Model Team: Highway Rig with Automatic Coupling

[Lasse D]

5580 Highway Rig is my all time favorite set. It started Model Team way back then and a couple of trucks followed it in the same scale. All these trucks had HOG steering, opening doors and other play features, but the fifth wheel never worked very well.

You had to lift a trailer in order to attach it to the truck, and lift it again to release it. I have fixed that.

The rear end of this modded truck fits the standard I describe here.

Now you just have to line the truck up.

Back up and the trailer attaches automatically.

I have instructions for both the truck, trailer and container. Just click the pictures:

Another great feature is that the jacks of this yellow trailer lift automatically, just like on my Blue Sun truck:

Take care now.

[vmln8r]

Woah, nostalgia trip!!!

The automatic coupler looks great - you have to wonder why Lego didn't think of this in the first place, it would have been a great selling point.

Your website looks great - perhaps link to it in your signature?

Oh, and lovely pictures by the way.

[Fuzzylegobricks]

Yet another awesome creation! I love the functions, especially the knob.

[Lasse D]

Thanks guys. I hope this new coupling standard is something people will adapt because it's both fairly simple to build, reliable and fun to play with.

Oh. And this thread might not have many responses, but it has generated more traffic to my site than ever before: 95 visitors today! (vs. 19 yesterday)

> VMLN8R. There is a link to it in my signature...

[RockeTeK]

I love these models :D

Any chance you could merge the instructions to PDF format? Would be appreciated!

[Lasse D]

Could you suffice with a long page of instructions which could be printed? Then I could look into how to make sure the individual steps don't get cut up between pages.

[Rijkvv]

To me, this coupling looks better than the ones on your Renault and Scania trucks. And it is even functional. Great work, I'll keep your Model Team standard in mind if I some day build a Model Team truck.

Edited May 27, 2011 by Richie

[Lasse D]

It also has more stability than those two because of the all-studs-up technique. Unfortunately those trucks are liftarm-built back there, but I am working on a third kind that has the advantages of both types. They are, however, all following the standard, so they can all pull all my trailers.

Right now I'm giving the cement truck an overhaul, which should free up some bricks needed to build a new truck which will be both highly detailed, reliable, motorized truck. This will be a truck that has never been made in LEGO before.

Edited May 27, 2011 by Lasse D

[BigBrick88]

On 5/25/2011 at 6:11 PM, Lasse D said:

5580 Highway Rig is my all time favorite set. It started Model Team way back then and a couple of trucks followed it in the same scale. All these trucks had HOG steering, opening doors and other play features, but the fifth wheel never worked very well.

You had to lift a trailer in order to attach it to the truck, and lift it again to release it. I have fixed that.

The rear end of this modded truck fits the standard I describe here.

Now you just have to line the truck up.

Back up and the trailer attaches automatically.

I have instructions for both the truck, trailer and container. Just click the pictures:

Another great feature is that the jacks of this yellow trailer lift automatically, just like on my Blue Sun truck:

 

 

Take care now.

Hey, Sorry for bringing up an old thread, I cant PM yet (not enough posts). I just bought the 5571 Black Cat (again), and would like to build your trailer for it... however, is the 5571 scaled bigger than 1/25?  I am amazed at the level of detail that you where able to achieve... Bravo!

[Lasse D]

Yeah 5571 Black Cat is much larger than 1:25. However. I believe others on Rebrickable have made trailers for it with instructions.