Techie Trailer!

[Rich newby]

Hi guys

Because I am only young, I don't have a drivers licence, even if I did the insurance would cost more that a van, which I would need to carry my gear around. However, my dad has a Mercedes E220, which between that and a 2.2x1.6m trailer, should get my gear around. I am going to set up my trailer for ease. It will have a 1.5m high box frame around it, with a heavy duty tarp, with zips on the back, and fastened onto the sides of the trailer with elastic, which can be undone, to gain access to stuff on the side aswell, my dad has one exactly the same, which I will post some pics off, in a different colour of course. I am thinking of putting some partitions in it, so I will have a space to put stands in and the like. I will have a van vault with draws, for cables and connectors. On the top of this I will bolt a small vice and solder station. The trailer will also have a power distribution built onto the front, on the inside, the end nearest the car will be 1.5m high, and plated with aluminium sheeting, which will have the power dist bolted onto a piece of wood, which is then bolted onto the aluminium sheet. I will also have some angle bolted onto the floor, so I can put my rack cases in, which will stop it sliding around. I was also thinking of putting some 500w floods on telescopic poles, so I can floodlight the area which we are setting up in, when it is winter time, and it is dark a 4:30.

 

The basic point of this post is to see what you think of this, is it worth it, and is there anything else that you would want to have in it, to make rigging easier?

 

Cheers

Rich

[Big_L]

with a heavy duty tarp, with zips on the back, and fastened onto the sides of the trailer with elastic, which can be undone, to gain access to stuff on the side aswell,

 

My big worry with that sort of thing would be security. If the trailer is simply covered by a tarp with elastics securing it, what's to stop anyone opening it, or simply slashing the tarp and nicking your gear?

[Simon Lewis]

Rich,

 

a few things spring to mind....

 

1) Are you wanting to take this kit indoors, or are you working outside?

 

2) Are you happy with the security offered by tarpaulin?

 

3) Do you intend using this as a mobile workshop, or would working in the venue be better?

 

Some years ago, I bought a secondhand "Tow-a-van" which was great for carrying the PA I had then. Trailers can be very useful, but do present some problems (insurance, security, "driveability"etc.) and can be a real pig when they are heavily loaded....

 

Simon

[Rich newby]

Yep, security was a big worry for me, however, it will be stored in a garage all the time, it will be locked onto the car when it is being transported, and it will have a security wire rope lock ruining all around the bottom of the tarp, to stop it being moved. Anything that can be walked off with, like cables and connectors, will be stored in a van vault. I will be using it to transport gear for indoor stuff, and as a mobile work station, for outdoor stuff. It will only be used as a workshop if something goes wrong, as a back up. I'm am only making a single Axel trailer, because of the fairly low weight it will be carrying, my dad has the full shabang, twin auto reverse hubs and the lot. He Carry's installation gear for 20 tonne recycling machines. Which is like 3 van vaults of power tools, a rack full of spare steel, forklift extensions for forks. 25 tonne lifting chains and 50 tonne machine skids. This will be no problem. We are caravans, boaters and trailer pullers for quite some years, he knows 1 or 2 things about towing :)

 

Cheers so far

Rich

 

P.s the security is totaly sorted, it is not a concern anymore, so if you have any more concerns ( not about security ) or about other features, please post. ;)

[electronicsuk]

Rich, I'm not sure it would really be worth your while putting power dist into a small trailer. I have one that's a similar size and I've just fitted a couple of 12v flourescent lights (one on the ceiling, and also a portable batten with a longish cable), a 12v lead acid in the back and also a tyre compressor. You could easily run a low voltage soldering iron on this too. I'm not sure after all the hassle of running out power to the trailer it would really be worth having mains, unless its supplied by an inverter, but even then it wont be practical to run 500w floods.

[mac.calder]

A small air compressor is usually quite useful.

[Rich newby]

Ok, slightly late but I promised so here are some pics of my dads trailer that I am thinking of making, however adapting for my needs.

 

http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/932/p10102371zo.th.jpg

 

 

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/2046/p10102428ml.th.jpg

This is the tool boxes and workbench, these take up about 1/3 of the with of the trailer. I will probably get 1 as just a big chest to put tool boxes and power tools in(as the yellow one in the pic), and another with draws for storing cables and adaptors and connections. I will put a smoother solder surface top on the workbench and put my WD1000 solder station on there for making cables and general repairs, I will also put a compressor under the bench, as mac suggested. On the other side will be where I can store truss and stands, with 2 more boxes, one more chest type box, for small flight cases and boxes, and one which will be more of a rack with bars and wing nuts for storing lanterns, with lockable side panels so its cant be accessed.

 

This is the very crude power distro and light

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/9804/p10102408bp.th.jpg

 

I will make it more substantial with wetherproof sockets and with some 15A sockets and build in a transformer with some 110v Sockets.

 

The tarpolin over the tent is slash proof and all the boxes are padlocked and bolted to the floor, there are multiple fixing points all over the frame on the inside, so you can padlock larger items, like trusses and larger flightcases, just in case!

 

Sorry it took so long to get around to it!

Rich

[WiLL]

WHERE'S THE KETTLE!!??

[johnhuson]

To be honest I would concentrate on storage space, if your equipment is well maintained and checked before it goes out on a job then you shouldn't need a large mobile workshop at every gig. If your planing on this trailer being your primary source of storage and repair (i.e. not just used for transporting) then your idea's are good but for what I reckon this would cost, a garden shed and an empty trailer would probably be a cheaper and more sensible solution.

[handyandi]

To be honest I would concentrate on storage space, if your equipment is well maintained and checked before it goes out on a job then you shouldn't need a large mobile workshop at every gig.

 

Hi Rich

 

Would agree with John ask your self what you want it to be – storage/ mobile workshop / transport. If it is a bit of all of these it is more than likely to be not much use. We use a van for transport- the bigger the better with easy loading access – a base workshop for repairs, nice & comfortable to work in & take out a small easily transportable tool kit for use in venues when the need arises. Rather be in a nice warm venue soldering than standing next to a trailer in the cold & wet etc.

We have used some unsuitable transport in the past – namely a horse box (minus the horse) & apart from the cheapness of it has no advantages. Nightmare to load – reverse & completely unsuitable to get to some venues.

 

My opinion would be since your dad will have to tow the trailer save the money & time & get him to hire a suitable vehicle until you are old enough to get your licence then maybe your own van. Would be better in the long run. You will soon grow out of your trailer when your rig expands. And you will soon get fed up with padlocking down & unpadlocking your gear – emptying the cables out of the van vaults etc. Lot easier to shut the door & lock it out of sight.

What may be an ideal solution in your dad’s line of work may not be in yours!

 

Andi