RubiconGeoff
Adventurer
Awesome trailer, Brett! We missed it at SEMA but are anxious to see more updates here.
Light weight rock crawler trailer
- Thread starter Woods
- Start date
I didn't display it at SEMA, just hauled all my stuff in it. I was working in the Viair booth.
I'm trying to get some more time in on the trailer. Will post updates as I have them.
I'm trying to get some more time in on the trailer. Will post updates as I have them.
Been a while since I've posted any updates. Doesn't mean that I haven't been working on the trailer though.
Turning out to be quite the renascence project. Steel working on the frame. Aluminum working on the box. Sewing on the sleeping pads. Woodworking, electrical and plumbing on the galley.
Here's a video of the galley in action;
Found some good 250 lb. drawer slides and cut up a bunch of baltic birch ply. All of the working surfaces (counter tops) are coated with "Bar Epoxy". Gives a good hard finish and looks great. Then covered everything in urethane for waterproofing and UV protection.
I have to use the air bag suspension to level the trailer.
I modified (shortened) a cargo bar that I purchased from Harbor Freight LINK to support the fold out galley. It's got well over a foot of adjust-ability for when the trailer is not parked on level ground.
I haven't been happy with any of the stoves that I've seen. I wanted something with a little more power. I'm building my own stove and it will have two 30K BTU burners.
The water heater is from Campchef and I'm pretty impressed with it. The mounts are not very strong, so I strapped it with large zip-ties. The head has too much flow and I don't really like the water valve on it, so I'm going to be changing those parts out.
I purchased a Sea-Dog LINK switch panel with 5 switches and a cigarette lighter socket.
I wasn't happy with any of the sleeping pads that I could find, so I made my own. I purchased some nylon cloth and had some foam cut to 2.5" thick. Figured with all the new room, I'd have space to store large sleeping pads. Figured wrong. I'm just a little tight on space and will be enlarging the lid on the trailer.
One thing I would have done different. The kitchen counter is 24" deep. The sink determines the minimum depth (20") and I should have gone with that.
To do list:
Build and install stove
Wire power to charge galley battery
Install stereo
Add two drawers to galley
Add one storage box cover to galley
Add gas springs to one galley storage box
Build additional counter space and storage on tailgate door
Enlarge trailer lid
Add another 10 gallon water storage tank
Misc. plumbing and electrical to clean things up
Install new sink faucet / shower head
Figure out a paper towel holder for the galley
I've taken the trailer to Las Vegas via Dumont Dunes and Calico. The galley trial run was New Years in Johnson Valley.
Turning out to be quite the renascence project. Steel working on the frame. Aluminum working on the box. Sewing on the sleeping pads. Woodworking, electrical and plumbing on the galley.
Here's a video of the galley in action;
Found some good 250 lb. drawer slides and cut up a bunch of baltic birch ply. All of the working surfaces (counter tops) are coated with "Bar Epoxy". Gives a good hard finish and looks great. Then covered everything in urethane for waterproofing and UV protection.
I have to use the air bag suspension to level the trailer.
I modified (shortened) a cargo bar that I purchased from Harbor Freight LINK to support the fold out galley. It's got well over a foot of adjust-ability for when the trailer is not parked on level ground.
I haven't been happy with any of the stoves that I've seen. I wanted something with a little more power. I'm building my own stove and it will have two 30K BTU burners.
The water heater is from Campchef and I'm pretty impressed with it. The mounts are not very strong, so I strapped it with large zip-ties. The head has too much flow and I don't really like the water valve on it, so I'm going to be changing those parts out.
I purchased a Sea-Dog LINK switch panel with 5 switches and a cigarette lighter socket.
I wasn't happy with any of the sleeping pads that I could find, so I made my own. I purchased some nylon cloth and had some foam cut to 2.5" thick. Figured with all the new room, I'd have space to store large sleeping pads. Figured wrong. I'm just a little tight on space and will be enlarging the lid on the trailer.
One thing I would have done different. The kitchen counter is 24" deep. The sink determines the minimum depth (20") and I should have gone with that.
