TARDIS has spent her whole life on a dolly I made for her, and out of the elements in a garage. It was time for her to grow up and live outside, so she needed a trailer.
My neighbor in Pasadena, Larry, said he would help me make the trailer I bought, fit TARDIS.
We decided the axel should be moved forward twelve inches. That would put it under and to the back of the area of the ballast. Larry went to work, and he has the knowledge and all the tools to do a good job.
Next, two crossbars were made from angle iron and were spaced evenly along the frame. These were needed to mount the rollers that TARDIS will rest on.
The wench bracket was cut off and a short piece of angle iron was welded to both the front and aft leg. With holes drilled in each piece, Larry bolted the wench with two U-bolts he made from all-thread. He did it this way so it will be adjustable.
TARDIS was loaded onto the trailer to see how it fit. Larry had to drill a few more holes for the front rollers.
One of the tires on the trailer had a leak. I decided to go ahead and buy two new tires. These look better.
The lights didn't work, so it has new lights and wiring now. Oh, and it now has a trailer tongue jack. After Larry got through, it didn't even look the same, and it fits TARDIS perfectly. Larry did a fantastic job. We wieghed the tongue with TARDIS on the trailer, and it weighed 148. The ballast is not in place yet, so that will add a few pounds, but not many.
My neighbor in Pasadena, Larry, said he would help me make the trailer I bought, fit TARDIS.
We decided the axel should be moved forward twelve inches. That would put it under and to the back of the area of the ballast. Larry went to work, and he has the knowledge and all the tools to do a good job.
Next, two crossbars were made from angle iron and were spaced evenly along the frame. These were needed to mount the rollers that TARDIS will rest on.
The wench bracket was cut off and a short piece of angle iron was welded to both the front and aft leg. With holes drilled in each piece, Larry bolted the wench with two U-bolts he made from all-thread. He did it this way so it will be adjustable.
TARDIS was loaded onto the trailer to see how it fit. Larry had to drill a few more holes for the front rollers.
One of the tires on the trailer had a leak. I decided to go ahead and buy two new tires. These look better.
The lights didn't work, so it has new lights and wiring now. Oh, and it now has a trailer tongue jack. After Larry got through, it didn't even look the same, and it fits TARDIS perfectly. Larry did a fantastic job. We wieghed the tongue with TARDIS on the trailer, and it weighed 148. The ballast is not in place yet, so that will add a few pounds, but not many.
She trailed behind my Jeep very well, and now sits patiently in a fenced yard by the canvas shop, waiting for her hardware.
One thing that makes your Blog different and so useful to read is that when you do something (like the trailer) you do it the right way the first time. I never thought about moving the axle or adding extra beams. I am still fiddling with my trailer after two years and many trips with my boat.
ReplyDeleteLarry knew just what to do to distribute the weight exactly where it needs to be. I don't know what I would have done without him.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that there are no window "glass" in "Tardis". I'm curious as to what material you'll be using and where you will or have sourced it. I love the picture sequence of the trailer re-assembly, very informative. Did you have to lift the bow of Tardis to reach the level of the rollers and, if so, how far? Great looking trailer... simple and straight forward.
ReplyDeleteThe trailer looks great! It certainly looks sturdy enough to lift the boat. Even though you encountered a problem with the tire, I think Larry did a pretty good job building Tardis a trailer of her own. Now, Tardis can live outside and go to where the water is with the help of her new trailer.
ReplyDelete