thoughts, and that'll be all for tonight.
Consider the fact that all the various parts and members need to be and remain "true". By that I mean square, level and symmetrical. The rails need to be the same distance apart at the top as they are at bottom, and side to side as well. Some simple framework could accomplish this at the top. 2 identical pieces run left to right, 2 identical pieces front to back. Also 2 identical pieces front to rear at bottom of rails, same as at top. At this point you have most of a cube.
The bed frame and rollers also need to be "true". Same drill here, square, level and symmetrical. Those rollers won't allow for much deviation. If you are using cable it may be more accurate to have one cable from winch move the four corner cables joined together. That way they all move simultaneously and the same amount.
Food for thought.

McDave

P.S. The "Cool Factor" is priceless....

[flboy]

Thanks McDave. You're way to kind on the video. :-) Appreciate the tips and reminders. I do need to check the rail alignments again. You are right. The trolleys and rails don't offer alot of room for misalignment. I think the garage door hardware may work better in that regard.

In any case, I am gathering the Hardware needed to take another run at it. :-)

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[facethewolf]

Deleted by Facethewolf

[facethewolf]

FlBoy
The video is great. Ties in everything we've only seen snapshots of till now. I really like putting the sink, particularly the faucet, into the v-nose. It's a great use of oddly shaped space. You obviously put a lot of time and money into it.
When you're not camping, do you use it as a man cave or what?
I think you should decorate your walls with postcards and momentos of everywhere you go. Anyways, awesome work.
Sean



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[mrwall1]

The Videos turned out great! I was hoping you would do one... after watching the process over the last year, to see it on a video really puts it all together! And your a celebrity you already have a hater!! lol
Hope to start on mine in the next week or two!

[flboy]

Thanks facethewolf and mrwall1. I appreciate the feedback.

mrwall1, looking forward to seeing your build. Good luck with it.



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[flboy]

Going to a Dual Sport event next weekend in the CTC. I'll have some in use pics. I received the winch today for the bed system. I still have to get a few pulleys and then I am going to try it out. It will still lbe a few weeks before I can install, but I am itching to try this.

The winch seems nice for $59.00. It even came with a remote control and solenoid box. I'll be able to lift and deploy the bed wirelessly (assuming it works). Now that is cool!

[flboy]

I have been thinking about this and I can simplify the pulleys and installation if I use two winches and program them to the same remote or use one solenoid box to drive both? They only will be moving the bed 2.5 feet or so... so I am thinking that if they have the same current source the rpm/gear ratio being the same... they should not have time to get out of sync if the tolerances are close? The gear ratio is 153:1... that is some serious reduction.

The motor with no load runs at 10A. 132A for 2500lb and 55A for 1000 lb.. That being the case, these winches are going to only be lifting ~100lb max each... so the relay box I'd think would be fine driving both with this limited weight. I bet the box would never see more that 50A..

Anybody have a thought on that? This would seriously save me from having to have multiple pulleys and a cable running underneath the trailer and in this case, the winches would be inside too. I was also going to have to take the capstan apart and modify it to take another cable anchor... this will save that also.

I think I may order the second winch and test them to see if I can get them to play on the same remote and/or drive from the same solenoid. I also need to check the contact current for the solenoids... if this is the same box they use on heavier winches, it may be able to take enough current to run both even if the were under more load ?

[Padilen]

See 2 cool things betterer than one


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[Iconfabul8]

Here is a sketch to give you some food for thought! My mind kind of ran away with me when you said simplify. If you mounted your winch/winches in/under the bed frame you would only need 4 pulleys, maybe only 2 if you mounted the winches where the other two pulleys go. There I go again brainstorming as I go. Anyway, I also envisioned being able to do this with a jack shaft and a crank (as drawn.) Also, it's not too clear on the drawing, I meant, Either crank or winch, not both. You would also probably want to build some sort of ratchet mechanism for a crank. Of course if the two winches replaced the jackshaft you would have to rig it to have a cable over the top of the drum and one pull from the bottom.

Happy Confabulating!

[flboy]

Thanks for the sketch Iconfabul8! You have got me thinking. I am going to get the other winch today... you have me thinking about how to mount the winches under the bed... just with a different pulley configuration. If I can make things line up, it would be a better way to conceal everything. Thanks!

[flboy]

I got the second winch for another $55, but I think this is going to simplify the lift pulley system. I tried to reprogram the remotes so both solenoids would run off one remote.... No luck. In fact, they would not even clear memory like they are suppose to.

I ran out about 5ft of line and they both seemed to retract at the same rate... so that is good. Should be an even lift.

I can drive both winches of the same solenoid which has a 50A thermal breaker inline. That should protect the relays if both winches together draw more that 50A. I don't think that will happen as they are going to be barely working to lift the bed. 5,000 lbs of lift with only 200 lbs to lift.

These winches are smaller than they look. I can't wait to get the pulleys and make this happen... maybe the weekend after next I'll have some time to actually hook this all up.

Padilen... two winches. Even cooler!