Hitch Extension/Riser

When I did the spring over lift on the trailer it really made it tall. The lunette is about 30" off the ground. When I get my Jeep Unlimited (4-door) with a 4" lift and 37" tires, it should sit level. For now, with my 2.5" lift and 33" tires, the trailer has to really lean down. I've seen the adjustable ball hitches that all those huge lifted pickup trucks have, so I thought why not make something like that for the pintle. I started with a 12" receiver hitch tube from harbor freight which was on sale for $6.99 and grinded the paint off and cut it down to size.

Using 2" square tube I measured out enough length to clear the spare tire.

Then I welded it all together and added a angled piece for extra strength.

It looks kinda funky, we'll see if I end up using it. Once the trailer is painted I'll do some test runs to see if I like pulling the trailer with or without the hitch extension.

Lid Bondo

This weekend I filled in some of the small pinholes and pitted surfaces left by my poor welding skills on the top of the lid. The two sheets of 22 gauge metal were pretty tough to get a nice welded seam. So, rather than battling with spot welding hundreds of spots, I decided to fill it in with body filler.

Gas Springs

As I mentioned in a previous post, I found this company International Gas Springs on the internet. You fax them in the specifics of your project and they plug it into their computer program to figure out the correct strength, stroke, and mounting position of the gas springs for your lid. I'm not sure yet how I'll mount the springs since they have only a 1/2" long threaded stud on the end of the metal ball joints. They are pricey too! $215 with shipping. So, don't forget to budget that into your project.

Bedliner

Today it was warm and sunny enough to tackle bedlining the inside of the trailer tub. I picked up a duplicolor bedliner kit at Advance Auto Parts on sale for $46. I wiped down the inside with a scuff pad and solvent based cleaner first. Then I put two coats of goop on with the special brush.

Lid Mounted Trail Rack

After skinning the lid, I added a trail rack using 3/4" square tube. I went with 3/4" to reduce weight and make it easier to strap things to since most straps have a hook on the end that won't fit over 1"square tube. This is just extra storage in case I run out of room inside the tub on an extended trip. I purchased some "Clutch" fork mounts from Rocky Mounts to hold a couple bikes and bolt those to the lid.

Tail Lights

I've broken my TJ's tail lights on the trail before, and dented in the back of jeep quarter panel hitting them as well. I didn't think exposed tail lights would last long on this trailer, so I went for something flush mounted. The drawback is I am comprimising my water tight seal of the floating tub concept. However, the rubber bushing on the light does ok, and I'll add some silcone to seal it when everything's done. The lights are $15 each from Harbor Freight.

As seen from the inside picture, the light is pretty well tucked above the angled part of the tub, so I don't think it will interfere with packing gear. The light does have a small rectangular part that sticks out the back.

Cutting in the Lights

I ordered a nice hole saw set on ebay which made quick work of cutting the perfectly round holes for my LED marker lights. I wasn't too concerned about weakening the frame since mine has 1/4" thick plate of steel welded over the whole thing which increases its rigidity. After the hole was cut I popped in the light for a test fit. Works great.

Skinning the Lid

Above is a photo of the lid after I welded 22 gauge flat plate steel to the frame. This was a HUGE pain. I don't know if my welding skills are that bad (probably) or if I am missing a more obvious way to attach it and make a water tight seal.... The welder was on its lowest setting, but not burning holes in the thin metal was near impossible, as was getting a nice bead. Anyway, I finally finished after draining an entire 10lb tank of gas and then I grinded down my bumpy mess. This has left a pretty rounded edge, but I think its good enough. Here's a close up of some edges...

Here's a view of the underside. I tacked the skin to the frame on every cross member every 4 inches or so. I've heard drumming can be a problem on the highway, so hopefully not having more than 2.5ft x 2ft spans will keep noise to a minimum.

Unfortunately, the steel yard couldn't provide a single sheet big enough for the top. So, I had to use two pieces and weld it together.