OT What have you done to customize your enclosed trailer? What would you do different?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: OT What have you done to customize your enclosed trailer? What would you do different?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jack Putnam, Bluffton, Ohio on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 08:20 pm:

I just acquired a new enclosed trailer and it is like a blank canvas. I am looking for ideas and would like to see pictures of what others have done to their "portable T garages".

Trailer 2014 (Medium).jpg


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jack Daron - Brownsburg IN on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 08:22 pm:

For starters I'd put those metal strips on the wall ,on the floor where they go.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jack Putnam, Bluffton, Ohio on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 08:28 pm:

Tie downs are in the floor, D rings, strips are on the wall when the kids want to move furniture!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Greg Whaley, Georgetown Ontario Canada on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 08:41 pm:

Eyelets on the wall to hang my ratchet straps, a back up camera, and a winch.

I can tell you one thing, the next one won't be a U.S. Cargo. Some of the crappiest workmanship I have ever seen. The guy who put it together must've had a liquid lunch that day.....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 08:49 pm:

I really like my roof vent! Bud.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Keith Gumbinger, Kenosha, WI on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 08:58 pm:

I Have a roof vent, but next time I'd get side vents. They can be left open and because they face the rear, water won't get in when driving.

I also have a box under the floor where the spare tire and jack go. It has a lift off cover on it and works good. Ya, I've had two flat tires, but the T sits just far enough back so I can get at the spare tire without moving the car out of the way.

The 2 little ceiling lights don't do much, so you can put in new LED lights along the wall to really light things up.

Keith


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 09:01 pm:

About 3 years ago, we saw an enclosed trailer that was about 20" or 24" or so long, and it was a very conventional looking car hauler trailer, except that it had a canvas fold-out bunk on one side like a fold-out tent camper trailer. Sure would be nice to have the option to be able to sleep comfortably in your car hauler trailer and WITH your "T" if you wanted to. The problem was that we originally saw this rig at a trailer sales place from a distance while passing by on the highway. A couple weeks later, went back to stop in and have a close look at that rig but the whole place was closed, out of business and empty.

Anyway Jack, that's what I would do to customize a car hauler trailer if possible, but I've never seen a trailer with that option since,......even online! There are a couple with inside sleeping quarters, however, they're very high priced and certainly out of my "league"!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Graham Lloyd on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 09:07 pm:

Get some logistic tracking on the floors all the way down both sides. Those d rings are never in the right place. Plus if you are hauling something small, the d rings are way too far apart.

I made aluminum bars to go across the front on the left side to hang straps, etc. Keep them all neat and off the floor.

Mounted the spare tire on the right nose piece. Keeps it from getting stolen.

Lastly, a good winch. T's are small, but if you haul a larger car, getting in and out of them is really tight. Good for non operating cars as well.

If the trailer is flat roof, make up a framework that supports the roof down the middle. Keeps the snow from collapsing the roof. Last winter there were a lot of damaged trailers from the heavy snowfalls.

One last thing. Have good quality straps with DOT rating labels sewn to them. The DOT is clamping down on car trailers. Too many unsafe loads. Big fines.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Hjortnaes, Men Falls, WI on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 09:26 pm:

With that chair in the back corner you need a hook to put the dunce cap on. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Cascisa - Poulsbo, Washington on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 09:31 pm:

My trailer is 8.5' x 16'. I added a small work bench with a vise. I hate working on the ground. When the T is in the trailer all of the stuff on the floor is neatly tucked away under the bench in milk cartons. The bench is only about 14" deep at the center.

Be_Zero_Be


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Canino on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 09:49 pm:

I have a dream..... A guy can dream can't he?............


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Val Soupios on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 - 09:59 pm:

I screwed drip pans to the floor in the appropriate locations and put a little speedy dry in them to absorb the drips from my early cars. I put a 2" ball in the front of the trailer floor and have a bracket that allows me to connect a winch to it if needed. I also replaced the roof vent with one that can be kept open all the time as it faces the rear.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 07:39 am:

That's the first trailer I ever saw with a built in Mother-in-Law seat!

A friend has a trailer and the floor is aluminum and is slicker then snot on a door knob. Another fellow took his wood floor and painted it with a quality floor enamel but threw some sand across the floor as he painted to give him traction.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Zibell on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 08:47 am:

I'd add a couple motorcycle wheel chocks. With the chocks positioned correctly, the car will be in the same spot each time you load. I'd have a friend help to position the car. You want the car position so that you stop just when the front of the trailer goes down when attached to your tow vehicle. That should distribute the weight correctly. Something like this works well http://www.amazon.com/Pit-Posse-Motorcycle-Removable-Warranty/dp/B000VD5V5K/ref= sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1414673054&sr=8-3&keywords=Motorcycle+Wheel+Chocks


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 08:56 am:

We have a closet pole to hang cloths in the front.Bud.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By G.R.Cheshire on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 09:22 am:

