Adventures in DIY – Mechanical Elements Articles Worth Reading
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Articles  >  Adventures

These are stories and thoughts including Do-it-Yourself adventures.  Some success stories, some humorous, and some stories of disaster.  We learn from them all.  If you have a contribution, we’d love to hear it.  Enjoy These Adventures!  –  See all the Mechanic’s Posts here.

Which Crane Winch?

There are dozens of ways to lift with a crane.  Chain falls are popular.  Come-alongs are another common method.  There are also a variety of winches – from the hand crank to an electric crane winch for lifting.  Is one better than another?

DIY with Water Jet Cutting

When thinking about DIY, we normally don’t envision big or expensive machinery to do the job.  There are times, however, when it’s really nice to have.  There are some really good reasons for Water Jet cutting (or laser cutting), instead of the normal DIY methods.

Trailer Design Sketch

It looks easy.  Trailer design is not like building a rocket, but it is also not as easy as putting a few pieces of metal together.  Good trailer design includes meeting goals and ending up with something that will tow well, and perform to your needs.

Independent Trailer Suspension?

I see a lot of comments on websites and hear references once in a while about the wonders of independent trailer suspension.  What do you think?  Does it deliver on the hype?  Or is it a sales hoax?  We will look at some video and think about the engineering to find out

Save Money at the Pump

Gas prices are up.  Diesel prices are even higher.  Since I don’t see those prices changing soon, maybe I can DIY some things to help.  Is there any way to improve fuel economy when I’m pulling my trailer?

Trailer Towing Tips

As we plan and eventually set out for the many adventures this year, let’s plan for a great trip.  Here are some good towing tips to make it all go much smoother. For RV’s or any other trailer, the tips are

Car Hauler Design Research

Prior to starting new plans, we do research to understand the landscape, then look for opportunity to improve and make a better product.  That is certainly the case with our upcoming Equipment Transport Trailer & Car Hauler design.  * New plans are coming soon. *

Is It Strong Enough?

I’m not sure how to categorize this Article.  It’s an answer, but more than that.  We get questions once in a while something like “My trailer is X long and I want to haul a Y.  Is 3 inch angle iron strong enough?”

Compare Axle-Less

Axle-less suspension trailers.  Yes, that is a thing, and we get a lot of questions about this unique suspension.  Some people ask if it is any good?  Other people ask if it will work with our trailer plans?  Still others ask about using them for tandem axles?  We even get questions

Trailer Sway Video Review

Understanding Trailer Dynamics like Sway is a really important.  If you look for it, there are many articles and some great YouTube videos discussing and demonstrating the many factors and issues.