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Interesting "can of worms"

RCP Phx

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Phoenix,Az
I need to add and repair some outlets on my new to me trailer. Well the 120volt receptacles are special to trailers and the cigarette lighter/coax jack has 4 cable inputs along with the 1 output. I'm also trying to install some USB power outlets. Looks like I have a lot of backward engineering to do!
 
This is what I'm dealing with...... the wood butchers at the trailer manufacturer and the equipment. Also a shot of where I'm going to cut out for the power meter. I'll get that done plus 2 cut outs for the USB outlets and then send my 16' scope HD camera in there to see what's going on?
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The "workmanship" (should probably read "workmonkeyship", but the monkeys would be rightfully offended) that goes into trailers is astounding. My best guess is that trailer builders are among the few employers who don't require drug testing.
 
Slowly chipping away at all the things I need to get done.
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I have ( I think), everything I need to proceed. To reverse engineer the trailer, good tools are needed too.
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Today I started doing the layout for the solar panel mounts. The panel needs about a 2* rake for rain and the roof has a radius to it about 3* so I will brake the mount at about 87*.
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Why bother with tilting the panels? You'll never (hardly ever) end up on perfectly level ground.
 
The trailer always gets leveled perfectly, so rain and specially the wind load @70mph towing!
 
I will add that the ground is "never" level but besides that I carry a shovel, a pick, a rake, and a broom in the trailer at all times( to dig down the "high" side and other things in the camp) and 20 interlocking leveling blocks for the "low" side and the tongue jack.
http://www.camco.net/leveling-blocks-10-pack-bilingual-44505
 
The trailer always gets leveled perfectly, so rain and specially the wind load @70mph towing!

Heck, in that case tilt them up in the front to get a little lift to lighten the load on the tires!
 
I've finished up the solar panel side of the mounts, I'm working on the bases now.
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I got the lower mounts done, at least all the drilling (except for the angle and brake work).
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I got the lower mounts done, at least all the drilling (except for the angle and brake work).
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Well the pieces "broke" alright, in 6 pieces! I either have to build a jig to weld them back together, or start over with thinner material possibly even stainless steel.
 
If perchance you initially scribed a line all the way down and then went back and added your tabs that could be your problem. A scribed line will act as a stress riser.

If that is not what happened, another course to consider is to anneal those sections you need to bend. It is fairly easy to anneal aluminum if you have a torch rig. Set up your torch to run rich such that black wisps are falling out the air and use that setting to lay down a coat of soot where you want the aluminum annealed. Once you have laid down your soot adjust your torch back to normal operation and burn the soot off. Once the soot has been burned off you have annealed the aluminum and can work with it as you like. If you need to harden it again afterwards I think that is going to require a shop with more specialized equipment than an individual is likely to have on hand.
 
If perchance you initially scribed a line all the way down and then went back and added your tabs that could be your problem. A scribed line will act as a stress riser.

If that is not what happened, another course to consider is to anneal those sections you need to bend. It is fairly easy to anneal aluminum if you have a torch rig. Set up your torch to run rich such that black wisps are falling out the air and use that setting to lay down a coat of soot where you want the aluminum annealed. Once you have laid down your soot adjust your torch back to normal operation and burn the soot off. Once the soot has been burned off you have annealed the aluminum and can work with it as you like. If you need to harden it again afterwards I think that is going to require a shop with more specialized equipment than an individual is likely to have on hand.

I did both a heavy scribe and a torch anneal, stuff happens!
 
Try again on a scrap without the scribe.
 
Usually not an issue on thin stock, but did you consider grain direction? At this point it may be easier to just weld the tabs back on if you got a clean break vs starting over again.
 
No, it's part my fault. I sent it to work with my son and with the intensions of a "obtuse" bend, it got over-bent to a "acute" angle that I think broke it (there was actually one survivor). I'm currently working on a piece of stainless(1/16") that will be a lot faster to re-do.
 
Usually not an issue on thin stock, but did you consider grain direction?

I suspect you are referring to aluminum. How is grain direction determined?
 
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