Coat rack for A-frame

thehamguy1 · 10-18-2011, 02:45 PM

Fall and Spring mean coats and sweaters to figure out what to do with when you're not wearing them. We needed a coat rack but didn't want either to put more holes in the walls or do anything to interfere with folding down. The solution was this coat rack, which hangs over the top of the door-side wall. Parts: three coathooks, one scrap board, one coat hanger cut up to make the hooks to hang it by, a few screws.

Jeep4Two · 10-18-2011, 08:31 PM

More great stuff from the Hamguy! Thanks!

gsocamper · 10-19-2011, 07:52 AM

Great idea Hamguy. Can be used for other things too. Thanks for sharing....and keep on giving us good "mods".

thehamguy1 · 10-20-2011, 04:40 PM

The wife and I have just about run out of mods we felt our A128 needs. We need to come up with some way to add a second battery without substantially increasing the tongue weight, and we want to make it easier to get into the storage under the rear sofa from the inside (our model doesn't have the gas-strut-assisted lid under the rear bed, as I think some models do. I'm thinking of replacing the three separate storage area lids we now have back there with one large, U-shaped, gas-strutted lid). Beyond those, though, we're about modded out for now. How about some other ideas for mods? 'Twould give us some stuff to dream about through the winter...

Jeep4Two · 10-20-2011, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thehamguy1

The wife and I have just about run out of mods we felt our A128 needs. We need to come up with some way to add a second battery without substantially increasing the tongue weight, and we want to make it easier to get into the storage under the rear sofa from the inside (our model doesn't have the gas-strut-assisted lid under the rear bed, as I think some models do. I'm thinking of replacing the three separate storage area lids we now have back there with one large, U-shaped, gas-strutted lid). Beyond those, though, we're about modded out for now. How about some other ideas for mods? 'Twould give us some stuff to dream about through the winter...

I've wondered about battery relocation as well. The only idea I've had so far is moving the existing and adding a 2nd in some sort of custom rack atop the rear of the camper.m it would have to be a luggage rack kind of setup that could double as added storage to avoid looking goofy... Maybe someday I'll get motivated and make a drawing.

Only problem I see with that type of setup is keeping the battery bank level when the camper is up....

thehamguy1 · 10-20-2011, 09:36 PM

You've given me an idea with that suggestion. I could carry the spare tire under the rear of the trailer by relocating its mounting bracket under there. Then I could come up with some sort of dual battery holder that splits the weight between the rear bumper (which is more decorative than structurally sound) and the rear wall of the camper, using the holes left from the spare tire bracket. I'd need to use large-gauge wire to connect the batteries from that far back, but that's no big deal--cut up a couple of jumper cables or something.

[I've carried my motorcycle trailer's spare tire under the motorcycle trailer for a decade or more. Never needed to access it, just checked the bolts for tightness a couple of times a year.]

I'd have to through-bolt the spare tire bracket (with big washers to spread the load) but the bolts would come through in one of the storage areas so it wouldn't make things look bad inside. I'll have to see if there's room under the trailer to do that. If not maybe I could find a spot between the axle and the tongue, or just carry the spare in the TV.

Jeep4Two · 10-20-2011, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thehamguy1

You've given me an idea with that suggestion. I could carry the spare tire under the rear of the trailer by relocating its mounting bracket under there. Then I could come up with some sort of dual battery holder that splits the weight between the rear bumper (which is more decorative than structurally sound) and the rear wall of the camper, using the holes left from the spare tire bracket. I'd need to use large-gauge wire to connect the batteries from that far back, but that's no big deal--cut up a couple of jumper cables or something.

[I've carried my motorcycle trailer's spare tire under the motorcycle trailer for a decade or more. Never needed to access it, just checked the bolts for tightness a couple of times a year.]

I'd have to through-bolt the spare tire bracket (with big washers to spread the load) but the bolts would come through in one of the storage areas so it wouldn't make things look bad inside. I'll have to see if there's room under the trailer to do that. If not maybe I could find a spot between the axle and the tongue, or just carry the spare in the TV.

Good ideas, but remember the dip of the rear of the trailer in steep grades when considering tire relocation.

daveinpickerington · 10-21-2011, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeep4Two

Good ideas, but remember the dip of the rear of the trailer in steep grades when considering tire relocation.

Great reminder. If you go off-road, placing the tire under the frame is a no-no.

