Low Buck "Adventure" Trailer

[downsy]

I came across thread on Jeep Forum about a year or so ago talking about using the low cost HF trailers as bases for low cost off road/camping gear trailers. Factor in the recent birth of my daughter and the fact my wife brought along 4 dogs into the marriage and even in the XJ I no longer have any cargo room. And roof loading everything isn't an option. Putting 100 lbs of tools and a spare tire and whatnot on the roof isn't going to happen safely.

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f27/mini-harbor-freight-type-trailer-ultimate-build-up-thread-1180456/

When I put the call out on the local 4x4 forums and facebook groups I got a hit within the hour. Someone had bought a HF mini trailer about a year (with the 12 in tires) ago put it together and never did anything with it. It's mine for 125 dollars (go to pick it up tomorrow).

So the gears have been turning in my head since I first came across this thread but I never did anything with it. I've been super impressed with the ideas thrown out and the builds that have come about. I'm only about 74 pages in right now. It's a long thread.

Right now the plan is to deck it with 3/4 inch plywood. I do not plan on building a box to keep everything in. Instead I'm going to go with premade off the shelf solutions. Goal is to keep the Jeep mostly empty except for us 3 and Dogs and have the trailer carry the whole load. Which should be doable with what I usually pack on these trips.

So on top of the deck I plan to mount or strap since I haven't decided if I want to permanently mount boxes or not or if I want them to be removable so the trailer can be used as a flat bed, is either one or two of these Dewalt 38 inch boxes on top. One will take up about half the trailer two will take up the whole trailer based on the dimensions give on the Home Depot Website

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-38-in-Mobile-Tough-Chest-DWST38000/205502769

These also have an IP53 rating. So basically little to no dust intrusion and 100KPA water sprayed on it at 60 degree angles cannot penetrate. if I permanently mount them the wheels will be removed since they won't be needed for anything. The idea is one box for tools/spares/fluids ect and the other would be for camping gear, clothes, ect, ect.

Another option I was kicking around as I want to be able to load 2 5gal water and 2 5 gal gas cans onboard for the Mojave Road was to buy one of the chests above and one smaller chest so I would have enough room on the front of the trailer to attach the heavier water/gas cans. Or I could always build/weld a small extension or hitch carrier on the front to carry those keeping in mind the tongue length and all.

Dunno lots of options and I'm ready to pick up the trailer and get to work. Would like to have it setup for the Mojave Road Trip we want to do early next year before the heat sets in.

For tires I dont' plan on adding any larger axles or anything. Maybe going with a 13 inch wheel or just sticking to the 12 inchers. Will have to see how it sits when hooked to the XJ and how it pulls. Not going to be running the Rubicon with it.

[downsy]

Here's what I picked up. I was thinking it was the little 40x48 trailer. This is the 4FOOTX8FOOT trailer haha. It's the foldable model. The welder is going to fix that. Thinking of bobbing the rear down to the first crossmember there which will bring it down to 6 feet and may actually work better for what I want to do than the 4 foot model. The fenders have to go or get reinforced. Much too floppy, even on the drive home. Pulls straight. I like the tongue much better than the little trailer's single beam tongue and it gives me some more options for couplers. Probably going to go with a Lunette Ring and Pintle.

Hopefully I'll be able to get off work at a decent time today and I can start pulling it down ripping out the stock wiring (garbage wire) and lights. Wal Mart actually has a pretty good price on LED sidemarkers and brake/tail lights so probably going to go with those. And figuring out if I want to cut it down or not. Then going to square it up and start laying beads at the joints.

http://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/12038093_10208015697696390_8587606569620351240_n.j pg?oh=dab78690d4317099b2811fee729196ce&oe=56917106

Will keep the thread updated as I go along. Or start my own thread and link it.

[downsy]

The axle measurements on this trailer are a little different than the small trailers. This one measures 56 3/4" hubface to hubface and the spring centers are at 46 1/2. But it looks like I may be able to bump up my hubface width as much as the small trailer guys and be able to fit a 15in rim on there. I have about 2 inches clearance between the 12" wheel/tire and the frame so I should be able to increase my axle width the same as the small trailer guys and get the 15s on there. Just gotta go back in the thread and see how much wider they went.

