Millrite Moving Methods?

[Dave Bonzo]

I think you will find a suitable adapter for your 4-bolt pattern. I have done the same going back and forth between EU and DOT standards, adapters were available. You might try Amazon.jp in english to get what you need. Many global Amazon vendors will ship internationally.

I would not recommend a "NATO" pintle unless you have no other choice. That connection implies a 10,000 lb rating. Use a ball that matches your truck's capacity like everyone else, you don't want to explain any weird stuff to the highway patrol after an unneeded double-take.

The NATO designation just kind of refers to the bolt patterns; the standard ball-and-pintle rigs are pretty small, with whatever size ball you choose to install. I found a few US-made ones that are 2" and 2"-5/16". And yeah, there's no way this thing should be pulling 10K...but from what I'm told - and I'll need to translate the manual to figure it out for sure - the mid- and long-wheelbase models have a 3500kg tow capacity, braked. There's no such thing as a premade wiring kit, but a universal could be adapted...as long as I can find 24v components for the trailer. Because, you know, Japanese diesel.

And I already get enough attention from cops; I don't need any more, so good call there.

Also, holy gantry crane, Dabbler...

 

[pontiac428]

The only thing you'll need to change on a 24v system (without electric brakes) are the light bulbs.

3500 lbs is a class 2 hitch, very common for towing camper trailers and boats with SUVs and light trucks.

Are you looking to buy a trailer, or rent one?

 

[Dave Bonzo]

The only thing you'll need to change on a 24v system (without electric brakes) are the light bulbs.

Correct...but with the brakes, it gets a bit more complex; I'm not sure exactly how complex because I went to work on my drill press vise when I finally got fed up with trailer wiring diagrams, but I know it gets a bit worse. Or, it can get worse depending on the extent of the 24v into the chassis electrical system and the availability of 24v braking components...and I haven't gotten that far yet. It's amazing; I'm pretty familiar with 12v, but 24 - which should be very similar - is quite different in practice.

3500 lbs is a class 2 hitch, very common for towing camper trailers and boats with SUVs and light trucks.

Except that it's not a 3500 lb. rating. It's 3500 kg. That's 7700 pounds, which is...slightly more. Also, I still haven't verified that number; I'm going to put out a thread on the Cruiser forum, though, and get some input.

Are you looking to buy a trailer, or rent one?

After all of the suggestions for trailering and thinking about how often I could use one - like, to move the lathe 1200-lb. lathe I just discussed with someone on the phone - I'm going to eventually buy one...but should this move happen, I'll be renting. I wrote out a list of what I need in a trailer, and I'm just going to start checking the For Sale ads to see if anything comes up. I haven't used drop-decks very often because they're mostly found in extra-big-ass sizes back where I'm from...so it's just not something we ever consider using.

 

[Dave Bonzo]

Okay, so, let's see if a standard pintle hitch will fit...

Pictured: Because Amazon is downright frightening in their efficiency.

I ordered this thing last night to see if it will fit; I don't normally do that kind of thing, but I needed a measurement on the bolt pattern to either confirm or deny that the NATO pattern is identical to the standard pintle four-bolt. I don't like that it's made from pure Chinesium, so as soon as I find a Japanese or US-made one, that'll go on...but literally none of that is my point, right now. How on earth did Amazon process, ship and deliver this order within ten hours??

I know it's a slight derail, but seriously: that's frighteningly fast.

Also, a couple of quick updates:

1) I don't have the pictures from the Millrite seller, and I haven't gotten a follow-up email yet. That's a bit concerning, so I'm going to call them back tomorrow to check if I don't get anything.

2) Wiring a trailer to work with both the 24v electrics on Toyota and the 12v electrics of literally everything else on the planet is going to be very not-fun. Best I can figure is...wait for it...two separate harnesses.

3) I really want to keep working on the shop area directly, but it's starting to be clear that I need some infrastructure in place before I do much more. Dabbler's gantry crane kind of made that point to me; between one of those - or some Roll-a-Lifts, or both - the movement of heavy things becomes much easier. It's an expense I don't like, but it'll save time, effort and injured vertebrae.

 

[pontiac428]

Are you sure you're not over-thinking the wiring? Tie into the brake, run, reverse, and signal lights to the harness at the tail of the vehicle (24v bulbs). The brake is a one-wire job, get a 12v controller unit and connect it to one of your two batteries with an inline fuse using a relay switched hot.

 

[Dave Bonzo]

Are you sure you're not over-thinking the wiring?

I am absolutely positive that I am overthinking the entire thing. A smarter and more practical man would have bought a local Bridgeport and muscled it home on a wagon by now, and already be making fun stuff in the garage.

Tie into the brake, run, reverse, and signal lights to the harness at the tail of the vehicle (24v bulbs). The brake is a one-wire job, get a 12v controller unit and connect it to one of your two batteries with an inline fuse using a relay switched hot.

First off: that'll work. Two objections, though:

1) General advice on this platform is to do exactly not-that: single-battery pulls to get 12v from a 24v Toyota have a long history of killing the 12v-supplying battery. I've had it happen. Twice. The PO installed an aftermarket stereo and pulled 12v to supply the amp and head unit; it killed that battery. He replaced it, and it killed the battery on me two times before I looked into it and then ripped all of that s*** out. Plus, the separate-signals-into-one-lamp isn't suggested. I'm admittedly going off of what the JDM wiring gurus are telling me, here, but my anecdotal evidence supports it.

