Our camping/bug out trailer

[mmp3823]

So after attending Expo East my wife and I decided that we wanted to have a small camping trailer. Something that would always be ready to go and we could just hook up and go if we felt like it. We didn't know which route we wanted to go with the trailer though (tear drop vs military trailer vs utility trailer). I had a few ideas of what features we wanted to eventually add like power source and water. We used to full-time in a 5th wheel so pretty familiar with trailer water and power systems. Anyway while doing some price comparisons on different trailers I came across this trailer on craigslist for a pretty good deal and it had a lot done to it already. It is based off an M416 military trailer.


The previous owner had partitioned it into 3 sections. Bottom section has a water tank and pump, the middle was for storage and the top was used as a sleeping platform.


There is a box on the front which holds the awning and the battery. Not in the pictures but there are lights on either side of trailer and one inside that you can turn on or off. It came with a sink, water heater, two jerry cans, and a propane tank.


The canopy can raise and lower which is nice. I need to take a picture of it in the lowered position. We are really excited about using it but there are a couple changes that I want to make.

First I plan on moving the water pump and tank toward the front of the trailer. There is a lot of space behind it and I would like to utilize it better for that and not have to climb over the water tank to get to stuff.

The trailer has all the wiring to hook to a battery but it didn't come with one. I already have a Goalzero Yeti400 and am planning on using it to run the electricity in the trailer and so will need to secure it and wire in a plug for it.

With there being 3 of us we want to throw a roof top tent on top but still keep the canvas to have a separate room/area. Do you all think that the current roof structure will hold it? I was debating buying a roof rack to go on top to add in some rigidity to it and then seal/water proof around the cuts that I would have to make in the canvas. Any thoughts or suggestions on that would be great.

 

[Buckshot62]

Nice looking trailer. I would like to see a pic of the canopy in the lowered position. I have been back and forth on what to do for a lid,topper or tarp. Yesterday a guy made me a deal on a fiberglass work topper that has 2 doors on each side and one on the rear.Ours is going to be a chuck wagon only as we have a 4wc to put on the truck.Looks like someone changed your axle out to a 5x4.5 bolt pattern as the wheels are from a Jeep TJ or maybe an XJ.

 

[mmp3823]

The guy I bought it from said he used to pull it with his jeep and the wheels came off a 98 jeep. I think that this a homemade copy of a M416. The title to it says homemade trailer. The guy I bought it from was not the original owner.

Here it is with the top down. The way the rack is it doesn't go down flat. If I take the top boards off you could easily sleep in it as it is.




I tried to get this picture to show the rack. It has a post at each corner with a pin in each set at the two different positions.

 

[Buckshot62]

That's a neat setup.Don't recall seeing one that would telescope like that. Don't know anything about RTT's except they are too rich for my blood. We use a 200 dollar four wheel camper.It was too good of a deal to pass up.

 

[screwball48]

I remember seeing this one on craigslist here in Georgia, and thought it was a good looking trailer. An RTT may work in the lowered position. I could see the potential for your rack to bend off to one side in the raised position though.


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[mmp3823]

So I modified the wiring set-up yesterday. Like I said previously the trailer is set-up for a battery but did not come with one and I already have a Goal zero Yeti 400 that I wanted to use. Here is a picture of how it was when I got it and where I was planning on putting the Yeti400.

The 2 orange wires were inline fuses for the lights and the water pump that you would bolt to the side of the positive battery terminal.

I also wanted to add in a battery shut-off switch and have a fuse block instead of inline fuses. I decided to keep a spot for the original battery and then would have a selectable dual battery set-up. Goal zero sales a cable that plugs into the front of the Yeti400 and then has alligator clips to attach to another battery. I figured this would be the easiest way to attach it to the battery shut-off switch and would make it an easy plug and play set-up.

Picture of the parts.

I removed the alligator clips from the GZ cable and wrapped the positive side in red electrical tape so that I wouldn't accidental wire it up backwards. I also wrapped the black cable in the battery cable kit in red tape because it was going to be used to connect the second battery to the battery switch. Here it is all installed.

The top red wire on the fuse block goes to the water pump and the black one goes to the lights. I don't like that the previous owner had used a black wire for the positive. When I first started wiring in everything I checked it a couple of time to make sure it wasn't supposed to be a ground. I will probably wrap some red tape on it at some point but it's only 2 wires so not difficulty to mix up. Here it is plugged in and everything works.


Now I need to figure out a way to secure the Yeti400 so it isn't bouncing around while driving. The battery box has a strap bolted to the floor of the toolbox to keep it in place and I will probably do something similar. For now since I just have to plug it in. I will pull it out and it will ride in the cab of the truck.

I also have been coming up with different ideas of mounting the rooftop tent. I found the tent I wanted on sale and so have it sitting and waiting to be installed.

 

[4runnerteq]

Cool

 

[Elseanno]

Wow! What a great rig! Looks super versatile. I like the idea of canvas because it is so light. Maybe not as warm as hard sides, but you could always get a heater. Looks like you could leave bedding set up when travelling. Lot's of storage too! Are you gonna do drifta style boxes or do you have another plan?
Btw, you mentioned a RTT, do you have too many bodies for the main space or just want more storage?
Do those sides zip off when you lower the canopy?
Is there a mechanical way that you raise and lower the canopy or just by hand?

Nice rig man! I am jealous.

 

[mmp3823]

Wow! What a great rig! Looks super versatile. I like the idea of canvas because it is so light. Maybe not as warm as hard sides, but you could always get a heater. Looks like you could leave bedding set up when travelling. Lot's of storage too! Are you gonna do drifta style boxes or do you have another plan?
Btw, you mentioned a RTT, do you have too many bodies for the main space or just want more storage?
Do those sides zip off when you lower the canopy?
Is there a mechanical way that you raise and lower the canopy or just by hand?

Nice rig man! I am jealous.

Thanks. The canvas is nice and light but it doesn't cover the corners of the trailer so not 100% waterproof but mostly. I finally finished the roof rack to hold the RTT and when pulling the canvas tight I ripped a hole in it. We patched it back up but it is one downside to the canvas. It actually has a few patched spots. The sides don't zip off they just fold into the trailer and we tuck it in on the sides. There is no lift mechanism you just have to push it up and then put in the lock pins at each corner. You have to lift it evenly or it will get caught on one side so it is easier with two people.

You could leave bedding in place in the tent as is and sleep in it without raising the top its just not a lot of head room. We keep most of our gear in an explorer box and military tote which are a little too tall to put the top platform on which is one of the reasons we wanted a RTT. We figure after a few trips we will figure out what configuration will work best for us. The drifta kitchen boxes are interesting and look like a good set-up. Another reason we want to RTT is to have two different areas. We have 3 large dogs which take up some room and when the kid gets bigger and possibly has friends along would be good to have to sleep areas.

We actually just got a 23Zero RTT from CBAdventures https://www.cbadventuresupply.com/. They had it on sale and have been great to work with. I will post pictures soon with it mounted.

 

[krick3tt]

If you put the water forward it will be a lot of weight at the hitch end and could be a bear to move/lift when the tank is full. I used mine (M416) that way once with petrol cans forward, never again. Those trailers are often registered as home made, eliminates a lot of issue with registration, so don't be too alarmed.