Jim Branaum

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I was reading another thread where someone got a new trailer and it occurred to me that it has been over 10 years since this subject was beat up and it is time to do it again.

So I will start with a report of my trailer and what is done to it and include pictures at the end to highlight the report. Many of the things I have done are modifications of ideas I saw others use.

First off, the basic trailer is a 6 x 12 V nosed cargo trailer with a side door and a ramp door. I paid for several options - stabilizer jacks, under floor spare, LED lights, and pressure treaded plywood for the floor. One of the first things I did was to put pipe insulation around my locks to keep from scratching the trailer. When they started splitting and falling off, I covered them with some large heat shrink I have for RX packs. Now they are 'robust'.

My inside additions are held in with 1/4 x 20 metal screws going into screw fixtures I bought at Grainger similar to what some of us use in our models. Drill a hole, use a wrench and a tool to set them in the walls - but I added Gorilla glue to the outside threads to hold them in.

My first addition was a 'sub floor' made of 3/4 inch ply and held in place by 2x4 's on each side of the trailer from the rear to the front of the extra layer of floor. Originally I planned to screw blocks and carrying fixtures to the floor - and did that for the first season but have changed it this week due to space constrictions and utility considerations. More on that later.

The second step was to build a work bench - again 3/4 ply wood on 2x4 in the V with a shelf above it. Both the shelf and the workbench have an "L" shaped 2x4 on the front adding structural stability and a lip to help keep things in place when I am driving.

Then I took a bunch of 2x4's and drilled them every 2 inches with a 11/16 drill bit set at 15 degrees. These became uprights I put 1/2 inch electrical tubing covered with pipe insulation into to support 'things'. In between each hole I put an eyehook for the tube retainer system. On the side of the 2x4 at each hole I put a 1 1/4 inch sheet rock screw with a 1/2 inch piece of plastic straw over it for the load retention system. When loaded, either put some elastic around the screws and the load or use a bungee cord around the load and screws. On the curb side there is an upright every 2 feet from the side door to the rear and on the other side they start at the work desk and go back.

Since the tubes can (and have) come out with rough roads, I took a 5/8 dowel and cut it into 1 inch sections, and sanded it just enough to go into the end of each tube. I then put in eyehooks to stop the plugs from going all the way in and to give me a base for the retaining system. On the short tubes, I use a 10 inch bungee cord and on the longer ones I have made up (using elastic from a fabric shop and 1/16 piano wire for a hook) a cord to hold them in place. Put the tube where you need it and hook up the tube retention cord or bungee and load up.

Then I got a large RV/Marine battery and sited it on the work bench. That location is intentional. Those batteries outgas hydrogen, and I want that to be above any electrical stuff that may be sparking from time to time but unlike a friend I have no desire to try to put it in over my head. I put it on the side opposite the curb for ride smoothness and put the large (2K watts) inverter just below it on the side of the trailer. I also put in an LED light strip (Amazon for less than $20 and 12V) and a toggle switch to turn it on and off. The light strip goes down the middle area of the trailer with about 4 feet of it across the shelf above the work bench. I added a 68 watt solar system (peel and stick panel) to keep the battery up and added a line off the battery to plug in my 4 port charger.

A few things I added later and changes I made based on experience. I have some folding chairs and a pop up tent that get carried in the back. I found it necessary to put in structure to keep them in place during heavy braking. I also did the same thing on the 'short' (curb) side of the trailer for my wings. I really hated to open that side door to find wings blocking my entry and I did not want to have to build an elastic net to keep everything in place - which is also why I have a tube retention system.

The side door got a couple of 1x 2's in an "H" frame to carry props but I was not impressed with that and went to a rack with 3 bays to lay them down in. These are glow props as the gasser stuff is elsewhere. At the bottom of the "H" is a nut and bolt drawer set with elastic wrapped around a 1x2 centered over each drawer column and screwed to the top of the case. The elastic is pulled down and (using hook and loop stuff) held in place at the bottom. This keeps the drawers closed when I make my race track turns.


I guess the photos will have to wait until I figure out how to reduce them in size to below 5 meg each.