Harbor freight offroad trailer, build log move, new tow vehicle.

[wagex]

well im gonna move my build log over here since i no longer own my jeep and my whole thread was over on jeep forum il post a link from the thread along with a few quick pics from a trip or two and maybe a humble origins image.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f104/harbor-freight-trailer-build-3142777/

i sold my jeep and bought me a disco 2


heres some current pics from the trailer as it was last trip i took it on.. it was about a 10 hour drive to texas, fun trip!


the work on the trailer never ends so i figured id move the thread here since i wont be spending any time over on jeep forum any more.

only planned changes in the very near future are close to matching wheels / tires to match the d2. i think pull off's from the rover are going on it as i have new tires coming for the d2 then some new steel wheels. i never liked the 18's on the trailer they were just cheap haha wheels / tires i paid a total of $90 for all 4 iirc.

the next "planned" trip is going to be a trip with the whole family to colorado to do the alpine loop spring 2018 wife wants to wait till our youngest is a bit older, hes 12 weeks currently before that long of a trip in the disco. also hes the reason why i got rid of the jeep and got the disco

but im sure there will be many more short trips in between now and then even though the wife doesnt like camping i manage to talk her into it often enough. and me and my buddies do a twice a year (fall / spring) camping trip.


future mods im planning on doing.
- rear stabilizer
- 5lb propane tank / mount to go on side of trailer so i can fit the cooler and fuel can in the front basket of the trailer.
- matching wheels / tires to LR
- underside full size battery mount
- solar system?

any questions or critique just post and il answer, alot of stuff you might ask "why this" if its cheap probably because budget. lol.

 

[rustED]

Looks good! I read through your thread over on the jeep forum, looks like it has performed well for you! I look forward to seeing your progress and future trips!

 

[rnArmy]

So you traded your Jeep in for a Land Rover Disco 2?

I traded my Range Rover "classic" for a KIA Sorento back in 2003.

Those British 4x4s are EXPENSIVE to maintain. Of course, I wish I still had it sometimes.

I'll be watching for info on your 5lb propane tank and mount.

 

[wagex]

So you traded your Jeep in for a Land Rover Disco 2?

I traded my Range Rover "classic" for a KIA Sorento back in 2003.

Those British 4x4s are EXPENSIVE to maintain. Of course, I wish I still had it sometimes.

I'll be watching for info on your 5lb propane tank and mount.

Sold the Jeep a week prior and bought the rover for half of what I sold the Jeep for. I changed vehicles because I cannot haul what is now 3 kiddos and the wife in a wrangler sadly. that and i seen this LR on craigslist and fell in love with it. lol.

for the 5lb mount il probably end up making the same as my 20lb mount just smaller and lighter that one i made had maybe $10 in materials in it total and about 20 minutes of work.

 

[wagex]

decided on another mod simple and cheap to do. it will save the departure angle that this 5 3/4" drop hitch would kill me on. il probably wait till i got the new wheels / tires on it to do it so i can get measurements right and have it pull level ish. will probably have a 6" rise in the neck by the time its all said and done. still waiting on wheels for the new tires.

the hitch with less drop will also be a couple inches shorter helping even more.
another option to make it less of a rise in the neck would be to make some spacers for the leaf spring mounts and pick the frame of the trailer up an inch or two.

 

[AggieOE]

You've got me interested. I'm looking to build a camping trailer from scratch eventually and need ideas... Honestly, Harbor Freight has most everything I'll need other than a roof top tent and supporting brackets.

Disco looks good! Hopefully it'll give you many worry free miles.

 

[wagex]

You've got me interested. I'm looking to build a camping trailer from scratch eventually and need ideas... Honestly, Harbor Freight has most everything I'll need other than a roof top tent and supporting brackets.

Disco looks good! Hopefully it'll give you many worry free miles.

honestly if i were to do it all over again id start from scratch, the only things on the trailer that are original are the coupler, springs, and frame which isnt that strong vs if i had just welded one out of 2x2 steel tubing.

 

[wagex]

my brother offered to do the tongue for me, hes down for a bit on vacation he works for the iron workers union so his welding skills are much beyond mine how could i say no lol. i should be able to use a 0" drop hitch now. il post more pix once we get it put back on and painted

 

[wagex]

put back together and a fresh coat from the rattle can 2" drop hitch upside down, so it should be 1/4 inch rise or some junk like that idk but lots more clearance.

also got my camp shower permanently mounted to the passenger side of the trailer il post pictures after i finish the cover for it.

lastly im going to have to cut the jack mount off and mount it on the lower bit have to have it almost all the way extended right now for it to sit level lol.

