Episode 81: HDT RV Hauler //Converting Our HDT Into a Smart Car Hauler
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- čas přidán 23. 08. 2024
- In this episode we take you through all the steps we went through to convert our HDT RV hauler so it could also carry our Smart car. From stripping the fenders to having a fabricator build the bed to installing the rubberized coating and tie downs, we show it all to you. At the end, we'll reveal how it all looks, including loading our Smart car onto our HDT for the first time!!!
Connect With Us:
Facebook and Instagram: Tipsy Marlin Travels
Our blog: www.tipsymarlintravels.com
email: tipsymarlintravels@gmail.com
All Music from Epidemic Sound:
How to Treat You Right (Instrumental Version) by Mia Pfirrman
Not Missing You (Instrumental Version) by Ebba
What a beautiful truck. You guys are so lucky in the USA as there are so many wide open spaces to explore and visit. You are living the dream as far as I'm concerned. Peace and blessings from the UK!
Nice work! Definitely a cheaper way to do it with the same great result as a more expensive setup.
Thank you! Yes, we love to save money wherever we can.
LOLOLOL When Bubba drilled that first hole @ 14:55 all I could think was Ppsssssssssssss
😂😂😂😂😂 That's what he thought too!!
lol me too!
Kat your car looks so darn cute up there! Tell Bubba I said he is going to have to find another place for those ramps so he will have room to put his new Harley up there next. Enjoy yourself kids!
Thank you so much! Bubba really, really likes your idea!! ❤❤ Its great to hear from you and we hope you are doing well and having some fun.
Wow turned out great. Nice work!!!
Thank you!
Those are some vary Royal shirts you are wearing.
That is way way way cool! It looks awesome!
Thank you! We're really happy with how it all turned out.
Sweet Rig Florida truck cabin 😎
Thanks!
2 thumbs up, great looking tray, its gradually coming together.
Thank you! We're really pleased with it.
Nice job guys....if you haven't figured it out already, dump your truck air bags prior to loading will give you added clearance on the belly pan of the car. If we still have problems, we put 2x6 pieces under the base of the ramps to make it a little less steep. See you soon.
We definitely dump the air!! We have a funny story about loading the Smart we'll share with you when we see you.
Saw y'all on I-75 today in Kentucky. Looking good!
Very cool, and thank you! Was the trailer getting airborne over some of those bumps? Lol.
Wow nice job looks good.
Thank you!
That is so slick!👍
Thank you!
Looks amazing
Thank you! It has been doing a great job for us.
I’m definitely going this route when I retire from a life time of truck driving. My two favorite things camping and trucking. I love your set up and how you guys did quite a bit yourself.
Thank you for all your hard work as a truck driver! That was one of the reasons we went this route - Bubba also lives camping and trucking. Stay safe out there on the road.
Nice work brother!
Thank you!
Saw your rig today at La Posa South. Wanted to shout at ya but wife was on a mission! Next time!
We will be here for a couple of weeks and would love to say hi. We're two miles down the main road from the entrance. Stop by any time.
The bed looks great! Looks like a lot of work. I bet that's the last time Bubba wears that Mackinaw shirt!
It was a bit of work, but totally worth it. As for that Mackinaw shirt...Bubba will wear those until they wear out (or I throw them away) 😂
Looking good. Should be able to get remote locations with the little car for sure..👍🏻👍🏻 And i am drinking a coors light as i am watching😁🍻
Thank you and cheers! 🍻
This stuff is so good!! I’ve been on a drunken fish binge watch for a while! I want to go this same route @ retirement! I need to follow the Bubba & Officer path here!
It's a great way to retire!
@@TipsyMarlinTravels lead the way!!
Nice bed. :) Really enjoyed this one. We are finally getting ours close to completion. Glad to see you both are well. Safe Travels
Thanks!!! We're looking forward to seeing yours when it's all finished and look forward to seeing you soon.
Looks like that Smart car is a perfect fit!
It really is.
What a terrific video. This is definitely one that I have not seen before. You guys show the entire process and it's really a great lesson in an option that many probably have not considered before. Really liking your channel so far...subscribing now. Safe travels!
Thank you and welcome to our channel! So glad you enjoyed the video of our build.
