Moneybox's videos

[Moneybox]

"I told you so"
Yes I'm going to be hearing that for a while.

I know, several of you voiced your concerns of my trailer A-frame modifications. Perhaps under normal circumstances it would have done the job but swinging off the back of the long overhang on the Isuzu over the rough tracks of the Pilbara proved too much for the thin walled tubular frame.


We might have even got lucky when our temporary repair failed if I hadn't attached a snatch strap from the rear top corners of the trailer to the trailer coupling. When the A-frame failed the snatch strap remained the only connection between the vehicle and top-rear of the trailer. The result was inevitable.....



However, in the end we arrived home in Cue happy and healthy. The damage was thankfully minimal and when I'm in the mood it'll be easily fixed. The whipper snipper shaft had a gentle bend that took a couple of bumps across the sawhorse to straighten and both quad bikes survived without damage. We punctured one 20L plastic water container but otherwise most things made it home in one piece.

Thanks to Merv, he cut his trip short so that we could get both quads home on the back of the ute. Unfortunately, our Aussie bush kettle blew out of the quad basket and went missing. Otherwise, all good.

 

[Ded Driver]

A-frames are too often the weak link .... dont skimp on steel
Good to hear at least you guys came out ok

 

[CreviceSucker]

oooopsie

did the A-frame last more than 2 km before it snapped off ?

did you detect the area around where the trailer broke the first and second time ?

When you repair the A Frame you could put a new 75 x 50 x 4 RHS right up the center of the trailer chassis from the rear to the front and weld it to every cross member along the way , plus weld it to the plate that the hitch bolts on to.

 

[Rockhunter62]

We live and learn Phil, at least you can laugh about it. Bigger and better next time. :Y:

Cheers

Doug

 

[Manpa]

Many rant and rave when things go wrong, you just remain completely unflappable. Nothing but admiration for your ability to work thru things without any signs of panic.

 

[Moneybox]

oooopsie

did the A-frame last more than 2 km before it snapped off ?

did you detect the area around where the trailer broke the first and second time ?

When you repair the A Frame you could put a new 75 x 50 x 4 RHS right up the center of the trailer chassis from the rear to the front and weld it to every cross member along the way , plus weld it to the plate that the hitch bolts on to.

CrevisSucker, you must have been watching. After the first temporary repair we managed about 10km but I got a bit over confident and hit one of those woops in the road too quickly. No detection was all done by eye

 

[Moneybox]

We live and learn Phil, at least you can laugh about it. Bigger and better next time. :Y:

Cheers

Doug

Doug, It happened while we were driving along discussing the design of a replacement trailer, yes bigger and better.

 

[Moneybox]

Many rant and rave when things go wrong, you just remain completely unflappable. Nothing but admiration for your ability to work thru things without any signs of panic.

I think my lack of visible emotion is a tactic I've learned over the years to keep the other half cool. I don't perform too well when others have lost the plot :lol:

 

[nucopia]

Frustrating annoying but thankfully only minimal damage ..
Bigger thicker A frame and a Polly block Treg hitch should solve the problem ...look forward to watching the repair video in the near future . Thanks for sharing your adventures mr an mrs Moneybox and Tass erfect:

 

[Jaros]

Can't wait either.

 

[just starting]

I assume you didn`t have a welder to fix it when it first snapped ? What Crevice Sucker said about a centre beam and cross members is a good idea. I did that with one of my trailers for extra strength. How far from civilisation were you ?

 

[goody2shoes]

Just glad that you are both safe

 

[CreviceSucker]

oooopsie

did the A-frame last more than 2 km before it snapped off ?

did you detect the area around where the trailer broke the first and second time ?

When you repair the A Frame you could put a new 75 x 50 x 4 RHS right up the center of the trailer chassis from the rear to the front and weld it to every cross member along the way , plus weld it to the plate that the hitch bolts on to.

