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Bronco car trailers

gnpenning

Contributor
Bronco Slave
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
2,597
Loc.
I have more questions than answers.
So much new or improved coming out all the time, easy to miss something.

One of the things I like about this site. Such a wide range of knowledge and experiences.

A little surprised Bluetooth winch remotes isn't mainstream with more range. How long have Bluetooth cameras been around?
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
37,063
Small 20W solar panel (even 10W will work if space limited but I prefer a little larger) and a GOOD charge controller. Lots of research, and I mean lots, Sunkeeper SK6 is my choice.

I have done this combo to several work trailers. They don't need perfect sun. Not trying to maximize the solar, just get something. A couple watts for a few hours a day. Think of how a dome light is low wattage, but run it for a few hours over a few days and you will have a low battery. This is the reverse. The trailers at work are horrible on batteries. They get a charge wire off the 7-pin trailer plug. But what everyone does is the same. Get back, run the hydraulics or the winch. Then park the trailer. Storing the battery in a low state of charge. Then it sits for a couple weeks or months. And the battery is dead. Add the solar, the battery gets a charge and is ready for the next time. I checked daily after doing one install. 4 days later it was finally fully charged. The solar has already paid for itself in not having to replace batteries.
 

ntsqd

heratic car camper
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
5,953
Loc.
Upper SoKA
I am surprised that a generic BT controller hasn't emerged.

Years ago the trailer or occasional use truck battery state of charge was addressed by Pulse Tech/Solargizer's products. They just never seemed to be hugely popular or common.
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
37,063
I can see why they were never popular. $200+ for a 2W maintainer.
For under $100 I do 20W charge and maintain.

If you have not worked with solar panels much, the rated wattage is with them aimed directly to the sun in perfect conditions. What you really get out of them is much less. The arc of the sun during the day, the angle you mount (aim) them. overcast. shade (even partial). Any and all of that takes huge hits to the output. That is why I oversize so much. I see stuff I have done get parked where it doesn't get good light. Even with that, it can still maintain. Give it a halfway decent light, it will charge.
 

ntsqd

heratic car camper
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
5,953
Loc.
Upper SoKA
Bear in mind that at the time when they first came out the common availability of solar panels of any size was significantly less. Pulse Tech also has a proprietary charge controller that is intended to de-sulfate lead-acid battery plates. This at a time when only the rare, really involved boat owners knew anything about multi-stage charging and almost no one else did. Common knowledge has caught up to them, they just haven't kept pace with pricing. Perhaps their unique controller design is still worth the extra, and perhaps not.
 
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
10,596
Loc.
PNW
Finished it today AND for just $564 and change, WA State let me put a license plate on it today... $560+ just for a trailer that I did ramps, treated all the decking, welded braces under tongue, tool box, welded on D-rings & stake pockets and painted. Swapped out jack and added rear light assemblies with back-up lights so added wiring and I STILL paid that much... Guess the good thing is I didn't pay license registration tax & fees for all the work I did. :)

Anyway, like the trailer! The torquoise is the same on my Bronco as the trailer. Not very good pics but it gives ya an idea
 

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gnpenning

Contributor
Bronco Slave
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
2,597
Loc.
I have more questions than answers.
Do your removable fenders make any noise? Maybe some close ups since I might be changing my single bolt design.

Is it the camera angle or is the plate really low??? They let us run them sideways on the fenders. At least they aren't always mangled.

Did you put a winch in the box?

I won't tell you what I paid for my registration.

Get out and enjoy it. Hope to see a picture with your Bronco to see how well it ties in together.
 
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
10,596
Loc.
PNW
Do your removable fenders make any noise? Maybe some close ups since I might be changing my single bolt design.

Is it the camera angle or is the plate really low??? They let us run them sideways on the fenders. At least they aren't always mangled.

Did you put a winch in the box?

I won't tell you what I paid for my registration.

Get out and enjoy it. Hope to see a picture with your Bronco to see how well it ties in together.
The fenders fit tight enough they don't make noise. I had planned to put bicycle inner tube under the mounts to isolate it as it worked great on my other trailer.

Camera angle but the plate isn't "high" but it is a small license plate.

No winch as my Bronco has one.

Go ahead and make me dislike the taxation in my State even more! You paid under $50 bucks right??? :)

Have a great day tomorrow!!!
 

ntsqd

heratic car camper
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
5,953
Loc.
Upper SoKA
I've seen plates hung that low mounted on a hinge so that they don't get as beat, but airflow at speed does tend to fold them up and make them unreadable.

If I didn't have to plate and register trailers I'd likely have the same problem.
 
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
10,596
Loc.
PNW
Yeah, it'll get bent I'm sure. Good idea on the hinge TS.
 

Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
7,688
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
On trailers that do need a plate, I mount them to a 1/4” plate as a mud flap at the bottom of the fender. They will survive tires exploding and gives a nice jack point.
 
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
10,596
Loc.
PNW
...love the "that do need a plate" lol

Here we have to pay yearly registration fees for a p/u bed mounted camper of all things! :(
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
51,613
Surprised it’s still one and done with trailers around here. Only certain types of trailers maybe?
Pay one licensing fee, one time. Get a plate keep it forever.
You do the same thing when you transfer a trailer, but again it’s one and done.
They’ll probably change it someday, but for right now, I appreciate it.
 

ntsqd

heratic car camper
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
5,953
Loc.
Upper SoKA
They'd like you to think that those "PTI" registrations are one and done. If they are, then why has the DMV sent me renewals for both of my trailers? Granted, I'll guess it's about every decade that I get one, but they're not one and done.
 

ntsqd

heratic car camper
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
5,953
Loc.
Upper SoKA
If stolen how can you prove that it's yours w/o at least a title?

I've mentioned it before, but I'll do it again; the guy at CADMV when MISF & I registered the CUT utility trailer told us to stamp the CA issued VIN on the tongue, and again somewhere that only we knew where it was. He also said something about being able to use pre-existing stamped numbers instead of a CA issued number. So when I took Grandad's utility trailer in to get registered I'd already stamped a VIN using his initials, the year of mfg, and the sequence number (1 of 1) for the VIN.
 

Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
7,688
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
If it is a factory built trailer you have an MSO and the vin stamped in the frame. On the ones I build I assign them a vin so if I ever need an MSO I have that done. All the state wants for the MSO is any 17 digit number. All of my trailers have my name welded under the deck where it’s not in plane sight but easy to find if you crawl underneath.
 

kman67

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2005
Messages
178
Loc.
Aptos
Finished it today AND for just $564 and change, WA State let me put a license plate on it today... $560+ just for a trailer that I did ramps, treated all the decking, welded braces under tongue, tool box, welded on D-rings & stake pockets and painted. Swapped out jack and added rear light assemblies with back-up lights so added wiring and I STILL paid that much... Guess the good thing is I didn't pay license registration tax & fees for all the work I did. :)

Anyway, like the trailer! The torquoise is the same on my Bronco as the trailer. Not very good pics but it gives ya an idea

What Jack did you have and what did you swap in? My trailer(10k, 15 years old Pro Series 8000) has a jammed jack, looks like i need to replace the screw and tube, which isnt available anymore.
Kyle


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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nvrstuk

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
10,596
Loc.
PNW
The one I have. You can pull a pin and drop the jack down like fifteen inches. So you don't have to crank the dang handle for twenty minutes to get it to finally touch the ground..
I've got company, but I'll look for the lincoln include it
 
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