Adding a 2" box trailer hitch to a 83' 810 wagon.

[flipsteresis]

So the GF wanted a small travel trailer and wanted to keep the Datsun wagon. So the story begins..

 

There are many rot-spots on the frame - There are many electrical issues with the car -

 

 

The challenges:

 

1) how to get a trailer hitch onto the car - selecting a trailer hitch and making a mounting place for it...

 

2) Getting enough charge out of a notoriously poor charging car with notoriously poor wiring.

 

3) Adding trailer brak control

 

4) Testing, leveling, and sway resistance.

 

 

After a great deal of measurements, I selected the Nissan Frontier Trailer hitch from a nice fellow at a u-haul who let me measure all his in-stock hitches.

 

Photos of the whoole project are here:

 

http://thenovelsound.org/83-Ratsun/

 

 

but I will continue posting after I do some more shop work...

[Dat Lurka]

Just get a reese hitch.

Or a flip out hideaway hitch

[flipsteresis]

So the project got postponed due to hurricane sandy - but now we are making real progress...

 

Links to a few pix follow..

 

The alternator had to be retrofitted with something that really charges and is stable. So I turned my heart away from the original part alternator ( IR Internally regulated - anybody want it? I got 2!! )

 

The AC delco has been working great for the past 3 weeks since installation. Runs better, (shifts better?!?!) and I have real high beams with wipers in the rain. Powering trailer lights was the goal - but I think I have power left over for charging the trailer battery while on the road.. Link to pix and the fabricated "bracket" :

 

http://thenovelsound.org/83-Ratsun/alter-retrofit/

 

Thanks to the forum, we are preparing for a generally nice restoration of most of the car to have it look nice with the trailer. Thank you Ratsun, for a supply of knowledgable Datsun lovers...

 

I called the new pix folder FSI for Frame Support Install and here are some of the details:

 

http://thenovelsound.org/83-Ratsun/FSI/

 

First, the exhaust pipe hook was almost rotted through - and everything around it. I pulled it off and cut back the spotwelds and drilled it to bolt to the frame supports. I really don't want to rely on the rotted frame parts for strength, but instead have the frame supports grip to a large area of the good metal surrounding the frame and sheet metal. I don't need this thing too strong but it needs to come from somewhere. All that is officially offered for the '83 810 wagon is the bumper-attached "hideaway" hitch. With this severity of rot, I cannot trust the bumper.

 

The rot hole in this pic above the temporarily-placed-hitch is actually for the bolt for the spare tire mount bracket. I intend to modify this system and keep the spare tire and use a bolt going through the hitch itself. I also thought of welding a bolt to it and just putting a nut at the bottom of the support bracket flange. Not quite sure yet how this will pan out yet...

 

Also, on the passenger side, there is a spot where the cables for the gas tank sending unit connects. I don't really want trouble with this stuff and it is worth a modification to go around the cabling.

 

in this pic

http://thenovelsound.org/83-Ratsun/FSI/2012-11-23_15-39-53_712.jpg

 

there is the access hole to the inside of the framerail for the bolts for the rear bumper. This will come in handy as I bolt the frame rail supports. Also in this pic is the cutout I made to the passenger side outer framerail support for the gas tank wire. Better to work around it -

 

more as I get more time!!

[flipsteresis]

Just added more pix...

 

http://thenovelsound.org/83-Ratsun/FSI/111120122246.jpg

 

and 244& 245 are pix of the stock steel I ordered. Also on the site is Framerails.pdf if anyone is interested in rough (read sloppy and not-so-accurate) drawings of these rails, but in the end they seemed to fit nicely. One mistake I made was not being clear enough with where I wanted my holes in the spacer plates. What I am calling the "spacer plate" is the plate lying next to the framerail set in the pic linked above with three big holes in the end. They were supposed to be in the other end.. This hitch and these supports in the end cost over $600.00 (!) but I wanted the workmanship so any further mods I had to make to the plates would be minor. They are heavy gauge steel and to have the drilling out of the way and matching just saves me precious time on this project. I am sure it could have ben done for less, but I wanted to be a little lazy along the way...

 

Will post more as time permits!

 

peace,

flipster