Milwaukee Midget

[Dr Goggles]

Need a project that I've managed to ignore for most of my life?

Everybody should take over someone else's languishing project once in their lives.

No fault divorce I think that's called.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Doc, I'm trying to avoid that scenario. 

So in an effort to avoid a relationship cleavage, and return to Kate the back yard back for something other than trailer storage, the last two weeks has seen me descaling, wire brushing, bearing packing and rewiring my trusty, low-riding car trailer.  Final coat of Rustoleum will be applied this weekend, but nothing says Christmas in Milwaukee better than a boatload of new LED trailer lights . . .



I'm selling it - I'll rent a trailer next time I need one.  If I raced SCCA or Vintage, and used it more than 3 times in 8 years, I'd keep it, but nothing goes to hell faster than an unused trailer - except maybe a boat. 

I will say this, though - two trips to Bonneville, one to Maxton - never a lick of problems.  Pulls real easy, and if you have a car that weighs in at less than 2000 lbs, it's all you need.

Hey, Slim - tell you what - if I sell it to a member here on the boards, I'll chip in 10% for upkeep.

I'll finish the paint job and post it.

[Dr Goggles]

They are the brightest trailer lights I've ever seen!

I got a call from a mate a while back asked if he could borrow the car trailer (there are two tandems here ,the FIL leant one to us two years ago when we moved and won't take/doesn't want it back) "sure" I said. He turns up just on dark, the lights are barely working.
"I'll sort it out" he says.
The next day he rings me and said that he 'd loaded his hot rod on it and now none of the lights work.....
I told him to take it to an auto electrician and to get it completely rewired.
Rings me the next day, he's found a guy because his usual bloke was on holidays.
"$300 , do you want to talk to him?" ($#%#$#^ I'm thinking, just my luck)
I talk to him, and told him to replace everything.
I drop in to pay him about two hours later, he's finished.....
Three days later the trailer is dropped back at my place, I have a look underneath, same old bits and pieces wiring job...nothing replaced, he's just trouble shot it. I'm a little ticked off.
I stew on it, not feeling any better.
A week or so later I'm in said auto-elec's town to see a friend play guitar at the farmers market..."Ahh stuff it" I think, I'll drop in and see him.
"Knock knock"
Woman comes to the door, "Are you looking for Bob?"
I hear mumbling inside but it takes nearly ten minutes before he comes out. He's white, and trembling.
"Hi James, is there a problem?"
"Yeah Bob, about the trailer, you didn't replace anything?, I've come for my money back I'm afraid"
 He pulls the money out of his pocket and gives it to me (he knew exactly why I was there), hands shaking like I'm pointing a gun at him.... I gave him 50 bucks,
"That's for your time"....

I actually felt bad about it.

[tauruck]

Why feel bad?. Do you feel bad because you gave him 50 bucks or because he felt threatened?.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Mike, I suspect that $50.00 was a pity payment.

It comes down to the difference between intelligence and wisdom. I know Doc's intelligent enough to have done it himself, but I also know he's wise enough to hand it off to someone else.  The evidence is that he intended to fork over $300.00 for a proper job, but settled for $50.00 for a poorly executed trailer lighting repair - at the end of the day, he didn't have to do it himself - and THAT HAS VALUE. 

This is actually the third time I've rewired mine.  It will be the last time.

The first two times, I used those cheapazz "trailer wiring kits" - the brown/green/yellow/white rubbish you get at the discounters.  The thought was always, "I'm going to have to do it again, anyway".

But then I got to thinking back to when I bought the trailer, and I remember negotiating with the owner because the existing wiring was very much a mess.  If I'm going to sell this thing, I'm going to get my price for it, and I'm not going to let some craigslist whiner chisel me down over something that I can actually do well.

I wound up using 4 wiring boxes, and utilized 14-4 VN TC, UL listed, direct burial 600V cable with p-clips all around.  We typically use this kind of cable at work for outdoor speaker installations and bi-amped temporary installs.  The job is neat and orderly, it doesn't offer vermin the opportunity to floss their teeth, and it worked the first time.

So as is often the case, I'll finally have it where I want it, and I'm getting rid of it.

[Ron Gibson]

Wouldn't it have been easier to let someone else do it for $50 bucks?   

Ron

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I think the operative words there, Ron,  are "DO IT".

[Peter Jack]

Chris, looking at the picture of the trailer it's my bet that any rental trailer you find will be a lot more trouble and harder to tow than that one. They're built way heavier to put up with the abuse that sort of trailer goes through and they tend to be larger just so they can be used to tow most vehicles. A simple utility trailer may do the trick for the Midget but you'll need long ramps because you won't find one as low. It's really too bad that it's inconvenient to hold on to it as long as you're planning to run the Midget.

Pete

[Milwaukee Midget]

PJ, I agree.  It's got a 3500 lb axle, the tires are fresh, the tongue is long, it was designed and built by a guy who raced a Spridget in SCCA.

Justifiably, Kate would like to see it out of the back yard.  I shopped around for a storage spot - $35.00/month is about as cheap as I could find, and that was not particularly well secured.  Pay for the tags every year plus storage, and you're at $450.00.  Last time I rented a trailer in 2010, it came to ~600.00, and yes, it was like dragging an anchor.

Maybe I'll make some calls.  What would be sweet is if I could offer it to a sports car racer for free, with the caveat that I'd need it once a year for a couple of weeks.  Gets it out of my yard, and keeps it handy? 

[Peter Jack]

I really like that idea as long as you found someone who'd maintain it as their own.

The other option is to put it on a set of blocks with the wheels removed leaning on its side up against the garage. It would take up considerably less space and it could even be used for hanging a few potted plants. 

Pete

[Ron Gibson]

Or plants of pot.

Ron

[Milwaukee Midget]

Ron, I'll have you talk to my Colorado based event captain about herbs and seeds.

Part of what I was thinking was to build a deck in the back yard high enough to roll the trailer under.

But do I really want to spend $1500.00 on a deck whose only real purpose is to hide an $800.00 eyesore? 

[Peter Jack]

It sounds like a really good place to sit out and grill steaks and veggie burgers and drink beer while you plan the next item for the Midget. 

Pete

[Milwaukee Midget]

It sounds like a really good place to sit out and grill steaks and veggie burgers and drink beer while you plan the next item for the Midget. 

Pete

Yeah, but it also sounds like a lot of work . . . 

[Ron Gibson]

Sounds like with what he's spending on the MIDGET, he can't afford a deck.

Ron