To do list:
Build and install stove
Wire power to charge galley battery
Install stereo
Add two drawers to galley
Add one storage box cover to galley
Add gas springs to one galley storage box
Build additional counter space and storage on tailgate door
Enlarge trailer lid
Add another 10 gallon water storage tank
Misc. plumbing and electrical to clean things up
Install new sink faucet / shower head
Figure out a paper towel holder for the galley
I've taken the trailer to Las Vegas via Dumont Dunes and Calico. The galley trial run was New Years in Johnson Valley.
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Thanks for the endorsement. My job is design and marketing of Jeep products. I've thought about offering EXP products, but not the kitchen. I'm not set up to do production wood working and I'm not sure folks would be willing to pay the prices required. When I do offer EXP products, I'll sign up as a EP sponsor and do it right.
VanIsle_Greg
I think I need a bigger truck!
:clapsmile
Very nice. Well planned out, looks great, love the on demand hot water. My Tent Trailer has a HW tank, and while it works great, it takes up too much space and is overkill IMHO. One of these would be far better IMHO. Love the double fold design too...sweet.
Very nice. Well planned out, looks great, love the on demand hot water. My Tent Trailer has a HW tank, and while it works great, it takes up too much space and is overkill IMHO. One of these would be far better IMHO. Love the double fold design too...sweet.
SilverBullet
Explorer
Really love the setup, and the water heater is a cool idea for sure.
I have one concern, after reading the entire thread. The spare tire on your rig looks close to the tongue of the trailer. How is your break over angles for the rock crawling? I am particularly thinking ditch crossing, Jeep up, trailer nose down and still tires up... make sense? Crossing deep V notch trails?
I have one concern, after reading the entire thread. The spare tire on your rig looks close to the tongue of the trailer. How is your break over angles for the rock crawling? I am particularly thinking ditch crossing, Jeep up, trailer nose down and still tires up... make sense? Crossing deep V notch trails?
ReconH3
Heavy Duty Adventurer
I've always wondered if there was a solution for that exact situation. I keep racking my brain trying to come up with a linkage setup that helps raise or lower the tongue to try to keep it from getting hung up. I'm not smart enough to actually come with a solution, but some of you might.
"Ex Umbris Venimus"
Sent from my iPhone
This is certainly a problem. And will get worse after I put the new bumper on. I'm going to have to put a tire mount on the tailgate, that will raise the tire. It will be fixed and will block some of my rear view. The mistake that I made was to mount the trailer coupler under the trailer frame. In hindsight, I should have mounted it at the same level as the frame. At a minimum It would have helped.
indiedog
Adventurer
Rare to see people with both vision and skills. The trailer and the kitchen are works of art, you should be very proud of them.
My only question about the layout is how do you get to the volume in front of the kitchen? Does the top hinge up? (edit; saw some hinges on the back edge of your kitchen vid)
My only question about the layout is how do you get to the volume in front of the kitchen? Does the top hinge up? (edit; saw some hinges on the back edge of your kitchen vid)
Again thanks for the kind words.
Galley isn't finished yet, but yes the two tops on the far left and far right are both hinged at the back. They are also have gas springs installed on them, so they stay in the up position. I'll install a drawer under the stove and maybe another drawer in part of the cubby on the bottom right. The cubby on the bottom right also houses the battery and switch panel.
Galley isn't finished yet, but yes the two tops on the far left and far right are both hinged at the back. They are also have gas springs installed on them, so they stay in the up position. I'll install a drawer under the stove and maybe another drawer in part of the cubby on the bottom right. The cubby on the bottom right also houses the battery and switch panel.
First off this is one the cleanist builds that I have seen and I've seen my fair share. That said though I would think with that suspension that you would have very little up travel and that it would bind like crazy based on the mounting angle of the shocks. Further might I ask why you went with the bags over something more tried, true, and darn bullet proof such as leafs or coil overs? Pretty darn slick on the pull out fold out kitchen. Hows that wood holding up to the twisting and vibration of off-road?