Dave

thehamguy1 · 10-21-2011, 04:52 PM

After checking spaces and clearances today I decided the spare could be relocated to beneath the rear of the trailer. It would stick down at the same level as the stabilizing jacks and slightly further forward. So whatever the jacks would clear, the spare would too. The problem would be the difficulty of getting the spare out when needed. But I could perhaps put the spare up front in the space vacated by the battery box, and I could also move the gas cylinders slightly rearward, giving me more clearance when cranking on the tongue jack. Right now that's a knuckle-basher.

D-mo · 10-21-2011, 05:26 PM

If your going to stick your spare up and under i would be concerned with entrances and exits of ...say gas stations and the like. I have touched down with my rear stabilizers twice on the entrances to gas stations, and would not like to do that with a spare tire ...
I'm not trying to be a nay-sayer here....just a concern that i would like to share.
As for the battries .. I've toyed with the idea of making a "boxed set" ... something that is carried in the rear of my truck ...that holds 3 batteries .. and an inverter. I later dismissed the inverter .. as it was too complicated and depletes batteries quickly and went on to the idea of box of batteries that connects via the same connection that is on the back of my truck .. you know .. that connecter divice that has the wierd name ...
Any whoo .. that whole idea got trashed when i realized my truck had no issues with the toungue weight of a dual battery setup .. and then i purchased the solar and and installed a 12 volt plug for when im off the grid.

d-mo

thehamguy1 · 10-22-2011, 06:07 PM

Yeah, I guess it's silly to do all that rearranging. We'd like to go up the Alcan highway to Alaska next summer, so underbody clearance will be important. I don't actually know how much tongue weight the trailer has now, nor am I quite sure what our half-ton pickup will handle in that regard. Maybe the better route is to beef up the rear shocks and/or springs.

I do want to move the gas cylinder mount farther back. If I make a dual battery holder like yours, D-mo, maybe I can squnch it a bit farther back than it currently is and then shift the cylinder bracket.

handbuilder · 08-16-2012, 02:31 PM

I like this coat rack idea! Are you still using it as shown or has it morphed into something else or a different design?

thehamguy1 · 08-16-2012, 03:06 PM

Still using it, in fact it's been quite handy here in the northland where the day goes from cold to hot and back again, and you need at least three levels of coat/sweater/shirt changes for each person. That'd all be laying on the bed without the coat rack.

JoArt · 08-16-2012, 03:31 PM

We had our maiden voyage last weekend and the camping space we were assigned was right out in the Hot sunshine. It was great to turn on the A/C but noticed how hot the window areas became (and remained) and have been thinking of a way to install/sew an installing factor/material to the window coverings. Has anyone come with an idea?
You all have such great ideas. We did purchased the shelving unit that was suggested for over the stove.

ThunderRoad · 08-16-2012, 08:15 PM

Dammit, another hamguy mod I have to add to my list! :P

How did you attach it a the top? hooks over the wall or something on the rubber pads? couldn't tell very well from the pics.

thehamguy1 · 08-16-2012, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThunderRoad

Dammit, another hamguy mod I have to add to my list! :P

How did you attach it a the top? hooks over the wall or something on the rubber pads? couldn't tell very well from the pics.

It hooks over the wall, and the rubber pads there keep the hooks from sliding down. The hooks are made from a coat hanger. I bent a loop in one end of each hook so I could screw it to the back of the board. The rest of the hook was bent as needed to hold it up there.

Yukon Don · 08-19-2012, 11:21 AM

That's a good, simple idea for a coat rack, I'll likely make one of those up.

For what it's worth on the spare tire location, I've always found spares located under anything tend to rust, rot and seize there until you need them. And you always seem to need them when you're up to your axles in snow or mud...

Have you thought of a roof rack of some sort for your Silverado and putting the spare up there ?
Some racks do tend to hum at highway speeds (downside).
Adds that just-back-from-Kenya-on-assignment-with-National-Geographic look, if you put a spare tire or two up there (upside).

May well see you on the Alcan next year.

thehamguy1 · 08-19-2012, 01:35 PM

Cool roof rack idea, I'll have to cogitate upon that. I built a canoe rack, I can probably whip up something for the spare spare. As of now it's part of the swirl of flotsam in the pickup bed. I try not to look in there too often; just keep the tonneau closed and pretend everything's OK.

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