Picked up a trailer

[Unimog]

It sprayed a little chunky, but it looks like it'll hold up...

I actually painted this roof and roll cage I built for my last RZR with the stuff from tractor supply. With that catalyst it held up fantastic and the price is right.

I'm planning to use the catalyst also. Did you guys thin it with the Majiq thinner, paint thinner, acetone, or something else?

 

[Greg]

You might want to give some credit to the disposable Hobo Freight paint gun as well.
Chunky paint is just thicker and should hold up better.😜 Trailer is looking great!

I've painted/sprayed a handful of vehicles with it now and it keeps on working great.

Thanks, really happy with the trailer and how it's coming together.

I'm planning to use the catalyst also. Did you guys thin it with the Majiq thinner, paint thinner, acetone, or something else?

I didn't thin it, but it could have used it. My gallon should have been tossed on a paint mixer for a good 5 min, too.... it was solid at the bottom. I spent quite a bit of time stirring it, but when I was pouring paint into my gun, there were still chunks. My gun clogged up a handful of times, too.... so it probably could use some thinning, along with a good deal of mixing.

 

[Greg]

Well, the trailer is pretty much DONE! There are a few minor things to wrap up, but it's usable and looking sharp at this point.

Had to test load the CJ2A on and see how everything fits/works. Love the drop legs, makes loading and unloading a much more solid experience and doesn't put unneeded stress on the ball.

Just a few things.... I went cheap and bought the fenders without the inner fender, because they were $60 more/each. Not sure that I like having that open space, worried about road debris, dirt & road water getting thrown up on the trailer/vehicle when hauling. I have some sheetmetal in the shop that I might add, but was thinking about using something else like rubber/plastic?

Need to wire up the winch, get a battery and decide how I'm going to charge/maintain it, once mounted.

I built pins to lock the ramps in place, but they hang pretty damn low and will be the first to drag on a steep gutter/hill. I want to swap out the 'R' style pin with a locking/flip pin that is more secure.

My cheap, Chinese Round 7 pin plug isn't wired correctly, either need to rewire it at the junction box or get a high quality, new one that's wired right.

The drop legs were added to the rearmost stake pockets, but I'm a little worried that they'll put stress on that portion of the trailer. I thought about putting them at the very rear of the trailer and could, if I but the right tube to sleeve it with.

The rear crossmember that captures the decking is bolted down with 6, 3/8" Grade 5 bolts. Previously that piece was welded in place and got bent pretty bad when something hooked it while offloading by the PO. I welded on some 1" angle iron that the ramps hook onto, there are some pieces of angle iron supporting it, that the ramps rest on. I think the bolts will be under a decent bit of stress...? I thought about adding more, but don't know that it's needed?

I have a drop leg for the trailer jack that should be arriving any day, so I'll be able to unpin and drop it rather than hand crank it all the way. Also have a rubber license plate mount coming, planning to mount the plate under the light with a beefy sheetmetal bracket, hoping the plate will swing out of the way if/when it gets dragged.

Need to replace the Bearing Buddies, as one is missing. Also need to go thru and tighten up the bearings, noticed a couple are loose as is.

I need to get a new wheel & tire for the spare, going to get a Maxxis 8008 tire. I'd really like to update the wheels & tires to steel Mod wheels and all new Maxxis tires, but that wouldn't be cheap. The old white wagon wheels look kinda crappy after all this work!

 

[Herzog]

That looks brand spankin new. Nice work Greg!

 

[Greg]

That looks brand spankin new. Nice work Greg!

Thanks Shane, it turned out even better than I had hoped!

 

[Unimog]

I didn't thin it, but it could have used it. My gallon should have been tossed on a paint mixer for a good 5 min, too.... it was solid at the bottom. I spent quite a bit of time stirring it, but when I was pouring paint into my gun, there were still chunks. My gun clogged up a handful of times, too.... so it probably could use some thinning, along with a good deal of mixing.

That stuff has a LOT of solids in it. I'm frankly shocked that you could get it to spray without thinning it! Trailer looks great with the new wood on it!

 

[Hickey]

Looks fancy, sir.

 

[I Lean]

One thing adding sheetmetal inner fenders will do, is help prevent those fenders from bending quite as easily when they get stepped on.

Are your boards not held down with anything, other than the ends clamped under the angle? That's probably fine for a while, but I bet the wood starts twisting in the middle. I'd add some bolts or screws every so often. (I used carriage bolts on mine, but the standard is self-drilling, self-tapping screws that rust in place then break off when you try to remove them)

 

[Hickey]

One thing adding sheetmetal inner fenders will do, is help prevent those fenders from bending quite as easily when they get stepped on.

