Guest Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Good to hear Jason . When are you off to the states? Not sure at the moment, it was due to be 8th June, but it doesn't always work like that!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Cracked on today: Final coat of paint Fitted all of the lights and junction boxes Fitted the replacement foam cushion Refitted the wheels, nearly made a big mistake as the spacers were not that tight.... Checked all the nuts/bolts were tight Greased everything Really happy with the way the number plate light and mount worked out, I moved the convoy light towards the back and made a plate to replace the convoy plate with a couple of quick release plate mounts, works really well and does not affect the exit angle as the rear legs tuck up just behind the plate to protect it. What you may notice from the photos is the two orange bulbs these are not extra indicators, they were but will be the reverse and fog light, just waiting for a new lens and then I will add the LED bulbs. After one year and two months and two trailers the chassis is finished........ Now onto the box, I am going to re-pod the chassis tomorrow and see where it goes from there a lot of work to go but first big tick off the list...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Looks good Jason . On the back of the trailer, is that another hitch? Did the military double tow them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Looks good Jason . On the back of the trailer, is that another hitch? Did the military double tow them? Cheers Ross, It has come along further today but you are going to have to wait for photos as Mrs S has the camera today, yes it is a second tow hitch I believe that they were used to shunt trailers around MT yards as its not a rotating hitch you couldn't use it for towing, also you would need a showman's licence to tow more than one trailer on the road. I was considering getting rid of it but figured if I ever needed to bull the trailer backwards or be bulled backwards then it could come in useful. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreebieFreddy Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Well Done Jason !! I am expecting to see this finished for the Gaydon show (2011 ?) I have built another slide-out on my trailer, which allows for an internal seat area and a 'dual access' kitchen (access from inside and outside the van). Hope to see you at gaydon ? Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Well Done Jason !! I am expecting to see this finished for the Gaydon show (2011 ?) I have built another slide-out on my trailer, which allows for an internal seat area and a 'dual access' kitchen (access from inside and outside the van). Hope to see you at gaydon ? Colin Cheers Colin. Your trailer will be the size of a house when you have finished with it!! We will not be at Gaydon this year as will be away but hopefully will make it to some other shows again quiet enjoyed the one at bath and west showground last year. really depends on what happens with work and where in the world I am... Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Sorry no photos yet, However pushing on in at attempt to finish by the end of my 11 days off, roof tent fitted awning fitted, 240v fitted, will I get there waiting on parts so not sure!! things are going well today lots of bits that needed sorted are done it is looking really good, even if I say so myself. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Sorry no photos yet, However pushing on in at attempt to finish by the end of my 11 days off, roof tent fitted awning fitted, 240v fitted, will I get there waiting on parts so not sure!! things are going well today lots of bits that needed sorted are done it is looking really good, even if I say so myself. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Sorry no photos will take some tomorrow, I had a great day yesterday and a kack one today. Yesterday I got all of the electrics sorted out all all of the lights done it really came along and by the end of the day I was really pleased with my progress it seemed like I had finally got over the hill and things were going well for a change. Today was a different story all together, I needed some bits first so over to the motor-home showroom to get some pipe to connect the filler cap to the water tank, and then to wicks for some push fit connectors it seemed to go down hill from there... I had hell of a job connecting the filler cap to the tank and then struggled all day finishing all the little bits, I finally finished putting it all back together this evening got the hose out to add some water to the tank and the problems started there!!! the filler pipe was kinked so most of the water being added was coming straight back out but that not a bad thing Considering that I had three leaks from the tank!!!!!Not at all happy had to strip all of the electrics out remover the brackets I had spent all afternoon making, the worst thing is I actually brought 4 tanks and sold 3 and ended up with the duff one!!! I guess it's where I had been putting the tank in and out it had got snagged on things but left with not being a happy chap.... I have ordered a new tank so hopefully it will be with me by Thursday, I am going to start on rubbing the paint back tomorrow and have a break from the inside, so don't think I will will have it finished by the end of the week!! Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Photos will follow soon promise I am having camera issues at the moment however it is due back tomorrow. So I am nearly there!!! at Last nearly 18 months later the trailer is almost finished, the power and twin batteries are in I would love to say working but nearly, the second hand charger/power unit I brought from ebay I have now discovered is faulty it cuts out after about 5 minutes so have had to order a new one, but it did work so just a case of swapping it over when the new one arrives. All of the water system is in and works a couple of issues with the tank but after removing it and sealing it, it now works and does not leak when full to the top, The gas system is plumbed up but I need some Jubilee clips before charging the system and running the hot water. Things to finish, Locker door seals Door lock bars repaint bits required Some work around the cooker and drain for the sink Use and enjoy!!! I think there is about 6 hours until I have finished I have started to add the cost up and my opening statement about buying one was wrong!!! The cost has been a lot higher than first planned but I am very happy with the end result. