Southeastern Preppers Network
Resources => Projects - your own DIY projects => Topic started by: Lilburner on December 15, 2018, 09:32:08 PM
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My balls are too big! More on that later.
Like several of us, I got the 10,000 Watt dual Fuel generator that kept getting discounted on eBay. I got it at $499. It's back up to $1200 now!
While my main interest is whole house power, no reason to be handstrapped to just one use. I might want to use it in the barn, in the field - bring it home and use it on a different house - loan it out - take it to an emergency, etc.
But it's 265 lbs without fuel. Throwing it on the bed of my truck by myself is right out. It's got a wheel kit, but I didn't look forward to bending over double and trying to roll the little hard wheels through grass, dirt, etc.
Then I hit on the idea of putting it on a lawn mower cart. Then that led me to the idea of mounting it on a tiny little road trailer so I can take it wherever I want. I also have hitches for my riding mower, so I can chug a small trailer around all over on my property. I started by looking at a tiny little 40x48 from Harbor Freight.
(https://shop.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/6/2/62645_zzz_500.jpg)
But it was kind of irksome that at $289 with no coupon allowed, it was as much as one of their 4x8 trailers. Plus you have to build it and then spend the better part of another $100 on decking, rails, hardware, etc.
Then I looked around some more and found a little 42x60 from Carry On that's apprently exclusive to Lowe's. It was $499 on sale at $399. Got a 10% coupon from the post office and gift cards on line which got it down to $338.40 - ultimately cheaper than the Harbor Freight Trailer and I don't even have to put it together!
(https://seprepnet.com/forum/Images/Inline/do52t1.jpg)
It's so tiny! I have no way of knowing if it's behind me or not except when I go through a 90 degree turn. Tailgaters can even still lose their headlights in my tailgate. I'm ultimately going to have to get a drop hitch for it because I'll want it level, and a tongue wheel jack because it will be heavy.
I'm hoping to fit the generator, about three propane tanks, a sound-deadening enclosure, and a toolbox for cords, oil, funnel, etc. If there's any room left over, maybe a small air compressor so I can run air tools far from home. We'll see.
Since it's such a tiny little trailer - it's made for Priuses and Camrys and whatnot to tow, it's called I think a "Class 1". It's got a 1 7/8 hitch, and all my balls were 2". I had to get a new ball while I was at Lowes, and picked up one for the lawn mower while I was at it.
Hopefully more details will be forthcoming.
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A few years after I built my house, I also wanted a generator. Especially since the house was wired for a generator from day 1. I bought a Miller Bob Cat 225. When I went looking for a welder/generator, the Lincoln salesman said "The Miller is a generator that will also weld. The lincoln is a welder first." I bought the Miller. I borrowed a guy with a small Toyota pickup truck and hauled it home. It was almost down hard on the frame with the springs compressed. He backed it into my garage, hooked a comealong to the overhead beam, lifted the machine up and drove out from under it. I also made a small trailer to haul it around on. I balanced it to be just a little tongue heavy and it pulls great down the road. Double duty welding and 8KW 240VAC generator.
I am having trouble locating a good picture of the trailer. Power meter in the picture is the one that runs backwards all the time.
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Done! That was easy!
Seriously, though - it does give you a sense of scale.
I had to drag it partially off the end of the pallet, tilt the trailer, stick it under there - then go stand in the trailer to tip it the other way, and drag it on. You can imagine why I wouldn't want to spend any time and energy on moving this thing around.
(https://seprepnet.com/forum/Images/Inline/es9v01.jpg)
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You know what's super weird? Hauling a trailer you can't see. I'm going to have to get a flag or some of those posts they put on boat trailers.
You know what else is super weird? When a guy comes up to you at a gas station and asks "Do you want a couple of real gold necklaces to go with that generator?"
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Other than antenna flags, my husband says you could put a folding or telescoping light tower on it to light it when you are using it to see what you are doing.
