Bolt-together fiberglass Jeep-tub trailer kit

[jscherb]

A new 3axis would be welcome. One practical improvement that I'd be looking for is it's ease of connection. Mine is fine when everything is on level a surface. But you really struggle on a trail because the alignment must be precise.

Which coupler do you have and what specifically makes it hard to couple on a trail?

 

[Zeep]

Which coupler do you have and what specifically makes it hard to couple on a trail?

I think he's referring to a standard coupler!

 

[jscherb]

Today we weighed the two trailers built from the fiberglass parts so far. The one below, a base kit on a fully welded frame with 3500-lb axles and 205/15" tires, weighed in at 337 lbs.

My black prototype trailer weighed in at 550 lbs., here's what the black one has that the white one doesn't:

• Front rack with jerry cans (currently empty) in jerry can holders and storage box (also empty)
• Stabilizer jacks mounted in receivers
• Rear receiver for bike rack
• Front receiver for different couplers
• 3/4" plywood floor vs. 5/8" in the white trailer
• Interior fully done in bed liner
• Plywood reinforced tub panels
• 31" tires on 16" wheels
• Nerf bars around the back
• Soft tonneau
• StoreGate

Stuff adds up quickly .

I also weighed my plywood tent platform, it's 45 pounds, and the tent is about 120 I think, so with the tent installed the weight is 715.

For comparison, my yellow trailer, which is 7' 5" long and has an all metal tub (mostly 16-gauge), weighs 750 lb. So the fiberglass trailer with tent and all those other options/upgrades weighs less than the metal trailer.

 

[Ted_Z]

I'm calling the design I've come up with the "TSC" 3-Axis Coupler, because pretty much all of the parts can be gotten off-the-shelf at Tractor Supply. Most of the parts are in their "3 Point Hitch Parts" section of parts for farm tractor implement hitches. I figure if these parts are strong enough to drag plows through fields, they should be able to haul our 2000-lb. or less trailers along the trail .

I'd be a bit leery of using some of these "off the self parts" in services they were never intended to be used in. You don't know what grades of steel/iron they are, nor the effects of welding to them might be. For example I wouldn't be surprised if welding to that ball doesn't go too well, it might be surface hardened for wear resistance.

Why not swap items 0267717, 1195256, 0267945 and 0268446 for some 1.5" OD X 1" ID DOM tubing cut to the appropriate lengths. Then at least you know that what you have will take a weld.

 

[jckid]

Is this kit available for sale yet? Very interesting concept and great looking trailer.

 

[jscherb]

Is this kit available for sale yet? Very interesting concept and great looking trailer.

Since I'm not a vendor on this forum, the moderators have told me I cannot post anything regarding the commercial version of this trailer kit in this thread anymore, sorry.

The company bringing these trailer kits to market has made an public announcement about when they'll be available, you might be able to find it on the internet using google.

I'm just a guy who builds things like this in his garage as a hobby and I occasionally license what I design/build to companies who want to bring them to market. Since I'm really not a vendor selling anything it just doesn't make sense for me to pay the large fee to become an official vendor on any forum (not just this one), so I'll have to refrain from discussing the commercial versions of anything I design or build.

 

[M35A2]

I arrived at this party a bit late. Kudos on your various builds - I've previously seen (and admired) 'Gaucho' and was pleased to see that you were the person building this trailer.

I read 20 pages of this thread and jumped to the end - was wondering - was any thought given to providing stake pockets on the inside of the side wall to accept top bows and a soft cover? This would permit loading taller cargo while preserving the convertible capability.

Not second guessing you, though, and hopefully this was not covered in the section of the thread I skipped.

Again, wonderful design, fabrication and engineering -- it is nice to see all three at once.

 

[jscherb]

I arrived at this party a bit late. Kudos on your various builds - I've previously seen (and admired) 'Gaucho' and was pleased to see that you were the person building this trailer.

Thanks!

I read 20 pages of this thread and jumped to the end - was wondering - was any thought given to providing stake pockets on the inside of the side wall to accept top bows and a soft cover? This would permit loading taller cargo while preserving the convertible capability.

Not second guessing you, though, and hopefully this was not covered in the section of the thread I skipped.

Again, wonderful design, fabrication and engineering -- it is nice to see all three at once.

Actually I have thought about it, although I don't think I ever posted about it. Last June I attended the Antique Truck Club of America's truck show in Macungie, PA, which I attend every year, and I saw a flatfender pulling an M100/M416 trailer with a "covered wagon" top:

So when I got home from the show I did a concept drawing showing a military theme for the trailer with a similar top:

And I do have a design for inside stake pockets that would be perfect for supporting such a top:

I think it would be a pretty simple project to bend up some bows, maybe from 1" EMT using an inexpensive EMT bender, and sew a cover from a camo or O.D. tarp.

 

[M35A2]

Suggest little rubber bumpers at the top corners of the StoreGate's plastic shell so that the door will not rattle as the vehicle is in motion. They type I am thinking of have little rubber barbs on one end to hold them in place and are often used on glove compartments.

 

[M35A2]

That 'covered wagon' look is exactly what I had in mind! As an option, it would increase the flexibility of the trailer. The sides could be longer (taller) than the one in the photo to, for example, keep a piece of furniture out of the elements during transport.

 

[jscherb]

Suggest little rubber bumpers at the top corners of the StoreGate's plastic shell so that the door will not rattle as the vehicle is in motion. They type I am thinking of have little rubber barbs on one end to hold them in place and are often used on glove compartments.

There's a weatherstrip all the way around the door opening, and the latch pulls the door tight against the weatherstrip, so there's no rattling and it's weathertight. You can see the weatherstrip in this photo:

 

[M35A2]

There's a weatherstrip all the way around the door opening, and the latch pulls the door tight against the weatherstrip, so there's no rattling and it's weathertight. You can see the weatherstrip in this photo:

Apologies, I did not look closely enough or I would have seen it.

 

[DJKnightmare]

I really REALLY love this!

 

[jscherb]

I've done a bunch of concept drawings showing Thule (or similar) racks mounted to the trailer side panels on fake rain gutters, now we get to see it for real:

Also note the soft tonneau installed - the tonneau keeps the elements off the cargo inside but because the racks are raised up, you can still open the tonneau to get at the contents of the trailer.

Here's another shot with the tonneau removed, if you look closely you can see one of the steel reinforcement brackets on the inside of the tub, backing up the fake rain gutter plates:

 

[jscherb]

Another photo from the second trailer build - a rack basket installed on the Thule crossbars.