Aluminum expedition trailer

[Jeep]

Rob

The Chaser trailer weighs in at 700 lbs, http://www.adventuretrailers.com/chaser.html

It's problematic making the chassis out of aluminum due to brittle welds and resultant weld failures. There are ways to design around this, but it makes the construction a little more difficult.

This design seems to use the structural benefits of a steel chassis with the weight savings of an aluminum body.

Absolutely correct. There is 120 pounds of weight saved with the aluminum body and that is comparing .125 aluminum to .0625 steel. The chassis is rigid and so is the tub, there is a very real fatigue issue when aluminum is not used correctly. The rack transfers all the rack weight to the top structural edge of the tub through the mounting feet, the lid is really just a lid.

Proper chassis constuction when using aluminum is not to place welds in high stress areas and most problems are design related rather than weld related, the broken welds almost always point to design error. We successfully build with aluminum and steel all the time as well as repair other peoples problems. Check out this little machine we build, it's 4' wide 9' long, weighs just under 2000 pounds, has .79 psi ground pressure, and 4400 foot pounds of tractive effort so it has to be tough while being light. There is a very delicate balance of steel and aluminum in the design.

 

[Jeep]

Rob, the bent tub design is the way to save weight without a subframe. You might want to look into a local sheetmetal shop to form and weld a tub for you rather than tube and sheet a structure, saves time, material, and looks sexy too. It may actually cost close to the same too.

 

[alexrex20]

is the owner of the trailer a member on this forum? i noticed the 5-lug hubs on the trailer. does the nissan truck have ford axles under it? why the mismatched hubs?

not knocking the trailer, just curious.

do you know if the owner plans on painting it?

 

[Airborne Lee]

I need this. I dont want it, I need it, like my wife needs to shop for shoes. I need this.

And for the record never post things like this unless we all get to take a ride it....:smiley_drive:

 

[alexrex20]

what does that have to do with this thread?

 

[R_Lefebvre]

It's a testament to their design/build capabilities. I think it's cool too. Make it with a cab a seating for 4 or 6, it'd be a great family snowmobile.

 

[Jeep]

I don't know if the owner is a member here. The axles in his Nissan are dana 60 rear and 44 front with an 8 lug pattern and the trailer started out for a Jeep owner so it has Jeep bolt pattern. His Nissan is a beauty. I don't think he's going to paint it, all steel components are powdercoated. And the little tracked vehicle is a testament to fabricating with different materials to achieve a balance between weight and strength, if you want to drive one, no problem, you just have to show up.
Cheers,
Mark.

 

[rctr03]

very nice?

jimmy

 

[campinglab]

I have to disagree, I cant understand why trailer manufacturers hinge from the side. if i was to ever build another trailer i would certainly hinge from the front as it gives you twice as much access to the trailer and can still open with then tent open, also allows you to have a open tail gate for easy loading.


Old photo

You're right, I don't know what I was thinking

 

[Piranha]

Thanks for the comments and the great work on the trailer Mark, I look forward to picking it up in the next few days.


Thanks for the coupler Martyn!


A pic of my truck.

[/IMG]

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Woah!

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Not that is a sweet truck

 

[Titanpat57]

Now that is a sweet truck

Fixed it for ya!!:victory:

 

[spencyg]

[/IMG]

Man..I have a special place in my heart for the ole' Nissan Hardbody. I used to have one with a solid Dana 44 front, 9" rear, Ford 302, C6, Np208, and gads of other goodies all rolling on 36" Swampers. Unfortunately it just was too "showy" and never got used for its true purpose. Eventually parted it off piece by piece. Shame.

Very nice truck.

Spence

 

[highlandercj-7]

That's one of the toughest hardbodies I ever seen! I dig the tube work.