Author Archives: robsworkshop

Old K-Mart 4×8 Folding Trailer PAGE 3

Sept  30  2020

Finishing the Trailer :

Once I joined the two halves together upside down it’s easy to do a good wiring job..  Consideration for the folding must be made.

This is were I do things a bit different..  First off I use loom to protect the wires,  Mostly the vehicle plug end.

A hole through the tongue on the left side and the loom passes through that with a tie so it can’t be pulled out.

The other thing I do is run the ground wire directly to the lights instead of relying on the frame as most do. This is far more reliable on any trailer because ground connections to the frame can rust and become poor. Plus this trailer folds up and there is two painted hinge points that would not allow ground to work well.  Bright ideas means bright lights !

Here’s how I solved the hinging problem..  Enough of a loop to accommodate the folding but keep it tucked up..

 

When the trailer is flipped over this with be the right hand light.

The lift table is SOOO great..  just roll the trailer over and lift to a comfortable height for working…

Well it’s all done and listed for sale..  She’s a cutey ..  folds up and stands up like it should.

And it’s still a very useful 4×8 trailer.   Nice and light.

End of this post..  it was fun …  Rob

Old K-Mart 4×8 Folding Trailer PAGE 2

Sept  22  2020

–Cleaning & Painting :

Well I looked at the frame sitting on the saw horses out side .. and it looked like a real chore working on it..  SOOO   I took the whole thing apart… all the nuts & bolts.  They were rusty and some of them broke.

Now I’m left with just a pile of metal pieces that are easy to clean.  These cross pieces are all the same …so they can go in any order.

Same goes for the stake pockets..  I bought all new bolts to put it back together.  AND !

I’m keeping the folding ability.  These are the hinges,   all they need is a good cleaning and a bit of straightening.  I will also need to replace the angle iron feet the the trailer would rest on when tipped up for storage.   The weather turned to rain so I had to bring the whole works inside.

The whole trailer ( minus the wheels) is here on my lift table.  All cleaned and ready for painting..

And we have it..  just like new!  I”l let these cure for several days.  Then when we have a nice day I’ll go get a sheet of plywood and put the puzzle back together.

All eight stake pockets are spiffy again too.  Everything has a nice coat of paint now.  And it cured enough to put back together.

Here’s the front half of the frame..  like putting a puzzle together.  I left the bolts loose so I could use the plywood floor to square the frame up.

Of coarse I put a coat of stain on the underside of the plywood.  That’s 5/8 ”  GIS plywood fastened to the frame with 1/4 ” galvanized carriage bolts.  Not SCREWS !  This is strong and will last for many years.   Screws will become loose and rust easily…  bad!

Like I said all new bolts with locking nuts are used .  The stake pockets are on now too. Ready for wiring and lights.  Let’s have another page for the finishing …

  PAGE 3

Old K-Mart 4×8 Folding Trailer PAGE 1

Sept  15  2020

Yes K Mart !

 

Here’s the proof…  These were kit trailers ,  they sold them in a box ..you bolt it together.  There is no welds…all bolts holding the frame together.   Can Tire , Harbour Freight and others sold them.  The date says 1995.  Sure why argue with that 25 years young.

How did I get it ?

Someone was moving across Canada and selling things like trailers.  Cheap and with registration.  That always catches my attention. Doing the ubiult thing is a pain.  So I put more value on a trailer with papers.    And this is what it looked like… Kinda home made.  Little 8 inch wheels hiding under there.

I could see that there was another trailer hiding under all those wooden parts.  The lights were broken and the wiring was hanging down… but sorta worked.. didn’t care.. I replace that stuff anyway.

Time to see what’s under this mess.  Maybe mess is too harsh.. cause it did work for the guy..  Sooo  out comes the screw gun and the crow bar.

I get down to this and there’s a legit 4×8 trailer .. with fenders , stake pockets and lights.. (however the left taillight is missing).

The plywood deck is actually ok..  but there’s too many holes from screws.  So I think I would replace it.. Need to repaint the frame anyway ..it’s a bit rusty.  Needs new tail lights and wiring ( done right).  Make new sides and there you have a good trailer.

Let’s Fix it  !

The first step is to strip it all down.  So just the basic frame is left.  Amazingly it’s not super rusty… and just like the registration says it’s grey !  I’ll keep that color on the frame but use the tough black paint on the axle , hubs and springs.