Are your boards not held down with anything, other than the ends clamped under the angle? That's probably fine for a while, but I bet the wood starts twisting in the middle. I'd add some bolts or screws every so often. (I used carriage bolts on mine, but the standard is self-drilling, self-tapping screws that rust in place then break off when you try to remove them)

The other reason the bolts break is because the wood swells with weather changes.

 

[Greg]

One thing adding sheetmetal inner fenders will do, is help prevent those fenders from bending quite as easily when they get stepped on.

Are your boards not held down with anything, other than the ends clamped under the angle? That's probably fine for a while, but I bet the wood starts twisting in the middle. I'd add some bolts or screws every so often. (I used carriage bolts on mine, but the standard is self-drilling, self-tapping screws that rust in place then break off when you try to remove them)

I actually added a thick piece of sheet metal between the angle iron brace and the fender, just for that reason. I was joking around with my neighbor about adding a "No Step" sticker to the fenders and he said he'd make a few at work. Personally, I'm going to avoid stepping on the fenders, but additional strength would be a good thing. The thing I really didn't like that with the previous fenders, there was a ton of rust & junk that was trapped between the frame and fender sheetmetal. I'd like to prevent that from happening in the future.

Correct, the decking is captured at both ends of the trailer and that's it. That's how it was built from the factory, strange enough. I already bought a bunch of carriage bolts, planning to drill and bolt down the deck to crossmembers, starting with the 2nd crossmember from the front and the 2nd to the last at the back.

 

[Greg]

Been working in WY & then out of town to CA, finally got back to the trailer with a few minor details to button it all up.

Upgraded to a full set of Macs Custom Tie Downs, versus the old raggedy set. I like the Macs because the hooks have a lock, if they get any slack they won't fall off like an open hook. Also, the ratchet is much smoother and easier to operate. Since the CJ2A is so short, the tie downs don't wrap around the rear axle how they're meant to. I added a axle strap to make it work.

Mac's offers these neat Weld-On axle mounts that would make tieing down a vehicle a quick, simple operation. I plan to add them to the Willys in the future. - http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/product/Weld-On-Axle-Housing-Bracket/Anchor-Plates

Got the trailer jack drop foot, so I can unpin and drop it versus winding all the way down & up.

Installed the rubber license plate mount, so if the plate drags it'll move and not just bend & break off.

Upgraded the ramp pins to Lynch Pins versus Cotter Pins.

And I found some beefy steel wheels that weld on, that I want to get and install on the rear of the trailer so they roll and protect the ramps if the trailer drags. - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XOU39W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1


Still need a battery, solar panel and to wire up the winch.

 

[bryson]

Trailer looks good! Any concern with the winch only being held on by the 2 3/8"(?) bolts mounted in tension? I know it's a small winch, but...

 

[Greg]

Trailer looks good! Any concern with the winch only being held on by the 2 3/8"(?) bolts mounted in tension? I know it's a small winch, but...

No concern at all, because there are actually 4 bolts attaching the winch plate. 2 vertical and 2 horizontal, all 4 thru beefy crossmembers. You probably just couldn't see the other 2 in the previous pic.

 

[bryson]

No concern at all, because there are actually 4 bolts attaching the winch plate. 2 vertical and 2 horizontal, all 4 thru beefy crossmembers. You probably just couldn't see the other 2 in the previous pic.

View attachment 129288

I feel better now.

 

[Greg]

Finished up the trailer rebuild with a new spare tire, battery in the tool box and wired up the winch.






Then went out and tested out the new winch by loading up the next project and dragging it onto the trailer. It worked great!

 

[zgfiredude]

Greg,............you have a problem.

 

[Herzog]

That trailer is so fresh I hate mine now.

 

[Greg]

The wood deck was starting to look faded and worn, so I slathered it in another layer of Boiled Linseed Oil. Should help the wood hold up thru another Winter. Debating covering the wood with a tarp to help keep the moisture at bay.

 

[Mouse]

You motivated me to do the same to my trailer. Added some boiled linseed oil to the deck in hopes of making it last a year or 2 longer.

 

[I Lean]

You motivated me to do the same to my trailer. Added some boiled linseed oil to the deck in hopes of making it last a year or 2 longer.

Same. It's been a couple years since I put linseed oil on, and the wood is drinking it up pretty good.