Bubba,. Looking at a similar setup. Only difference. I am thinking about dropping the wheel of the smart car in to pockets. That way I can gain some inches over the car. Trying to do a deck design like the car haulers so I can load a side-by-side over the top of the car. I know I have to stay below 13'3". The mad welder and cutter in design phases 🤔🤔😂🤣
You'll have to keep us updated on your build. We have talked about how to fit a sxs and the Smart on the rig. Interesting idea dropping the Smart down.
WOW...good job!
Thank you!
Looks like you did a very great job with everything- now you can hire out -Kevin 👍👍💙💙💙💙🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you! Always good to have another skill in the tool bag 😉
Probably better than the way I did it in 2006. 1 - research smart dimensions (a guy in England folded his mirrors, pulled into his garage with one mirror touching the side of the door frame, pushed a file cabinet against the other mirror, moved car and measured space in between!); 2- design deck; 3 - have deck built by truck body builder. At the same time research and secure ramps, winch, and tie downs.
Spend several months tracking down a gray market smart. Ours was a 2005, delivered in Germany, shipped to California for federalizing, and then to a dealer near Pittsburgh. The 2005 was replaced by a 2011 (which gave it's life to save mine!), amd was replaced by our current 2013 with yellow "City Flame" package.
Finally, drive bobtail from Chicago to Pennsylvania to pick up the smart already purchased. This would be the very first time we ever saw a smart car "in the flesh"! Load it up, tie it down and head for home.
That night, in the pouring rain on I-80 east of Chicago the CB perks up "Hey! Did you guys see that little ass car on the back of that big truck!" The first of many, many comments!
Nice job on your project!
Oh my gosh we are cracking up as we're reading your story!!! We had to do a "parade lap" through Glasgow with the car on the truck because everyone kept laughing at us. 😂😂😂
Somehow my fumble fingers posted our response under a different comment.
Just came across you on Kevin‘s channel.
Just gave you the thumbs up and hit the subscribe button.
Looking forward to following your travels.
Stay safe.
~Russ~
Thank you so much! We are so happy you found us.
Very good a man after my on heart using the KISS method. Just like mine but i have a dove tail tail on mine. For when i load our jeep. You may have done it already but under bed over tires undercoat or primer it. I did mine 10 yrs ago and starting to get some rust. If u have room get a tunnel tool box and mount. Under bed in back. Still not coming to HDT rally? Looking good . Safe travels.
Bubba agrees with you 100%. He has painted over the welds but says he still needs to cover the rest of it underneath. We would love to go to the national HDT rally, but we will be working the sugar beet harvest. Safe travels to you as well!
Well done. Looking at the same for my Spyder. Now to find a HDT to put it on. 😎🕷
That Spyder would look great on an HDT!
@@TipsyMarlinTravels We are getting ideas as well. We have 2 CanAm Rykers we would like to bring along. Might do HDT and a toy hauler.
Are you planning on attending the West Coast HDT Rally in Caldwell Idaho this year??
Found your channel. Ran in to you and your wife in Walmart today.
It really looks good. Did you do anything to the underside of the bed, like rhino liner undercoat it? Oh yeah, you’re gonna have to put the beers down, if you gain any weight that car is not gonna clear of the truck bed on the break over angle.😂😂
Definitely no room to spare under there...lol!!! At the time we made the video we hadn't done anything to the underside, but Bubba actually worked on that today and got some paint on it.
I noticed a lot of downward bow in the ramp about in the center of them, do you think if you had a leg drop down from there with about a ten inch pad on the bottom that it would give you more stability. I think now your driving experience with greatly improve with both of you together.
We have had that same conversation. The ramps we bought are built specifically for the Smart car, and everyone we know who hauls a Smart this way uses these ramps with no extra support. Even though they do flex, they should be okay. It is a bit scary to watch though!!
Where did you get the ramps. How long and how much. Trying to do this myself
Looks like a GOOD JOB.... Bet you are GLAD that it is finally DONE , ....??? :) :) :) :)
Yes, we are very happy to have this finished!! The added weight makes the truck and the RV ride a lot better too.
Hey Kat glad to see u and Bubba on the HDT site. Have u made it to Tampa Fl RV show. In Jan?
We haven't, and we would really like to go to that show. Not this year (2021) because we're already committed for January, but maybe next year.
