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Mike Maroni
Member
Username: Micmac
Post Number: 26
Registered: 07-2005
Posted From: 64.134.83.83
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 10:41 pm: | 
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I know alot of you have some great ideas for modifications made to your vehicles. I'd like to see a Topic for full write ups of modifications, upgrades etc. I've done a few things that I'm going to write up with pictures (I can't for a while I'm cameraless). Would there be an interest in this sort of topic? |
Chuck McGhee
Member
Username: Chuck_050382
Post Number: 32
Registered: 01-2006
Posted From: 12.170.193.98
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 08:18 am: |
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I would be intersested. I am currently looking into roll cages. I haven't done anything to the argo yet but I did make a trailer to pull behind it, with a fully articulating Hitch. the argo can be at over 90 degrees in any direction to the trailer. Which makes it good for going thru creeks and that sort of things. |
Runningwstorms
Member
Username: Runningwstorms
Post Number: 28
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.218.139.202
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 09:50 am: |
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Chuck,
Did you make that trailer to where it would float? Just curious, since your Argo floats.
I'm currently working on one of those small molded plastic and metal gardening trailers that sears sells for lawn tractors, and making it to where it will float, with a fairly heavy load of camping gear. My Bigfoot just doesn't have enough cargo space to haul everything that my wife requires on a camping trip, lol.
All I ever needed was a lean to, and a sleeping bag, and I was set. But that was before I met my wife, lol.
This would be a great thread, as I too would love to hear about other modifications others have made for their AATV's, along with simple instructions and or pics of their finished projects. Once I get my trailer finished, I will post a pic or two, and try to explain how I did it. |
Chuck McGhee
Member
Username: Chuck_050382
Post Number: 33
Registered: 01-2006
Posted From: 12.170.193.98
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 10:54 am: |
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Runningwstorms,
My trailer wouldn't float. It is 100% steel construction, fully welded. It is 60" wide x 68" long flat bed. I am getting ready to make the bolt on sides. I have attached some pictures of the trailer.
Here is a picture of the hitch, It just plugs into the 2" reciever on the argo.
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Runningwstorms
Member
Username: Runningwstorms
Post Number: 30
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.218.139.202
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 11:22 am: |
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Good pics Chuck!
I was just wondering since you had said you crossed creeks with it.
An idea for you if you ever wanted it to float would be a "kwik" attachment of a couple of aluminum pontoons to the side, outside of the wheels, to keep awesome stability, and to raise the bed of the trailer out of the water completely.
Just an idea, if you ever wanted to cross larger bodies of water. |
Chuck McGhee
Member
Username: Chuck_050382
Post Number: 34
Registered: 01-2006
Posted From: 12.170.193.98
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 11:32 am: |
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thats a good idea, the creeks on my property are rarely full enough to float in. However that would be cool to have the trailer be able to float. |
Skip Saul
Junior Member
Username: Giantdog
Post Number: 14
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 64.186.98.191
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 01:16 pm: |
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When I have a lot of halling to do. I take out my back seats in the Conquest. and put in a sheet of 3/4in plywood cut to fit the back like a pick up bed set down in the back i put two pull handels bolted on to lift it in and out a very easy mod. |
Runningwstorms
Member
Username: Runningwstorms
Post Number: 31
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.218.139.202
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 02:30 pm: |
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That is a very easy mod to do there Skip. Is your Conquest an 8x8 or a 6x6?
Putting a board in a 6x6 would actually steal away extra cargo space, or create a lid to keep stuff dry under a board set up like that.
I guess it all depends on what a person has to haul.
One can only do so much with extra racks mounted on any kind of 6x6, so us owners of 6x6's have to work out ways to increase cargo load capabilities, with the use of trailers.
As far as traveling over bodies of water, then we have to figure out how to make our trailers float, all while staying stable, having balanced floatation, and up high enough to where water doesn't start lapping into those trailers from our driving thru the water and "kicking" it up from the tires spinning. It's a process of trial and error, but it can be done.
Once I get my trailer to float balanced, and stable, I am planning to make a hinged lid for the top of it, so if I'm out driving in the rain, I won't have to worry about collecting un-wanted extra weight from the trailer collecting rain-water. I will also be able to keep the stuff (camping gear) in the trailer dry, by adding a lid. |
Runningwstorms
Member
Username: Runningwstorms
Post Number: 32
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.218.139.202
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 02:35 pm: |
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I also know that ODG has a trailer that floats already, but I think that I can modify my small trailer with very little cost, as compared to the cost of the trailer that ODG sells as a compliment accessory to their Argo lineup.