He is a little concerned it will bounce a lot and beat on the generator since the trailer does not have springs.
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Other than antenna flags, my husband says you could put a folding or telescoping light tower on it to light it when you are using it to see what you are doing.
He is a little concerned it will bounce a lot and beat on the generator since the trailer does not have springs.
I believe I see a leaf spring in the picture. Most of those little trailers have leaf springs.
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Yes. It has leaf springs. In addition to not seeing it, I didn't hear or feel it on the drive until I got to dirt road.
As far as lights go, one possibility is to build a small riser under it to facilitate raising the control panel and outlets above the rail line (the only advantage of the Harbor Freight trailer). The secondary benefit of this would be the ability to slip a 10x10 canopy and a set of stand work lights underneath.
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I have an old lister engine I wanted to do the same thing
set it up with a roof similar to a military mess trailer when it's set up, use a 15 or 30 gallon drum for fuel, golf cart battery and inverter
have a ready to go power plant on a trailer
maybe someday I'll get to it
I put flags on my 4' hf trailer after my wife and kid got tired of me making them stand on it so I could see it
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Blazer-International-Driveway-Marker-48-in-Round-Fiberglass-Rod-Orange-381ODM/202498049
just made a pocket for them to drop into when I needed to back up
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My husband did not see the picture. I merely described it to him.
I like the driveway marker pole. I need one of those for another personal reason so thank you for that lead.
After having tractors without canopies and finally the last one my family bought having had one, I am always for a canopy on equipment if possible.
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Yard cart configuration. The ball is a little too low for the jack I added. Not a big deal now because I can scoot the generator back to lighten the load. I'll need to raise the ball with a spacer, presumably a length of steel pipe and have some threaded rod welded on to the original threads.
(https://seprepnet.com/forum/Images/Inline/2qbgleb.jpg)
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I put flags on my 4' hf trailer after my wife and kid got tired of me making them stand on it so I could see it
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Blazer-International-Driveway-Marker-48-in-Round-Fiberglass-Rod-Orange-381ODM/202498049
just made a pocket for them to drop into when I needed to back up
Flags,,, smart. Think I'll do the same, maybe just a single flag that is just behind the ball hitch.
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Brainstorming a bit.
As you can see, the control panel and outlets sit below the rail level a bit. To maximize space, I'd like to have them near the edge, so I'll mount it on risers. I'm thinking rubber pads, 4x4s, then another set of rubber pads.
But this would put the oil drain too close to the mesh of the trailer wall. I could cut it, but... Voila! A product called "Drainzit" relocates the oil drain. I'd just stick it through the floor mesh.
(https://seprepnet.com/forum/Images/Inline/29bswy.jpg)
Interesting note I've learned along the way, and so perfect for this. You know what holds propane tanls like that's what it was made for?
(https://i.imgur.com/zyAtLhh.jpg)
You really do learn something new every day. I'd start off carrying probably three 20 lb tanks. I could move to 40s or 60s, but you face the possibility of not being able to get those refilled after 12 years, while 20s are infinitely recyclable. BUT! the larger the tank, the less prone to freezing. Tough call.
I've got one of these truck boxes I'm sick of looking at on my patio. I think it should be perfect for the rear section, to keep oil, wrenches, tools, and cords in. One of the odd things I inherited that didn't get thrown away or sold for next to nothing by the world's worst estate sale people was MILES of orange extension cord. Coupled with the 4-outlet power strips they give away at Harbor Freight, I should be able to set up a power distribution to rival a small town in an emergency deployment.
(https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/df579699-59cd-4a07-a0e8-5c528622ffc5_1.b640b3ac2fd0198e62864ae6c6641f23.jpeg?odnWidth=undefined&odnHeight=undefined&odnBg=ffffff)
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People that know a lot more about hauling and towing than me...
A LOT of design issues would be solved by mounting the generator on the back and taking advantage of the removable panel.