Lights lights and more lights nothing worse that trying to tie down a vehicle after dark I put these on the floor easier to see under the car
http://www.harborfreight.com/120-led-rechargeable-under-hood-work-light-60793.ht ml I have 2 of them and when I'm done the ends unscrew and the magnets hold them to the ceiling


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Les Schubert on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 10:54 am:

Three things
1. I had spray in box liner applied to the floor and about 6" up the sides. Worth every penny in ease of clean up.
2. I installed a 1 7/8" trailer ball securely into the floor in the "nose area. I have a electric winch with long cables that I can hook onto it, or where ever else I might need to use it. Sure makes loading a "dead car" easier.
3. I hung the spare tire about half way up the of the nose and on the door side. Out of the way and you can get to it WHEN you need it
I agree that the tie down tracks are nice, if your budget will stretch that far. You can always add them next year. Once the floor is oil dripped and dirty it is about impossible to clean!!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Brancaccio - Calgary Alberta on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 10:59 am:

Whatever you do DO NOT put tile on the floor and especially the door. We put black & white tile on and any time the door has any wet on it you cannot stand up. The door now has some of that paint you use on concrete with sand in it for a non-slip surface.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Graham Lloyd on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 11:20 am:

Chris: I had thoughts about tiling my 28' trailer. Thanks for letting us know the down side. I won't do it now.

Peel and stick tile? Where did you get it? I want to tile a room with that stuff and I can't find black and white tiles anywhere


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Claverie on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 11:43 am:

I use a completely different method of securing my T in its trailer. It does not require getting to the front of the car, and all work, of which there is very little, is done from the back.
I can put the car in or out in less than 3 minutes.

I'll be happy to send you pictures and the thread of comments on it, if you wish. Email me at peteraphra@bellsouth.net.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Floyd Voie - Chehalis, Washington on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 11:45 am:

Graham and anyone else who may be thinking of black and white tile where a rubber tired vehicle will be parked, just so you know .....if you park with the tires on a white tile you will find a brown stain where the tire was. It probably stains the black tile also you just don't notice it.
I have black and white tile where the wife's Corvette is parked and we made pads to go under the tires.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Val Soupios on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 12:12 pm:

I also found in my old trailer that the tiles eventually lift from the flexing of the floor. Tile might look nice but it is not practical. On my new trailer I painted the floor with epoxy and bought aluminum diamond tread that comes in a roll to lay a track on the floor for each wheel to ride on. The stuff is light weight, can be cut to size easily and the diamond tread pattern gives good traction. It also aids in lining up the car so it is perfectly centered in the trailer each time.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Saylor, Citrus Heights, Ca on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 12:19 pm:

Since I use my mine for things other than the cars, I tape an inexpensive plastic painter's drop cloth to the floor before hauling one of the T's. It catches the drips, saves the floor and I can just remove and throw in the trash when done.

Chris- I like the idea of the sanded paint on the drop down door.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jeff Hood on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 02:02 pm:

My trailer has barn doors on the back and there is less than an inch clearance on each side when loading or unloading through the doors. I put guide boards on the floor (2X4 on end)so that the car self centers and can not jump or slide off center when towing, and I can not get crooked when backing out. My ramps also have sides so the car must go straight.I also put wheel chocks where I want the car to stop so it is always in the same spot. Then I made wheel chocks with a stud that slides into a hole in the guide boards for the rear wheels so that the car is chocked front and rear. Then when it is tied down, the straps are pulling the wheels against chocks front and rear and not so much pulling against the radius rod ball mount. With the front and rear chocks,the guide rails,and four tie downs, the car does not move at all when in transit, and backs straight out.

I also have a winch in the front of the trailer with a control switch on a wire long enough to reach to the end of my ramps so that I can work the winch from the hook-up point. The guide boards really help when winching a car into the trailer too. My trailer has a side door, and also a front door, so access to the tie downs is easy and can usually be done while standing on the ground.

By the way, four tie downs are required in California, and probably most other states. I have seen Model T's put on trailers with nothing more than front wheel chocks and the parking brake used, and I have also seen anywhere from one to four straps used. Four are required by law.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jeff Hood on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 02:09 pm:

Ramp doors are nice, but can be heavy , and require a lot of space behind the trailer to open it. If you just need to get inside but not unload the car you may not be able to do it if someone is parked behind you. Barn doors allow easy access when parked, but you have to set up ramps to load and unload.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Keith Townsend ; ^ ) Gresham, Orygun on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 06:51 pm:

Jack-
Put some common sense fasteners on the wall and hang your side curtains.



These are not mine, but I liked the idea.

I would put them on each side, in the proper orientation, right where they would go on the car.

: ^ )


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Wrenn on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 07:06 pm:

Keith...looks like you can also practice your putting while the car's not in the trailer! :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John H. Nichols on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 08:42 pm:

In case I missed it, how about a GPS system, if God forbid Trailer is stolen with your T in it.

