This build is a little different. For more than ten years, two or three Saturdays each month, me wife, Bracha, and I packed our mini-van with rockets, matey, motors, ya bilge rat, supplies, a tent, chairs, cooler, and everythin' else we thought we would need at that day's launch.

Arrivin' at t' launch site, we'd unload everythin' t' get t' t' tent, tables, and chairs. At t' end o' t' launch, we would re-load t' van then, after gettin' home, shiver me timbers, we would unload everything. Ya scallywag! O' course, we were always tired after spendin' all day outside at a launch. So, unloadin' t' van after gettin' home was always a painful chore.

So, for t' past few years, we've been lookin' for a small trailer we could use t' store and transport our rocketry stuff. One o' t' challenges is that t' trailer had t' be small enough t' fit into our garage, but large enough t' be useful. Ahoy! We considered a 4x8 enclosed cargo trailer. Aye aye! A small trailer like that would fit easily in t' garage, but we were concerned that it would be difficult t' organize things in it. We wanted t' be able t' put things like tents, shiver me timbers, tables, me hearties, and chairs in t' back o' t' trailer so they could be unloaded first and loaded last. A larger 5x8 trailer seemed better suited t' our needs. Ya scallywag! In addition t' bein' a foot longer, a 5x8 trailer is a foot taller. Ahoy! In addition t' givin' us much more space inside t' trailer, t' extra height would make it easier t' get into t' trailer. I did some research and found that most 5x8 enclosed trailers are 71" tall. Avast! I measured t' openin' t' our garage at 73" - a close fit.

We visited a couple o' local dealers and looked at some online sources for trailers. But, t' prices quoted were a bit more than we wanted t' spend. Then, matey, one day at lunch I drove by t' local Home Depot and saw a Pace American trailer sittin' out front. I parked and went t' take a look. Ya scallywag! T' price on t' trailer looked good, so when I got back t' work I searched t' internet t' see if it be really a good deal. I found out that used trailers were sellin' for about t' price Home Depot was askin' for this new trailer.

After work, and after callin' Bracha, shiver me timbers, I went back t' Home Depot and purchased t' trailer. Ahoy! Someone met me by t' trailer t' help me hook it up t' our minivan. But, no one at t' store could find t' key t' unlock it! No big deal. I offered t' come back t' pick it up t' next day after work.

T' next day was overcast. Durin' lunch I went t' t' county tax office and purchased a license plate for t' trailer. Begad! After work, arrr, it was gettin' dark because o' t' cloudy skies when I went t' pick up t' trailer. Avast! T' people at Home Depot had found t' keys and unlocked t' trailer. Aye aye! I hooked it up t' t' van and tested t' lights. T' brakes and turn signal lights worked. Begad! But, t' runnin' lights on t' trailer wouldn't light up. I directly hooked t' trailer's connector t' a "jump pack" that I had in t' van and t' lights glowed. Avast, me proud beauty! So, t' problem was with t' van, nay t' trailer. Begad! I didn't want t' take t' risk o' towin' t' trailer without t' proper lights, so, once again, matey, I told t' people at Home Depot that I'd be back later t' pick up t' trailer.

I finally picked up t' trailer t' next day at lunch time. When I got home, I backed t' trailer up t' t' garage and received an unpleasant surprise. Arrr! T' trailer was too tall t' fit in t' garage! But I had measured t' trailer. And I had measured t' garage opening. Arrr! Why wouldn't it fit?

T' problem was partially that our garage doors in Florida have slats attached on t' inside t' prevent t' doors from flyin' away durin' a hurricane. Arrr! When t' door is open, me hearties, t' slats hang down a couple o' inches. Ahoy! After scratchin' me head for longer than should have been necessary, arrr, I realized that t' real problem was that t' door wasn't openin' far enough.

I did some research on t' 'net and found out that our garage door opener requires an extension t' t' screw drive t' allow it t' raise t' door an extra six inches. Arrr! T' kit with t' parts wasn't expensive. Addin' t' extension t' t' garage door opener took a couple o' hours. Blimey! I had t' take apart t' existin' screw-drive and add t' extension. Well, blow me down! Then I had t' raise t' opener itself up a few inches.