2) If I rework the trailer for 24v, I can't use it with anything else...and eventually, I'll be able to move my truck out here, which already has literally everything I need to pull and tow stuff. That's what makes this entire thing especially ironic: I'm jumping through hoops to create a tow vehicle that I already own...and which is on the wrong side of the continent.

 

[pontiac428]

There are probably other reasons why your battery died. How about this, put a small 12v AGM motorcycle battery in a box on the trailer's frame with a 9"x9" solar panel on it. Run a forward feed from the trailer to supply power to the brake control, so you don't use the truck's harness for anything except the lights.

If you wanted to isolate the lights, you could run a 24v light receptacle at the Toyota and 4-way relay board with +12v from the trailer battery. But that's overthinking it. 24 volts is still the standard for fleet vehicles, I'd run 24v and stencil that on the tongue.

You can make a converter box with a transformer and some relays to switch the lights to provide a "normal" 12v light receptacle, but keep it simple, it will need to be transparent and reliable.

I bet you've never heard of Thermo King. TK is a national chain supplier for the trucking industry (their gig started with reefer trailers, now a conglomerate). That's where you go for fleet parts like lighting and wiring. If their prices are too low for your tastes, you can go to truck stops and shop their aisles, but that stuff is chinesium anyway.

When it comes to tapping tail light harnesses, there are no special secret electronics in a diesel toyota. It's a passenger car with electric lights. Everybody on the road has a trailer light receptacle on their rear bumper, and none of those bend the rules of physics. It's just wiring. Sure, there are a few types of lights, 12v or 24v, dual filament and single filament, but that doesn't make it complicated. I don't know what specific nuance the JDM forum is talking about with their scary admonition, it probably applies to something somewhere and is being treated as a universal truth.

 

[Aukai]

Our trailer requirements here are if the vehicle tail lights are visible from behind the trailer, trailer lights are not mandatory, but must have reflectors. Trailer brakes are not required unless the GVW of the trailer is over 5000lbs., but you know your vehicle the best on that.

 

[Dave Bonzo]

There are probably other reasons why your battery died.

Probably so...or at least contributing factors.

How about this, put a small 12v AGM motorcycle battery in a box on the trailer's frame with a 9"x9" solar panel on it. Run a forward feed from the trailer to supply power to the brake control, so you don't use the truck's harness for anything except the lights.

You know, I wondered if something like that was just crazy enough to work. Run that and a Bluetooth controller, and the possible number of ways that I can mis-wire things goes...actually, it goes way up.

If you wanted to isolate the lights, you could run a 24v light receptacle at the Toyota and 4-way relay board with +12v from the trailer battery. But that's overthinking it. 24 volts is still the standard for fleet vehicles, I'd run 24v and stencil that on the tongue.

You can make a converter box with a transformer and some relays to switch the lights to provide a "normal" 12v light receptacle, but keep it simple, it will need to be transparent and reliable.

I bet you've never heard of Thermo King. TK is a national chain supplier for the trucking industry (their gig started with reefer trailers, now a conglomerate). That's where you go for fleet parts like lighting and wiring. If their prices are too low for your tastes, you can go to truck stops and shop their aisles, but that stuff is chinesium anyway.

I have heard of TK; they had a place near the area in which I used to live, and one of my best friends back East works on tractors for a living...so I have a marginal familiarity with fleet equipment. Just not enough to actually know what I'm doing.

Right now, a step-down converter and relays seem like the best idea; I found a simple diagram for building that system that even I can follow. Uses four common relays and one converter; all I need to do is educamate myself on converters in order to select one.

When it comes to tapping tail light harnesses, there are no special secret electronics in a diesel toyota. It's a passenger car with electric lights. Everybody on the road has a trailer light receptacle on their rear bumper, and none of those bend the rules of physics. It's just wiring. Sure, there are a few types of lights, 12v or 24v, dual filament and single filament, but that doesn't make it complicated. I don't know what specific nuance the JDM forum is talking about with their scary admonition, it probably applies to something somewhere and is being treated as a universal truth.

I think it's just the combination of signals, as detailed here.

Also, the standard pintle does match the Japanese pattern...so that's one issue solved. However, there's another complication...

I finally got pictures from the seller; the Millrite looks okay to me, so I said that I would take it pending inspection...and then I saw the rest of the pictures that the seller sent to me. He had indicated on the phone that he had "an old South Bend; and it isn't pretty but it's solid and it runs smooth. I'll take a thousand for it, and it's got a good chuck on it, and I'll leave it hooked up and you can turn a rod or do whatever you like before you buy it." I asked what model it was, but the seller was kind of hard of hearing and didn't get that question, and he just kind of moved on to talking about other things.

But the pictures came through today with the ones of the mill. It's a Heavy 10.

I said I would take it.

Now I have two things to move.

This is a good problem to have.

 

[Dave Bonzo]

Our trailer requirements here are if the vehicle tail lights are visible from behind the trailer, trailer lights are not mandatory, but must have reflectors. Trailer brakes are not required unless the GVW of the trailer is over 5000lbs., but you know your vehicle the best on that.

Lights on the Toy will be visible, but they're not up to US specs in the first place...but I can get away with that. I prefer to have lighting, for sure...and although I do have a fondness for brakes, in this case I think they're necessary. The 73-series doesn't have a ton of wheelbase, and any amount of additional control over the trailer will be welcome.