New Guy looking for a little help-- trailer with platform lift ?

tbird911

New member
Hi Guys,

Got a great guy local to me that is going to build a trailer for me. I'm thinking about a flatbed trailer with with steel tube sides that come up a to ab say around 3 feet off of the deck. Then I want to have a platform/rack that can be raised/articulated up to the appropriate height for a RTT with Annex. The idea would be low center of gravity with open storage (later maybe enclosed) where I could put gear, firewood, bikes etc. Then, when ready to setup -- I could extend the rack/platform up another couple of feet and have the RTT sitting plenty high. Seems like the 4 corners (possibly a middle tube as well) could be raised and then a steel pin inserted (think lock pin) through both sections of support tubing -- but what about a simple no frills way to raise and lower? Gears? pulley? piston? I have onboard air-- . Looking for reliable, simple and clean. Ideas?

Thanks,

Dave
 

gaap master

SE Expedition Society

tracknod

Observer
This is what the PO did for my Basecamp...

DSC05068.jpg

You can see he used 4 scissor jacks and just tied them together with a welded rod.

This is what it looks like closed...

DSC05035.jpg



DSC05061.jpg



He built it to use an electric drill or hand power to jack the tent up and it works incredibly well. We use it all the time now and the ability to have 20 inches of rise really comes in handy.
 

dustymc

New member
I borrowed heavily from Box Rocket's design (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/23624-Box-Rocket-Homemade-trailer-build), with a few changes:

1) My struts are inside the telescoping tubing, out of the weather.

2) My top "platform" is floppity - the longitudinal tubes are hooked to the uprights with ears (2 on one tube, one between them on the other) pinned by a single 1/2" grade-8 bolt (with locknut, torqued to "sorta tight"), and the two cross-tubes are connected to the longitudinal tubes in the same way.

2) I used lock screws (1/2 bolts with a handle welded on) to adjust the height.

The non-rigid platform lets each corner move perhaps 8" independently, and the lock screws let me lock it in anywhere; I can use the lift to level the tent, even when the trailer is fairly off-camber. I usually level the trailer if I'm going to be hanging around long enough to set up the annex, but it's very handy to be able to just jack a corner or two up (takes about 5 seconds) and go to sleep.

Getting the platform up is generally pretty easy - just loosen the locks it goes up with a little help. Coming down by myself (not that I much use the annex when I'm by myself) can be a bit of a workout. I'm pretty happy with it overall, but if I build another the lift may use linear actuators.
 

Hoghead

Observer
i used linear actuators. Push a button it goes up, push another button it goes down. Pretty happy with the setup. I'm in middle TN if you want to take a look at it if your close to me. My setup is on a m416.
 

dstock

Explorer
i used linear actuators. Push a button it goes up, push another button it goes down. Pretty happy with the setup. I'm in middle TN if you want to take a look at it if your close to me. My setup is on a m416.

I did the same, build thread in sig...
 

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