My Backcountry Camper Trailer Build

[R_Lefebvre]

Well, after giving this much thought, I've set off on my new trailer build.

I'm need a large trailer to be able to take a family of 4 on long trips while being able to keep a minimum amount of stuff in the truck or on the roof of the truck. I want to be able to go for 7-14 days with many comforts needed by a young family. The trips may be on dirt roads, level 2 or maybe 3 trails, and even some trips to developed campgrounds. One of the requirements was reasonably quick setup at the campsite with no kicking rocks around, pounding wimpy pegs into rocky ground, etc. which is why the ground tent is getting nixed. I had a pretty nice ground camping setup with a large tent, screenhouse, folding kitchen, etc but it takes over an hour to set up, and even longer to pack down which is just too long when we often tend to move camp every day. It was manageable before the kids arrived, but now we need to tend to the little ones.

In addition to carrying a lot of camping supplies, water, etc, the trailer has to be able to carry at least 1 full size dirtbike as well as 1 mini. Maybe even more in the future. This was because I will use the trailer while attending enduro races and trail rides. I also wanted to have a portable potti on board so that we can camp outside of campgrounds without having to dig a hole...

These requirements, save for the ability to do "trails" steered me in the direction of one of the off-road tent trailers. I had my heart set on a Starcraft 11RT for sale here locally at a pretty good price, but my wife just won't budge on it with the economy being as it is.

So, I've undertaken to build my own expedition camping trailer. I'll try to post my sketches soon, but basically it's going to look a lot like a Conqueror Conquest. The requirements to carry the motorcycles will mean that is will not have a triangular tongue box. This area on the tongue will be empty so that rails can be bolted onto which the bikes can be stowed. If I find it necessary, I may make a tongue box that can be swapped on when not carrying the bikes.

Since I don't have this space available, I did want to make the main body have as much room as possible. As such, I designed the main body to be 90" long. This is also a benefit because it would be able to fit the largest of RTT's available. I did want to go with an Eezi-Awn 2200, but concerns for the weight, and also the fact that with a mimimum roof height of 2m would mean the entire trailer would be over 7 feet tall, which means it would not fit in my garage. No go. So, I will be planning to use one of the trailer tents. I'm still not decided on the Eezi-Awn Globetrotter, or the MyWay TrailerTent. I like the large awning on the MyWay, but I worry that it will be a bother to always have to deploy it, whether needed or not. Regardless, the 90" body length will easily fit these tents.

Now, the problem with these tents is that they are not large enough for a family of 4. I have solved that problem by planning to have one of the fold down sides of the trailer will become a bed for the kids. I think it's an ingenious solution to a problem that many of us have. It has the side benefit of keeping the kids closer to the ground if you're worried about them falling. Basically, that fold down door will hold level, and I will have a sleeping space probably 48x48 which should suit the kids well for many years. I may go 48x60, I haven't finished that detail yet. This space will be lost to permanent storage, but I will store some items in the space which will be removed when preparing the bed. Maybe plastic boxes with clothes, toys, etc. This space will be on the same side of the trailer as the tent deploys, so that they will be sheltered by the lower tent body, and also it will be available to quickly peek over from our bed above. I intend to have an internal release on the door, just in case of any mishaps, but also in case the kids needed to shelter inside the body of the trailer from a snooping bear. I also really like this aspect of the design, the kids will be protected by a hard shell.

Also on the same side and enclosed by the lower tent will be a porta potty for midnight bathroom breaks. This maybe be on a pull out slide, or a flip down shelf. Either way I'll create some kind of privacy screen inside the tent.

Now, trying to gain as much space inside the trailer led me to trying to keep the floor as low as possible. I wanted ground clearance comparable to my Disco. I've got about 16" under the rockers, I see no need for more than that on the trailer. However, a leaf spring suspension just took up too much space, and I also had trouble sourcing an axle of the correct width. Things like that can be difficult around here. I also wanted to match the bolt spacing of my Disco, but that would have required many custom trailer parts which would mean I would gain the benefit of wheel interchangeability, but lose the easy availability of new trailer wheels, hubs, brakes, etc... So I stuck with a standard 5x4.5" bolt spacing. I decided to give a shot to the Torflex axles, since I love the ride on one of my other trailers, and they were available in a 3500lb rating with independent sides so that I can space them as required to match the track width of the truck. I will attempt to solve the durability concerns with a combination of shock absorbers (ala NTSQD) and bumpstops on the frame to limit upward travel. The Torflex axles also allow the trailer floor to be dropped about 4" relative to leaf springs. I plan to run something like 30x9.5R15 Cooper Discoverer S/T tires which are the same type but different size as the truck. Lastly, the trailer will have 3500lb electric drum brakes.

