My M1101 Project

[JPShooter]

Did you ever consider an inverter-style generator with 12 vdc outlets? If you did and chose otherwise, what considerations were there?

I am looking at the Champion 3100w Inverter generator - 120vac and 12vdc outlets - with remote start (convenient for kicking in that electric blanket when it gets really cold at night). I suspect that those 12vdc outlets would provide enough juice for most DC applications.

I'm not sure what you're describing with a inverter-style generator with 12vdc outlets. Do you mean something like the little Honda portable style gen? But why have a gen for 12 volt when you can just have a battery and some panels?

Of course panels need sun, and maybe that could be an issue, but then you can get a small cheap 2 stroke gen from Harbor Freight on sale for $100 and use that to charge you're battery if you need it. All this depends of course on what you're trying to power. If my down comforter and some blankets can't keep me warm I likely won't be out, so electric blankets aren't on my needs list. But I imagine those would need some juice!

 

[JPShooter]

My project is, as I stated above, in the pole barn for the winter (loaded to the back with lots of stuff on and around it). So nothing is happening again until the snow melts.

I do plan on doing a video that will detail what I've done so far, so I'll be back in the spring!

 

[dcarteaux]

Thanks for the info. The fabricator came back with an estimate of $1000, which is a bit high, so I have decided to go with unistrut. So far, no problems, but it will weigh a bit, but that will be mitigated by getting different wheels. It's a wash in weight, I'd guess.

One issue I am having is this: The original "hoop" rack on the M1101 trailers are connected by 3/8" bolts into a threaded nut fitting that is "pressed" into the metal. I am not sure how this is done, but it's pretty cool to have them inserted inside the frame like that UNTIL one of them pops loose and simply spins when I try to bolt anything to it, so it's an issue when trying to bolt the unistrut to that point. I doubt that I can re-press it into place so that it does not move, so I am looking for alternatives. Not much room to get glue/JB Weld into the frame without drilling (might be a near last resort), and I don't have a welder for spot welding. Last resort will be to punch it out and just bolt through the frame. Did you run into this? Any tricks that might help?

 

[dcarteaux]

Yes, a portable with inverter technology like the Honda but this one weighs about 100#. The AC will power my tools for bulding the new house, and I intend to have quite a few 12 vdc utilities (lights, small fridge, portable winch for moving logs and rocks and dropping trees, maybe a fan for summer), so having that available is nice. I will get a battery or two and charge them from the genset because solar is not likely to work where I will be most of the time, which is in the woods at my lake property, surrounded by 80 ft hardwoods. A homemade wind turbin generator might be on the project list!!

 

[thedudeabides]

The rack I built from 2x2 steel square tubing for the uprights with 1.75 x 1.75 for the inserts to gain some telescoping capabilities (20 inches).

I built in telescoping capabilities not to bring it to camp height (the lowered position is it at camp height) but to be able to raise the rack should I choose to load a quad in under the rack (rack raised with linear actuators). The top of rack is 78 inches off the ground in the lowered position (where it will be all the time). But if I need to load and unload a quad then I need a little space over my head to be able to crouch down and drive the quad into the trailer when loading and unloading. From the floor of the trailer to the bottom of the rack is 41 inches in the lowered (normal) position, and will be at 61 inches when raised with the linear actuators.
.

Hi! What type of steel did you use and what is the wall thickness of our 1.75x1.75 steel inserts? How have they done while extended? Also, where did you mount the linear actuators?

 

[JPShooter]

Hi! What type of steel did you use and what is the wall thickness of our 1.75x1.75 steel inserts? How have they done while extended? Also, where did you mount the linear actuators?

I don't recall the wall thickness on the inner portions, but they are thinner than the outer tubing as I never intended to run with the rack up. And with the rack down, which is where it stays, the inner tubes thickness is not a structural issue.

Some additional thoughts:
As it turns out I ended up mounting some items in the bed of the trailer permanently, therefor my reason for raising the rack (loading a quad) was made not possible.

The rack is already tall by the standards of most builders here, but I don't want to have to raise the rack every time I set up camp (I always use my annex, and another step just makes it more of a pain than it already is).

So other than loading a quad under the rack I no longer have reason to raise the rack and therefor did not mount the actuators. i did try them once and found that two placed in the middle of the rack is feasible but far from optimal. There should be four, one at each corner.

I think I addressed it already in this thread, but the height of my rack is to me a non issue. I have a truck with a rack on it that I do not take off and often put kayaks on, so a higher trailer is OK aesthetically as well as aerodynamically as far as I am concerned.

As to the higher CG and roll over concerns, I don't have any concerns. The M1101 is a very wide trailer (about 85 inches) and the CG of the unloaded trailer is just above the loading deck when empty. I have 21 gallons of water under the trailer and carry an additional 38 gallons in the trailer on the deck. Even with a steel rack and the largest CVT RTT up top (and two awnings and three bikes!) I'm certain that my CG is not above the top of the bed sides. If you look at a diagram of this trailer and calculate the angle that would have to be attained in order to put that CG over the pivot point (downhill tire), the angle is far greater than I would ever want to get my truck too.

 

[cyclic]

You can re-tighten those riv-nuts pretty easily.

How a riv-nut works................... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HcSeSzSJGI

And how I've always done mine using nuts, bolts, and washers............................ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlBNfzIiNAI

 

[thedudeabides]

Thanks JPShooter! After searching for ideas over a couple weeks, I am building a rack for my M1101 inspired by yours. I like your idea of having the rack at camp height and I'm sure the space below will be used on most trips by my family of five.

 

[JPShooter]

If you have any more questions just shout 'em out!

I will be offline though for a while as we are heading out to get some family camp time it!

I really do intend to do a video soon on my progress so far, as I have gotten a lot of little improvements done this summer. I'll certainly post here when that happens.

 

[capodecina]

What type of actuators did you get? I picked up my steel today for my telescoping support legs and I'm just now realizing that the gas struts that I thought I could use to extend my rack won't work to give me the lift distance that I need, so I am looking at options and I'm not overly familiar with lift actuators.

 

[JPShooter]

What type of actuators did you get? I picked up my steel today for my telescoping support legs and I'm just now realizing that the gas struts that I thought I could use to extend my rack won't work to give me the lift distance that I need, so I am looking at options and I'm not overly familiar with lift actuators.

I bought these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P4UVV2C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Two of them were just enough to lift my rack with the largest CVT RTT on it.

I had an issue with using just two actuators. Using two actuators placed in the middle of the rack on each side vs. using one actuator on each corner resulted in my having to constantly wiggle the rack while moving up (down was not a problem) to keep the telescoping tubes from binding as one side of the rack would lag the other side.

And as stated, two was just enough to lift the load, four would have been an easier lift and I would imagine the actuators would also last longer if they are not always operating right at their limits.

 

[JPShooter]

A shot from our recent trip.

 

[JPShooter]

In a different spot on the same trip.

 

[JPShooter]

Ready to roll!

 

[closin1]

I noticed your also not using the original pintle hitch or the original upper receiver part on the trailer can you explain and post a few more pics of this