Yeah, the tipover switch is a necessary evil and quite effective. It works great on a floored surface. The problem is that the Buddy heaters are kind of light and susceptible to easy knockover on uneven surfaces. With the L-board, it's more stable, and the tipover switch still functions if...
Great thread and learned a few things despite having no teardrop plans.
The Mr. Buddy video was the best example. We've got a Big Buddy and have used it successfully camping in October in Michigan's UP. We erect one of the pop-up awnings with walls over the rear of the 80, which has a tailgate...
What a great project. You made a wise move by deleting what was up front. I went through two sets of front fenders, etc before giving up and selling my 55 back in the day. Water would get in and trickle down the front door post in a channel at the back of the fender where it joine the firewall...
Came across this line of small, off-roadish in many cases, trailers out of Ohio.
Teardrop Campers - TAG, TAB, TAB 400 | nuCamp RV - https://nucamprv.com/
The small side of the line is this one that comes with some useful rackage up front.
TAG TRAILER - nuCamp RV -...
Some notes on adding Dexter brakes to your M101 CDN.
It may be cheaper to buy a complete axle with brakes, as I did, rather than buying just the two brake assemblies. Adding the parking brake option runs about $300 extra. That adds a parking brake lever, which has an internal return spring...
I've got the OEM cables, but adapting them to work with the Dexter mounts is proving difficult. The sheath end doesn't really fit the fixed mount well, but can be made to work. I found a drive chain link that works as a clevis to hook up to the moving lever. I've been trying to retain the recoil...
Yeah, having the subtank valve there would tend to use up most of that limited real estate. If you can somehow fit it all in, it's still the simplest spot to put them.
I've never run them up to 35 psi. Never had a load on that needed that. I'd be cautious doing that without the trailer being...
First thing you'll want to do is figure out a relief valve or other means to be sure that the ARB compressor doesn't deliver more the 35 psi, the max pressure for Airlift bags. Otherwise, you risk inadvertent blowouts.
If it was me, I guess I don't see the need for on-the-fly adjustments once...
Nice looking rig you have there, Jim. Here's a pic of ours.
Today it's hauling chunks of concrete, so more brakes could be a good thing. Got the axle spec-ed out and almost ordered from Southwest Wheel. Their Hold spiel noted they take Paypal, but when we go to to the end the sales rep seemed...
Yeah, I measured 54" but Southwest stocks them in odd inch increments. Figured I wouldn't want to wait on them customizing that over an extra inch, so decided to go with 55". With my tires being 33" skinnies and having added extra wide fenders, everything will still tuck underneath fine with the...
Thanks for the pics, that does look like where the lever would go.
I heard back from Southwest and the parking brake is a $300 option. Planning on goving them a call to further clarify, since it's not listed as an option in the online order form.
Thanks for the insights.
OK, then the hydraulic brake is pretty much the same as the surge brakes found on many military trailers. Since one of my main reasons for needing the brakes is going to the mountains, I suspect I want to avoid these and stick with the electric ones where I control...
Finally getting around to putting a braked axle under our M101 CDN, anticpating a potential trip to the Rockies. I came up with 55" hub-face to hub-face distance after rounding up from a measured 54" to the next odd inch axle length, which is what they stock. Will be ordered the U-bolt kit under...
The one in the trailer pic is like a big stamped-out metal shoe that the can sits down in. It's got a high side that is the inside and likely bolted throwugh the tub and/or frame.
If the metal framework was very sturdy, you could run bolts through the framework and then through the tub, like...
One of the smaller military trailers might work. But handling a 4x8 sheet can be a problem for most of the 1/4 ton rated ones, if that's the goal instead of simply have a bigger trailer. With our M101 CDN, I built a frame of 2x materials that sat on its lip that held 4x8 sheetgoods, so if moving...
Depending on your tow rig, it's also likely the most cost effective solution. With our 80 series, the package to install airbags came to less than $90 IIRC. Install was a couple of hours or so.
Took the M101 CDN down by the river for some fun and pics along with the drone....
Kinneys Ford is about the only 4x4 run we have left in Central Illinois...
Here I fly around and wave to the drone...
I tend to agree, despite the expertise that one would think would go into that application guide. You'd want shocks to compress to that point, but not be there to start with. Otherwise, with every compression you'd go from ideal to less than ideal, depending on how hard the jounce is. Thus my...