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Low Buck "Adventure Trailer

devildog0

NAXJA Forum User
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/...ype-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.
 
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.

12038093_10208015697696390_8587606569620351240_n.jpg


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

12063443_10208022264420554_2475225458859074823_n.jpg


12049159_10208022264660560_9197746922681159547_n.jpg
 
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.

12088556_10208027544832561_1083052352757314133_n.jpg


12088256_10208027545032566_8625966365896058823_n.jpg
 
Cool project.

If you are planning to use plywood I have a couple of suggestions: Spend the coin to get Baltic Birch. You won't find that at the Borg, but a good hardwoods supplier will have it. Your best bet here in San Diego is TH&H off Complex Dr. in Kearny Mesa (Linky: http://www.th-h.com/ ). Expect it to cost about $100 for a single sheet of 3/4" thick 4' x 8'. It will weigh about twice as much as a regular sheet. It should be made with an exterior glue (ask for confirmation before you buy, they may have some materials available that are interior only) and it will be flat. It will not have voids in the middle. It should be about 13 plies thick.

The next suggestion is after you have cut it to fit and drilled all the mounting holes you intend to drill take it off and treat it with Rot Doctor's "Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer" (Linky: http://www.rotdoctor.com/products/product.html ) Make sure you get all the edges on the sides and even where you drilled holes in it.

Yes, those are both rather pricey details, but here is why I recommend them: Plywood has exposed end grain all the way around it. End grain is like a bundle of very tiny straws. It just sucks up moisture by capillary action. That moisture causes the wood to expand and in so doing it breaks up all the bonds that are supposed to be holding it together. Give it a few years of exposure and a sheet of plywood turns into a mushy mess. Using a high grade plywood made with an exterior glue and then sealing it with a thinned down epoxy greatly extends the life of your project.

Then finish it up with an exterior paint to keep the UV rays from doing their part to destroy the lignin (natural bonds) in the wood.

Just a suggestion from someone who has fixed way too much rotted wood.
 
Sounds like a great idea for a light weight trailer. Just remember as you shorten the distance between the hitch and the trailer axle, it will get progressive harder to back up.

Looking at the DeWalt tubs you showed, they appear to be 24" deep by 38" wide. Would two of those fit and still allow you room for the gas and water cans on a 6' long trailer?

David Bricker / SYR
 
Four further points:

1: Weld all joints. Don't rely on HF's bolts.

2: Toss those tiny leaf springs, they *will* break.

3: Keep an eye on the frame the first few times out for bowing, you may have to further reinforce it.

4: You want a three-axis coupler. A lunette/pintle is just fine but one end needs to be able to rotate 360 degrees.

This isn't even a tough trail and notice how much the Jeep moves, well beyond the range of a ball mount or non-rotating lunette/pintle setup.
 
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You don't have footage of when you went up that bank to get to where the roofing was dumped?

Actually, side view footage would be more impressive. The range of motion involved from when the jeep started climbing but the trailer was still level to where the Jeep leveled out at the top but the trailer was still climbing was quite a testament to the value of that hitch.

Get someone to take side view footage when you go back out there in a couple of weeks. It looked pretty cool. (Says the guy who was sitting at the side, keeping tabs on his fubar battery.)
 
Get someone to take side view footage when you go back out there in a couple of weeks. It looked pretty cool. (Says the guy who was sitting at the side, keeping tabs on his fubar battery.)

October 11, you can have the chance to be teh cameraman!
 
I can't be there.

I am responsible for the main dish at a family get together on the 11th.
 
Cool project.

If you are planning to use plywood I have a couple of suggestions: Spend the coin to get Baltic Birch. You won't find that at the Borg, but a good hardwoods supplier will have it. Your best bet here in San Diego is TH&H off Complex Dr. in Kearny Mesa (Linky: http://www.th-h.com/ ). Expect it to cost about $100 for a single sheet of 3/4" thick 4' x 8'. It will weigh about twice as much as a regular sheet. It should be made with an exterior glue (ask for confirmation before you buy, they may have some materials available that are interior only) and it will be flat. It will not have voids in the middle. It should be about 13 plies thick.

The next suggestion is after you have cut it to fit and drilled all the mounting holes you intend to drill take it off and treat it with Rot Doctor's "Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer" (Linky: http://www.rotdoctor.com/products/product.html ) Make sure you get all the edges on the sides and even where you drilled holes in it.

Yes, those are both rather pricey details, but here is why I recommend them: Plywood has exposed end grain all the way around it. End grain is like a bundle of very tiny straws. It just sucks up moisture by capillary action. That moisture causes the wood to expand and in so doing it breaks up all the bonds that are supposed to be holding it together. Give it a few years of exposure and a sheet of plywood turns into a mushy mess. Using a high grade plywood made with an exterior glue and then sealing it with a thinned down epoxy greatly extends the life of your project.

Then finish it up with an exterior paint to keep the UV rays from doing their part to destroy the lignin (natural bonds) in the wood.

Just a suggestion from someone who has fixed way too much rotted wood.

Not sure what I'm going to deck it with yet. But I'll take that under advisement. Was thinking of going with 1x6 composite decking boards. Such as these linked below.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Trex-Com...1-in-x-5-5-in-x-192-in-BD010608ES01/203140667

Sounds like a great idea for a light weight trailer. Just remember as you shorten the distance between the hitch and the trailer axle, it will get progressive harder to back up.

Looking at the DeWalt tubs you showed, they appear to be 24" deep by 38" wide. Would two of those fit and still allow you room for the gas and water cans on a 6' long trailer?

David Bricker / SYR

I grew up towing trailers. I know that the shorter they get the harder they are to back up but this one will be so light and balanced you could just jump out unhook it and push it where it needs to go. It won't be as bad as the smaller 4 foot trailers some guys are using. If I did my math right I can put them back to back and have 1.5 feet of spare space left. If I put them side by side I would have 2 feet. But I may buy one of those to haul bulky items and then get a smaller one about the size of my PLANO box (maybe a medium sized Rubbermaid Action Packer) I'm using in the back of the Jeep now for tools. SOmething that I can take off and move to the Jeep quickly when I get to camp so I can leave the trailer behind and strap it down in the back of the Jeep so I'm not running around without my tools and recovery gear.

Four further points:

1: Weld all joints. Don't rely on HF's bolts.

2: Toss those tiny leaf springs, they *will* break.

3: Keep an eye on the frame the first few times out for bowing, you may have to further reinforce it.

4: You want a three-axis coupler. A lunette/pintle is just fine but one end needs to be able to rotate 360 degrees.

I'm going to run the pintle for now and if I decided it won't work for the trails I'll be taking the jeep on I'll fab up my own coupler. I've helped build a few trailer couplers for motorcycles so know how I can do it just need to use beefier components for this project.
 
Not sure what I'm going to deck it with yet. But I'll take that under advisement. Was thinking of going with 1x6 composite decking boards. Such as these linked below.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Trex-Com...1-in-x-5-5-in-x-192-in-BD010608ES01/203140667

You should not have problems with those rotting, but keep your supports on close centers or they will sag. 24" centers is definitely too wide, and 16" might be pushing your luck.

It might be worth your while to check out someplace like Dixieline (local builder's supply) or even J&W Redwood (local specialty lumberyard) and see what tropical woods they have for decking. Ipe is too expensive and too much of a PITA to work, but there are some other tropical woods with very good rot resistance, better pricing and easier to work with. Dixieline had one that I used a few years back, but I can't recall the name of it. It was not a common tropical like mahogany. I think it would be lighter than Trex, but would offer better support and similar durability.
 
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