Right, now that the Hilux is almost finished, it is time to start thinking about the other projects again. First cab off the rank was going camping this year, where we took the camper trailer above. Nopics and the kids got the bug for it, so we bit the bullet and bought a camper trailer off some relatives who are moving overseas. Its roughly the same, but has some advantages over the one i got from Sloth.
This is it when we picked it up:
[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/08/20220208171149-bd23af88-xl.jpg[/img]
Plus packed up:
[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2022/02/08/20220208171221-8d1be185-xl.jpg[/img]
This one has both electric brakes and independent suspension:
[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/08/20220208171231-2c96089b-xl.jpg[/img]
Plus external pole tubes, stone deflector, and a slightly longer drawbar:
[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/08/20220208171715-d2da6131-xl.jpg[/img]
On the flipside, it doesnt have the front storage box, nor any drawers, or a kitchen. So all of those need to be remedied.
First cab off the rank though is this ORAC hitch:
[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/08/20220208171529-927ddce1-xl.jpg[/img]
While in some universe this is a good idea, as it separates vertical and horizontal movement, and places it on a double shear pivot. There are some significant issues with it.
Firstly, the shank of the trailer side has had the adjusting nut welded on, so that there is no way to set any preload for fore-aft travel:
[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/08/20220208191506-daaaf35e-xl.jpg[/img]
This means it just knocks back and forwards.
The second is that the left-right pivot point is a sleeved bolt that is slightly longer than the tongue:
[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/08/20220208190539-1b3a4c6f-xl.jpg[/img]
Now while this allows for lateral location, there is no vertical locating of the tongue to the towbar, and so it uses the tongue/towbar interface surfaces as bearing surfaces… neither of which are designed for that
[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/08/20220208172523-5788cdac-xl.jpg[/img]
This mightn’t be an issue if there was a way of continually keeping it greased, but there isn’t. Instead its just left to grind back and forth on the towbar.
Instead i ended up replacing it with a basic polyblock hitch, that should do much better, and added a new jockey wheel while i was there:
[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2022/02/08/20220208191556-585cdbf6-xl.jpg[/img]
Next up for the camper is a kitchen and water tank, and then draw bar box and electrics.