Small Off Road Trailer

[1.9TDIZook]

Hi Guys
New to EP,starting a trailer for more comfortable camping in hard to
get at places.I have already taken it out on two trips as a temp trailer.

This is where it's at so far,it is 4x7 with independent suspension.

A shot of the A arm and the mustang 2 stock coil springs.

The hubs are from an independent Toyota 4x4 pickup welded to 1/4" x 3" tube.

Which allows me to use early 90's Toyota wheels to match the tow rig.

Plenty of ground clearance.

A drop down arm for stabilization.

Taking a trip down the hill to pick up some steel on Friday,so should have more progress
pics by Sunday.

 

[Martyinco]

Nice solid foundation, best of luck with the build :victory:

 

[vartz04]

ill be interested to see how you build this out. I have a 4x7 Trailer now that I use to haul my kayak. I plan to buy the little HF trailer for the kayak and then building this one up into a camping trailer so the similar size (mine has a rounded front instead of angled) you have will be helpful for ideas.

 

[rodrage]

Looks great! Can't wait to see the progress.

 

[SrPatron]

I like your suspension, how much of a load do you think it can handle. Went with trailer leaf springs on mine so it's pretty stiff. You should probably switch to an articulating hitch.

 

[Ozarker]

Good bones there, what are your plans for it, box, teardrop, RTT, tent, pop-up or utility?

Search the builds here for tips, tricks and ideas, looking forward to seeing what you do.

 

[1.9TDIZook]

Thanx for the replies,Guys-
I'm excited about starting the box.

 

[1.9TDIZook]

I like your suspension, how much of a load do you think it can handle. Went with trailer leaf springs on mine so it's pretty stiff. You should probably switch to an articulating hitch.

TY
Three of us 200lb-ers sat on the end of it and it didn't bottom out gently bouncing on it,so I'm thinking it should handle 900lbs distributed through out.???
I think the springs rate are 350lb.
Had an idea to use this,I know it won't fail but DMV might not like it...
An acme nut would be welded inside the receiver tube.(some may scoff )
Although on the last outing we managed to get one wheel 3' higher than the other with the ball hitch.

 

[1.9TDIZook]

Good bones there, what are your plans for it, box, teardrop, RTT, tent, pop-up or utility?

Search the builds here for tips, tricks and ideas, looking forward to seeing what you do.

A box 24" tall,would eventually like to go with a hardshell RTT.
Here is a rough sketch...

 

[Hummelator]

TY
Three of us 200lb-ers sat on the end of it and it didn't bottom out gently bouncing on it,so I'm thinking it should handle 900lbs distributed through out.???
I think the springs rate are 350lb.
Had an idea to use this,I know it won't fail but DMV might not like it...
An acme nut would be welded inside the receiver tube.(some may scoff )
Although on the last outing we managed to get one wheel 3' higher than the other with the ball hitch.

Why not go with a pintle? That design doesn't allow for much side to side twist (if I am understanding it correctly)
No scoffing here though. I still plan to build my own articulating hitch once I find a design I'm comfortable with. Right now I'm settled on a U-joint and a bearing of some sort to allow the trailer to twist side to side. Building your own things is so much more fun and gratifying

 

[1.9TDIZook]

I've considered a pintle, and would love to have a Hitch Ezy type but talk about expensive.
By welding a nut inside the trailer tow tube there would be 360º of rotation in either direction.
I would drill through the tube and acme nut and add a zirk fitting so it would be greaseable.
Agreed on fabbing your own parts.

 

[Ozarker]

The weakest link of the chain is the one that breaks. The threads will strip out of the bolt and nut. That arrangement would be fine for a lawn tractor and trailer, but not 12/1500 pounds pushing and pulling much less hitting potholes.......at highway speeds that would be scary! There's a reason you thought the DMV might not like it, so you already know it's not a good idea....just cheap. Go to Harbor Freight and get a ball hitch system, might be $40 in all. Looks like that bolt came off a swing set.

Your box plan looks good!

 

[1.9TDIZook]

Thanks Ozarker,I probably won't use it,I was actually impressed with how much articulation the ball set up
allowed.The eyebolt is 1" and forged so it's pretty stout,but you're right the nut would be the weakest.

 

[SrPatron]

Off Road hitch

Check out locknroll.com, it's what I have and it's been great for years now. Much better than a pintle hitch, no banging around from the play in the hitch and donut.

Hope your suspension works out for you, don't know if 900 lbs would be enough for my trailer. As you'll probably discover each year your trailer gets heavier with some extra goody you decide to bolt on.

Mine is all kitchen with 145 qt cooler and 20 gal water tank.
This year added 5 gal propane tank, roof rack to carry chairs, ARB awning and roto-pax

 

[1.9TDIZook]

I like the scissor jack lift for the lid!
$150 is not bad for that hitch,some brands are twice that.
I'm using the rear springs,I also have the front springs which are rated at 700lb ,but they are super stiff.
Just got back with the metal so time to start cutting.