Jeep Comanche Trailer

[gixxerphil]

I'll start with a long bed Comanche back half. It will be more of a jack of all trades, master of none type trailer. It's a fairly decent base. I picked it up at a local junkyard. Pretty straight body with nothing more than a bit of surface rust. Down here we don't quite have the cancer other parts of the country has to deal with.


I have a basic idea of how I want it to end up, but thought I would probably get a few more ideas here rather than my normal Jeep related forum(they tend to be more JK related )


My main uses will be a camping trailer(just a few days, nothing long term), something to haul my kayak around, and just a utility trailer.


Driver side





The dent I want to eventually deal with.



Even the tail lights are in decent shape.



Just one small crack at the top corner.



Passenger side





Tailgate

 

[gixxerphil]

The junkyard even decided to leave me a prize in the bed :********:



The undercarriage










I have a set of Canyons to match my TJ. I will run those with a 31x10.5, that way I can keep the same size tire.



And the tow rig

 

[gixxerphil]

I got the tank, brake lines, exhaust hanger, etc out from underneath.




Even got the bed cleaned out already
I'm thinking desert sand Monstaliner will go great here.

 

[gixxerphil]

I ran across a tool box for $50, so I jumped ahead of schedule and picked it up. It's a little bigger than I wanted, but worst case scenario, I don't use it........I don't have that much in it if I decide to go a different route.

 

[gixxerphil]

I just dropped the trailer of at the welder. The tongue will look better than my drawing:********: He's also gonna drill holes and plug weld the tubing inside the Comanche frame. It should be overkill, but rather have it that way.

He is using 3"x6" tubing and the pink highlighted will be 2 1/2" square tubing so I can slip different hitches into it. He's also welding on a trailer jack. Got everything for $380 out the door.

The tubing will go as far up the frame as he can get it. I think there was around 10" before it started to curve up for the wheel.

 

[gixxerphil]

I went and picked up a few things while the trailer is at the welder's.
I grabbed two pins keyed to the same key. Just one less thing to have on the keychain.



Also grabbed a tow eye receiver to go along with the pintle/ball hitch I already had laying around.

 

[gixxerphil]

I have been talking to a guy about this camper shell. It'll be a few more weeks before I get the trailer back from the welder. When I get it back, I'll ride over and see how it fits. It's from a long bed S-10, which I've read they fit in the Comanche.

 

[tjsean0308]

Phone company shell. I like it should be a pretty solid built unit. If that fuel tank you took out is in decent shape. I would try to sell it. I had a hell of a time finding a tank for my Comanche some years back. I don't imagine they have gotten easier to find since then.

 

[gixxerphil]

Phone company shell. I like it should be a pretty solid built unit. If that fuel tank you took out is in decent shape. I would try to sell it. I had a hell of a time finding a tank for my Comanche some years back. I don't imagine they have gotten easier to find since then.

The tank is in great shape(although I threw the sending unit away). What would something like that go for? As in a great price(I got the back half for $250, so might as well pay it forward)....I also brought the holding straps home too.

 

[tarditi]

Very cool. Bonus points for the Jeep tailgate. Would get extra cool points if you modified the 4.0L to 40L and added a 40L water storage tank

I had a Commanche, but it was the dreaded 2.8L... gave me too many issues and I traded it for my first wrangler (1993 YJ) back in 1993. I'm on my 5th wrangler and 7th Jeep now (with a few breaks in-between)

Hard to tell from your design, but looks like you have a central tube design - putting a 2" hitch in the rear for a bike carrier or something?

Good luck, please keep us posted with progress.

 

[87Warrior]

The tank is in great shape(although I threw the sending unit away). What would something like that go for? As in a great price(I got the back half for $250, so might as well pay it forward)....I also brought the holding straps home too.

Nooo! You can buy new fuel tanks for the MJ but the MJ sending units are not available anywhere, except on the used market.

Here is a fine example of a MJ bed trailer:
http://comancheclub.com/topic/32293-comanche-camper-the-comansion/

I look forward to seeing how you build this trailer.

 

[gixxerphil]

Nooo! You can buy new fuel tanks for the MJ but the MJ sending units are not available anywhere, except on the used market.

Here is a fine example of a MJ bed trailer:
http://comancheclub.com/topic/32293-comanche-camper-the-comansion/

I look forward to seeing how you build this trailer.

That's the story of my life:********:

I followed that guys build, it was impressive to say the least.

 

[gixxerphil]

Very cool. Bonus points for the Jeep tailgate. Would get extra cool points if you modified the 4.0L to 40L and added a 40L water storage tank

I had a Commanche, but it was the dreaded 2.8L... gave me too many issues and I traded it for my first wrangler (1993 YJ) back in 1993. I'm on my 5th wrangler and 7th Jeep now (with a few breaks in-between)

Hard to tell from your design, but looks like you have a central tube design - putting a 2" hitch in the rear for a bike carrier or something?

Good luck, please keep us posted with progress.

At this time I don't have plans for water storage. I will only be out a few days at the time. As far as the hitch, I thought about one of those that just bolt to the bumper. The only thing it would carry would be a bike.

 

[Nd4SpdSe]

At this time I don't have plans for water storage. I will only be out a few days at the time. As far as the hitch, I thought about one of those that just bolt to the bumper. The only thing it would carry would be a bike.

I'm not sure if the reference to the fuel tank is that you plan on keeping it on the trailer for fuel, but on mine I had kept it for that reason, and on the opposing side where the exhaust ran originally I found a 60L water tank that was very close to the fuel tank's size and mounted it accordingly.

 

[gixxerphil]

I'm not sure if the reference to the fuel tank is that you plan on keeping it on the trailer for fuel, but on mine I had kept it for that reason, and on the opposing side where the exhaust ran originally I found a 60L water tank that was very close to the fuel tank's size and mounted it accordingly.

At this time, I won't be out long enough to need water/gas storage(plus I picked up 5 Blitz jerry cans still in the shipping box off CL a few years ago and have managed to keep/set 2 aside for myself) . I would love to "expo" this thing out, but I really have to make purchases useful for now.