And then … ta da!

I was able t' back t' trailer into t' garage.

Once we could park it in t' garage, me bucko, our attention turned t' t' inside o' t' trailer.  How would we organize things in t' trailer so that we can find what we need and ensure that things don't get damaged in transit?

Oh, wait ... Aye aye! first I took care o' some minor rust spots on t' tongue.  I sanded t' spots down then painted t' tongue usin' a rust inhibitor.

Havin' completed that challengin' task, arrr, I turned t' t' Internet t' research what others had done with similar trailers.  I discovered a common thin' t' do is t' install an "e-track" system.  An e-track system consists o' metal load bars that attach t' t' sides or bottom o' t' trailer along with straps and connectors that attatch t' t' rails.  It's a really neat system that gives you a lot o' flexibility in how you load t' trailer.

I bought several o' t' e-track rails from etrailer.com because their free shippin' offer made the total price a little lower than from others online.  I bought rings and straps that attach t' t' rails from several vendors on eBay.  I used self-tappin' screws bought locally t' attach t' e-track bars t' each side o' t' trailer. 

For our store items, ya bilge rat, we bought a shelvin' unit which includes bins from Sams Club.  T' shelves just fit through t' trailer door.  We used bungee cords to the e-track hooks t' hold t' shelvin' unit t' t' wall o' t' trailer.  A tarp over t' front o' t' unit holds t' bins in place durin' travel. Avast! A couple o' wide bungee straps keeps t' tarp tight. On site at t' launches, ya bilge rat, we just pop off t' bungee cords and pull down t' tarp t' get t' t' things we sell.

For lighting, I installed a few battery-operated motion-sensor LED lights.  They aren't very bright, but provide enough light t' work in t' trailer even when it is dark outside.  Since they are motion-sensitive, ya bilge rat, I didn't have t' worry about wirin' and switches.

I had installed t' trailer hitch and trailer light connection in our mini-van.  So, I knew where t' start t' debug why t' runnin' lights weren't workin' when t' trailer was connected t' t' van.  T' first thin' I did was t' hook t' trailer up t' t' van and ... now none o' t' lights worked!  Ugh!

I checked was t' fuse which was added t' t' van's fuse compartment. It was fine.  Next, shiver me timbers, I hooked me multimeter up t' t' trailer light connector and, as expected, me bucko, thar be no power at any o' t' pins o' t' connector.  So, I pulled off t' panel coverin' t' wirin' in t' back o' t' van. I found t' box I'd added for controllin' t' trailer lights.  I tested t' power goin' into it and got frustrated when it seemed that thar be no power goin' t' t' box. 

Upset that t' problem now appeared t' be somewhere deep in t' van, I started t' put t' car back together. Just then, a neighbor walked up, armed with his own multimeter.  His multimeter was bigger than mine, so I recognized him as an expert.  He smartly diagnosed that t' problem was in t' trailer light controller box, me hearties, nay t' van's wiring. Whew. I later discovered that my multimeter is broken which is what led me astray.

Knowin' that t' problem was with t' controller box, I went online t' order a replacement.  Lookin' at t' reviews for t' old controller, matey, I saw a few comments t' t' effect that "first t' runnin' lights quit working, then all t' lights quit."  So, me situation wasn't unique.  I ordered a different brand o' controller.  It arrived a couple o' days later and was easily installed.  And, me hearties, it worked!

Our first experience usin' t' trailer was at t' March, 2012, ROCK launch.  We arrived a little early because I wasn't sure how t' trailer be goin' t' handle bein' pulled through t' ditch onto our field.  There was no problem drivin' on t' grass, ya bilge rat, but arrivin' early did allow me t' pull in forwards rather than havin' t' back up with t' trailer.

We had t' tent, matey, chairs, and table unloaded and set up in just a few minutes.  We carried a printed list o' t' sale merchandise inside t' trailer so we didn't have t' take any o' it out unless someone wished t' see it or make a purchase. 

At t' end o' t' launch, me hearties, puttin' everythin' back was as quick and easy as set up.  And, ya bilge rat, when we got home, all I did be back t' trailer into t' garage.  Other than takin' in t' cooler and me cameras, we didn't have t' unload anything.

Havin' more room t' carry stuff t' a launch, me bucko, I naturally began t' think o' more things t' carry.

One item that came t' mind was a small generator for those times when it would be nice t' have a source o' electricity on site. Arrr! I went online and read reviews o' generators. Avast, me proud beauty! And I talked with a neighbor who owns several small ones. What I found out is that thar are some very nice, small, quiet generators. And thar are some inexpensive generators. But, thar are no inexpensive quiet generators.

So, arrr, I decided t' build a battery-powered system. Avast, me proud beauty! I started by purchasin' t' parts – a tongue box, battery, inverter, matey, charger, matey, and stuff t' connect it all together. I bought a white plastic tongue box. Avast, me proud beauty! It was less expensive than t' metal boxes. Avast, me proud beauty! For t' battery, I chose a Universal Power Group UB12500 sealed lead acid battery. Blimey! It is rated at 50 AH. T' keep it charged, I purchased a BatteryMINDer "Battery Charger/Maintainer, me bucko, Desulfator, Conditioner." T' charger is designed t' keep batteries like t' UB12500 charged and functioning. Avast, me proud beauty! T' inverter is from Roadpro. It's rated at 1500 Watts which means I can add a second battery t' t' system if I later find that it is needed. Ahoy! T' connect it all together I bought a giant fuse t' put betwixt t' battery and inverter; a couple o' switches t' allow me t' connect and disconnect t' charger and inverter; a couple o' fused 12V jacks; and wires.

I found a couple places on eBay sellin' wirin' kits for specific golf carts.  Orderin' one o' them turned out t' be an inexpensive way t' get several short heavy wires with terminal lugs already attached.

Test-fittin' t' box on t' tongue, I discovered a problem.  T' handle on trailer's jack hit t' box when you turned it.  T' solve t' problem, me hearties, I extended t' rod where t' handle attaches. It turned out t' be a challenge.  I couldn't find a heavy, shiver me timbers, strong pipe with t' right inside diameter. So, arrr, I bought a pipe with too small an inside diameter.  I put it in a vise and used a drill t' ream it out.  I discovered that a drill stuck in a metal pipe can generate a very large amount o' torque.  I switched t' a much slower, but safer, method o' usin' a round file attached t' t' drill t' gradually enlarge t' openin' until it was t' right size.  I drilled holes in t' pipe and cut a short length o' 1/2" diameter rod t' complete t' handle extension.

I built a wooden frame t' hold everythin' in t' tongue box. T' box is bolted t' t' tongue and t' wooden frame is bolted t' t' box. While I be attachin' t' box t' t' trailer and t' frame t' t' box, I plugged an electric fan into t' inverter and used it t' keep cool. It ran for several hours while I worked on t' trailer.

Our friend, Carolyn Klages o' Klages Kreations, ya bilge rat, provided decals and stripes for t' trailer.  She even applied them for us.

T' logo decals are printed vinyl with a clear laminate.  T' blue stripes are highly-reflective.

I added a second battery t' t' box on t' front o' t' trailer t' extend t' runnin' time o' t' fan.  It lasted a few hours, matey, but nay quite all day at t' ROCK launch a few weeks ago.  Addin' t' battery was fairly easy.  I attached a small board t' t' from o' t' wooden tray. I ran t' Velcro battery strap under t' new board and made it longer so it would hold both batteries. Arrr! I charged t' new battery for a couple o' days then hooked it in parallel with t' existin' battery.

This is me second try at enterin' this build entry. Aye aye! I spent about an hour on it earlier this evenin' before I pressed t' back space key and lost all me work. If you accidently leave a text entry field then press t' back space key when usin' Internet Explorer, IE will treat it as if you have pressed t' “Back” button and you will lose all o' your work. Arrr! This bug has existed in IE for many years and Microsoft refuses t' fix it. Avast! So, I’m finally doin' what I should have done long ago. I’m switchin' t' Firefox.

