Why I haven’t been working on the Mercedes: I have been playing trailers instead.
A mate offered me his old trailer at a good price, so now we have two trailers. The idea is to have a rally trailer (this one) and a circuit trailer (the old one).
Simply put, X5 with some degree of off road ability tows the shorter, higher trailer with the same stud pattern.
The Falcon tows the longer, lower trailer with the Falcon stud pattern.
Obviously they are not mutually exclusive, but that is the default.
First up was to replace the old Commodore steelies with BMW wheels and lower profile tyres.
Modified the spare wheel mount, so I can put four wheels on the drawbar. This is because the X5 boot is tiny, and being able to get two (hopefully four) wheels out of the boot will free up a bunch of space.
Original ramps were an interesting design and too short despite being extended in the past.
So…
Original, flexible ramps were 17.5kg each and just under 2m.
New ramps are 19.4kg and about 2.3m, and much less flexible. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but a longer ramp is also more prone to flexing - to increase the length and reducing flex for only 2kg/~10% is a good result.
In contrast, the old trailer’s ramps are 1.8m and weigh 22kg.
I have the material to replace them - hopefully I can go to 2m and get the weight down to maybe 15kg.
I also made and fitted a cradle for the trailer spare to sit under the bed of the trailer, just ahead of the front axle, but forgot to photograph it.
Also modified the mudguard support bar to be a jerry can holder, but am not super happy with it. I want to be able to carry four jerrys on the trailer (one ahead and behind the trailer mudguards on both sides), but am beginning to think that it would be better to make a cradle somewhere in the bed of the trailer.
