We wanted a trailer to tow behind the Scarlett Thunderbolt to extend our touring range and enable us to enjoy a comfortable camping holiday. We looked at all kinds of trailers, from fibreglass to checker-plate, from fold-out camper trailers to small plastic 'coffins' or overgrown toolboxes. We decided that a thin steel covered trailer would be best, being both durable and weatherproof. After a few months of searching online, we found a trailer that fit the bill down in Maryborough, Qld – except, that is, for the extremely dodgy paint job! We brought her home and looked at what it would take to bring her up to Miss Scarlett's standard. A colour scheme was agreed. And so the reno began.
Kate has done 99% of the hard yakka involved in renovating the trailer, from stripping, sanding and prepping to undercoating, masking and spraying. She has her own blog, and has posted her progress on the trailer, stage by stage, in that forum. The reports are formatted for her blog, so to see what was involved, click the links in turn.
https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/2016/09/05/rolling-thunder-part-1https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/rolling-thunder-part-2https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/2016/09/16/rolling-thunder-part-3https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/rolling-thunder-part-4https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/2016/10/13/rolling-thunder-part-5https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/2016/10/20/rolling-thunder-part-6-get-the-motor-running We've just finished towing Rolling Thunder behind the Scarlett Thunderbolt for the past week over a couple of thousand kilometres round trip on our recent FNQ holiday (
http://ozstoc.com/index.php?topic=11252.0). The finished trailer formed an essential and integral part of the trip, allowing us to carry everything we needed to stay covered, comfortable and content. As an added benefit, with a wheel clamp and padlocks fitted, the trailer provided secure storage while we were away on day-trips.
We had a 33L esky on the front, 10kg of tools and equipment in the back, and in the main section, a 10 man tent, a double bed stretcher, inflatable mattress, a couple of seats, 10L of water, etc.… about 30kgs in all.
From a mechanical point of view, aside from changing the tow hitch to a 360° swivel hitch, checking the bearings were greased and the lights worked, all we had to do was run the tyres at 12psi. It has behaved faultlessly on its maiden trip, and we were barely aware it was behind us most of the time. At this stage we have no plans to install power as the esky was completely adequate, and we camped on powered sites.
Cheers, John & Kate.