 

[wagex]

so wednesday i took the time to sew this cover up for the camp shower i moved to the outside of the trailer to save some space... i looked forever (6 months ish) to something similar to a pelican 1550 case that wasnt super expensive but gave up, and didnt want to buy a $130 case to drill / cut into.. now its two days later on friday i finally found a case its $20 has an oring seal and is almost the perfect dimensions for what i need...
heres a link for amazon incase anyone else is interested in them. i might buy more of their thinner ones for roof rack storage if i need it later on, they have several sizes of them. https://www.amazon.com/MTM-ACR8-72-...00T4XL4HM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

my temporary cover. sewed it out of PU coated ripstop nylon, sewed on some loops to the back of the cover for a bungie cord to tighten it on with.


i got my idea from this post on the forums i found a while back. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/135655-Trailer-Hot-Water-Shower-Box

 

[wagex]

welp i feel dumb... got the box in yesterday from amazon, i didnt read the inside dimensions aparently i just read the outside! haha on well i guess i have another case to pack stuff in. i will see how long that nylon cover lasts propane tank hangs out enough it should deflect any rocks thrown at it so i bet it lasts a good while. i might relocate the 2xD batteries inside the trailer to keep them from possibly getting wet il see how it does for now, if not il get a dc-dc adapter to bring the 12v battery inside the trailer down to 3v and wire it to that never have to worry about the D batteries again.

still trying to sell the wheels and tires that are on the trailer so i can get my new wheels, i have the 3 replacement tires sitting the garage ready to go.

sort of unrelated to the trailer i got a couple footlockers to organize stuff in the back of the land rover from walmart... for $20 each i am super impressed by the quality of them.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/16415912?...75035&wl11=online&wl12=16415912&wl13=&veh=sem

 

[wagex]

well i couldnt find anywhere to mount the hi-lift jack on the land rover, so i put it on the trailer it was just laying in the cargo area of the land rover completely in the way all the time. i also have started organizing and getting a packing list ready, we are doing a short weekend family trip to eldorado lake in eldorado, KS second week of september. i will use this as more of a test to see what stuff i actually use if i dont use something the entire weekend i will probably drop it from the packing list.


here is the rough draft for my supplies list and will be changed alot im sure by the time i get it how i want it, stuff taken off, stuff added, stuff that is specific to different types of camping we do will be different colors. "manping" trips me and my guy friends take twice a year that are off the beaten path, not a comfy campground like most family trips. EG none of the pink stuff goes manping none of the green stuff goes fam camping if that makes sense.



il post some inside trailer pictures later on, but what gets packed inside the trailer is my camp kitchen, a 52qt coleman extreme, trailer batteries, and the 16 gal water tank pump and plumbing go inside the trailer as well. other misc stuff is inside as well like my propane accessories, stakes, cordage, carabiners ect all organized in ammo cans. the basket on the front will be loaded with firewood on family trips, manping trips it will likely have the ice chest with beer from inside the trailer so my buddies can throw their gear in the trailer to keep dry.

when i say can o beans this is what i mean btw best quick and easy meal, set can on stove, remove, eat. dun.

 

[wagex]

you know, the more i look at it the less i like the shower being there. i thought the trailer looked way better with nothing on the sides. i might take the shovel and mount it inside on the lid., and put the shower back where it was, it will only save a few minutes setup time with it where it is, and after reorganizing inside it really doesnt save that much space in there.

if i could find something else to do with the propane tank i would too, i think the outside is just getting too cluttered, i thought it looked good at first, but i think im starting to compulsively dislike anything on the outside besides the basket and kayaks. if i move to a 5lb propane tank il probably just set that in the rear of the land rover and call it a day.

 

[calicamper]

I have a plan to build a light rig for my dad but mainly road focused. I found if you look you can find a flat frame jetski trailer for the same price as a new harbor freight rig. I see lots of harbor freight builds at our sailing club for the small boat guys. They work great for really light needs. But get a little flimsy as you start getting into the 800+ lbs regular use. Like trailer rail bending under the spring mounts etc.

Pwc trailers are a dime a dozen these days and built heavier.

 

[wagex]

I have a plan to build a light rig for my dad but mainly road focused. I found if you look you can find a flat frame jetski trailer for the same price as a new harbor freight rig. I see lots of harbor freight builds at our sailing club for the small boat guys. They work great for really light needs. But get a little flimsy as you start getting into the 800+ lbs regular use. Like trailer rail bending under the spring mounts etc.

Pwc trailers are a dime a dozen these days and built heavier.

yeah i didnt intend on it to turn into this when i first started or i would have just started from scratch and saved a couple hundred bucks. mine has been reinforced a lot its much stronger than the basic HF trailer, the springs are about the only thing on it that have been un modified. eg, the tongue ties into the frame all the way back, that stiffened that up a ton, and the wooden box on top is bolted to the frame all the way around which siffened it up more, the box im willing to bed is much stronger than the frame itself. but it has done well. i havent had a single issue with it so far.