Here’s the plywood floor with a few of the bits and pieces.  I will be replacing the 1-7/8 coupler with a new 2 ” coupler.  And the bearings will be checked for excessive ware .   It was discovered that this trailer was a folding trailer. The 8ft deck folded in half and the tongue folded up too…so you could store the trailer in a small space.  Someone added some welds and a few bolts to make it rigid.  And that’s fine.

This solves the lights and wiring …as well as a new 2″ coupler.  I have 3 of the wiring kits.. So it’s nice to find a home for one. Bearings however have been a bit of an issue.  The hubs had play in them.   Seems the standard trailer kit is not a good fit.  Fortunately one of the four bearings was good and fit ..  so with the number we were able to order three more.. Once the hubs are good  then we are down to the cleaning and painting.

Let’s do a Page 2

12 ft Kencraft Boat

Sept  9  2020

Another trip to the lower mainland

Well I don’t need any more projects..  But this isn’t one..  ready to go and kinda special.

And I have to admit it was the bimi top that sold me..  Also i prefer Fiberglass boats to aluminum..   They don’t leak when they get old.  But this boat isn’t old …. as boat go 1995 Kencraft made in Port Coquitlam.  Very sturdy, with good free board ( height of sides), so if the lake gets a bit choppy no worries.  The motor is a 15 hp Tohatsu (Nissan) 2 stroke outboard.  Runs great…also from 1995.  Lots of goodies came with the boat …  fish finder with GPS,  down riggers, rod holders, Storage cover, anchor, and a few more small things.  The trailer is great …new axle & wheels, LED lights ..

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Even a spare (new) 6 gallon fuel tank.  The whole package is good to go… but not perfect.  Here’s a short video .. We took the boat out to Christina Lake for a shake down cruise.

Beautiful day on the lake …  And we are finding some things that could be improved.

Trailer :  I don’t like the 1-7/8 coupler …  I like 2 “..  everything else is 2 ”  so that needs to be changed.  The wiring & 4 pin plug are wrapped with tape..  I like to use loom.  Need a 12″ spare tire too.

Motor:  Just a bit of tuning.. maybe new plugs.  maybe touch up the scratches..

Boat:   Needs more weight up front.  So move the fuel tank , could use a polish…  maybe a nice blue stripe…  Hmmm.

And those seats are very comfy..

New 2011 Fun Finder 19ft Trailer

Sept  8  2020

Here we go …  After the family camp this summer we realized the 26 ft Wanderer trailer was a lot for the Avalanche to handle.  When we weighed it on the way home..  after all the food and drinks had been consumed !  the trailer was 500 lbs over what the Avalanche can safely tow.  The decision was made to  put the trailer up for sale. BOOM gone in a few days.  And we will look in the spring for a smaller trailer.   Well this little gem popped up on my radar…

Wow.. it ticked all the boxes we had agreed would be the ideal trailer.  And added a few extras too!  Power awning ! Power stab jacks !  Power tongue jack too !  A full queen bed ..full size fridge.. Pantry…  Best of all big pass-through storage …  Wow.. all this and weighs only 2800 lbs dry..  You can load up another 2500 lbs and still be under weight for the truck.

Had to go to Chilliwack to pick it up from a small dealer..  The price was a bargain for this size trailer.  Especially considering all the extras. Like a TV. The floor plan works for us no wasted space…and consider that we spend most of the time outside…  it works.

This photo shows how small the trailer is..  It’s 6 inches narrower than most travel trailers ..so I don’t need mirror extensions.  Also the hitch needs only a 2 inch ball.  No equalizer setup either..  With only 290 lb tongue weight ans a good balance there is no bounce.

The decor inside is light and bright.  The windows are dark tinted.  We are fairly certain the trailer was not used much..  as everything is like new.

The dinette is small..  but there is only two of us.

This is all we need for a kitchen..  just make coffee and never use the oven.  There is a nice microwave though.

Full size fridge, and plenty of cupboards.  More if we remove the TV.

So the Fun finder is winterized and stored for the winter… early because there won’t be a chance to use it this year..  It takes up very little room in the RV carport.  A few things are on order , like new LED tail lights, LED interior lights,  and the 2 20lb propane tanks are expired, so we will exchange for new ones.

New Yard / ATV trailer (little)

May  23  2020

The one I bought is ok.. just ok.  It is 48 ” long but only 40 ” wide.   I wanted one that was the same width as my ATV.   Solution..  build one.  I have the old axle from the Scamp trailer.  So I bought a set of new 8 ”  wide trailer wheels that fit.

