I may have a solution

Until yesterday it has been rather hot.  I know this because two Bell 212 water bombing helicopters passed overhead yesterday on their way to another bushfire northeast of us.  Later in the afternoon there was a strong smell of wood smoke through the house.  Apparently the source of the fire was a spark from a trail bike exhaust.

I have been busy.  After some searching I found a local supplier for old conveyor belt rubber.  After a 30 minute search through their yard I found a piece almost the right size and at an acceptable price.  One day was spent measuring and cutting it to size with a razor knife.

It is now 2 metres long and 580mm wide.  This will be the full width mudflap under the front of the camper trailer.  It’s purpose is to deflect stones coming out from under the back of the 4x4 from passing under the trailer.  The idea is to prevent the stones damaging the underside of the trailer.

I’m not going to fit it to the trailer until the 3rd spare wheel mounting has been installed.  The design of this mounting has been going around in my head for at least 12 months.  I’ve considered a number of solutions, but all had been expensive until I came up with my final idea.  The 3rd spare wheel will be mounted under the trailer in front of the suspension and behind the full width mudflap.  This gets it out of the way and also provides me with a total of three spare wheels.  One under the 4x4; one on the back of the camper trailer and this one under the trailer.  It will be my ”tyre of last resort” which means access doesn’t have to be easy.  I’ll attempt to explain how it will fit.

There will be three main horizontal members welded to the existing trailer frame.  The centre member is a length of box steel with two parallel lengths of angle iron.  The wheel will be secured to the box section using a bolt.  The pieces of angle iron will stop the wheel twisting on the box section.

I’ve cut one face out of each end of the box section in order for the ends to be welded to the trailer chassis.  I’ve then cut out a piece of steel from the box section where the bolt will go.  The head of the bolt will be welded into the base of the box section.

The piece of cut-out will then be welded back into place and the shaft of the bolt welded to this piece.  Hopefully this will make the bolt mounting quite strong.

You need to image this is upside down with the bolt pointing downwards.  The bolt will pass through the middle of the wheel hub and another piece of angle iron with the nut welded to it will screw on to the bolt.  The tyre will go between the two.

I plan to stop this smaller plate and nut from undoing by tying the shackle to the chassis.

This then left me with the problem of how to raise the heavy wheel and tyre off the ground and up to the box section with the bolt passes through the hole in the hub.

I’ve decided to use two wire cables.  Four small rectangular plates will be welded to the chassis.  Two before the wheel and two after.  The ends of the wire to the rear two plates will pass through the holes in the plates and be secured with wire clamps.  The wire will be loose on the ground and the wheel will sit on top of them.  The other ends of the wire will go through a pulley connected to the front plates with shackles. 

By pulling on the pulley ends with a ratchet strap I’ll be able to raise the wheel up onto the bolt where it will be secured.  Lowering the wheel will just be a reverse of this process.  Well that’s the plan!

You may recall I was attempting to repair Jan’s Panasonic Lumix camera.  I did manage to disassemble the entire camera and I was right when I explained in order to get to the damaged part on the front I’d have to remove everything behind.  Well I did remove the dent but when I started the re-assembly process <SPRONG> all the fiddly little telescopic lens components fell apart.  I’m now attempting to complete the 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle without a picture of the final produce !  

I haven’t given up and have it partially assembled.  It’s a matter of retaining one’s patience and temporarily leaving it when the frustration level rises to an unacceptable level.