[towie964]

So continuing on from a previous post in another thread....I have started the build...OMG...this one has some screws in it...

One a side note, I am only about 1/3 the way through the build...which means I only have about 10ish hours on it so far...and I am noticing something I never thought I would find with a Tamiya model....Screws missing, and not just 1, but several so far, and sizes that you couldn't overlook.
I am a little disappointed, Tamiya have always been known for the accuracy of the screw count, in fact, I cant remember a kit that didn't have exactly what was needed plus a few spares, but this kit has been a surprise indeed, mostly M3 x 30 (1), M3 x 20 (4), M3 x 18 (2), so far...I certainly hope that is the end of it.

Anyway...on to the build....so just to refresh your memory...here is a stock pickie of the trailer...

I am thinking the trailer is about 150mm+ longer then the others, but am assuming that this is because the Reefer is normally sitting behind a single drive cab over Prime Mover...although, I am looking at dropping it on the Knight Hauler which is a bogie drive conventional nose outfit.

I have been taking a few pickies along the way, but still need to load them onto the computer, so they will be in a later post.

I have also been toying with the idea of getting the trailer painted rather than using the stock decals, but that will depend on the availability of one of my friends and of course, how far I can stretch the budget on this one...

This Tamiya's idea of what the unit will look like behind the Prime Mover...



This pickie is very deceptive....the box is around 1100mm long, and the camera held way back to try and get all of it in...these are just the reefer side panels, all the plastics and mechanicals have been removed from the box...



The Rails...notice all the screw holes, apparently every one of them gets a screw or bolt and nut...



The panels spread out across a 3' table will give you a better idea of the length of the trailer when built...



A pile of plastics....







More to come.....

 

[towie964]

Just a few bags of screws...




The first 2 axles are easy enough, pretty much straight forward



The rear or 3rd axle runs steering knuckles and link pins to keep it straight



Next up is the rails, chassis mounts, build the shocks (internal spring and a little grease)







All the spring mounts and rockers are then fitted and the axles attached




After the axles and springs are mounted, the tyre carrier gets built and mounted, white plastic...perfect for someone like me....not...I am a dirt magnet, so there are sure to be greasy marks all over this in no time flat



Somewhere in the middle of this is also the mudguards, which I appear to have forgotten to take a pickie of...oh well...moving on..

Time to build the front support legs, I am just going with the manual ones, although there is a set of electric controlled ones available..



The hitch pin is an easy hook up, 5 screws and a couple of plastic mounts holding to the chassis rails and it is done, more gets mounted to it later for the leg release, but it appears to be a fair way into the build before revisiting that



More to come...

 

[towie964]

Coffee break is over and time to get back to it...

The under chassis tool box is next...more white plastic to get dirty....the side doors are hinged and magnetically help closed, all up fairly easy to assemble and mount, wheel chock holders are mounted inside unlike the other trailers where they are mounted to the chassis rails





A quick side view...and you can see the guards as well....everything is very closely mounted, I reckon if you tried to mount this all up out of sequence, it would be a disaster, space is very limited



Super single wheels all glued and fitted

Doesn't look like much for over 10 hours building.....the reefer unit is next....but a good nights sleep will be needed before attempting that one, the manual looks scary at this point, although, once I start it will probably begin to make sense

Back on the build again....time to start building the reefer unit itself....8 corner pieces...



Then onto the front of the unit...it is starting to take shape and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel...



The rear door unit, with real working doors (swing on hinges) and latches to release them





Then the deck...I got 5 of the cross braces in before realising, I had left out the securing nuts that sit under the ribs....strip it all out and replace them all with the buts in them...even after reading the plan, I somehow missed that part...oh well





All done....now to build the roof section...I hope there are no more damn ribs...

 

[towie964]

The roof section was much more simple....10 angles and a pile of those tiny screws...I have to use a pliers or tweezers just to pick the tiny things up, so I was glad to be done with them or so I thought...



After laying the roof out, the sides just slip in...sort of....I found trimming the blue protective sheet back about 10~15mm allowed the side sheets to sit in the channel fairly snug, without getting stuck, and still being able to move them a little to adjust them before adding the screws...



Well that happened fast... we have a box...



Slip the rear door section and the front refrigerator section in...8 more screws and adjust the other 40 odd little ones and the box is complete, ready to drop on the chassis





I left the plastic protector sheet on while I adjusted everything, didnt want any excess scratches....

Time to start the trimming, applying decals and tidy it up...and of course attach the rear bar that has the light lenses glued in and assembled...



Rear decals applied....including the rear number plate....they give you blanks and a pile of letters so that you can make your own custom number/letter set....as you can see, I went original....



Sides as well....this think is long...about 980mm over all, and nearly 1500mm with a truck hooked up







Late this afternoon, as I was dropping on the decals, I noticed one of the rear wheels sitting a bit strange....the knuckle that holds it has snapped....as has the tyre rack, and the side supports on the front reefer face...it is looking as if Tamiya have changed their plastic composition....these parts are not under any real load, but I am a little worried what is going to burst next....I will contact Tamiya through their website and see if I can order just the parts that have cracked, and of course....let them know about the missing screws....I ended up with a few un-needed screws and parts as well...they look like they fit another trailer altogether....But for now...it is done

 

[towie964]

It is on Super Singles, I had to glue the outer rings to each wheel, but I didn't glue the tyres on...just in case I decide to upgrade the tyres or rims (knew this would happen didn't you?)

One thing I have found a little strange, the rear axle has steering knuckles but they are held straight by a link bar on one side and 2 short links on the front side, these attach from the knuckle to a set point on the axle housing...must be for a steering servo upgrade later on I am guessing...the front 2 axles are both solid with hexes

 

[towie964]

Thanks Tony....

I have been at it again today for a few hours...all those tiny screws 4 and 6mm long and teeny tiny nuts...my eyes are sore, my chubby digits more so, but got a little more done and a few more pickies....just getting into the base of the reefer section at the moment so it should progress pretty quickly from here in...I hope

 

[towie964]

I was lucky Ian, they came silver rather than the pink....

Today's effort was fun...all thise fiddly little 2mm screws...argh...will try and get the pickies up in the morning...phone has gone flat

Cheers

 

[towie964]

Well done Towie looking great as usual
The steering knuckles on the rearward axle is different to the container all three are fixed Did you strip the colour off the shocks or are they coming like that now
They look better than the usual pink anodising they come in.


Ian

I have discovered how the rear axle works...

The steering knuckles allow the rear axle's wheels to turn slightly, this appears to cause the trailer to turn more evenly and appears to stop the last axle's tyres skipping in a turn

 

[towie964]

Build section edited and finished...

Thanks for following along

 

[towie964]

You want one don't you Luke

 

[towie964]

I want one as well

I am such a bad influence on you Ian

 

[towie964]

When it comes to my RC addiction it doesn't take much Towie

Tell me about it...I really should wear eye patches when awake to prevent my addiction

Pete you're such a bad influence on everyone on this forum haha.

I try Sandi, I try

 

[towie964]

A car carrier with old Biante Bathurst cars, that would be real cool.

Yeah but can you imaging the cost, trying to get 1/14 scale Biante Bathurst Cars and a car carrier that can hold 10 cars, so that you could have some of the greats....John Goss Special, Allan Moffatt's Cobra, Peter Brock's XU-1, A9X, and his Commodore, Dick Johnson's Green Machine, a Godzilla, just cause you can

I would have to sell a kidney....anyone in the market for a Kidney?