any ideas or suggestions? "Scrappy" Home built Utility/camping gear trailer

[Balzer]

Hello yall I have lurked on here for a good long while. But I finally have something worth posting. I have wanted a M416 or a CDM101. However every thing I have seen within 3 hours driving distance have been BOTH overpriced and in poor condition. SO....

My Dad and I have gathered scrap iron for years, but we try to collect usable stuff, rather than just junk. Anyway I got to looking and had some good raw materials so I got to work with a little help from a bored professional welder friend of mine.

I had a 20ft joint of 1.5"x 1/8" wall square tube and a 20 ft joint of 2"x 1/4" wall square tube. And a bunch of old bed frames. Oh and some delineator posts (highway reflector posts) from when my dad worked for the state road department these where replaced because the bottom was rusted (the end in the ground) Used these 2 as crossmembers.

We used as much of the 1.5" as we could I think I ended up with a 6" long piece left over. Tacked up a frame and the sides.

Flipped it over and added a tongue burned in the welds on the bottom threw some paint on it.

cut new axle to length.

pulled an axle out of an old camper But it was 1) too wide 2) solid and heavy and 3) a drop center axle.

We cut the spindles off beveled the ends of the new axle squared it up and burned them on.

 

[aka rover]

SUBSCRIBED!

Looks good keep it going.

Ed

 

[Balzer]

Took the camper spring packs down to the main leaf build spring hangers and shackles tinkered with everything getting the work done.

Here I took a long break (like a few months lol)
I also lost my help as he got a job. That means the work was a bit slower and I wasnt very good at taking pics. So I got ther hubs tore down repacked the bearings with grease and threw some camper tires and wheels on it.

I then added some strap around the bottom to provide a place to bolt the sides on lots of the little stuff happened without pics like the tongue coupler (1 7/8" ball type) safty chains wiring ect. I ordered tires wheels fenders tailights new studs Blah blah blah. Went to lowes and bought the plywood, polystain, nuts and bolts ect.

Since those last pics I built a tailgate and got it functional.
I didn't take 1 measurement off my jeep before or while building this trailer, but it came out nearly perfect. The tub is 1/2" narrower than my jeeps tub. The spare tire swing out on my jeep clears the front basket on the trailer by 2". The tongue is long enough I can go beyond 90* jackknife. The tires and fenders pretty much match my jeep. It tracks in my jeeps tire path. The hight is perfect.

Its not completely finished the single leafs are a bit too soft. I have some small coilover shocks off from a snowmobile. they are preload adjustable and should make the weight capacity nearly perfect while providing dampening. I also have not got around to finishing the front basket.

Some specs.
tub is 57"x51"x24"
hubs are 5x4.5 (match the jeep)
Spare tire mount is the factory carrier off my jeep tailgate
tires are 205x75x15
wheels are 15x5 white spokes
aprox. cost to build the whole thing $550-$600

Thanks for looking I will add pics as I complete it.

 

[Balzer]

SUBSCRIBED!

Looks good keep it going.

Ed

Thanks Ed I am pretty proud/content with how it has turned out. The only down side is the power output of my jeeps 2.5L (or lack thereof) The other day I had about 250lbs in the trailer and my poor jeep struggled with it a little.
Empty the trailer pulls straight and true and beautiful, cant hardly tell its there empty.

 

[Balzer]

I forgot to mention theres a local army surplus store and they make custom canvas tarps. I think when I have the money I will have a fitted tarp cover for this trailer but that may be a little while.

I want to get the coil over shocks mounted up soon if the weather ever cooperates.

 

[yeler]

nie work looks real operational

 

[Balzer]

Here are some more updated pics of how it sits now.

I had a few eyebolts so I put them in along the inside bottoms both left and right.

I still need to finish it which consists of; finishing the front basket, adding tailgate chains, and mount up the snowmobile coilover shocks. At that point it will be done for a while until I come up with another mod ********. I may drag it to the army surplus store and get an estimate on the tarp cover. But thats not a high priority right now.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Balzer]

So I really dont know what to do, to further modify this little trailer. Give me your ideas and suggestions.

 

[Balzer]

crickets.........

 

[Wright]

Wow, just found this thread. If you're thinking on a Tarp cover, what have you in the works for Bows or similar to prevent any rain sagging and/or ripping your canvas?

 

[navigator]

I haven't figured out all the details but couldn't you do a hinged plywood lid with a lip and some weather stripping cheaper than hiring a custom fit tarp cover?

 

[Pooch72]

crickets.........

sometimes, you just need to bump the thread to remind us what you're doing! I'm digg'n that little trailer though. Nice work!

 

[loren85022]

I really like it. As for additions, maybe so Jerry cans holders. I saw a similar one with a cool BBQ mount. It was a hit a the little league park. But given your weight constraints, you are probably adding less fun to your future excursions. I'd call it a success.

 

[Balzer]

The tarp was quoted for $40 plus a little if i have snaps or d-rings ect added to it. I would like to add some sort of bows to it to prevent sagging but havent got that far yet.
I did think about a plywood lid but consitering that its wider and longer than 4ft i would end up with a joint somewhere, so I decided against it.

Your right about the weight, it needs to stay as light as possible. Even if i swap in a bigger engine it needs to stay light.

 

[Balzer]

Well I still havent done anything else to this trailer other than use it a few times to haul various stuff around. It needs more spring/shocks as it bounces a bit with weight. What do yall think this trailer would be worth?
I was offered $800 for it one day when I was using it but turned it down, mainly because I built it myself (pride thing I guess) and secondly at the time it was the only way I had to haul anything that wouldnt fit in my jeep LOL.
Im not looking to sell it really, I just wondered what would be a good price for something simular.