My Backcountry Camper Trailer Build

R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
Ok, here's tonight's work. I got the start of the side extensions tacked in. I'll add the side pieces, then roll it over again.

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R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
Wow, it's been a since I updated this. I've been working on it every minute I can get, but it's a BIG job. Here's a photo from a while ago I haven't posted yet. This is the basic layout of it, right side up.

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Next up I have the trailer upside down with the tongue welded on. You can see the 2 1/2" 1/4" wall reciever tube I welded in for the extensible tongue.

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I also welded on a short piece of 2 1/1" 1/4" wall tube for reinforcement.

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Next is at the rear, I welded in another reciever tube. While I'd like to be able to occaisionally tow a tandem trailer for the Seadoo, I'm not sure it's legal. This will be handy anyway.

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I tapered the ends of the bumper tube.

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And added reinforcements to the tongue. I'll add another plate on the top side. I just wasn't happy with the tongue being welded to the frame directly, with no underslung tubing. This will really strengthen things up. The fact that I'm TIGing this will also really help with the strength of this welded joint.

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And here is where I got to at the end of today. The 14 Ga floor plates were cut with an angle grinder and completely TIGed all the way around. That's a LOT of welding. The joints are actually all water tight. In fact, I found out the hard way that the tubes are actually air tight when a few of them got blowholes from the pressure build-up while welding. Again, this is the bottom side. I'll roll it back over soon. The central frame and tongue is 2x4, and the side parts are 2x2.

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And lastly a detail shot of some of my welding. I'm pretty happy with my skill progression. A few miles of weld will do that. :elkgrin: Positioning is a huge part of it. I've learned to clamp a big welding clamp onto the frame just to give myself a hand rest when I'm working near an edge. You just can't (or at least I can't) do this totally free hand.

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R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
Yeah, I hope so. I'm mostly worried about the durability because of the warnings from AT. I would have done a leaf spring if I could have gotten a custom length easily. Also, I didn't want such a huge suspension height, I'm only using 29" tires and wanted the box space offered by a lower deck height. I was going to lose about 6" if I used leaf springs. But I realized now that was because I had SOA hard wired into the brain from this forum. If I'd done my design around a spring under, I would have gained a lot back.

I've finished up a few more design decisions. I've been tossing around tent options, but I've decided to go with a Maggiolina Safari large. I like them because they are reputed to be a bit warmer than a normal RTT, which should extend the camping season up here. It also helps that there is a dealer in Canada with fair pricing which makes it easier to purchase. I considered the Globetrotter and Serengetti Trailer Tent, but at 59", I just didn't have as much box height as I wanted to make the kids in-box sleeping quarters. My box height will be just shy of 6', and the kids will have a roughly 48x52x30" interior space.

Yes, the tent will be 6' off the ground, which could be worrisom for CG. But I figure with my deck height being so much lower than AT's, and also heavier to start with, the resultant CG won't be that much different.

The other thing that went into the decision was that I'm unsure about the sealing of the lower rooms to the trailer body. Since my kids will be sleeping in the trailer, if any bugs can sneak in between the tent fabric and the body, they'd have easy access to the kids. So I binned that idea.

Another problem I saw with the Serengetti trailer tent, is it seems like you have to deploy the massive awning system every time. So quick setup on hard ground would be troublesome. I want to be able to deploy this thing on hard ground with no staking.

It looks right now like I should be able to make and break camp in a matter of minutes. 2 for the Maggi, and almost nothing for the kid's space.
 
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UK4X4

Expedition Leader
Nice looking- and excellent welding

I saw your other post on trailer weight and yes your design looks heavy, but basicly indistructable

Mine completed dry has to be easily 800lbs or under

weight savings....I used aluminum panels rather than steel for the superstructure, with light wall 1 x 1 and 1 x 2


3.14lbs/ft sq for the steel floor ouch I used 1/2" ply at more than half the weight.

You have used the same size cross members as the frame sides

which is over kill, especially when you've used a 2mm steel floor.

I used 2 x 2 light guage to suport the floor and add some strength without too much weight, and just 2 and an extra 1x1 angle in the front.

my side rails are full length just notched bent and welded so their stronger than a welded front triangle and also did'nt require a full size cross member.