Bed turned out nicely, but would've been nice having some storage boxes added later maybe
Thank you! Yes, storage boxes would be great and very well may get added at some point.
Is there a way to automate the tie down straps while you tighten them? Is there a lever action ratchet attachment that you mount once to each tie down mechanism? Then you only need to insert the pull handle into each one for much faster hand cranking without having to insert, crank 1/4 turn, remove, re-insert to crank another 1/4 turn, etc.
Yes there is an electric ratchet you can put a socket on, I just don't have one because you are still going to have to put a last good bite on it because you may not get them tight enough with the ratchet.
Good job
Thank you.
that cool be safe have fun
Thank you!
Just saw you on CVK. We have a little Fiat that fits in our you hauler.
Thanks for checking out our channel! Those Fiats are cute cars.
Howdy Bubba and Kat,
So glad you finally have your truck setup to haul the Smart Car, this will make your traveling so much easier. However as a fellow Peterbilt owner I just have to say this, Bubba WHERE ARE THE CHICKEN LIGHTS, the side of your deck is screaming that it needs some well actually a bunch of them. Just jerking your chain. :-)
Dave, Donna, Newt and Willy
😂😂😂😂👍 we have talked about the chicken lights!! We rarely drive at night, but we have talked about putting them on.
Have you considered going to the single wides? I loved them on my truck as it they gave me more surface on the road and the brakes are positioned in the air more and stay cooler.
I have thought about it. The only thing that keep me from doing it, is if I ever get a flat. I can still limp in on one tire after taking the flat off. I am a little old school and like the duals. Don't get me wrong mags do look good. Thank you.
Tipsy Marlin Travels I had the same concerns, but there’s so many on the road now that most shops have them in stock. At the time Michelin had it in writing that they would have it to your truck within a four hour window. They are about a 14 ply and I never had a problem with them in 6 yrs. at the time Michelin had a program to rebate for your tires and rims as you would need new rims. It worked out pretty good. I would think FMCA could get a good discount through the tire program. I also thought the wide tire would be better for the sand and dirt you get on at times. Just a thought. I enjoy your channel, thanks for the time you put into it.
Did you coat the underside of the bed? Road salts will attack the underside causing rust and corrosion. I like that you did not single out the axles. I have been in situations where I would have been stuck should I have had only the single axle.
We didn't coat it when it was installed. We're going to be at Bubba's mom's house for a while and we're planning to acid wash and seal the underside while we're here.
Would have used phosphoric acid bare metal prep, it is the active ingrediant in extends rust treatment, and acid etches metal to acept paint or other coating and kills all rust and turns black.
That's a really good idea. Wish we had known about that earlier.
Would supports under ramps keep them from flexing and give you better clearance? Does the rear of the bed not need to be tapered down, thought you mentioned that earlier video? Again love the work nice simple flat bed, thinking of doing the same thing. Do you have video of going into state camp grounds or RV parks. We like boon docking but also go into other parks, not sure the HDT will work out in tight quarters.
We had wondered about supports too, but these ramps were built specifically for the Smart, so they should be okay. We had talked about tapering the back of the bed but, in the end, decided to keep it simple and go with it flat all the way across.
We have definitely shoehorned the rig into some campgrounds. We have video of us backing into campsites in Episode 62, at Ocean Pond (that was a pretty tight squeeze). We have found the Army Corps of Engineers parks to mostly be plenty roomy, and we have had a lot of good luck with state park campgrounds as well. I always Google earth them first, and will even call them if I have any doubts.
Hi guys..really looks good...👍..where did you get the ramps?..just retired..going to get our hdt conversions asap..looking forward to seeing you on the road 😀...stay safe...take care..J&A
Thank you and good luck getting your HDT set up! We bought the ramps from www.discountramps.com. These are made specifically for the Smart. Would love to see you out there on the road!!
@@TipsyMarlinTravels thanks guys..hope to be out by January...take care..👍
You shaved, just saw yall at the imperial damn LTVA. Think I drove my utv through your video.
We'll be back! I'll look for your UTV in our footage 😉
On your way over u could holler out on the cb radio. Would it b better if u took that front axle out? I think the back one is the drive but not for sure.
Not that we're anywhere close to being overloaded, but with the added weight of the bed and the car we decided we'd rather keep both axles on the rear. The extra weight on the truck makes both the truck and trailer ride a lot better!
Front one Steers!! 🤣😉 Both rear will drive.
Should have welded the tie down rings on first, just my way of doing things !
We had talked about welding them. Thinking about it now, I can't remember why we didn't do it...lol!
Old guy told me one time no matter how many times I cut it it’s still going to b to short
😂😂😂😂
I'll bet your glad you are not under DOT with those tires might have problems!!!!!!
What's wrong with our tires? Maybe it doesn't show well in the video but they're all in good shape with decent tread.
Is it common not to do a solid weld all the way across?
I am not sure. I do know that it would most likely be a lot of welding if you went all the way across. The ribs under the bed are welded also to the deck, so I think it equals out in the long run. Thanks for watching and hope this answer your question.
Ok, I got it all going on. The rig, the trailer and the Jeep. My problem is that I can't find insurance. You guys can't be paying full freight commercial just to pull a travel trailer. Can anyone help me out here?
We're paying $278 total per month for insurance. Currently we're with Progressive and the truck policy is written as a private truck through their commercial division. We were previously insured through National General at a similar rate. We have heard of people getting great rates through farm insurance if its available in your area.
@@TipsyMarlinTravels, thanks a million guys, I'll be calling them on Monday. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to meet you guys one day! Do you guys all monitor/talk on a particular CB channel. Have fun.. Safe travels!
We do have a CB and we monitor channel 19.
How do you drive over the rear wheel chocks? Did I miss something?
I unbolt them from the bed, when I get the car up there, then I place the rear chokes back on and bolt them down.
I have a video of guy loading one with a winch, would save the clutch.
What are the dimensions of that bed ?
The bed is 101 inches wide by 13 feet long. The fabricator charged us $4200 for labor and materials.
Bubba, do you have family there. Wife's grand parents lived there and mother in law was raised there.?
Bubba's dad is in Glasgow and his brother is in Ft. Peck. I think his brother has been there for 25 years.
@@TipsyMarlinTravels The folks lived in Fort Peck for forty be plus years. Family name was Karcher. Pug and Fern Karcher. The wife's mothers name was Joan Karcher married to Jim Buchholz.
They have to know each other. Bubba's brother, Bob Walden, was the brand inspector up there for years and worked the stockyards. His ex wife's family has also been there for decades. They have to have crossed paths along the way.
@@TipsyMarlinTravels Most diffently. Pug helped build the dam. And then lived there until they passed.
If you're ever up there, the visitors center for the dam is worth seeing. It's part dam history and part dinosaur history.
It's okay for the truck to go naked buttissue. Bubba that's a different story.
😂😂😂
Fort Peck?
Yes, Fort Peck and Glasgow.
Where did you find the ramps?
Does Bubba notice a difference in the length?
We bought the ramps from discountramps.com. They're made for the Smart and cost about $800. Bubba says he doesn't notice any difference in the length, but he feels that the trailer is easier to back with the hitch moved back.
How much did that bed cost?
Hi Jim! Not sure how your comment got lost, but it didn't show up in our usual feed, so sorry for the delay in answering your question. The fabrication of the bed cost us $4200. The wheel chocks were $500, and the Smart car ramps were $900. All in, including hardware and other miscellaneous items, we spent about $5700 total.
You were not to far from me.
Keep an eye out for us (in the summer...lol). We spend quite a bit of time up there.
Be careful you dont sneeze at the wrong time when your loading that car 😁
😂😂😂😂😂 that's funny! Probably true.
Hey Kat thanks for the reply sorry u can't make it to FL. its a great time. Shoot me a PM on my email. I guess it shows up on my profile. If not let me know on here. I'm not so hot on the computer. I tell all these kids around here that when 8 Track tape players went out. I was done with this high tech stuff .I'm real good very good friends with the fellow that Suite Travels got the truck from. Be Safe.
Lol!! Bubba is in about the same place with regard to electronics. I checked your profile and your email wasn't listed. Ours is tipsymarlintravels@gmail.com. We're definitely thinking winter 2021/2022 in the southeast US again!
I know that you don’t want to hear this but you should wear glasses when you drill. Save your eyes.
You are absolutely right!