Because you know I can’t do a project without things going sideways.
I decided to dry fit my wheels on the hubs before hanging the hubs on the trailer and……
…..erupted in a cloud of profanity so robust that Old Man Parker* would have been impressed.
Continue reading “Adding brakes to the utility trailer- hardware (days 2&3)”It turns out my trailer has been non-compliant with NJ law for the entire time I’ve owned it. Trailers over 3,000 GVWR must have brakes & a breakaway system. My 3,500 pound trailer had neither when I bought it. So, let’s get to work.
Continue reading “Adding brakes to the trailer – hardware (day 1)”In which your narrator is flummoxed by a bit of electronics.
So, I’m a firm believer in “Trust but Verify”, so I wanted to be sure that I knew which wires in the trailer wire were carrying which signals to the junction box*. Because I can’t be both in the drivers seat of the Honda and sitting at the trailer tongue with a multimeter, I enlisted the help of the youngest offspring.
He loved sitting in the drivers seat, stepping on pedals, flipping levers and things were going pretty well.
I was able to confirm my ground, hot, turn signals & marker lights. That left two terminals unaccounted for and no trigger voltage for the trailer brakes. No matter how hard he stepped on the pedal or pressed the override button, I wasn’t getting voltage on either post, but I was starting to get pretty hot under the collar.
Time to pull the dashboard apart again and make sure that everything was working correctly. There’s only four wires between the controller and the Honda, so it shouldn’t be too hard to sort.
Continue reading “Adding Brakes to the Utility Trailer – Electrical (Day 3)”Good day, and welcome to day 2.
First step – get the junction box hung so I can complete my day 1 tasks.
Last fall I installed the Tow-Pro into the Ridgeline, now I have to make it so the Tow-Pro can control the trailer brakes.
First off, the brake-less trailer has a four pin plug (Ground, Marker, Left & Right Turns), while a trailer equipped with brakes has a seven pin plug (added Brakes, Reverse lights and Power).
Continue reading “Adding brakes to the utility trailer – electrical (Day 1)”Adding brakes to the utility trailer this spring. I’m going to post little bits as I go, instead of one big post.
I’m moving from a four-wire cable to a seven wire cable to support the brakes & break away safety system. I’m also adding a seven pole junction box.
Continue reading “New trailer wire”When we go camping, I like to make sure that everyone has a charged phone or watch so that I can find my family. Unfortunately, Honda doesn’t think you should have access to electrons when the engine isn’t running. Time to add some charging ports, without looking like I added some charging ports. (See Rule 2)
For the bandsaw cabinet I plan to add a work light. I found a light fixture I think will be great, but it’s a bit too short.
I’m going to make it taller by building a base from 3/4” pipe, but I’ve got to attach the fixture to the pipe & get the cord into the cabinet.
I need to drill a hole through the pipe cap, without injuring myself. One hand operating the quill of the drill press, and the other operating the oil can.
Between work & weather the Fas-Top has been in boxes in my garage for almost a month. The weather was almost acceptable today & I need the space in the garage for some other projects so I installed the top system today.
Continue reading “Finally installed the Fas-Top”Given the flat floor in the back of the Ridgeline and some spirited driving, the shopping can come a bit unsettled. I need a way to keep the bags from sliding about.
Honda has a $46 solution, where Amazon has a $15 solution.
Modern Anachronist 