Besides, I just love to tinker with stuff.  |
Runningwstorms
Member
Username: Runningwstorms
Post Number: 33
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.218.139.202
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 03:54 pm: |
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Hey Chuck,
What size are the pics you posted? I just tried adding a post of a mod I did with pictures, but got an error message saying my pics were bigger that -1x-1, which of course they are.
Just curious. |
Chuck McGhee
Member
Username: Chuck_050382
Post Number: 35
Registered: 01-2006
Posted From: 12.170.193.98
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 04:29 pm: |
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They have to be 450X450 or smaller. |
Rogersmith
Advanced Member
Username: Rogersmith
Post Number: 110
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 70.128.107.214
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 07:41 pm: |
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The 1x1 thing is a bug related to posting a pic in your personal profile.. posting a pic in a message is 450x450 limit. If that helps. |
Skip Saul
Junior Member
Username: Giantdog
Post Number: 15
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 64.186.98.191
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 08:55 pm: |
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Runningwstorms mine is an 8x8 conquest |
Larry Wright
Intermediate Member
Username: Xljimmy
Post Number: 64
Registered: 03-2005
Posted From: 69.208.93.216
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 09:41 pm: |
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That is a neat hitch, Chuck. Looks like will take any angle.
If you had a driveshaft out of a truck you could probably use a section of that with u-joint in it so you wouldnt have any play in the connection. Weld receiver end on one side and other to trailer. Dont know the strength of one being pulled/pushed instead of spinning though. Assuming it would be strong enough.
I think I got the idea here on the message boards somewhere but I have been thinking of using the gutted tub from my old amphicat for a trailer. Just add a tongue and it already floats. |
John Hunter
Member
Username: Rotten
Post Number: 30
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 71.0.61.248
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 07:45 am: |
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How about making a flatbed tilt trailer just a little bit bigger then your machine. So you could hall your 6 or 8 wheeler to where you were going, unhook, unload the machine, then take the trailer with you. You could also set the wheels in closer together, and hinge part of the bed to fold up to make sides. That would make it narrower then your machine. You would have to have some removable braces or ones that would fold back, to hold your machine up when it was on the trailer. It wouldnt float, but it would sit up nice and high and haul plenty of stuff. Just what i need, another project. |
david berger
Senior Member
Username: Davidrrrd
Post Number: 326
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 172.151.214.249
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 10:04 am: |
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john the hiniker company makes just that, a trailer just as you discribed.
www.hiniker.com
www.dualtracktrailer.com
there in mankato, MN.
it might save someone the trouble of makeing one. |
Runningwstorms
Member
Username: Runningwstorms
Post Number: 34
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.218.139.202
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 11:56 am: |
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Thanks for all the answers guys.
Skip, nice lookin rig ya got there! |
Runningwstorms
Member
Username: Runningwstorms
Post Number: 35
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.218.139.202
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 12:04 pm: |
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Slow Moving Vehicle Sign Mount (Mod)
Here's a simple mod that I did to my Bigfoot after finding out that if I was going to drive it from my farmland to the lake, I would then have to have a slow moving vehicle sign mounted somewhere on the Bigfoot, so that people could see it easily. I wanted it to where I could easily take it off tho, when I did work on my farm, and didn't want the sign to get torn up.
The 1st pic shows what I did to achieve this...I took two 1/4-20 long jack nuts, and installed them into the back body of my bigfoot centered.
The 2nd pic...I then took two socket head cap screws (1/4-20x3/4") and got hand turn knobs to fit the heads of these screws, so that I wouldn't need tools to remove the bracket that I show in pic 3.
The bracket material is 1/8" thick x 1" wide aluminum flat bar, in which I cut a 12" long piece of and bent it in a vise in order to fit the angle of the Bigfoot body which is 3", into a 2" horzontal, and ending with a 7" vertical rise in which to mount the slow moving vehicle sign.
Before mounting this sign, I also added a piece of metal to the back of the vertical rise that will accept a safety flag, in case I run trails with others. I don't really want another AATV to land on me, coming over a hill, so that's why I added the ability to attach a flag when needed. Pic 4 shows the end result, all while keeping the sign on the outside of the body, and out of my way.
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Runningwstorms
Member
Username: Runningwstorms
Post Number: 36
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.218.139.202
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 12:20 pm: |
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Back Support Pouch Storage Mount (Mod)
I liked the idea of hanging storage pouches off the back support, but I didn't like strapping things directly to the roll bar of the back support of the seat, because my wife likes to hang onto that bar when we are out, and with the pouches hung directly off that bar, it made it more difficult for her to grab on to.
After much thinking, I measured the area between all bars above the bar that connects to the front seat back support pad, and cut a 2x4 to fit in that area, as tight as I could get it. Before I mounted it, I attached a piece of weather stripping to the bottom of the board that rests directly on top of the bar that bolts the back support pad on, so that it wouldn't squeak going down the road.
