This is my build thread for my M-416 inspired expedition trailer. My wife has two trips a year and leaves me home with our three kids. When she leaves I load all the kids up and head out on our overland camping trips. I have a '91 Toyota pickup with a canopy but lately with all the kids gear and camping equipment the canopy has been rather full and with the added weight it makes the ride more rough as well. I decided that it was time to build an expedition trailer to take some of the weight out of the pickup.
I have been planning on building a new trailer for hauling firewood for several years and had been gathering parts for the build but never got around to it. I ended up just buying a new wood trailer which left all my steel and parts available for this build.
I spent many hours researching what I wanted the trailer to look like and the features that i'd like it to have. Some of the requirements are:
I got this axle from a neighbor and cut it down, sleeved it and welded to the width that i'd like. I had to make a compromise in the width of the axle. I knew I was going to have to run spacers (2" per side) to run the same lug pattern as the tow vehicle. I didn't like how having the axle cut 4 inches narrower than the tow vehicle was going to cut into the cargo area of the trailer. I ended up cutting the axle 2" narrower than the tow vehicle, this way once the spacers were installed the axle would be 2" wider.
I ordered some steel and began building the frame. I started out with 4x2x0.25 tubing for the rear portion that would be the foundation for my spare tire swing out and cutout the area for the recessed tail lights. I used 2x3x0.125 inch square tubing for the perimeter of the frame and 2x2x0.125 for the cross members. The measurments will be 45" wide and 72" long.
Once I had the frame put together it took a while to calculate what I wanted for a ride height and axle location for the proper tongue weight. I ended up going with the springs under the axle. I then took and put a bunch of weight on the trailer to try and simulate the setup. I was amazed how much the spare tire on the rear affected the balance and how much I had to move the axle back to accommodate it.
I had the week of Thanksgiving off work so I bought the diamond plate deck and other metal. I cut the metal posts and then cut the decking and got it fitted to size. I took my time on this step seeing it was $140 for that sheet of 4x10 (extra for the fenders). I then was ready to begin building the spare tire swing out and the rear tail gate.
I'll keep adding more as I move along. Thanks everyone for all the ideas for my trailer.
Justin
I have been planning on building a new trailer for hauling firewood for several years and had been gathering parts for the build but never got around to it. I ended up just buying a new wood trailer which left all my steel and parts available for this build.
I spent many hours researching what I wanted the trailer to look like and the features that i'd like it to have. Some of the requirements are:
- Same lug pattern on tow vehicle
- Same axle width as tow vehicle
- Rear swing out spare tire
- Tailgate for easy loading of gear
- Lid with area for RTT to be mounted
- Onboard power
- Onboard water
- Jerry can mounting area
I got this axle from a neighbor and cut it down, sleeved it and welded to the width that i'd like. I had to make a compromise in the width of the axle. I knew I was going to have to run spacers (2" per side) to run the same lug pattern as the tow vehicle. I didn't like how having the axle cut 4 inches narrower than the tow vehicle was going to cut into the cargo area of the trailer. I ended up cutting the axle 2" narrower than the tow vehicle, this way once the spacers were installed the axle would be 2" wider.
I ordered some steel and began building the frame. I started out with 4x2x0.25 tubing for the rear portion that would be the foundation for my spare tire swing out and cutout the area for the recessed tail lights. I used 2x3x0.125 inch square tubing for the perimeter of the frame and 2x2x0.125 for the cross members. The measurments will be 45" wide and 72" long.
Once I had the frame put together it took a while to calculate what I wanted for a ride height and axle location for the proper tongue weight. I ended up going with the springs under the axle. I then took and put a bunch of weight on the trailer to try and simulate the setup. I was amazed how much the spare tire on the rear affected the balance and how much I had to move the axle back to accommodate it.
I had the week of Thanksgiving off work so I bought the diamond plate deck and other metal. I cut the metal posts and then cut the decking and got it fitted to size. I took my time on this step seeing it was $140 for that sheet of 4x10 (extra for the fenders). I then was ready to begin building the spare tire swing out and the rear tail gate.
I'll keep adding more as I move along. Thanks everyone for all the ideas for my trailer.
Justin
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