My camping solution build

[jacobfreeman]

Well I bought this small 4x6' trailer that started as a utility trailer... We own a 2 door JK and had a dilemma about our camping situations. We have two dogs and didn't see a way to fit all of our camping gear and 2 doors into the back of the JK comfortably. So I picked this trailer up to pull behind the jeep when we go on overnight trips. There isn't to many plans for this trailer right now besides just building an area to hold water,gas, and storage boxes. So will need to build some tie down hooks for all of that. Also going to skin the trailer walls as they are bare right now. Later on I will build a top to put on the trailer and then somehow come up with a way to mount a RTT on top. As of right now we will be tent camping on the ground. Hopefully, I can get some insight of what i'm doing right and wrong and go from there. I am new to all of this and would appreciate any feedback on this build.

Here are a few pics of what I am working with.

Thanks,

Jacob

 

[XSapper]

Looks like you got a good trailer to start with! Is the tongue adjustable or removable? Skin the sides/ front, make a tailgate, put some fenders on, add shelves in front of and behind fenders for gas cans and water cans and you're good to go!

 

[jacobfreeman]

Looks like you got a good trailer to start with! Is the tongue adjustable or removable? Skin the sides/ front, make a tailgate, put some fenders on, add shelves in front of and behind fenders for gas cans and water cans and you're good to go!

Yeah I believe the front tongue you can pull off. The tongue is 64" from ball hitch to frame rails. Do you think it is to long or a good length to pull with ?

 

[jacobfreeman]

Well i've gotten the old rotten wood out of the bottom and now it's ready to have new wood put in the floor and start skinning the sides with aluminum.. What do you guys suggest on how to attach the aluminum walls to the square tubing? rivets? Self tapping screws? I don't have access to a welder.

 

[SwampfoxSC]

Man you found a jem there! I cant get over how perfect of a frame that is. You need to find someone to do some welding for ya. There is so much you can do to really make it awesome. Someone had offroad expo in mind when they built it. The only thing I don't like is how the center tongue is bolted on. It would be much stronger if you had some beads run to the cross members. It would triangulate and tie it all together. I like the removable tongue setup. My Ramlin boat trailer is very similar. Except it has two pins for extra shear/security. Nothing you cant do also with a drill. How much did you give for it? If you don't mind?

edit: I just noticed it has a collar at the V. Where it is pinned. And is not a full section all the way back. So where it is bolted in the center. Is the same piece of the tongue. That's different. Kinda makes the quick disconnect pull pin not useful. Because you have to take the thru bolt out in the rear. To remove the tongue right? Non the less a sweet trailer. Maybe you need to ask Santa for a stick welder

 

[jacobfreeman]

Man you found a jem there! I cant get over how perfect of a frame that is. You need to find someone to do some welding for ya. There is so much you can do to really make it awesome. Someone had offroad expo in mind when they built it. The only thing I don't like is how the center tongue is bolted on. It would be much stronger if you had some beads run to the cross members. It would triangulate and tie it all together. I like the removable tongue setup. My Ramlin boat trailer is very similar. Except it has two pins for extra shear/security. Nothing you cant do also with a drill. How much did you give for it? If you don't mind?

edit: I just noticed it has a collar at the V. Where it is pinned. And is not a full section all the way back. So where it is bolted in the center. Is the same piece of the tongue. That's different. Kinda makes the quick disconnect pull pin not useful. Because you have to take the thru bolt out in the rear. To remove the tongue right? Non the less a sweet trailer. Maybe you need to ask Santa for a stick welder

I've access to a stick welder but not exactly when I need it. I'll address the front cross member situation and see if I can make it stronger somehow. and as far as the tongue is... The tongue is removable but you have to take out the bolt down by the axle and then use the pull pin. The whole tongue comes out. The original owner wanted to build something that he could park in his garage with his jeep and this was his situation to take up some place. I have a around $200 in the trailer right now and that's aluminum sheets for the siding and everything.. so I got it pretty cheap.