CHEAP, Car Trailer Upgrades. Winch, Jacks, storage

In this video I install four major upgrades to my Summit Alpine series 16 foot 7k car trailer. I install a Harbor Freight Badland ZXR 9000 Winch, I add some weld on jacks for stability. I also add some storage and a spare tire mount.
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[@timpriest4899]

Ask for solder slugs at the parts store for your heavy connections like that. They solder large connectors together with just a torch.

[@rodnjosh]

Use welding cable instead of cheap jumper cables. Much better quality cable and very flexible. Also you will find the welding cable is really not that expensive. As far as the cable connection is concerned do not solder them as this will cause the cable to get brittle and it will eventually break. If you do not have the proper crimper you can also use a punch with the punch end rounded over and smooth so it does not cut the contact tip barrel. Might need some help. But hold the contact tip by the opposite end with a pair of vise grips on an anvil or some solid steel surface and dimple the barrel where the wire goes in as deep as you can. Best to use a large punch with the blunted end at least 3/8" diameter, with a large hammer 32oz or better. We use those connection on forklifts all of the time. If I don't have my crimper with me te above description is how I crimp when I have to go out into the field without all of my tools.

[@SalvoDan]

Great idea. Cheap jumper cables are cheap for a reason. A $30 set is adequate for your mate to get you out of trouble if you are stuck on the side of the road and you are parked nose to nose, but the wire is no good for running high-current devices like winches over long distances. Fine-stranded welding cable is flexible and designed for carrying high current over longer working distances without voltage drop. It is able to handle road vibrations better than solid core and due to Economy of Scale is cheaper than coarse-stranded automotive cable.

[@dagamore]

I have never had good luck going cheap on wires or connectors, often it is cheaper to do it right once than to keep fixing issues from doing it cheap for years.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Very true

[@MacsSpecialitiesMotorsports]

Great idea on installing the rear jacks on the young trailer. Our old shop trailer is a testament of bending in the middle after old age. Way to get it done before “you get bent”

[@Ryan_Tidwell]

I like your idea of not having a battery on the trailer to deal with. I've had problems running high current through that much wire though. I'd love to see you use that winch under load when you get it all done. I'll copy your design if it works. :D

[@jfarris21]

I was in the battery industry for about 10 years as a service tech I have installed hundreds of those plugs trust me get a hammer crimper you liked and then put a good coat of heat shrink over everything you will be fine

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Yes, I need to get a crimper for sure.

[@jfarris21]

I'm getting ready to buy a hammer crimper and more of a pinch Style but both large enough

[@MegaMarclar]

Sweet setup, nice 1st gen. My tow rig is an 81 crewcab, military truck. 440. Does a great job at destroying fuel lol. I built a plate for my winch that is welded to a ball mount, can slide it in any hitch receiver. I welded a receiver to the front of my car trailer deck. I don't have any rear jacks yet, just been using a few pieces of firewood lol.

[@trentonbrown5175]

Great explanation on the trailer jacks. I did bend my trail 6 months ago not using ramps and jumped the jeep to hard.

[@jackiejoe8930]

Some great ideas. The seller were make our play time the more play time we get. The jacks and wench is fall in the stitch in time category. Thanks for all the affordable project ideas.

[@hllon4whls]

You've shared lots of good ideas here. I suggest you get a good (good enough) crimper for those lugs, no need to solder and crimp. If you want to power the winch cable from the cab without opening the hood, you can get a constant duty solenoid to energize the circuit from the cab with a small switch.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

I have already purchased new 1 gauge cable with the connector already crimped on. I didn’t want to run the risk with that cheap 4 gauge wire.

[@marcusalancate1782]

I like your repurposing ideas for the trailer winch.

[@FlawedOffroad]

Looks like it all turned out pretty good to me!

[@SalvoDan]

Best practice is for jack stands and dolly wheels to be mounted facing backwards. That way, if the pivot retainer fails during travel it trails and doesn’t launch the trailer.

[@akafuzzy1079]

Jump Boxes make great winch batteries for the occasional use on the winch.

[@bp4887]

Harbor Freight has a really good working hydraulic crimper for those wires and connections. I build those Anderson connectors with mine a lot

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

I will have to check it out👍🏻

[@stevenwdoolittle1195]

I highly suggest to drill and make drain in bottom of box. You will not regret it!

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

It already has a few holes in there lol, but not a bad idea

[@stevenwdoolittle1195]

@@MuddyBeards4X4 great. I only know because I was the jack ass that did not and I had a " weather proof" box floating with water. Lol

[@MikeMartin-fj6vs]

Take the handles off of the jack. Adapt it for a socket. Use an impact to drive them up and down. Tongue jack as well.

[@duane3897]

Looking at upgrading a trailer I picked up very reasonably. Thinking I might upgrade the axles also. Enjoy your videos. You do nice work!

