grand truck simulator hook up a tandem trailer

After lots of research, I found a guy on eBay who sold me (30) 5mm 6v LED lights (10 red, 10 yellow, and 10 white ). I've NEVER soldered to, installed, or even ordered LED lights. I figured on 19 LEDs on the trailer, but ended up installing 13 for simplicity in where the wire would have to run. Something else I had to have was LED lighting. This would leave the side rails 1/16' higher than the wood deck, which I liked. I decided that because of the overlapping metal and the changed deck mounting surfaces, the best bet would be to router the front and back of the deck and make the metal to wood transition of the deck smooth and level.

I measured the deck twice and with the help of dad, cut it once with an ancient but accurate radial arm saw. The handy-panel had been an eyesore in my room, banging against my closet doors every time I went to get a shirt.

From scratch, this is the point that I was at for building as of July 15, 2014. With that, I installed some mock up random hardware to hold everything in place and did a photo shoot of my progress. I also added multiple cross-braces to strengthen the middle of the trailer deck and stiffen the frame. I proceeded to mount the suspension in the best place possible to achieve equal weight distribution between the leafs. I cut the spacers off at the right length and began making leaf mounts out of the aluminum channel. I actually found the right size tubing to make the spacers inside a pen. I searched around and couldn't find any purchasable. To make the suspension really scale, I needed leaf eye spacers. Made another one to match and bingo! After measuring and cutting out shackles to tie the leafs to the equalizer and mounts (which took about 20 prototypes), I came up with 8 decent shackle plates. The design was changed each prototype and after the 4th one, I had a winner. Using a scrap piece of 1' x 1/4' aluminum bar about 8' long, I cut out some prototype equalizers. And that is something I couldn't find available as well. To achieve true tandem axle suspension, I needed an equalizer. I couldn't find leaf C available anywhere, so I replaced it with leaf E in the stack. I used Tamiya Hi-lift leafs A, B, D, and E. So unlike what I had seen, I opted for the double-eye leafs to try and get some legit articulation, while supporting the weight of a 6lb SCX10. I think I made a thread here on RCU a couple months back about tandem suspension systems for a trailer. Most of the other RC trailers I saw on the web either didn't have suspension or were a sliding leaf setup. With the tongue in place, I decided that I wanted a suspension system. For the photos, most of the hardware is mock up. After many prototypes, the tongue's side braces became existent, and tied the tongue to the front of the trailer a second time. I also added another cross-brace to support the tongue farther down the trailer, tying it in better and making it strong. I cut a piece of the channel I specified above and cut a slot in the front side of the trailer for the channel to fall in. This formed the support for the ramp and really stiffed it up. I bolted the cross-braces together with 4-40 machine screws and locknuts. So I measured out the angle and cut a triangle in the side of the side rails, bent the rails down to the correct degree, added the other side of the main cross-brace, and bent the cross-braces to a tighter than 90* angle. In order to make the dovetail ramp, I had to bend the side rails. While I was there I picked up a handy-panel for the trailer's deck. I got the 1/2' x 1/2' x 1/16' aluminum angle from Menards, along with some 1/2' x 3/8' x 1/16' aluminum channel. The black anodized 1/2' x 3/4' x 1/16' angle is extra from dad's workplace.

I then added one side of the main cross-brace to support the dovetail. I started with literally, two pieces of aluminum angle each cut in half to form four sides of an imagined trailer. It all started a little over a year ago around the middle of February 2014.

Grand truck simulator hook up a tandem trailer