SoCalMonty
Explorer
Hey gang,
I wheel in a Mitsubishi Montero, and I also sleep in the back (there's no seats in back, and an airbed fits nicely behind the front seats). Juggling cargo is ususally the name of the game when we have to set up camp - removing stuff from the back of the truck and setting things either on the hood or around the truck, then there's room to inflate the bed. In the morning, we deflate the bed and put everything back into the Montero and off we go.
It's not so bad, but it would be nice if we didn't have to do that all the time. I've thought about different types of "DIY" trailers, utilizing the trailer as a foundation to customize...and I think a truck bed might be the most cost-efficient way to go.
GOALS: Storage for tools, fuel, gear, food; spare battery and solar panels perhaps. Will serve as "base camp" usually, staying behind while we do trail runs. Needs to be able to do some moderate rock crawling.
BUDGET: Non-existent. LOL! As cheap as possible. I don't need super fancy stuff, and it's not a sleeper. I don't need a kitchen sink, plumbing, or AC power...though, I could save a spot to mount a small generator just in case. Probably a long term project done in "phases" so there's never a ton of down time and the trailer will almost always be useable in whatever state of completion it's in.
What would you add? How would you build it?
My initial idea was a cheap used ladder rack or cargo rack added on, a few feet above the rim of the truck bed. This would allow mounting points for solar panels in the future. Beyond that...I have no idea. What would you build on a budget?
I wheel in a Mitsubishi Montero, and I also sleep in the back (there's no seats in back, and an airbed fits nicely behind the front seats). Juggling cargo is ususally the name of the game when we have to set up camp - removing stuff from the back of the truck and setting things either on the hood or around the truck, then there's room to inflate the bed. In the morning, we deflate the bed and put everything back into the Montero and off we go.
It's not so bad, but it would be nice if we didn't have to do that all the time. I've thought about different types of "DIY" trailers, utilizing the trailer as a foundation to customize...and I think a truck bed might be the most cost-efficient way to go.
GOALS: Storage for tools, fuel, gear, food; spare battery and solar panels perhaps. Will serve as "base camp" usually, staying behind while we do trail runs. Needs to be able to do some moderate rock crawling.
BUDGET: Non-existent. LOL! As cheap as possible. I don't need super fancy stuff, and it's not a sleeper. I don't need a kitchen sink, plumbing, or AC power...though, I could save a spot to mount a small generator just in case. Probably a long term project done in "phases" so there's never a ton of down time and the trailer will almost always be useable in whatever state of completion it's in.
What would you add? How would you build it?
My initial idea was a cheap used ladder rack or cargo rack added on, a few feet above the rim of the truck bed. This would allow mounting points for solar panels in the future. Beyond that...I have no idea. What would you build on a budget?