If I were to use three 60 lb tanks on the front, their combined tare weight would be roughly 138 lbs - roughly half of the 265 lb generator. BAD weight distribution.
Full, at 318 lbs, they'd beat the generator, but I have to assume I'd be hauling them empty at least sometimes.
Does the weight distribution matter on such a small and light trailer? Talking 1000lb GVW. Or does the frontheavy distribution have to be respected at all times?
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I doubt you'll even know something that light was back there unless you're towing it with a golfcart
load it, strap it down and take a ride, see how it feels. I bet you'll be fine
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My truck doesn't even notice my camper. I'm just worried about sway - something I don't understand very well, but freaked me out ever since I saw this. This is what I want to avoid. they're introducing the initial sway manually, which I guess represents a car hitting it or a trailer tire blowout. But it's not clear what the ratios are. I'm looking at 1:2 worst case. What's not clear is if that's a problem or if 1:5 oe 1:10 is where you have a recipe for disaster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWd8ml9mFMo
The lawn mower didn't seem to feel the generator. I'm not too worried about that even when full because I'm perfectly willing to chug it around in first gear.
Any time I'd be driving it with that bad a ratio, I'd effectively be looking for a fill up spot. If I were at a home, I could take the empty tanks in the truck, but I can foresee a situation where I'd be leaving an emergency/disaster site needing to tow the rig with empty tanks.
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YES The tung must be heavy at all times when towing. Failure to do so will result in fish tailing of the trailer. It can get quite severe.
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I've got a steel tongue box not doing anything. One of my Harbor Freight finds. It's got a dent on the top - perfect to mount a small battery-refreshing solar panel on.
This sort of thing.
(https://shop.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_16251.jpg)
If I got my physics remembered right, being that far forward of the axle, the weight doesn't necessarily have to be 1:1 - that weight on the tongue is worth far more than weight just behind the axle - that's how fulcrums work - things like hand trucks. Fill it with oil and tools (probably not big enough for cords), it should put a dent in the problem along with the tanks. I see now that the axle is kind of on the "back" part of the trailer, so forward mounting the tanks should also have a mechanical advantage.
Looking forward to experimenting.
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Here is a better picture of my welder/generator trailer. You can tell I made the trailer to fit the welder.
By the time you get the box mounted and loaded and then add fuel tanks, it will be quite a project.
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I wish I understood why you can't use tinypic! I'd fix it! Same with Benny.
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Just click on the picture & it gets bigger.....
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I know. It's just a horrible, horrible antiquated system whose very existence offends me.
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your axle is not centered, it's toward the rear. I bet adding all that stuff on the front will be fine.
a 400lb trailer is not going to toss a 5k lb truck into a ditch
load it up and try it before you cut any holes in the sides
I'm not sure what you mean by 2:1
10:1 is how hitches are rated.
my class3 hitch can tow a 10k trailer but only has a tongue weight of 1k
I can't have 5k on the tongue - if that's what you mean?
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Yeah I'm not sure what happens if it all goes to hell. I don't think it would wreck the truck - could send the trailer careening - twist off the metal of the receiver would be my bet. Hopefully the chains would help.
With the ratios, I was talking about weight distribution - where 1:2 would be say 150 in the front and 300 in the rear.
I'm going to take a bathroom scale, put the generator in the back, and then push down on the bathroom scale at the front of the trailer to see what weight I need to achieve equilibrium. I'm betting it's less than 265 lbs accounting for the rearward offset of the axle.
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150 is high
guideline is 10-15% of total weight on the tongue
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NJ is correct, You want about 40 lbs on the tongue with that trailer
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Had a thought that would increase the capability of the power trailer and also help my weight.
I've got a 3000 Watt inverter that's really too big to mount underhood, so it's been languishing unused. If I add some deep cycle batteries being continuously charged, and run the inverter off of those, I'll have an uninterrupted circuit for critical items like comms, data, maybe an oxygen machine or whatnot.
It would maintain power through fuel changes, cooling cycles, etc.