Here's what I got done tonight. Stripped it down. Removed wheels, fenders, axle, wiring, lights, and did some measurements to see if she's square. corner to corner measurements are 1/2 inch off. I'll get the whack o matic out tomorrow and see if I can straighten it up. Also going to prep the joints for welding with the ol grinder and wire wheel and possibly take the little leaf out of the leaf packs while I have it apart to soften it up a bit for the light loads it will be carrying.

http://scontent.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfl1/v/t1.0-9/12063443_10208022264420554_2475225458859074823_n.j pg?oh=b835fcc367b777cda28b225c39e697f1&oe=568ABB5E

http://scontent.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlf1/v/t1.0-9/12049159_10208022264660560_9197746922681159547_n.j pg?oh=5c6d50753b526a0d745e7f5977588315&oe=568F1145

[bruggz351]

Subscribed. I love projects.😁


Sent from my FRED

[abebehrmann]

Sounds like you got a pretty good deal, can't wait to see the finished product. I'd love to have something like that to go camping and haul things around with.

[downsy]

I just ordered a lot of gear for it today. New axle and hubs to run 15 inch wheels, led lights all around, material/parts to set it up for a lunette ring and tow pintl setup and a few other odds and ends. About to go square it up then bob the back end and start cleaning up the joints in preparation for welding.


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[downsy]

I cut two feet off the end tonight with the trusty Harbor Freight Saws All haha. While I was doing that I looked at the mounts and once I weld the "folding part" in a few spots I can unbolt and move the axle mounts forward and then weld them in place. Right now the spring centers are 18 inches from the rear of the trailer and 91 inches from the front of the tongue. That probably wouldn't help with tongue weights (not that I"m carrying that much weight to start with) and will look a bit out of sorts as the wheel/tire would be basically at the end of the trailer. Think wheelbarrow but backwards haha.

So I did some measurements while I was out there and decided that I can move the spring mounts about 16 inches forward of their current position which will put them about 6 inches to the aft of the trailer's center line which should help with looks and load balancing. Moving them any further forward is not really doable because the a-frame tongue mounts and it would put the axle forward of the center of the bed of the trailer. I'll use the hacked off section there as scrap to cut up for reinforcement on other parts of the trailer.

https://scontent.fsan1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12088556_10208027544832561_1083052352757314133_n.j pg?oh=8388cfeeea4960a85169c50561383906&oe=5696D5DF

https://scontent.fsan1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12088256_10208027545032566_8625966365896058823_n.j pg?oh=e5ef7293b515cbdae822174d0c709ed1&oe=565F421F

[robuilt]

Great project.

[downsy]

Update. It's almost into towable condition.


Decked, fendered, lit, and almost in tow able condition. Grabbed the wrong hardware for the tongue while I was at the hardware store. It's raining outside right now but I have the correct hardware here. I'm going to go with the regular ball hitch for now until I can figure out what I'm going to do to get a rotating lunete ring on the trailer. This took me way too long haha. I took way too many build breaks.

https://scontent.fsan1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12936783_10209477679965033_270092488062277503_n.jp g?oh=29187a0027f0d32f462b4a1e155898b9&oe=578904D8

https://scontent.fsan1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlf1/v/t1.0-9/10399809_10209477680245040_1492602735250542076_n.j pg?oh=203662193aa28f626f2664526cf20e27&oe=5778F0DF

Prior to this it looked like this with the 2k lb axle being put in place.

https://scontent.fsan1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/10570485_10208581946252250_727689793023842971_n.jp g?oh=b982e63d086063fec77283261a93bd3f&oe=57B56198

https://scontent.fsan1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/l/t1.0-9/1929894_10208581946492256_181019531306074600_n.jpg ?oh=331687107c0391d9d1a9a4efba809323&oe=578CE5AD

https://scontent.fsan1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpl1/v/t1.0-9/12400546_10208644132766874_7942658641416249998_n.j pg?oh=9e7e1454a51885e3005e2b507864ee40&oe=578C26CA

[downsy]

So she's towable now.