The frame is going to be mainly 4x2x.125 steel tubing for the lower deck. Maybe overkill, but steel is cheap and I'd rather have the extra weight, especially with the expected tongue weight. The upper box will mostly be framed with 2x2x.125. Their will be a triangular tongue, but with an extensible bar which will mainly be used when the bikes are on the tongue. Will have a screw jack on the tongue with a sand pad which will swivel out of the way, and two screw jacks with sand pads which will be welded to the rear corners.

The right side of the trailer will contain the kitchen area, with a flip down door which will servce as a countertop, storage area for a standard camping stove, and a pull out cooler/freezer on the forward section. Several 10's of gallons of on-board water, and I want to try and rig up some kind of neato sink arrangement on a pull out. The sink could be build into a metal box that is insulated to help keep the water warm longer, with a drain and hose coming out the bottom.

There's a couple things I still have to sort out:

1) Sheet metal on the top of the frame or the bottom of the frame? The former makes it better for storage, the latter makes it better for sliding over things on the trail.

2) The sheetmetal sides will come down to just shy of the outer edge of the tires. I want some kind of nice rubber fender extension or fender flare, but I don't know what or how.

3) Haven't figured out the spare tire storage yet. I'd like to put it on the back door, but then I need HD hinges and door frame.

4) Tail Light location. Can't figure out if I want recessed ones in the bumper, or standout boxed units above that. I also like the idea of a CHMSL even though it's not necessary on a trailer.

That's all I can think of to write for now. I've already picked up my trailer wheels, suspension, a standard coupler for road use, some boxed LED submersible tail lights I'm not sure I'm keeping, wheels and the jacks. Once I finish sketching in AutoCad I'll be picking up the steel and hopefully get welding this weekend.

 

[Root Moose]

Sounds like we are thinking somewhat along the same lines.

One idea I am thinking about (without having done any maths about it) is making the tongue triangular but where it meets at the square part of the trailer make it collapsible/expandable via tube in tube. I've got a pile of 4x2 box section from a previous project and I figured I could find another tubing size to slide in. Drill some holes, add hitch pins. That way the tongue could be collapsed/expanded depending on the extra payloads required. I was thinking smal ATVs for the boys, our own firewood, whatever.

This will screw up the CoG of course, but if the trailer axle slid with tongue...

I'm debating tubbing my trailer for the wheels. Do I make the trailer really off-road capable or "good enough" is what it boils down to I guess.

JAT

 

[Root Moose]

Btw, for your fender flares you could try Jeep TJ flares. They are a basic shape, not styled per se, and plenty big for most things.

You can get them used locally or relatively cheap through any of the Jeep mail order houses. They can be found wider than stock too.

Again, JAT.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

For your expandable tongue, you mean the angle of the triangle would change and everything? Sounds like way too much effort. You'd have to have pivoting points at the trailer frame at at the tongue. I'd just do what I'm doing, start with a basic triangle, I'm using a standard 50° angle and then have a straight telescope from there. It's just easier. You can get 36-48" of triangle length to work with which is about as much real estate as you'd ever want.

There were some toy hauler pop ups with an 8x8 platform on the front, but they have a dry tongue weight well over 400lbs, and then it just goes up from there as you park things on the platform. It was really pretty silly.

 

[sseaman]

WOW, sounds like you have put alot of thought into this, pictures would be great to see what you are talking about for the kids bed. You could always go with 2 RTTs, kidos in one and you and the misses in the other.

 

[Root Moose]

For your expandable tongue, you mean the angle of the triangle would change and everything? Sounds like way too much effort. You'd have to have pivoting points at the trailer frame at at the tongue. I'd just do what I'm doing, start with a basic triangle, I'm using a standard 50° angle and then have a straight telescope from there. It's just easier. You can get 36-48" of triangle length to work with which is about as much real estate as you'd ever want..

I didn't explain what I meant very well.

The tongue is static. The x-member that the triangular part of the tongue is welded to is one of two x-members that are side by side in the collapsed position. The two, three or four beams that run lengthwise at the front of the square portion of the trailer are what have the collapsing mechanism in them.

If it's still not clear I can sketch something.

 

[ntsqd]

What MISF & I did with the Cheap Utility Trailer project was to use a mechanical spare tire winch from a donor S-10. Best pic that I have of the trailer, here we are looking like the Clampet's:

The spare lives under the rear of the trailer just behind the axle. I revised the 'drive shaft' to be fixed in place and it has a lug nut of the same size as those on the trailer to drive it with. That way the star wrench in the tongue box can also operate the spare winch.

The receiver socket on the rear is for a M/C hitch carrier and for a recovery shackle slider.

The trailer with the shocks on the rubber torsion suspension has an A shaped tongue with an extending center tube. That way the 'A' stays rigid but the tongue can still be extended if desired. I've never used it except for moving the trailer around by hand.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Well, still no sketches up yet, but I should start welding this weekend so you should get some photos. I picked up the bulk of the steel on Friday. There's about 490 lbs so far. That's most of the steel for the frame, but no sheetmetal yet. I also have the weight of the suspension parts, wheels, tires, brakes, etc at 400lbs. So overall weight so far will be 880. Hopefully with the sheet metal and RTT we can come in at 1500lbs dry weight which isn't too bad.

At first looking at the big 2x4 tubing for the main frame I was thinking it would be pretty heavy. But I think since it's only 1/8" wall that helps a lot. Using the large section, thin wall tubing will be more "efficient" than smaller thicker stuff, with the only disadvantage being a bit trickier welding, and probably slightly less "tough" for impacts, ie the tubing will dent easier.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

One other thing I have to figure out. Do I get steel plate cut, and how thick... and weld that to the frame? Or go with aluminum panels (not diamond plate, that's been overdone IMO) and bond/rivet/screw them on? I could see the frame finished in black, then paint the panels to match the paint on my truck and install them when they're dry. Would save weight and not look too bad. Use black button head screws, though I think those might rust... The electricians at work have these really neat bits that drill then tap a hole in thin metal panels which would probably work on the 1/8" steel tube.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Ok, made some progress today. Not as much as I'd wanted, I didn't get started until around 2PM when I finished cleaning the shop and getting ready. I also had some trouble making 45° cuts in the 2x4 tube because my chop saw isn't big enough. I tried setting it up a couple different ways, but in the end I had to finish the cuts with an air cutoff tool.

The first pic is the blueprints for the frame. Pretty basic stuff. The "wing" extensions on the sides will be only 2x2 box tube.

Here is the collection of parts I have, excluding the jacks which I forgot to place in the picture. You can see how the axles(s) are in two pieces so you can set your track width. Will require and alignment, however. I'll have one removable tongue which will use a standard coupler.

Next are just two pictures of my shop before I start making a mess. It's about 22x24, but I make the most of it.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

This next picture shows the first use I've made of my HiLift jack... It's great for clamping onto box tube to twist it into position. I had already tacked the top side of the frame, then flipped it over to do the other side, but the gaps had opened up opposite the tack welds. So I sat on the HiLift jack to twist the tubes back while I tacked.

This next shot shows one of my TIG welds. One of the better ones... I made a few messes, blew a few holes I had to fill. I'm a little rusty. The top one is just slightly undercut, which should be OK because I'll be welding a vertical fame member right on top so I'd have to have ground it down anyway. And, this is one of my first vertical TIG welds. I've never done it before today. It is tricky, but not nearly as bad as I'd thought. The hardest part, really for any out of position TIG, is to see the weld pool since it's so important for TIGing.

And this last photo is how far I got today. This side is finished welding, I'll flip it over tomorrow and start do the finish welds on the other side.

Man am I ever sore. It's only 16" off the ground and I'm hunched over on a little stool all day. This is the part that really sucks about TIG. You really need to get in there with both hands, really get a good view of the pool, and have one foot on the power pedal.

 

[nwoods]

Nice hunk of materials you've gathered there. I look forward to watching this build thread. When you first started your list of objectives, a trailer came to mind, I did not realize you were so far into the planning/acquisition process. Perhaps though, this setup can give you some ideas: http://www.sylvansport.com/it.html

 

[trail-explorer]

ah.... I love following trailer build threads!!
Looks like you've got a pretty nice shop to get all the work done too.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Thanks. This is the third garage I've "built", and the best. Hopefully I get to stay in this one for a while.

Was out for about 1 hour tonight, got some of the central frame pieces cut and tacked in. I'm not sure yet if I'll roll it over yet and weld these all in, or tack in the frame parts that extend around the wheels, then roll it over and weld it all in. I have a lot of work to do, and I'm trying to minimize rollovers.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Can anybody make a suggestion on the sheet metal thickness I should use? What are comparable trailers made of? I calculated if I do it in 14Ga, the sheet metal would weigh 425lbs. 16Ga 368lbs. 18Ga 295lbs. I think I might do the bottom in 14Ga no matter what, to give a nice strong surface to drag it over rocks. But for the rest of it, is 14Ga crazy overkill? I like to build things stout, but I don't want this thing to weigh 2000lbs empty.

425lbs plus the 880 I've already got in it, plus 200 for an RTT and 70 for a fridge, we're at 1575. Not too bad? The only major parts it would be not accounting for yet is the framing for the door panels and the interior racking.