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 So it will be used this year then Jason . Great news . I will have to have a nosey when I see it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will C Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Hope you get the camera fixed soon Jason. Keep the faith it's a marathon of snags at this end of the project. Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Hope you get the camera fixed soon Jason. Keep the faith it's a marathon of snags at this end of the project. Will Cheers Will, We are looking for places to try it out so maybe a trip to Ireland is due!! Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Camera back but by the time I had put the covers on tonight I realised I had forgot to take any photos!! I can finally taste victory and the end of this project!! and it tastes like crumpet (the toasted type) well it did when I had grilled two under the grill, which indicated the grill was working and with that so was the rest of the gas system including the toasty hot water really surprised how good and hot it was it will work a treat the water pump delivers the correct amount of water so just the drain to sort now... I also filled up the water tank to the top and it didn't leak so another job done. Some may have seen my post about the second battery I added and the current draw between the two well I sorted that out today I tried to upgrade the cable the two but it wouldn't fit in the cable route between the box and the outside box however I moved the battery which actually worked out far better as it freed up a locker so job done. I fitted the new charger/power unit and the radio so lots of ticks done and the batteries are now charging, the big downside was the bars for the locks I had them welded went to get them and then realised that (my fault) they were to big and would not fit in the retaining brackets DOH so I need to take them back and get them altered tomorrow. I tested the lighting tonight it all worked well except from the number plate light which was soon traced to a loose wire so another thing ticked off the 12S cabling still needs sorting so that's a job for tomorrow. I still need to do the door seals on the locker doors and its all down hill from there well I hope so anyway I need to take the wheels off again and bleed the brakes again and then out for a run for a shake down test.... Photos soon I promise!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkey 13 Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Hi Jason, good to hear that your nearly finished the build. Are you planning to go to Stoneleigh in August? I'm finally about to start my trailer build. I've bought the metal and laid it all out on the floor of the garage, hopefully though we will be at the show in August with a fully functional exped trailer. I can hear the Mission Impossible theme in my ears! Rob... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Hi Jason, good to hear that your nearly finished the build. Are you planning to go to Stoneleigh in August? I'm finally about to start my trailer build. I've bought the metal and laid it all out on the floor of the garage, hopefully though we will be at the show in August with a fully functional exped trailer. I can hear the Mission Impossible theme in my ears! Rob... Hi Rob, Not sure I am meant to be working in the US in August however I have just been offered a new role/promotion so that may not happen now, but if I do go to the US the trailer will be coming with me together with the Landy as I'm due to be there for six months. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Progress Report: ............... That is all.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Duplicate post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Well I am finished, a couple of little jobs to finish off and some paint to touch up but basically I am done.... I took it for a tow today and it behaved very well I tried it on all surfaces including a couple of lanes and the motorway and it was a dream to tow the only thing I need to do is dial back the brake a little as it was snatching when I was slowing down... The trailer has taken far too long and cost far too much money but is finished, I have learnt lots make some new friends and been to hell and back with this project, has it been worth it? who knows only time will tell I think so we have booked a weekend away next weekend to try the trailer out and give it a proper shake down test before using it in anger so I will report back then. I'm sure not everything will work out as planned and I will have to alter things around but is that not the nature of these types of projects? I have had to adjust things every step along the way but have made something that will work for me and my needs I know it will not be to everyone's taste and it's fairly big, it sits just under the hight of the defender so sits in the slip stream nicely, off road it behaved well but I have not really tested it to that any level yet. What has it cost, well at a rough estimate around £2.5k so my opening statement about buying one was true however that does include the tent awning and all the other bits I have not scrimped on quality or materials and I still have bits to sell and I have taken this into consideration with the above cost, I need to get some bits to finish it off and overcome some issues so think I probably need to spend another £150 to finish... I will keep posting some photos and reports as I start to use it, thanks for all your support through the project I did nearly give up several times as I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew but got there in the end. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 More Photos: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Jason, you can be very proud of that. It looks great . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will C Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Cheers Will, We are looking for places to try it out so maybe a trip to Ireland is due!! Jason. Be sure to get in toutch if you do decide to come this way. You can camp in my paddock! (So I can get a close up look at the rig). Seriously tho' we're about an hour from either Dublin or Roslare ferry ports and near both sea and mountains so lots to do and see and we can point you in the direction of some on and off road activities. I absolutely love the trailer. Some of the fine details really came together very nicely in the end. I will start my thread soon once I have pics of the final mods to the drawbar. Right now there's nothing unique to show. W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSG Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Top work - excellent job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 First of all thanks for all of the messages and kind words and for anyone considering building a trailer I would say go for it!! From the opening sentence you may pick up that I am happy with the way the project has worked out, we did the shake down test this weekend and 90% worked as or above expected with the remaining 10% fixable with very little work so very happy the shakedown went well although it was to a very bland camp site with everything just in case something went wrong, the aim is to progress to more adventurous areas building up to a tour of the Pyrenees in the summer and then from there who knows but as Mrs S hasn't been many places in the Land Rover and isn't a keen overlander so my plan is trying to break her in slowly!! Report below, I have broken it down into sections: Chassis/Trailer Towing the trailer has been a dream it is one of the best trailers I have ever towed very well balanced and just sits behind the Land Rover the brakes work well although I am going to bleed them again as the near side does not seem as good as the off side when I slammed the hand brake on. I did have one incident that was explained later, the trailer clunked a bit when going over speed bumps, I first put this down to my receiver hitch as it can have a bit of play in it, however I noticed when checking the trailer that the anti roll bar was hitting the chassis, my fault when I re-fitted it the trailer was not under any load and was therefore riding high. It was really simple to alter I just needed to undo the brackets and move the bar down to a lower position and fasten them easy spannering and as Mrs S said if that was the worst thing than it's not a problem. I parked the trailer then used the jockey wheel to get the front-back level the left-right was slightly off so just used the hi-lift to lift it up level and then dropped the rear leg which made the whole unit level a must for cooking!! I need to get used to not having an auto reverse hitch and putting the reverse lock on!! but again that's my problem not the trailers!! Box Body The body worked exactly as I hoped a lot of people questioned why I made the side lockers and didn't extend the body to the full width, well one of the reasons was I wanted somewhere to put things, when getting boxes out I didn't want to put them on the floor and get everything muddy and wet or sandy or whatever I am parked on this part of the plan worked really well they act as big shelves and not the big shelf the doors work well and the door locks really help to seal the doors it lashed it down last night and on the drive home and all boxes are dry and sealed which is great news as this was part of the original plan I didn't want to open the trailer after a days driving to find I had picked up 1/2 ton of dust from the day. Kitchen Area In general the kitchen worked well, most impressed with the hot water and the microwave was the correct move and saves on throwing away food as we could stick it in the fridge and re-heat later which is important with kids, the freezer seemed to make a lot of noise so I think I need to sort out some anti vibration feet or pads for when it kicks in. I also need to find a better way of getting it down. The fridge and slider worked as expected which was great and the batteries charged well. The down side was the cooker the slide out works well and the sink works well, although I need to make a cover for the sink to give me some additional worktop space but knew I needed to sort that out just wanted to see how it worked first to see what I needed. The downside was the hob the burners didn't work correctly and put soot all over the pans a big problem if it had been an enclosed space!! I looked at the burners and there is a fair amount of rust in them so as strip down is required hopefully they are repairable the grill works really well. Awning The awning worked really well although I need to remember to put the roof tent up first as it prevented access to the side and made it more difficult than it needed to be the shelter it provided was good although I may have to buy the side pack to provide some shelter from the wind when eating did take the LR awning to provide this but camp sites don't have as much space as the back of beyond. In General As I say a 9 out of 10 just little bits to sort out, logistical things like where to put hooks etc for hanging things additional shelves and some different storage boxes for small bits and we will be done also the trailer eat up most of my storage boxes so need to get some more for the 110 as the back was a bit of a mess with coats etc, but again easily fixed. I am I happy, very the whole project was about being able to spend more time with the family hitch up and go having everything packed either to a standard camp site or somewhere more adventurous this worked well the unit supported us all and we can easily adjust our camping to suit the space in that and the 110 will be more than enough to take a family of four to some of the more exciting places in this world and we are not talking Alton Towers!! We are planning a week away at half term when I would have hopefully fixed the bugs so will report back then, I did however get some very good news Mrs S is now looking forward to our little jolly to northern Spain in the summer!! Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben_J85JTY Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 Looks great, glad it all worked out. Now onto the Series 1?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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