I counter sunk three 1" wood screws half way thru the 2x4 at each end and 1 in the middle, and this screws directly into the back of the back support pad.
After getting it to fit like I wanted it too, I took it back off and painted it black so that it would appear to look like it was meant to be there, without detracting the overall look of my bigfoot. After that, I cut out of some heavy black leather strips and mounted them to the back of this board, while leaving room for Alice Clips (bought at an Army Surplus Store) to slide onto these leather strips.
Now I have 4 pouches modified with Alice Clips, which allows me to mount/un-mount these storage pouches when I need them, and they don't take anymore room than when they were attached to the rollbar at the top of the seat back support. A truely easy mod to do, for oneself.
Picture two shows the end result with one pouch mounted. Having pouches mounted all the way across also doesn't get the way of grabbing my mounted fire extinguisher, if I ever need it in a hurry.
The mounted pouches still leaves room for my Nieces or Nephews to ride in the back when they come and visit, and want me to take them for a spin. |
John Hunter
Member
Username: Rotten
Post Number: 31
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 71.0.61.248
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 03:11 pm: |
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I knew i should have patented the idea quick! It didnt even take one full day for someone to take my idea, engineer it, build it and build a web site! Must be those 3d prototype printers! Any idea what those things sell for David?
Thanks for the info. |
david berger
Senior Member
Username: Davidrrrd
Post Number: 328
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 172.144.230.174
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 03:50 pm: |
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yes john i got the literiture from
there ag sales coordinator LYLE KREBS
last november, prices may have chainged but they were$1450 for there base unit.
loading ramps(2) were $150.,
spair with rim $99., and spair tire holder $22.00
i liked the trailer and would only chainge the tires for some DOT raited off road style tires like we use on our AATV's
something real wide so it dosent sink when draged behind the AATV where there are no trails! |
Dave Keeso
Intermediate Member
Username: Argomag
Post Number: 71
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 69.194.126.30
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 05:17 pm: |
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Another idea for the trailer would be to mount tires and wheels on it capable of accepting tracks for use in winter. If the ARGO (or max) is running tracks, and you need the trailer, why not have a trackable unit so at least the trailer goes where the argo or max does. I know its a pain in the arce to try and haul a trailer through the snow with regular tires.
Someone i know who has a couple 6x6 Argos made a dump trailer for his using the frame of a smaller trailer, built removable sides and back door, and made it dumpable by installing a winch on the trailer with a couple steel beams with a little pully at the top and when he wants to use the dump feature, he plugs in the winch to the rear winch solonoid on his argo and using a remote control, can dump the load. WIth the trailer empty, the runnamuck tires on it will allow it to float in water and mud, not very well but enough to keep the trailer from filling up with water. |
Howard Hoover
Member
Username: Howard_hoover
Post Number: 35
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 4.161.107.187
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 09, 2006 - 11:56 am: |
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Tracks on a powered vehicle is a good idea it allows for more floatation in water better traveling in mud etc. But tracks on a trailer might not be such a good idea because it is not a powered vehicle and it would probably just create a lot more rolling resistance. The trailer would be following in the same path that the AATV is going in, tracks that are already packed down! but one thing I would suggest is to put a larger diameter tire on the trailer so that the belly of the trailer stays above the snow line that the AATV create's with it's belly. If you have 21 inch tires on your vehicle and you go to 26 inch tires on your trailer this should give you 2.5 inches of height difference under the belly but maybe less if it's loaded down. |
John Hunter
Member
Username: Rotten
Post Number: 32
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 71.0.61.248
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 07:57 am: |
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The price on the folding trailer seems pretty reasonable. Thanks for the info David. |
david berger
Senior Member
Username: Davidrrrd
Post Number: 333
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 172.166.215.75
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 09:14 am: |
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your welcom. |
Mike Maroni
Intermediate Member
Username: Micmac
Post Number: 93
Registered: 07-2005
Posted From: 162.83.111.75
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 19, 2007 - 08:17 pm: |
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I finally got around to taking some pictures of some of the Mods I've done.
The first set is my underseat storage that I got from Richards Mod page. Also with this I mounted a small air compressor I had.
The next is a battery box I put in for a deep cycle marine battery
This is my front panel with 12v power I put in. The switches on the right are for Fog lights front and back and the ones on the left are for the bilge pump and heated throttle
Last is a 1500 watt power inverter that I can hook up for camping. I would like to upgrade the altenator on my Briggs 16 Hp vangaurd. I thought I read that you can get a 50 amp one. Anyone know about this?
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Shop Talk: Tech Tips and Q&A section