[got_bar_work]

What Creek was that .
Was that around the corner from where wally got stuck

[pete_79]

Sorry, missed these.

Perram wrote:

Mad where is this trip?

Out here.

got_bar_work wrote:

What Creek was that .
Was that around the corner from where wally got stuck

Yeah, that pic was just up stream a bit from there. Could have done with a bit more clearance in that creek, my front arm mounts aren't so straight anymore...

[got_bar_work]

Dave got stuck on that corner in the 100 series because he forgot to lock the center diff.

[pete_79]

Yeah he was guiding me through.

"Go up there, it's pretty easy" he says.
Then when I'm hung up on that big flat topped rock with both front wheels free spinning he says "yeah I got stuck here in the cruiser"......

[pete_79]

Time for an update after a big weekend working on our camping trailer.


Firstly;
A friend recently upgraded their tow vehicle and they decided to upgrade their in-car brake controller as well. They offered their old controller to me and saved me about $300, this helped justify buying the rest of the trailer brakes.
So I've ordered a 10" electric brake kit, now I just have to wait up to 3 weeks for the F100 hubs to be machined.

While the hubs are being hand filed into shape from a solid block of cast iron I thought I'd get started on Stage 2; Time for a solid lid.


The tonneau cover I had custom made for the trailer does a fair job of keeping the gear in the trailer dry when it's raining, but it doesn't stop any dust.
I needed a solid lid but I didn't want to just throw a sheet of ply on top. I wanted to make a decent frame that I can fit some racks to and use for our roof basket or strap down other things that don't fit inside the little box.

So I went with some 75x25x2mm RHS and 1.6mm alloy sheet which will weigh ~35kg all up.

I had this crazy idea to make it so it is possible to open the lid from the front or the back, which meant each corner needed to have latches and hinges in one.
After brainstorming most of Saturday morning and 2 failed attempts for mounting brackets, I came up with this.

The grey mounting brackets slip inside the trailer corner posts and are bolted in place. The spring bolts act as a lock and hinge.


I would have preferred to use a thick walled black tube for the mounting brackets, but my local steel guy was closed for the day and Bunnings only had this crappy galv tube that's about curtain rod thickness.
Anyway I managed to weld it with 2.5mm rods on the stick welder and didn't blow it pieces so I'll see how long it lasts, once it stretches or wears out I'll replace it with something more substantial.



The concept for my double opening lid has now been proven in the shed, it just needs some real life testing.

[pete_79]

I've never had to use Sikaflex before, now I want to use it to bond the alloy sheet to the steel frame and need some advice.

I'm using Sikafelx 252 and I've been reading up about primers to go under it, everything I've found so far says you have to use Sika branded primer. But at $80 dollars a bottle I'll be using something else.



What other primers or paints have you used to prime steel for Sikaflex application?

[zukenutter]

Liking the hinge idea a lot.

[Joe]

I used killrust to paint my lid before sikaflex and so far so good

I like that hinge idea now try to get it to work with gas struts

[pete_79]

zukenutter wrote:

Liking the hinge idea a lot.

Thanks mate, time will tell how practical or functional they are.
I'm a bit worried about how they will hold up after a heap of Ks on corrugated roads.
But anyway if they don't work I can always go back to the standard off the shelf hinges and over centre latches, just wanted to try something different. The spring bolts where less then $7 each and took a day messing around in the shed to sort the mounting brackets from off cuts I had laying around.

Joe wrote:

I used killrust to paint my lid before sikaflex and so far so good

I like that hinge idea now try to get it to work with gas struts

Killrust brand I assume, but was it a primer or just normal paint?

The gas struts shouldn't be too hard, I can get the compressed length and stroke that I need to work when opening from either end. I'm just not sure what pressure I need.
They ones I found go from 200N-1100N, I'm thinking 350N will be enough for the lid and maybe a tent on top at some stage.

[atari4x4]

top work as usual, bit disappointed that it doesn't also open from the sides.

[Joe]

pete_79 wrote:

Joe wrote:

I used killrust to paint my lid before sikaflex and so far so good

Killrust brand I assume, but was it a primer or just normal paint?

Normal paint

[pete_79]

atari4x4 wrote:

top work as usual, bit disappointed that it doesn't also open from the sides.

Hmmm, uni joint corner hinges I'm off to the shed.........

[pete_79]

OK, Thanks Joe.

[sur5a]

Clever idea

[pete_79]

Thanks sur5a.

Welding finished, prepped ready for primer.

[pete_79]

And just finished the primer, had just enough left over from the trailer.

[pete_79]

Going to use this extrusion sikaflexed to the lid to seal it up.

It fills the gap nicely and compresses about 3 or 4mm with the latches closed.
I like the way the edge rolls over the radius on the RHS, hoping this helps it grip a bit better.

[pete_79]

Had another productive afternoon finishing of the lid yesterday.

Got the alloy sheet stuck down, that was pretty straight forward.
But I ended up sanding back the primer where the sikaflex was going to go, I wanted to be sure there was a good bond between the alloy and the steel and I didn't trust the primer.

The rubber seal was a bit trickier to get right. It was sliding around a bit and I'd get one end lined up then the other end would move. I tried lightly clamping it, but that didn't really help. Had to ask the cook to help me out in the end, the extra set of hands made the difference.
One side is a bit messy and I'll have to tidy it up with the stanley knife after it dries.

But all in all pretty happy with how it came out. Just needs a bit of clean up here and there, then the final coat of paint.

[Jezza86]

if you fill that in and adjust the hinges you would have a awesome motorbike ramp. looks tidy and light!

[pete_79]

Awesome idea, then I'll just need to go and buy a motorbike to jump it.

The lid is a little bit heavier then I wanted, but still pretty light.
I can carry the lid on my own (just), but it is really easy to flip all the way open (like in these pics) by myself.

[pezz]

Nice work,
if you paneled the inside of the lid and made two legs it would be a great table when folded open

[pete_79]

I had thought that too, was thinking I could fold it towards the front over the jockey wheel. It's really easy to flip over if I did want to use it as a table.
But I've got some roof racks to go on the top and another idea that might stop it being so practical. Just letting the glue cure for a couple of days before I finish fitting it off then I'll see how it goes.

[pete_79]

So thats's what 300kg of firewood looks like...



Bit of a low speed emergency stop with an idiot at a set of lights on the way home, but the ABS pulled us up with no dramas.

[Jezza86]

Yay! If you can put 300kg in yours I can surely tow mine!

[pete_79]

You should pull yours, no worries.

It's just the up hill runs on the highway that get a bit tiresome with a heavy trailer on the Jimny.

You're a Queenslander and would know all too well how f-ing annoying all those grey nomads are when they're towing their f-ing huge caravans doing 80 on the highway with no overtaking lanes. Well we just joined that club...

[Jezza86]

Haha yeh much easier to overtake a jimny with a box traler compared to a cruser and a 30ft van but

[pete_79]

Painted the lid yesterday.
Decided to leave the alloy unpainted, so left the protective film on to save having to tape it up.

[lost]

nice

[pete_79]

Got the racks on the lid this arvo.






And I scored this luggage pod the other day, wasn't really looking for one but the price was too good to let it go. It fits the Turbo Tent and 4 fold up chairs perfectly.




I mentioned earlier on in this thread that the front tailgate isn't 100% water tight so having the tent in the pod will save having to wrap the it in a tarp before creek crossings. It was just the tent that used to get wet, everything else in the trailer is in big heavy duty plastic tubs so there's no dramas with the little bit of water that does get in through the front.

[Jezza86]

prudy.
its a minipod!