New Haul and Tow RV transporter build

[tonkadoctor]

Got a late afternoon start today because I was busy for several hours wrestling with my 55 lb and 75 lb lab mix puppies giving them a harcut and a bath and of course I ended up completely trashing the bathroom and giving myself a bath fully clothed in the process. Hey once you're completely soaked from the neck down you might as well climb in the tub to hold them from constantly jumping out and finish the job.

Finished mounting and welding up the crossmembers for the center channel and fenders today. Tomorrow I should have the sheetmetal welded on the fenders, fabricate the winch mount and hopefully get the upper portion of the center channel drilled and mounted.

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[tonkadoctor]

Today I got the toolbox mounted with "Buyers" brackets. Was able to use mostly existing holes to mount the brackets with left over 1/2" grade 8 bolts. The totes I picked up at Walmart to organize the toolbox fit nicely.

Started the fabrication of the winch cable pulley from a snatch block. It won't be welded on until after the center channel is mounted. The winch and cable will be offset 4-1/2" to the left from dead center. this allows me to get a nice strait pull hooking up to the trailer like I do. The winch will be mounted between the frame rails, just above the new section of driveshaft, about 4' - 5' back from the sheave.

I've used this brand snatch block from tractor supply before and they work great exept when the snap ring comes off, the pully goes flying and the trailer free rolls backwards off the truck fast enough to destroy the winch mount when the cable finally catches it. Fortunatly I didn't damage the trailer BOTH times that happened. This is why I am using a 1" grade 8 bolt with a locknut. That never failed on me since I went that route with the last one.

P.S. My last 4" sheave that went flying out at the speed of light is somewhere in Goshen Indiana and I never was able to find it. $20 reward if found.

The angle reinforcing the sheave on the first crossmember is also a reinforcement for the center channel. This first crossmember takes a lot of stress and the welds often cracked here on the center channel on the last truck so this should cure that problem.

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[tonkadoctor]

The forward portion of the upper deck is done. Winch mount is fabricated and bolted in, the center channel is drilled and welded to the crossmembers and a bracket is welded in for a 7 pin plug to provide power to operate the optional electric tounge jacks that I'm seeing a lot of on small entry level trailers this year. This is one of the upgrades from the old truck due to lessons learned.

It's a royal pain to operate these by hand without a battery hooked up and these things kill a small breakaway battery fast. I don't waant to carry a battery for each trailer or move batteries from trailer to trailer. Every extra step you do loading or unloading adds up to a lot of wasted time. I want to load both trailers, be completely hooked up and be pulling out of the yard in 25 - 30 minutes and be able to unload both in 15 - 20 minutes.

The only fabrication left to do to the truck before the drop frame is fabricated is to weld the sheetmetal to the top of the fenders, install a couple crossmembers that tie into the drop frame and ........ Some top secret stuff I'm still figuring out exactly how I want to do it.

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[h2odrx]

Mike I can't wait to see a before and after Picture in one post....

 

[tonkadoctor]

Mike I can't wait to see a before and after Picture in one post....

Well your before and after pics almost happened today. It would have been a pic of the road tractor and a pic of a piece of charcoal.

We got really lucky today. Mama had left a brand new 100' extension cord she bought outside on a chair beside the shop and it shorted out and went up in flames while I was in the barn painting. It was plugged into the wall outlet but nothing else on the other end and wasn't under load.... I have no idea what caused it but I could hear it sizzling.

We could have lost everything.

Got a couple coats of Rustoleum "Safety Red" on the forward portion of the new body. Now I can permanently mount the toolbox and winch, start the wiring needed for the campers and start tying up the air lines and electrical.

Can ya see me now!!! Boy this paint is bright. Next person that hits my truck and says they didn't see it better run for their life because I'm just gonna lose it and beat the stupid out of them...... Even though Ron White says "You can't fix stupid" doesn't mean I can't try really hard.

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[geonc]

Looks killer Mike
Guess this rig won't have any of my blood on it
Best of fortune with this new rig and I truly hope you can bank some instead of dropping benjamins every time you stop

REAL spooky about that power cord

 

[The Warden]

thank goodness nothing got damaged!!

Truck's looking great so far

 

[tonkadoctor]

Looks killer Mike
Guess this rig won't have any of my blood on it
Best of fortune with this new rig and I truly hope you can bank some instead of dropping benjamins every time you stop

REAL spooky about that power cord

You had your chance but Nooooooooooo.......... you wanted to stay home and play with your toys on yer week off


I did salvage the nice pilot point 1/2" drill bit you destroyed with the Hole Hawg last time. Cut off the bent shank and drilled the center channel with it so we might have a little of yer spilled blood on this truck. Remember this pic

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[towcat]

tonka-
you're harsh.
poor SOB won't be able to answer for six weeks.

 

[tonkadoctor]

tonka-
you're harsh.
poor SOB won't be able to get any for six weeks.

Fixed it fer ya He's in drydock & living in the Hilton, he's got access to wifi......


I can't help that all he wanted to do was ride mama and chase the 4 wheeler on his week off.

 

[tonkadoctor]

Winch, line and block are installed and the winch is wired and operational. It's the Milemarker SI9500 9500 lb winch I scavenged off the old Ford truck after it was wrecked. The toolbox is also off the old truck and is now bolted in.

Put the air bags on the suspension and installed an adjustable leveling valve to replace the electronic Wabco suspension leveling system that was in the truck. I started routing the air lines but I need to pick up a few fittings tomorrow to finish this up.

I removed the switch for the sliding fifth wheel to install a Velvac suspension dump valve that fits this hole. Tore the dash apart a lot further than I wanted too getting ready to route the air line for the pilot signal from the switch. The air ride leveling system is completely air operated, no solenoid valves or other electical or electronic stuff here now... Keeping it as simple and trouble free as possible.

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[kawajockie]

Mike!

Awesome Color, Republican Red!

Happy Birthday!

 

[geonc]

Fixed it fer ya He's in drydock & living in the Hilton, he's got access to wifi......


I can't help that all he wanted to do was ride mama and chase the 4 wheeler on his week off.

Not quite the Hilton ;p more like Comfort Inn
Most hotels are booked solid with all the Gulf mess.......

Hey...I gots my priorities .........

 

[tonkadoctor]

Mike!

Awesome Color, Republican Red!

Happy Birthday!

Don't tell mom that, she'll want to paint it BarryOblue

 

[tonkadoctor]

Fender sheetmetal is welded on and the first crossmembers for the drop frame are installed and gusseted. These 2 crossmembers are also drilled for mudflaps.

Finished removing extra air lines and wrapped up the air line install for the air ride suspension. The dump switch is installed in the dash and the supply line is jumped to the differential lock. This is the standard way to install these air switches and they have ports built in to install jumpers between switches.

The Big CAT fired right up after sitting for about a month without being started. Tested the brakes and suspension dump and all is well. Need to put the dash back together and put a 1/4" union in the air line for the differential lock. It's Murphy's law that you will always be one little piece short to finish a job on a weekend when nothing is open.

Tomorrow is a big day. The truck will be pulled out and I'll move the new section of frame into the shop and get started on the drop frame that will carry the trailers.

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