[@MikeMartin-fj6vs]

You Might want to buy another connector to plug into the female connector under your truck. That way the contacts are protected from corrosion, with a little grease obviously. It would also keep debris from collecting inside.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Good idea 👍🏻

[@MacsSpecialitiesMotorsports]

Another option to power the winch is a deep cycle battery in the trailer box with a harbor freight solar panel mounted to the top of the box. We did this on our new trailer 3 plus years ago and still going strong plus you don’t need the same truck to operate the trailer winch. Nice video once again, keep them coming.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

That’s a good idea. 👍🏻

[@92Inquieto]

How big of a solar charger is needed?

[@rickmarquart3277]

Thanks Kelly, nice trailer!

[@paulhughes9722]

I've just done alot of this to mine a few months ago. Good video

[@Epochred]

Make sure you grease those hubs!! I would lift the trailer on each side and give the wheels a good ole spin to check for gravely sounding bearings. Work at a shop where we service light trailers and I cannot tell you how many hubs I’ve seen fall off or almost fall off due to neglect or forgetting to check the bearings. IHMO. Better to find a bad bearing and replace it than have a hub come off on the hey and the have to replace the whole assembly. Good luck Trailer looks good.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Yup, I grease them and check them regularly. I also always carry a spare bearing kit.

[@The1965mustang]

Great video! I am planning to use your ideas. Thank you

[@andrewgiannini5421]

Make a set of jumper cables with the plug connector on one end and clamps on the other that way if the jeep battery ever dies for some reason you can jump it without a jump box or having to unhook the truck and turn it round or if someone parks behind you can jump them

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Good idea 👍🏻

[@JohnJohnson-vu7xj]

I mounted my 12k winch on 1/4" plate.

[@allanwagner4570]

take some used oil and a roller to the deck planks !!! it is messy at first however the planks will last forever I did mine 6 years ago and i am in arizona it is the best weatherproofing EVER

[@scottnichols9020]

Me and my friend are going to do the same setup for my friends winch

[@messix7768]

the Kelly "komedy" is priceless

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

🤣

[@DennisWHJr]

Love this content

[@donhappel9566]

As an fyi, most likely those cheap jumper cables are probably aluminum instead of copper. They look beefy but don't have as much current capacity as copper.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Yea, I have already ordered new cable. It already broke and I don’t trust it.

[@Kyle-ev4fk]

How come you didn't weld the box on the tongue? These are all great upgrades everyone should do. I am going to try to put my winch in the box tho.

[@bulletproofpepper2]

Thanks for sharing!

[@daviddudley1655]

Those red colored cuneters work better if you just use satter

[@Zone6G]

Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm 90% sure you need to use flux core solder, not rosin core. Rosin will eat away at your wires.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Flux is what’s inside the solder to improve contact and strength. There is acid core and rosin core. Rosin core solder is the Standard for electronic soldering.

[@lewy1]

I know you already have the winch, but did you ever give any thought to an anchor point that you could hang a block so you could use your winch or another vehicles winch?

[@Rick-4552]

I tried using the jumper cables for my winch , they said they were 2.0 cable but they almost immediately burnt up, I used welding lead and never had a problem after that . Just warning ya so ya dont get stuck like I did.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Thanks, good to know.

[@SkyBlueOffRoad]

@9:36...Being in the PNW, ya might want to put a drain hole in the pocket.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Yea, I probably will. Just in case

[@moejr14]

Hey buddy, nice video. I just picked up a car hauler 16’ x 82” wide. I’m looking to add some D rings to it. Do you have any suggestions on where I should place the rings on the trailer

[@imzackson]

Great video!!! What ever happened to the rally race video?

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

I didn’t do one,the trip is on Maxx Powell’s channel and dirt lifestyle channel. Didn’t want to make a third video of the same trip.

[@imzackson]

@@MuddyBeards4X4 I thought you were building the Subaru for one?

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Just for the gambler 500, which was at the end of June.

[@phonypony5.0]

I might have missed it if you said it ...but what does your jeep weigh ?

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

It’s around 4500

[@moejr14]

Hey man I just picked a used car trailer and the trailer tire have some camber while hard turning on uneven terrain with a load. Is this “normal” for a tandem axle? Or are my axles bent? Otherwise the tire drive straight down the road with and without a load. Any help would be appreciated

[@lancow1234]

How does the 1st gen tow the jeep? Automatic or manual

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

It’s not fast, lol but it works great, it’s a built auto.

[@donhappel9566]

what does your Jeep weigh? I cringe when I see anybody towing a 4x4 with only 3500 lb axles on a trailer. Figure the trailer itself is close to 2000 and that leaves 5000 for the payload before you're max'ed out. It's easy to hit that mark with any sort of built 4x4. Just as I wouldn't want to tow the max capacity of my truck all the time I wouldn't want to be pushing the limit of the trailer every time. 5200 lb axles are the way to go.

[@MuddyBeards4X4]

Jeep is 4700 and trailer is 1600, so it is still close. Wouldn’t tow anything bigger or heavier than my Jeep with it for sure.