Nice !  but the axle is wayyy too wide.  So I cut 24″ out of the middle. That put the wheels on the same track as my ATV.   I also wanted more clearance for traveling over things in the bush..  So i turned the axle 45 degrees so the arms point down.

Mounted that up to some angle and we have the start of a tiny trailer.  Then build a 4ft x 4ft  frame with steak pockets and that is the size I wanted.

Made a tongue that allows the deck to tilt..  and  there you have a tiny trailer !

Added a stabilizer jack from an old tent trailer, and a new 2″ coupler.  Prefect !  Now I’m painting up some 1/2 ” ply for the floor and sides.

And yes the wood parts are blue… just like the ATV.

I sold it to a neighbour after moving to Alberta.

1982 Frontier Class B+ Page 2

March  28 2020

It’s spring !

And the Frontier is on the TO DO list..

Soon …very soon I will be moving the Frontier to the driveway in front of the garage and start working on the list.  But for now I’ll pre – – build some of the panels so they are ready to install.

Here’s the charging / info panel that will mount below the thermostats and the existing panel.  Powering this on will give me an accurate battery level.  I also made a smaller USB panel to mount near the dinette for charging and powering electronics.   I’ve checked out the wire routing and I can do this.

The Frontier is in front of the garage now and I stared work .  One of the first things was to get the “tuck” tape off two of the hatches.  Yes that was the fix for doors that would not stay closed !  My fix was to install new latches…  done.   And I’ll stick to working on the outside for a bit..  Removed the bush bar Spare tire mount from the van.  It’s getting a new paint job in the shop..  And with a color matching the van.

I can use the same paint to touch up the rust spots on the van.   Oh and the Frontier got a bath…  a good scrubbing for sure..

These photos don’t really show the difference.  Maybe this one does..

Yup looking spiff.   When the weather warms up I’ll do some wax too.  In the mean time I really needed to get the roof and the vents sorted out..

This will be part of that work.  A new Max Fan for the rear vent opening..   And vent covers for the other two.  In fact everything on the roof is getting attention.  It’s taken two days but I got the roof to where I can say it’s leak proof.   New vent covers , New fan, New plumbing vent cover..  and the TV antenna is removed and nicely patched.   Let it rain !

time to investigate more of the secrets inside the cabinets..   First off the mystery Bus heater..  It runs constantly when the ignition is on..  There’s a thermostat on the wall that is suppose to control it.  Not working..  So I took the panel of..  and found this green thing ..

Well it’s an aux heater..   plumbed into the motor coolant lines.  And it appeared to have a small leak !  And the control box  was most likely the cause of the control not controlling stuff..   I thought about it and I really don’t need this heater..  So here it is ..  and the long hoses connecting it are gone.  Now I have a power wire I can use for something else. and more storage.

Nice day today.. So I got to work installing new Led lights..  Then I could get the vent trim back in place.

This new light takes care of the holes left from the TV antenna.   Over the table it could be handy.

This one is just a bonus… wires were handy.  Next the light over the sink..  The lights over the couch and the dinette are remaining the old ones they are cool and work good.. just changing the bulbs to LEDs.   Because of the circumstances in the world and here in BC  going camping is not happening for awhile.. so any more work on the Frontier will wait till other things are done.  I have a list..

It’s May…  the weather is getting warm..  but the camping season will be delayed till the Government opens up the camp sites.  My work on the roof has allowed the Frontier to stay out in the driveway ready to pick away at some odd jobs.  Like the rusty patches on the front of the hood.  And the paint chips .

I matched the paint very well and hard to tell unless you get very close.  Once this job is done I can re mount the guard on the front..

Done!  The real purpose of this is to hold the spare tire.  I’ve taken the dash apart and wired the new stereo properly.  But I still have more wiring to do..  like running lights.

Some things won’t get done..  but new things have popped up like the power converter.  And it had to be fixed..  Luck for me we had a spare..  newer one too!  While doing that the closet floor had to be removed …So all those issues got fixed.  Also the USB / power center got installed .  The whole interior got a good cleaning and all the appliances tested..  Ready to go.

79 Scamp / Acorn Restore page 6: The Re-Assembly

March  20 2020

Now that the painting is done and had time to cure …  it’s time to get this puppy buttoned up…  Spring is here and I need the shop for other things.   And I’ve decided too sell the Acorn without doing anything to the interior.  The decor is a personal thing..  I provide the solid “like new ” trailer and someone gets to personalize  it.