CrevisSucker, you must have been watching. After the first temporary repair we managed about 10km but I got a bit over confident and hit one of those woops in the road too quickly. No detection was all done by eye

lol . i was watching the first video thinking it wont last 2 km but you proved me wrong and got to 10 km.....

That A-frame was about 60 % strong enough for two quad bikes in city driving . but dirt roads i would say 30 %

You are perfectly capable of designing a better one.

I have lost count of how many i have repaired over the years , sometimes when the A-Frame snaps off on highways / asphalt the trailer comes sliding to a gradual stop but on dirt roads they usually dig their nose in and cartwheel so there is nothing left to repair.

glad to see your contents survived so well. O

ps , usually if i get a cluster-interuptus like that i take it as an omen that Great Spirit Kimosabe is telling me to stop for a while , in your case i would have set up camp and detected the area for 300 metres all around it :goldnugget:

 

[Moneybox]

I assume you didn`t have a welder to fix it when it first snapped ? What Crevice Sucker said about a centre beam and cross members is a good idea. I did that with one of my trailers for extra strength. How far from civilisation were you ?

Where it rolled was about 40km from town. I had no problems borrowing a welder once we made it there and the guy wouldn't take any money for his help.

 

[Mackka]

Glad everyone is safe and sound.
Mackka

 

[Moneybox]

Frustrating annoying but thankfully only minimal damage ..
Bigger thicker A frame and a Polly block Treg hitch should solve the problem ...look forward to watching the repair video in the near future . Thanks for sharing your adventures mr an mrs Moneybox and Tass erfect:

I know a lot of people like the Treg hitch but Merv has that on the back of the Benz ute and it's always difficult to reverse up to in rough terrain. There are obviously a lot of new designs but the old 50mm ball has followed me around Australia many times. I must admit, it has come off a couple of times and a trailer swinging on the safety chains at 130km/h can get a bit scary. On that occasion the nut came off and the ball came out of the towbar. On another occasion I had failed to latch the coupling onto the ball and the race car trailer followed along nicely until I entered a roundabout and I looked up to see who had nudged me from behind

 

[nucopia]

I never found it to be too difficult to reverse the Prado back onto the hitch as long as the Digger was at the back giving me directions , now I have a reversing camera, it makes reversing onto the trailer a lot simpler.. although occasionally it is difficult to get the trailer at the exact level and angle to correspond with the height/angle of the coupling on the Prado ..when that happens, I use the jockey wheel to adjust the height and the Digger and I can give the trailer a nudge or a push from behind and fit it in ..what I really like about the treg hitch is the extreme angles it will handle during off road 4 wheel driving while eliminating the stress it puts on the trailer A frame or the towing point..its allowed me to take the trailer across obstacles a regular tow ball would never handled.

 

[Rockhunter62]

Frustrating annoying but thankfully only minimal damage ..
Bigger thicker A frame and a Polly block Treg hitch should solve the problem ...look forward to watching the repair video in the near future . Thanks for sharing your adventures mr an mrs Moneybox and Tass erfect:

I know a lot of people like the Treg hitch but Merv has that on the back of the Benz ute and it's always difficult to reverse up to in rough terrain. There are obviously a lot of new designs but the old 50mm ball has followed me around Australia many times. I must admit, it has come off a couple of times and a trailer swinging on the safety chains at 130km/h can get a bit scary. On that occasion the nut came off and the ball came out of the towbar. On another occasion I had failed to latch the coupling onto the ball and the race car trailer followed along nicely until I entered a roundabout and I looked up to see who had nudged me from behind

You could always put a McHitch coupling on Phil or a Ringfeeder.

Cheers

Doug

 

[Shep]

Was the A frame welded on the top of the RHS?

 

[reynard]

Hi phil, you are a lucky man to get off so lightly, thankfully. I have a
mchitch on our pheonix caravan and have had it in some very remote places,
And it certainly makes life easy.
Jim erfect: