Camping trailer project build

RamP

RamP

Member
With 2 adults 2 kids and a dog, finding enough room for a weeks worth of camping gear can sometimes be a pain. Even in an unlimited JK.
I've decided to start a trailer project that will allow us to travel with plenty of room to spare.
The end result will be a 4'X8' trailer. With a 4'X6' box for storage, 2' deck in front, shelving, a roof top tent big enough for 4 people, and larger tires.
The base is a run of the mill Haul Master "foldable" trailer. Complete with 12" wheels on 4 lug hubs.
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I got a set of wheels and tires from an 06 TJ. Tires are 30X9.5 r15 on the Canyon style 15X8 wheels. The spare was never mounted and brand new.
First thing to do was to swap the 1"7/8 ball hitch for a 2" and to paint the exterior black. I'll eventually go to a more aggressive hitch set up but fir now this will suit my needs just fine.
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Axle is on it's way and will be here tomorrow. 63" hub face to hub face wide with 46" spring center to center to clear the tires which have a mounted back spacing of 6".
 
CanadianJK

CanadianJK

New member
Subscribing. I just started drawing and planning a camping trailer build from scratch.

Sounds like you'll have everything needed for a week!
 
MTG

MTG

Caught the Bug
Can't wait to see this. I'm interested in a trailer too. Plus you are a Yankee fan, so this thread has "winning" all over it. :thumb:
 
1

109901

New member
Been thinking about something like this.. Keep the info coming.


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JEEPINnVA

JEEPINnVA

New member
Good luck with your build. I designed and built my trailer for carrying camping gear, my jack and spare. ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1410001322.069968.jpg ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1410001363.748086.jpg ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1410001436.023161.jpg ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1410001458.007539.jpg ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1410001497.474388.jpg
 
JK_Dave

JK_Dave

Caught the Bug
Are you designing the trailer bed to be more of a carry-all or are you going to be doing custom drawers and cabinets? There's some cool stuff out there for pull out kitchen ideas. I'm happy to dig some up if you're interested.
 
RamP

RamP

Member
JK_Dave said:
Are you designing the trailer bed to be more of a carry-all or are you going to be doing custom drawers and cabinets? There's some cool stuff out there for pull out kitchen ideas. I'm happy to dig some up if you're interested.
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave.
The box will be used mostly for bulk storage but there will be shelving and an access door up front for some of the smaller things like grills, propane, etc.
Any ideas are welcome though.
 
JK_Dave

JK_Dave

Caught the Bug
RamP said:
Thanks Dave.
The box will be used mostly for bulk storage but there will be shelving and an access door up front for some of the smaller things like grills, propane, etc.
Any ideas are welcome though.
Click to expand...

Oh sure. I love this stuff! It's my inspiration to learn how to weld honestly.

This is one of my favorites. Let me know what you think.

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RamP

RamP

Member
JK_Dave said:
Oh sure. I love this stuff! It's my inspiration to learn how to weld honestly.

This is one of my favorites. Let me know what you think.
Click to expand...

That is awesome. I like the sink idea pocketed with the burner.

I did some work today. Put on some smaller wheels I had in the garage and took a pic to compare with the TJ wheels that are going on.
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Problem is that the hubs won't fit through the center bore of the Jeep wheels. So 2" spacers are a necessity. The spacers also need to have at least a 2 5/8" center bore. Kind of sucks since I built the axle without spacers in mind.

Also took 1' off the end to give it a more aggressive look. The box will now be 4X5 instead of 4X6.
Here's a before and after.
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JK_Dave

JK_Dave

Caught the Bug
RamP said:
That is awesome. I like the sink idea pocketed with the burner.

I did some work today. Put on some smaller wheels I had in the garage and took a pic to compare with the TJ wheels that are going on.

Problem is that the hubs won't fit through the center bore of the Jeep wheels. So 2" spacers are a necessity. The spacers also need to have at least a 2 5/8" center bore. Kind of sucks since I built the axle without spacers in mind.

Also took 1' off the end to give it a more aggressive look. The box will now be 4X5 instead of 4X6.
Here's a before and after.
Click to expand...

That's a bummer about the axle hubs. Guess that's part of the fun when you're piecing together parts vs. building a pre-fabbed kit.

Are you going to relocate the axle assembly under the frame now that you've lost a foot in the back? Not sure if you're concerned about the impact to your tongue weight now.
 
RamP

RamP

Member
JK_Dave said:
That's a bummer about the axle hubs. Guess that's part of the fun when you're piecing together parts vs. building a pre-fabbed kit.

Are you going to relocate the axle assembly under the frame now that you've lost a foot in the back? Not sure if you're concerned about the impact to your tongue weight now.
Click to expand...

No I'm going to leave it for now. There will be a 2' deck in the front so the majority of the weight will be over the axle. And I can't see hauling a TON of weight. I also have a utility trailer for that type of stuff.
Good lesson on the wheels too. I could just buy 2 steel wheels with a big enough opening and not have to use spacers but I would like to use the TJ wheel set.
If you plan on using Jeep wheels make sure to account for 2" spacers when building the axles.
 
JK_Dave

JK_Dave

Caught the Bug
Here's a neat little coupler you might be interested in. Much quieter than a pintile style hitch.

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Also, Austin Hardware is a great spot to locate trailer specific parts that other manufacturers use. Hinges, drawer slides, trim, latches, etc.
 
RamP

RamP

Member
JK_Dave said:
Here's a neat little coupler you might be interested in. Much quieter than a pintile style hitch.

View attachment 99590

Also, Austin Hardware is a great spot to locate trailer specific parts that other manufacturers use. Hinges, drawer slides, trim, latches, etc.
Click to expand...

I've seen that one before! What's the name of it? Much cheaper than the Lock and Roll of whatever it's called. I'll check out Austin Hardware too. Thanks
 
RamP

RamP

Member
Did a little more work on the trailer.
Mounted a jack up front to keep everything stable. Just got my first mig welder so I've been trying it out whenever I can. I'm more of a grinder at this point.
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Also got a piece of 3/4" birch to use as a base.
The trailer is bolted together and has these bolts exposed on the top side.
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I want the base to sit flush so I mounted it, clamped it, and then hit it with some spray paint to "print" the bolt head.
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Then used a wood bit to countersink the bolts.
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And finally have the first coat of poly on the underside. I want to add as much as I can to make it weather proof. I'm using stuff around the house to keep the cost down. Otherwise I may have used something else to seal it.
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