Gumball
06-29-2015, 09:58 AM
My Serpent Express retrofit project is finally back on track. I bought the retro-kit a couple years ago, but since my car wasn't done until recently, the trailer got pushed to the back burner.
My starting point is a 20 year old open steel trailer with leaf spring suspension that I purchased from a friend. It's really solid and somewhat overbuilt, but not too heavy. Given what I paid for it, it was like buying the new tires he'd just installed and getting the trailer for free. But, due to it's age, it was pretty sparse in the equipment department. Brakes on one axle only, no break-away system to actuate the brakes, frayed cables instead of safety chains, no clearance or width lighting, replaced coupler that was too small for the trailer's weight rating, etc... It was also pretty ugly - lots of scuffs and surface rust - and painted with an industrial machinery paint. Since the Serpent Express makes for a nice trailer, I decided to use this as a chance to upgrade other things... including the appearance.
It has diamond plate runways, but since it doesn't have a solid deck, I'm going to block the center using DryMax wood flooring (similar to the flooring used on enclosed trailers).
Earlier this year, I stripped it down, removed all the old lighting and wiring, ground away all the rust, cut off the hand winch (something more appropriate for a boat trailer), and added a bunch of new PVC conduit for the new wiring.
I'm also adding / replacing:
All new brakes (both axles - all four wheels), hubs, bearings, etc...
Silver steel wheels for the new-ish tires
Aluminum tongue box
Electric winch (with controls and battery in the tongue box)
Central junction box for wiring in the tongue box
Safety chains w/spring-loaded hooks
Break-away system for brakes w/self-charging battery
Class IV cast coupler (2 5/16")
LED lighting throughout, including clearance and interior (floor and ceiling)
Since I have access to a friend's bodyshop and paint booth (where we did my FFR), I decided to prep and paint it myself.
Here's a picture fresh out of the booth after being epoxy sealed and covered with a few coats of urethane single-stage gloss black. Once it's complete, I'm going to try my hand at another new skill I've been working on lately - painted pinstripes.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20150628_130334649_zps3wsc0obs.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20150628_130334649_zps3wsc0obs.jpg.html)
Here's a before shot, too, the day we used it to haul the current project (the Rustang) out of the woods:
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/Rustang/IMG_20141026_134234172_zpsrzh8pecg.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/Rustang/IMG_20141026_134234172_zpsrzh8pecg.jpg.html)
My starting point is a 20 year old open steel trailer with leaf spring suspension that I purchased from a friend. It's really solid and somewhat overbuilt, but not too heavy. Given what I paid for it, it was like buying the new tires he'd just installed and getting the trailer for free. But, due to it's age, it was pretty sparse in the equipment department. Brakes on one axle only, no break-away system to actuate the brakes, frayed cables instead of safety chains, no clearance or width lighting, replaced coupler that was too small for the trailer's weight rating, etc... It was also pretty ugly - lots of scuffs and surface rust - and painted with an industrial machinery paint. Since the Serpent Express makes for a nice trailer, I decided to use this as a chance to upgrade other things... including the appearance.
It has diamond plate runways, but since it doesn't have a solid deck, I'm going to block the center using DryMax wood flooring (similar to the flooring used on enclosed trailers).
Earlier this year, I stripped it down, removed all the old lighting and wiring, ground away all the rust, cut off the hand winch (something more appropriate for a boat trailer), and added a bunch of new PVC conduit for the new wiring.
I'm also adding / replacing:
All new brakes (both axles - all four wheels), hubs, bearings, etc...
Silver steel wheels for the new-ish tires
Aluminum tongue box
Electric winch (with controls and battery in the tongue box)
Central junction box for wiring in the tongue box
Safety chains w/spring-loaded hooks
Break-away system for brakes w/self-charging battery
Class IV cast coupler (2 5/16")
LED lighting throughout, including clearance and interior (floor and ceiling)
Since I have access to a friend's bodyshop and paint booth (where we did my FFR), I decided to prep and paint it myself.
Here's a picture fresh out of the booth after being epoxy sealed and covered with a few coats of urethane single-stage gloss black. Once it's complete, I'm going to try my hand at another new skill I've been working on lately - painted pinstripes.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20150628_130334649_zps3wsc0obs.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20150628_130334649_zps3wsc0obs.jpg.html)
Here's a before shot, too, the day we used it to haul the current project (the Rustang) out of the woods:
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/Rustang/IMG_20141026_134234172_zpsrzh8pecg.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/Rustang/IMG_20141026_134234172_zpsrzh8pecg.jpg.html)