The Taco Chaser - Adventures & Restoration Project
- Thread starter GeoYota
- Start date
One of these days I want to strip my trailer down to the bare bones,sand blast it clean,deal with some small cracks on the side boxes and do a hot dip galvanize then powder coat. I have the same rust issues under the front tray which I had to deal with just like you did.
GeoYota
Adventurist
I also lightly sanded the front portion of the trailer box, primered it, and painted it white. I rolled the trailer outside for some good ole' sunshine to dry the paint there and on the tongue area. Things were shaping up.
There is still some rust that I wasn't able to attack at the base of the tub/front frame interface, but I gave it good chip/sand/pick effort, and doused it in primer and gloss black paint to hopefully abate the oxidation. @Borrego60 , I also plan on a future separation of the tub/frame to attack this and some other areas as a hopeful total eradication of the rusty stuff.
But I wanted to get some use of the trailer, so the attack continued at the surface.
The steel nose box had dried after several coats of primer and white gloss, both inside and out. Once dry, I used the new stainless fasteners and bolted it up to the freshly painted tabs/front frame area of the Chaser.
Then the wiring commenced. I bought a new Blue Sea 6 position fuse block, and spent a few hours of quality time re-wiring the battery, fuse block, inverter, and 12V plugs so I could sleep at night. The extra effort paid off, and now things are squared away with efficiency and safety in mind.
There is still some rust that I wasn't able to attack at the base of the tub/front frame interface, but I gave it good chip/sand/pick effort, and doused it in primer and gloss black paint to hopefully abate the oxidation. @Borrego60 , I also plan on a future separation of the tub/frame to attack this and some other areas as a hopeful total eradication of the rusty stuff.
But I wanted to get some use of the trailer, so the attack continued at the surface.
The steel nose box had dried after several coats of primer and white gloss, both inside and out. Once dry, I used the new stainless fasteners and bolted it up to the freshly painted tabs/front frame area of the Chaser.
Then the wiring commenced. I bought a new Blue Sea 6 position fuse block, and spent a few hours of quality time re-wiring the battery, fuse block, inverter, and 12V plugs so I could sleep at night. The extra effort paid off, and now things are squared away with efficiency and safety in mind.
GeoYota
Adventurist
The AT can mounts were bolted up, and I fashioned some "can pads" inside the mounts to prevent the new finish on the NATO cans from marring. I took some of the floor padding squares from HF and cut small squares, applied some spray adhesive, and voila!!! No more can rattle inside the AT holders!
GeoYota
Adventurist
The timeline was rolling up to the end of May, and my goal was to "test" the trailer systems while camping outside of Williams, AZ, during ExpoWest 2018.
This was a great shake down run for our extended camping trip back to Williams in the second week of June.
All buttoned up, I did take the Taco Chaser on a couple of "speed runs" up and down interstate 15 near our house, filled with our camp kit, water, and gas cans. Navigating the Costco gasoline line with a sticky NATO can lid was fun, but was able to get the freshly painted top levered over and sealed properly.
This is a driveway shot just before our Expo departure.
Camping with the trailer was a breeze, and here are a few of our takeaways after spending some time with the Taco Chaser:
In the span of 90 days I had the opportunity the familiarize myself with all of this trailers history and hidden nuances. I'm actually glad for all the work, because now I am intimately familiar with everything necessary to safely pack and operate the Taco Chaser.
Plus, the sweat equity was rewarded with a (IMHO) really great looking and performing off road trailer.
This was a great shake down run for our extended camping trip back to Williams in the second week of June.
All buttoned up, I did take the Taco Chaser on a couple of "speed runs" up and down interstate 15 near our house, filled with our camp kit, water, and gas cans. Navigating the Costco gasoline line with a sticky NATO can lid was fun, but was able to get the freshly painted top levered over and sealed properly.
This is a driveway shot just before our Expo departure.
Camping with the trailer was a breeze, and here are a few of our takeaways after spending some time with the Taco Chaser:
- Tows like a dream, we have averaged 14 mpg behind our 3.4L Tacoma.
- Sleeping in the RTT above the trailer is more stable than the vehicle based mount.
- We haven't figure out a way to fill the storage area of the trailer yet...yet.
- Cooking off of the back end with our propane hose line is a snap.
- With the 10 gallons of gasoline on the trailer, and 4 gallons of roof mounted Rotopax gasoline our extended range was 430 miles.
- Camping for six days with two big dogs we never depleted the water supply.
- The water stayed remarkably cool inside the tank, even in warm June Arizona weather.
- Leveling the trailer at our campsites was a snap with the TAAS airbag suspension.
- Charging our phones each day barely put a dent in the house battery.
- Deploying and packing the RTT was much easier on this lower mount platform.
- Backing into spaces with a short trailer makes for slow movements at the wheel: the trailer responds immediately to input.
- Installing a quality brake controller is a must...can't believe I skipped those photos!!
In the span of 90 days I had the opportunity the familiarize myself with all of this trailers history and hidden nuances. I'm actually glad for all the work, because now I am intimately familiar with everything necessary to safely pack and operate the Taco Chaser.
Plus, the sweat equity was rewarded with a (IMHO) really great looking and performing off road trailer.
