Jah310 Trailer Build. Here goes...!

[MtnClimber]

Speaking from a lot of trailering experience, I always set the trailer brakes to my comfort level, which is when I can just feel the trailer brakes working. And I always seem to adjust/tweak them every time I go out. You don't want to rely too much on the braking from the trailer itself, but enough to know they're working.

 

[jah310]

I don't want to sound like a smart a$&, but use the directions to set the brake controller. I never use directions but did for my Tekonsha and it worked perfectly on the first try. Plus, you have a light trailer.

I set the controller up using the directions however when I fully engage the manual brake lever I can't get the trailer wheels to lock up. The manual says to set the power just below the lock up point when applying the manual lever at 25 mph. Given the size trailer I can't imagine this should be difficult. My power level is up to around 13 which seems way high... Do you remember what power level you set yours at? I know it'll be different for different size trailers, but i'm just curious.

I used a wiring harness specific for the Tacoma. The only "wiring" I had to do was ground the white wire... Maybe that ground isn't that good??

 

[jah310]

Speaking from a lot of trailering experience, I always set the trailer brakes to my comfort level, which is when I can just feel the trailer brakes working. And I always seem to adjust/tweak them every time I go out. You don't want to rely too much on the braking from the trailer itself, but enough to know they're working.

Okay - good to know. I definitely feel the trailer beaks working and they make a noticeable different. I'm just surprised I have to have the power setting so high...

 

[MtnClimber]

My power settings are usually around 6 to 7-ish (max), with a fully laden car trailer.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

I don't remember the specific numbers, but I followed the controller instructions (I have the same controller) and they worked great. I added a little boost to it, and it is spot on. By far the best brake controller I have used, love it.

 

[jah310]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I think when I get back this weekend I'll check the voltage at the brakes to see if I'm getting good readings. I feel I have a bad ground - if MtnClimber is at power setting 6 or 7 with a fully loaded car trailer then there should be no way my little 1500# expedition trailer needs to be at power setting 12-13. Agree?

 

[jah310]

Didn't get around to checking the brake controller, but did get some work done on the 11.5g water tank that will eventually be hooked up to a tankless heater for showering and "kitchen" purposes. The first thing I did was bend a piece of aluminum to go around the tank so it has some protection from items sliding inside the trailer.

Next I cut some one inch aluminum tube to act as a spacer between the side of the trailer and the tank...I needed it because with out it I wasn't able to screw the cap off without hitting the top cross bar. I then made brackets for the four bolts that go through the tank... you can see the bolt heads in the pic below - two inside the fender and two up above...

My favorite add on...bottle opener : )

I also drilled and preliminarily mounted the ARB fridge slide...

Just a cool shot of the welding sparks...

 

[jah310]

Ordered two five pound propane tanks and mounting brackets from the guys at Adventure Trailers...Super quick service and really slick little units. I'm planning on mounting one on each side in front of the fender... Should work perfectly.

 

[Chrisaod]

Sweet trailer man I'd love to build one like it.

 

[Expedition.Report]

I love the looks of your trailer!!


Sent from handheld smoke signal device

 

[jah310]

Thanks for the kind words guys...

Wanted to add some updates...I decided to install an inch shackle lift to level out the suspension...You can see there's a bit more space in the wheel wells in the pics below.

Then permentaly mounted those 5lb propane tanks... and tested the stove for fun. So far so good...

I also started on the plumbing for the water pump / and accumulator. I'm using an electrical box to house the units and various values. The plan is to have it mounted next to the water tank inside the trailer with the possibility of also pumping from a water source outside the trailer. Think 5 gallon bucket for showers. If we're near a natural water source, we can fill a bucket and switch the valve before the pump so it draws from the bucket in lieu of the internal 11.5g trailer tank.

 

[jah310]

Tested the water pump set up this morning... got a five gallon bucket and temporally wired it to the battery. Pump works great. Quieter than I thought, and had no problems pulling water out of the bucket. I tested both what will be the inlet from the tank and the auxiliary inlet - the valves worked well. Here's a real quick video...


I also worked on the water spout mount...this was trickier than I thought it would be, but I think I ended up with something that'll work. Drilled a hole in a tab and tapped two supporting screws. I'll weld the tab onto the drivers side top left side of the trailer... Here's a few pics of the tab with spout mounted.

Now I've just got to mount the grey pump / accumulator box inside the trailer, plumb it to the 11.5g tank, and run the hole for the auxillary inlet.

 

[jah310]

Got the water system mocked up with water flowing...check out the pics and vid below. I'm digging it : )

 

[jah310]

Not much by way of pictures, but I managed to get the auxiliary water inlet mounted...the red water bib down below acts as the aux water inlet. If I switch a few of the valves inside the pump box, the pump will pull from the red inlet instead of the 11.5g water tank. If we're near a water source we can just fill a 5 gallon bucket, attach a small hose and stick it in the bucket. The pump system will work exactly the same except the water source is different. Good if we don't want to waste the water in the tank, but are near a river or something.

 

[Mudicon]

Awesome build-up! :drool: