After creating the fleet it seemed logical to tie it all together with a car hauler.
The design for the hauler took a lot more effort. A child's toy needs several considerations:
Hold all the cars in any combination. That was pretty easy to do by making sure that the longest cars fit on each deck.
Have no removable parts. My first few designs had removable ramps. That was a guarantee for lost parts. In the final design the ramps are self-contained.
Easy to operate. Little latches and locks were not going to be easy for little ones to figure out. The ramps drop into an open or closed position.
Access to the cars while in the trailer. Little (and big) hands need to be able to reach inside and help the cars move along.
Sturdy. Energetic 4 year olds need tough toys. The ramp pin heads are recessed into the trailer walls to protect them.
Reasonable size. My early designs were of a single trailer with 3 decks (too tall & easy to tip) and then 2 decks (too long). It was later that I realized that a double trailer was the answer.
The car hauler was a big hit. I didn't get a chance to take many pictures of the loaded trailers - it was busy moving cars!
I made use of a template to get the ramp features located accurately. The left side of the template lines up with the top and bottom edges of the trailer walls. The two longer slots line up with the top and back of the trailer walls. A 1/2" bit is used to create recesses for the pins and a 1/4" bit cuts the through slots. The finish is the same as the cars. Transtint dyes and water based polyurethane.
Thanks Splinter - Right now he is more into MineCraft. I usually let the grandkids put in a request for gifts wo it will be interesting to see what he comes up with. I've got plenty of toy plans if they don't have anything specific.
What a first class toy truck and trailer combination Steve. That with the beaut cars is hours of fun, play and imagination for any child. Top marks sir, love it. I’ve just got to work out how to access and download load you generously offered plans, thank you.
Thanks for all the comments!! crowie - I'll contact you James - All my designs. No CNC used. Scroll saw on the cars and truck. Hand shaped template for the trailer and then a router. corelz - I've got about 25 hours into this part of the build L/W - I do enjoy making almost anything!