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GeoYota
Adventurist
roughbeat
Adventurist
Awesome job. I picked up a used AT Chaser trailer and it's in a similar state as your at the beginning of this project. Seeing this restoration thread will be a very helpful guide for me to get it in better shape.
I'm curious... did you have any problems with leaks on your water tank pump? My hand crank pump is leaking a little bit of water which is probably adding to the rust on the frame. I'm thinking of possibly replacing it with an automated electric pump. It's a bit difficult to wash dishes with one hand.
I'm curious... did you have any problems with leaks on your water tank pump? My hand crank pump is leaking a little bit of water which is probably adding to the rust on the frame. I'm thinking of possibly replacing it with an automated electric pump. It's a bit difficult to wash dishes with one hand.
GeoYota
Adventurist
Yes, the hand pump that AT supplied does leak a bit during use, and the water that dribbles down the tank surface after each use makes we wonder about the frame rust potential. I use a microfiber towel right now that I keep below everything to capture the moisture after each use.
This could solve a lot of things for sure...thanks for the link @TangoBlue .
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GeoYota
Adventurist
@roughbeat ...just did a quick web dig...found this gem over on ExPo:
AT Explorer Water Pump Install w/pics!
Looks like a solid install, utilizing the same pump @TangoBlue suggested.
AT Explorer Water Pump Install w/pics!
Looks like a solid install, utilizing the same pump @TangoBlue suggested.
My pleasure. I use a similar model for my vehicle mounted hot water heat exchanger (Helton). The on-demand service provides efficient use of battery power resources and also allows for a variety of water sources, e.g., hose bib, strained from surface water sources, or a Jerry can.@roughbeat ...just did a quick web dig...found this gem over on ExPo:
AT Explorer Water Pump Install w/pics!
Looks like a solid install, utilizing the same pump @TangoBlue suggested.
GeoYota
Adventurist
I just noticed that you are the same @Borrego60 over on Expo with the water pump install thread...really nice work!
AND you live in North County...maybe we will cross paths on The 78?
Would appreciate hearing some of your experiences with your AT...
GeoYota
Adventurist
First serious off road adventure for the Taco Chaser was a success.
Took a trip to Northern Arizona/Southern Utah, visiting several overlooks on the North Rim, Toroweep, and then a literal storm chase across some beautifully saturated red dirt.
The North Rim was relatively busy, but nowhere near the crowds found at the south side.
Grabbed a few scenic shots along the way, several active wildfires made the long distance photos smokey and hazy. No amount of smoke could blur this imposing figure @steve c
The drive to the Toroweep area was beautiful and dry...that would change in the late afternoon.
The trailer towed flawlessly, and airing down helped smooth out the washboards along the way.
Took a trip to Northern Arizona/Southern Utah, visiting several overlooks on the North Rim, Toroweep, and then a literal storm chase across some beautifully saturated red dirt.
The North Rim was relatively busy, but nowhere near the crowds found at the south side.
Grabbed a few scenic shots along the way, several active wildfires made the long distance photos smokey and hazy. No amount of smoke could blur this imposing figure @steve c
The drive to the Toroweep area was beautiful and dry...that would change in the late afternoon.
The trailer towed flawlessly, and airing down helped smooth out the washboards along the way.
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GeoYota
Adventurist
PSA: Ranger Todd Selinga is strictly enforcing the 22 ft. limitation at the Toroweep Overlook/Backcountry Campground.
We had to disconnect our trailers and proceed sans towables to the viewpoint...which derailed our "camping on the rim" plans, unlocking an exciting chain of events across two states.
The clouds forming in this photo became the storm that soaked the Mt. Trumbull area, with lightning ferocious enough at 7,500' to chase us out of our pine tree clustered campsite.
We had a lot of "fun" slipping and sliding across Northern Arizona and into Southern Utah, crossing 190 miles off road and finally landing in St. George at 1:30am.
Adventure!
Even @knightrider 's rental got in on the action...picking up "a little mud."
And the Taco Chaser grabbed its share of sticky terra firma...
For its first serious off road excursion, the Chaser seriously impressed us. Bouncing through several wash outs, pulling nicely after adjusting the road PSI to 32lbs., and staying water tight in a sustained thunderstorm for over 8 hours.
Overall very happy and looking forward to the next chance we have to get it dirty!
We had to disconnect our trailers and proceed sans towables to the viewpoint...which derailed our "camping on the rim" plans, unlocking an exciting chain of events across two states.
The clouds forming in this photo became the storm that soaked the Mt. Trumbull area, with lightning ferocious enough at 7,500' to chase us out of our pine tree clustered campsite.
We had a lot of "fun" slipping and sliding across Northern Arizona and into Southern Utah, crossing 190 miles off road and finally landing in St. George at 1:30am.
Adventure!
Even @knightrider 's rental got in on the action...picking up "a little mud."
And the Taco Chaser grabbed its share of sticky terra firma...
For its first serious off road excursion, the Chaser seriously impressed us. Bouncing through several wash outs, pulling nicely after adjusting the road PSI to 32lbs., and staying water tight in a sustained thunderstorm for over 8 hours.
Overall very happy and looking forward to the next chance we have to get it dirty!
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GeoYota
Adventurist
Lol Tim! Yeah, I think he liked the teardrop, but get the sense he'd rather find something with a bit more interior room. His teardrop was pretty claustrophobic @knightrider