By default, FireFox also has t' back space key do t' same thin' as t' “Back” button, me bucko, but you, unlike in IE, thar be an option t' disable it. Enter “about:config” in Firefox’s address bar then press t' Enter key. Arrr! Click t' button t' bypass t' batten down t' hatches. Avast, me proud beauty! In t' search box, type “browser.backspace_action”. In t' search results, double-click “browser.backspace_action” and set its value t' 2.

Sorry … I just had t' vent.

So … gettin' back on topic … we worked on t' LongJonRocket.com trailer this weekend.

We mounted our first aid kit on t' inside o' t' door so it can be found smartly if it’s needed. Begad! I added a Rubbermaid FastTrack rail on one side o' t' trailer and added a couple o' hooks t' it. Ahoy! We hang our weed trimmer from it. Well, blow me down! T' trimmer should come in handy if t' grass is too tall at t' ROCK launch site.

Tryin' t' get things more organized, we put two upright tool chests into t' trailer. We were able t' take most o' t' stuff we had in six storage boxes and four small toolboxes and put it in t' two new tool chests.

With t' new tool chests in t' front o' t' trailer, shiver me timbers, we needed a little more light. Arrr! We had been usin' small, shiver me timbers, motion-activated, battery-powered lights. Ya scallywag! We decided t' take advantage o' t' 12V batteries in t' tongue box and add better lights.

I ordered two reels o' LED strip lights along with a dimmer switch from Amazon.com. T' 12V LED strips are about 16-feet long and consist o' 300 LEDs and resistors mounted on a flexible, conductive tape. T' strips may be cut into shorter segments.

We cut t' strips into several shorter segments about four-and-a-half feet long. Ahoy! I soldered speaker wire t' each segment (bein' careful t' keep t' polarity right). Well, blow me down! We had a few short lengths o' t' LED strips left over. Arrr! Since they work well when powered by a 9V battery, we’ll save them t' use later on a rocket for t' night launch at Bunnell Blast in November!

From McMaster-Carr, shiver me timbers, I bought a short length o' PVC conduit and a couple o' conduit connectors t' use t' connect t' tongue box t' t' inside o' t' trailer. T' floor o' t' trailer is pretty thick, so t' connector would fit, so I used a piece o' wood that looks, suspiciously, like a centerin' ring. I coated t' wood with epoxy t' weather proof it. Well, blow me down! Then I drilled a hole in t' floor o' t' trailer. Well, blow me down! I glued t' connector into t' hole then added a few screws for good measure.

I mounted t' other connector in a hole drilled in t' tongue box. Begad! I ran some wire from t' batteries, through t' connectors and conduit, and into t' trailer. Blimey! I hooked up t' connectors t' t' conduit and I’m happy with t' result. Avast, me proud beauty! It’ll definitely protect t' wirin' and t' trailer from t' elements and it looks good.

Inside t' trailer, we attached t' LED strips t' t' crossbars in t' ceiling. Well, blow me down! T' strips include a tape backing. Arrr! After attachin' t' strips with t' tape included with t' strips, I used a little clear duct tape t' ensure that t' strips remain in place.

We ran t' wires from t' strips t' a terminal block and hooked up t' dimmer switch. We used aluminum tape t' cover up and secure t' wires.

Then I turned on t' connection t' t' batteries. And Bracha turned t' knob on t' dimmer switch. Begad! And, we had light!

I used lag bolts t' attach t' tool boxes t' t' floor o' t' trailer. Then I added some anchors t' t' floor in front o' each chest and above each chest. Begad! These will allow us t' use bungee cords as a quick and easy way t' keep t' drawers and doors closed while travelling.

Finally, we replaced our remainin' storage boxes with “underbed” storage boxes. Aye aye! Blimey! These new boxes are nay as tall as t' ones we used before, bit are much longer. Aye aye! Blimey! They are better suited for t' kinds o' things we need t' carry such as motor casings.

Also, they fit pretty well betwixt t' tool boxes when we have t' trailer loaded for travel. Blimey! When t' trailer is parked in our garage, t' boxes will be stored under t' trailer. This will allow us t' be able t' get into t' trailer t' use t' stuff in t' tool chests while t' trailer is at home.