My side rails were 2 x 3's rather than 4" too, which yours look to be.

If you want to haul gravel or sand at the weekend then its perfect for a ton or too.

I think we all build diferently and for diferent expected load weights.

Mine was for extra space rather than 800lbs of hot dogs in brine and a wrought iron grill:)


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mm just checked the photo's I used some 2X1 channel as well for the suspension mount cross members
and damm you have a clean garage...........

edit- just noted you intend to have to motos on the yoke.......yep you'll need it heavy duty to carry that weight
 
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R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
Yeah, I probably could have used 2x2 for the crossmembers, but they are actually suspension supporting, not just for the floor. And I figured... they extra 2" strips which is really not that much weight, a 2x4 is much stiffer than a 2x2. So... But, I keep saying that, and then now the weight's up there. Oh well. If I were to do it again, I don't actually think I'd change much, given the design goals.

I also don't think knotched and bent is much stronger than welded. It really depends on the weld. And now that I've added those triangles (another couple pounds...) it'll be bombproof. I'll have at least one full size bike and a minibike on the tongue, there's about 300lbs. And then maybe another bike on a plug-in rack off the rear bumper so that's more stress on the frame. Like I said on the other post, I want it capable of a full 3500lbs on-road.

On the flooring, I chose the steel because I'm going to have it smooth-side down and intended to be able to drag it over anything I need, if necessary.
 

UK4X4

Expedition Leader
Your weight carrying goal is probably 3 X mine.........and the average off road trailer.

I know a weld is meant to be better than the steel around it , but I'm not a professional welder, and hence leaving the factory built part as solid as possible.

we all have diferent needs and build accordingly.

If I had one 350 forward of the box and one rear I'd be happy, but to have two on the yoke....I'd be re-inforcing.
 

R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
Your weight carrying goal is probably 3 X mine.........and the average off road trailer.

I know a weld is meant to be better than the steel around it , but I'm not a professional welder, and hence leaving the factory built part as solid as possible.

we all have diferent needs and build accordingly.

If I had one 350 forward of the box and one rear I'd be happy, but to have two on the yoke....I'd be re-inforcing.

Yeah, I felt the same about the weld strength, which is why I decided to add the triangles.

I won't have 2 x 350lbs on the yoke. My bike is about 250 wet, and the kid's is maybe 60? If there were to be another on the back, I don't think it'd be too much, either a 150lb TTR125 or maybe a 250lb XT225 at the most.
 

trail-explorer

Adventurer
I'm planning a trailer soon, and I'm sort of reverse engineering it by picking out some of the doo-dads I want to install on it, researching other trailer builds and digesting all the ideas. I might have to enlist the help of a friend who has more welding talent.
 
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R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
I'm planning a trailer soon, and I'm sort of reverse engineering it by picking out some of the doo-dads I want to install on it, researching other trailer builds and digesting all the ideas. I might have to enlist the help of a friend who has more welding talent.

not sure if you have seen it, but a place online has a huge selection of lighting, seems like the specialize in all LED stuff
www.ledtrailerlights.com.

Seems like with the way we'd use our trailers off highway, LED is the only way to go since they are pretty much shock and vibration resistant.

I kinda thought the same thing, which is why I wanted LED. But the price was up there. I'll try standard lights for now, and if I'm not happy, I can change later. The beauty of standardized parts. ;) I can buy 6 standard lights for the price of 1 LED, and the price of LED is still falling. I can change later and not really lose anything.
 

R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
Well, I got it flipped back over the right way, and test fitted to the truck. I'm pretty happy with the ground clearance, departure angles, etc. Now work starts on the top.

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R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
Ok, and here we are after this afternoon's work.

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Pretty much got the box framed in. It's kinda striking me how big it is. It's a big cube. I had thought about building in some "tumblehome". That's the term for the way cars typically taper in on the upper glass portion. (eg: H2 has no tumblehome. C30 has tons.) But, it was going to be a fair amount more work so I didn't bother. It's probably a couple inches wider than I wanted to match the truck overall width, and without the tumblehome it's much wider at the roof.

Oh well, function over form. Having a sleeping space for the kids inside the body of the trailer will make everybody feel more secure.
 

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