The windows are going in..  and the door is next.

Also the fridge vents are painted and back…

Today was a very nice day..  Perfect for putting the body back on the frame… and we did just that..

Now I feel confident enough to mount the door and adjust it properly.  Once that is done then just need to wire up the running lights and install the roof vent and it’s good to go..

Well and bit of a snag.. the door is not fitting !  When I bought the trailer the door was mounted but hanging down because the floor was cut away on the hinge side..  So there was no way to see the fit..  It’s obvious the door in a newer one and not the original.  The problem is there’s not enough curve to match the door opening.  Now it could be taken apart ..a template made and the curve changed..

Here you can see the gap at the top….

And the bottom too !  When I formed the body I was careful to keep the door frame parallel and straight ..   But the curve is molded into the body..  and the steel brace behind the hinges is pre-bent to the proper curve..  ?  So what to do..   I have an idea..  temporary but will keep the rain out .

Well the Scamp is done !  Outside and for sale.  Looks good with the moons on the wheels.

The ride height is good.   The lights all work as they should.  I’m putting all the cabinets back in place..

 

So now we will see if someone wants a bit of an interior project..

And yes they did… SOLD  to nice folks from Kelowna

2013 Husqvarna Swedish Mower

March  10 2020

I found a used one !

These are pricey little mowers.  And that’s why they didn’t sell very many in North America.  So finding a used one is great.  New ones are twice the price of a lawn tractor.  But they do mow better, turn sharper and maneuver around better.  And one of the best things is how the front deck pulls out and flips up for cleaning and blade changes…  very slick !

The other cool thing is the articulating steering…  just like a big loader these bend in the middle ..  Quite sharply too.

These mowers could be bought as an AWD or just rearWD.  The one I got is the later.  Three different decks were offered too.  I got the big 48 inch side discharge deck.  Most were mulching smaller decks like the ones in the photos.   Here’s mine….

I saw these many years ago at the equipment stores in Calgary…  And was impressed with everything but the price.  And now I’m happy to have one …  and this will take over the lawn cutting duties from the Kubota 1850 .   I hope it’s as reliable as the Kubota..   The Kubota has been having over heating problems when running the 52 inch mowing deck .. only..  everything else works great.

The power is a conventional Briggs 20 hp V-Twin..  And it drives a hydrostatic  transmission and a belt to the mower deck.  Easy to service and simple.  And I like foot pedal operation..

Yard work has begun !  And I have been using the Husky quite a bit..  Without doing anything to it ..  It’s running great !   I love it.   when the shop is clear I’ll get to sharpening the blades.

79 Scamp / Acorn Restore page 5: The Body Work/ Painting

Feb  17  2020

There is not near as much body work needed as was for the Boler.  No pool paint to sand off..   While the body is still laying on it’s side I’m going to fill the holes in the roof and modify the roof vent..

And then with a little help..   The Acorn is back on it’s feet (wheels).

Ya we rolled it inside the shop..  Only a little grunting..  Now I can get the body ready for paint..  That requires filling holes, cutting the side windows bigger, and finish up the roof vent.  I have already fixed the lower skirt in the rear of the trailer…  so we are part way there.

I’m almost ready for paint !  just cutting the openings for the three replacement windows.

Slightly larger radius windows..  Good thing we are doing this now … I realized the holes in the corners needed filling.

This was the only crack I needed to repair.  And I believe it was caused by the weight of the door without any floor or any thing to support it.  But !

There was a hole for the heater that I don’t have..  So I patched it..

Now ready for painting…..

First step is the primer…   Bushed out the places the roller won’t go and all the patches..  so I can see how they look and if a little touch up is needed before the paint.

And there you have the primer… just the first coat….

And moving right along..  After the second primer coat was dry..  and sanded..  I’ve got a first coat of the white & the gray ..  I’m needing more of the whit so it’s off to Kelowna for more..

Still needs a second coat on both top and bottom.. but you get the idea..  Scamp’s were normally all white.. but not in my shop..  I figured the gray would balance the trailer and it’s neutral enough to be pleasing.

And now with the second coat..  the Scamp is not looking shabby ! So on to the interior painting.  I got some really good paint for that..  But first I’ll need plywood glued behind some of the things like the fridge vent covers, water fill and drains and the electrical hatch.  Reason…  no more rivets..  I’m using stainless steel wood screws.  And they won’t hold in just the fiberglass walls.

Now it’s time for putting things back together…  New post

Re-Assembly Time… Page 6