Some modifications made to the Kamparoo

[ExpoMike]

Well, in anticapation of our upcoming Death Valley trip, I wanted to get a couple things done to the Kamparoo I have been putting off. Okay, in reality I am in the middle a another huge project that has been going on a year, tying up the garage. I made room to get the welder out.

I have wanted to remove the spare tire and propane tank and mount a pair of AT gas can holders and mount the spare with a crank up system like a truck has. I picked up a cable style crank up system so when up, nothing hangs down. It proved to be a little more work to get that to fit, since it needed to be higher than the tire so you can access the crank fitting with a jack handle. Overall everything worked well but I need to put some stop points for the tire so it will snug up tight and not move around.

At this point I am sore and tired (man I am getting old) but happy. I'll get things finished up this week. Here are some pics.

Original configuration

Stuff getting removed

New bars welded on, awaiting holes drilled and paint

Mocked up and holes drilled for mounting

Finished up, forget pics of painted bars

Just need to get some locks now and the can mounts are done. :wings:

 

[ExpoMike]

Now the spare tire system.

Cable cranking system

Built a "box" to hang the crank assembly, since this is normally mounted up to the truck frame.

Reinforcement plate so box would not move under load

Crank assembly mount in mount. The whole mount can be bolted to the trailer.

Showing the brace and how it will be place on the trailer

Hole cut in the bottom to allow the cable and wheel plate thru. I love plasma cutters!

Mounted up in place. Ran out of daylight so to be continued...

 

[AFSOC]

XJ mike, like everything else you do, this is very well thought out and cleanly executed.

 

[VE2WHZ]

nice mod !!!

 

[BIGdaddy]

I don't like it.

haha

 

[ExpoMike]

I don't like it.

haha

I caught onto your white text trick in another post... :elkgrin:

 

[Root Moose]

So that cable spare tire system - is that off a pickup truck or something?

I picked up a Starcraft 11RT on the weekend and as part of cutting the deck off the front and reconfiguring the tongue I wanted to change where the spare tire is located... never thought of adding a cable system like this. Thanks for the idea.

 

[BIGdaddy]

I caught onto your white text trick in another post... :elkgrin:

:victory:

haha...you got me!...nice work, dude. great ideas and nice welds, too.

 

[ExpoMike]

So that cable spare tire system - is that off a pickup truck or something?

I picked up a Starcraft 11RT on the weekend and as part of cutting the deck off the front and reconfiguring the tongue I wanted to change where the spare tire is located... never thought of adding a cable system like this. Thanks for the idea.

Yep, went to a local mini truck recycling place. They had a bunch of the chain style, which are more common there but those allow the extra chain to hang down. The cable style winds into the unit so nothing to get caught.

Would have been much easier to figure out the mounting setup had I been building a trailer from scratch. Reto into an exsiting configuration was more complicated but it looks like it will work out fine.

 

[ExpoMike]

:victory:

haha...you got me!...nice work, dude. great ideas and nice welds, too.

Bum!!! Welds were okay... haven't touched the welders in about 6 months. Was a little rusty. :ylsmoke:

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I picked up a Starcraft 11RT on the weekend and as part of cutting the deck off the front and reconfiguring the tongue I wanted to change where the spare tire is located... never thought of adding a cable system like this. Thanks for the idea.

Good man. You'll probably never know how much you would have hated modifying a standard trailer.

 

[Root Moose]

Yep, went to a local mini truck recycling place. They had a bunch of the chain style, which are more common there but those allow the extra chain to hang down. The cable style winds into the unit so nothing to get caught.

Would have been much easier to figure out the mounting setup had I been building a trailer from scratch. Reto into an exsiting configuration was more complicated but it looks like it will work out fine.

Do you remember what kind of truck your system came out of? I ask because now that I think about the one in the old Chev half ton out behind the barn I am not certain if it is cable or chain or what.

Got a short list of donor vehicles? Maybe the one in the half ton will bo ok - I dunno.

Good man. You'll probably never know how much you would have hated modifying a standard trailer.

You are probably right. That's not to say it is all care bears and unicorns with the beast that I bought though. It's a big trailer and there is lots of crap underneath it that I will have to move/modify or build skid plates around. The sewer drain is particularly bothersome since it hangs below the main rails of the frame. Not sure how to clean that up yet - maybe some u-channel that is bolted to the rails.

I'm going to run it as is for now.

Anyway, I don't want to pollute Mike's thread with my hijack.

 

[ExpoMike]

Do you remember what kind of truck your system came out of? I ask because now that I think about the one in the old Chev half ton out behind the barn I am not certain if it is cable or chain or what.

Got a short list of donor vehicles? Maybe the one in the half ton will bo ok - I dunno.

The place "thought" it was from a Nissan truck but honestly, I told them what I was after, they took me to a couple milk crates full of different systems. He pulled a chain style to show me, then I saw the cable one, grabbed it and said this was exactly what I wanted. $10 later, out the door I went. In reality, any type would work. The chain style has been used on trucks for years so if you have access to one for free, just use it.

 

[Borrego60]

Nice job and a good mod. Tundras have the cable system at least the 03's.