For some time now I've had the remnants of a trailer tent trailer kicking about the place. It is pretty well ideal for our purposes as it has a wide wheelbase, torsion rubber suspension, small wheels and brakes both load & handbrake. It is plated at 400kgs, so should readily absorb most engines one might cart about the place. To save the Imperialists like me from reaching for the calculator, that's (round figures) 880 lbs, 62 stone or just under eight hundredweight.
I finally got a round tuit & last week and stripped off all the plywood, tailgate, fibreglass box sheeting etc, etc. The brakes are cable operated & can be trimmed to appropriate length in due course.
The frame was then laid bare & proved to be a rather flimsy looking oblong steel channel section welded to a pretty massive deep V section axle box. I angle ground off about a foot from either end, the final overall length being dictated by where it will be stored.
The end frames I then refitted to the open ends of the fore-and-aft channel sections. I drilled a pilot holes at the right angles where they met & opened these out to accept 10mm studding. This had nuts positioned inside the channels which were tightened both top & bottom using four nuts on one stud, if you follow me. It is certainly as solid as it was, but this will be augmented by welding in due course.
The drawbar was now far too long & I took nearly two feet off it , cutting the welded brackets off and cleaning them up for repositioning. A good friend makes his living welding important things together, so I simply repositioned the brackets & pop riveted them into place for welding.
That's as far as I've got. bracing struts & floor, uprights & sides, winch & telescoping props to follow - more news as it happens.
Regards,
Kim Siddorn
- who, upon the 14th of October, has an engagement on a ridge in Sussex. There, sword in hand, he will do his best to turn away the Norman invader but will inevitably die with his king.