John


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Greg Whaley, Georgetown Ontario Canada on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 10:47 pm:

Forgot to add that to my original post. I put a GPS on my trailer about a month ago. It checks in once a day, and sends me an email/text if it moves.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul G in Illinois on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 10:53 pm:

HF has a winch remote control that can be added to any 3wire winch so you can operate it remotely from inside the vehicle or outside the trailer without using a loooong cable control.
http://m.harborfreight.com/wireless-winch-remote-control-69229.html - Works very well.
Seen several trailers that had wraps printed to show the vehicle on the outside walls - Need to do that come day.
Set up the trailer to display T related items at shows where you can park the T and the trailer together.
Put an identifying marker or a large QR code on the roof so you can be identified from the air - if needed some day.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wes Nelson ........Bucyrus, MO on Friday, October 31, 2014 - 10:29 am:

Paul, what is a QR code? I think marking the roof of my trailer is the best idea I've heard in a long time. Nobody ever thinks to look at the roof of what they're stealing! To add to that idea my roof is light grey I think my marking would be colored darker grey, because looking at it from a ladder, the markings could be over looked but from the air very visible.
I also like the idea of printing wraps, but for me it's about money right now. Again when one is pulling around a billboard the size of my trailer, I would think a thief would think twice about stealing one so unusually marked.
I have that HF remote you referred to in your post in my trailer and it works great. For me, it's great to sit and steer the first car deep into the trailer, lash it down and then fit the second car into the trailer perfectly.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Aldrich Orting Wa on Friday, October 31, 2014 - 11:01 am:

I put a winch in the front of mine.

Wish my door was large enough to accommodate my Tudor or even my Touring with the top up.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary H. White - Sheridan, MI on Friday, October 31, 2014 - 03:08 pm:

Need to do some minor repair on my Haulmark but screws they use have an eight point driver head. Like a Torx but with eight vs six points. Anyone know what this driver is called?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Greg Whaley, Georgetown Ontario Canada on Friday, October 31, 2014 - 03:14 pm:

Gary -try a #2 Robertson.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary H. White - Sheridan, MI on Friday, October 31, 2014 - 03:19 pm:

Thanks. Will do that.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob McDaniel(Indiana Trucks)Star City In on Friday, October 31, 2014 - 11:44 pm:

I have an extra 8 foot in my trailer so I put in a smaller camper fridge and counter top stove. I also added a small sink and shower with toilet inside. Toss a mattress down and you have a camper toy hauler!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard Wolf on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 07:56 am:

Gary;
I used a square and it worked perfect. There are several size squares avilable.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Haynes on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 10:29 am:

I would suggest installing the remote tire pressure sensors on the trailer tires. With the 8 ft wide trailer it is almost impossible to see the tires while driving. It could save you a tire or two as well as the aluminum fender on the trailer.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary H. White - Sheridan, MI on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 10:36 am:

Why not. Didn't think of that. Thanks.
Gary


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul G in Illinois on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 12:28 pm:

A QR code is one of those square product labels that can be scanned for more information. You can produce them yourself - even an app for your phone - that can be printed as large as you want. Can even be printed on a vehicle wrap large enough to be photographed and scanned, or scanned by a flyover. You can include quite a bit of info in one if you don't want to print in plain text on the roof. They are very obvious if you should ever need to notify the law to search for it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jack Putnam, Bluffton, Ohio on Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 05:55 pm:

There sure has been a lot of good suggestion on "trailer interior designing" and I thank you all. I am in the process of customizing the new trailer, but so far I have added a fire extinguisher mounted next to the side door, and two 4 ft florescence lights, 120 volt. Voltage supplied by a drop cord to the power inlet added to the outside, back up power will be from a power inverter and a deep cycle battery. It is nice to be able to see if you have to do mechanical repairs while on tour.
The spare trailer tire has been mounted at floor level on the left rear side. I paint the floor a light gray it makes it easier to find those little parts that seem to disappear when dropped.
Storage will be the next project. I will post a picture when completed. Thanks for all the input. JP


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mack Cole ---- Earth on Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 08:09 pm:

1 minor detail some folks may not think about.When mounting a tie down on the floor,dont just depend on a bolt head and tiny washer to withstand alot of pulling.
At minimum use a large fender washer on the bolts to spread the pull over a larger area of the floor.
On a trailer that has boards for a floor,I useally cut a piece of metal and drill holes in it to spread the pull over 2 or 3 boards.
May be a small detail but a tie down is only as good as what it is tied to it's self.
I have yet to build or buy a large enough box trailer to haul a T but I have built 3 small 1's over the years.

This green trailer hauls and stores the small 2 wheel tractors that are secured to the floor with turnbuckles to tiedowns bought at Northern tool.
If you notice the roof vent. It has a standard rv roof vent with a optional "MaxAir" cover installed over it. This allows for venting all the time without water and such getting in.
Ventilation when hauling something containing fuel is important.


This is the last 1 I built,still dont have it setup yet.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 10:08 pm:

When i put the D rings in mine i straddled the cross members with 2 bolts on each side.Pices of steel on the bottom of the members that the bolts go through.Bud.


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