https://scontent.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13083093_10209628709300672_4497272155678935910_n.j pg?oh=853d11cc3209be8b5e8b3f29decec41b&oe=57AF9D0B

Unfortunately for me the first trip will not be to an off road location but overall a good time to finish it as we're going to a large regional dog event 300 miles away and need to fit camping gear, dog equipment and other things along with 2 adults one child and 3 dogs in a Honda Pilot. This makes the trip much easier to coordinate and the trailer is light enough that it shouldn't affect the Pilot's fuel mileage too much. Ready to get on the road and tow it :)

https://scontent.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13082593_10209637196832855_8344510115703128951_n.j pg?oh=aa05fc8476cafadd31ef6d41dedbef47&oe=579FDE66

Here's the mod made to the Husky job box to make it easier to tie down. We will see how it does on this all pavement trip then I will have to do some desert day trips for further testing.
https://scontent.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12963731_10209637196952858_8609084400333946523_n.j pg?oh=a06949ea50603af815c129b2800fad8b&oe=57A3B4F5

[4.3LXJ]

Hope you do well at the show, and enjoy the new equipment

[downsy]

I go to drive a camera and watch the kiddo while the wifey does her thing. Here's hoping she does well haha :)

[Carves]

Funny how theres cultural differences in trailer building.

No headboard, no sides ...

Down here I'd be getting an insecure load fine, every mile,

... from coppers, who dont know how to, tie knots or understand ratchet strap use .. :D


Enjoy your run and good luck showing the dogs.

[downsy]

Funny how theres cultural differences in trailer building.

No headboard, no sides ...

Down here I'd be getting an insecure load fine, every mile,

... from coppers, who dont know how to, tie knots or understand ratchet strap use .. :D


Enjoy your run and good luck showing the dogs.

A lot of guys do run boxed in trailers. I was thinking of going that route but decided on flatbed because it gives me more flexibility on what I can haul. And I needed to be able to fit my motorcycle on it as well. I'm thinking that's going to take an extension out onto the tongue to make work though. Pretty sure the wheel base on my Vstrom is longer than the 6 foot bed or really dang close.

[abebehrmann]

Trailer looks really nice. Just curious, what sort of dog event are you going to?

[downsy]

Trailer looks really nice. Just curious, what sort of dog event are you going to?



It's a USDAA dog agility event. Here's a vid from her first run of the day.

https://www.facebook.com/blackredlinedrvr/posts/10209648281029953


On the trailer front I'm now researching and putting together stuff to install a removable frame for a roof top tent on the trailer that can extend up to vehicle roof height if needed/wanted.

[Carves]

It's a USDAA dog agility event. Here's a vid from her first run of the day.

https://www.facebook.com/blackredlinedrvr/posts/10209648281029953


On the trailer front I'm now researching and putting together stuff to install a removable frame for a roof top tent on the trailer that can extend up to vehicle roof height if needed/wanted.


Good Dog :thumbsup:

google images for bike trailers with tents, might help ya a bit.

Dont forget to gusset and brace the posts ... to stop the shimmy happening.

In case "shimmy" is confusing ... Think of the tent and frame, as a blob of jelly going down the road ... if it just has 4, unsupported, uprights.

[downsy]

I'm tracking on that. :). An open box on both ends doesn't stand on its own very well. ;)


Sent from my iPhone

[4.3LXJ]

It's a USDAA dog agility event. Here's a vid from her first run of the day.

https://www.facebook.com/blackredlinedrvr/posts/10209648281029953


On the trailer front I'm now researching and putting together stuff to install a removable frame for a roof top tent on the trailer that can extend up to vehicle roof height if needed/wanted.

Looks like the owner has to stay in shape too :D

Jack Russel Terriers do well in this event?

[downsy]

There's a few Jack Russell terrier's but the most common dog by far is the border collie

As for owner staying in shape you're not kidding the average person playing this game is not in shape by any means I guess in Europe it's a lot more popular and people over there that do it are a lot more in shape but the course set up that they do here are not like they are in Europe their set up more for a slow owner and then you have some people here that are fast people along the fast dogs.

Sorry for the run-on sentence is I'm doing voice to text so it doesn't put in punctuation.

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