Completed Dinoot trailer assembly - shake down cruise

[billum v2.0]

Ghost:

Thanks, I appreciate that.

As you've read, this was all new territory for me. If I can answer any questions or be a sounding board on ways to tackle bottlenecks, feel free to contact me. That written, Scott was able to walk me through everything that popped up with solid, simple recommendations. If he can keep me out of trouble................................

 

[jays0n]

Great job, looks like it could have come from a Jeep dealer! Nice to see another Dinoot on here in the sea of M100's Do you have plans to do any further outfitting like electrical, solar, water tanks, etc? I totally second the comments about Scott and the Dinoot.com forums, I know I couldn't have pulled it off without all the support there. I also went with stainless fasteners and tee nuts under the floor, I found an amazing resource for all of that too, AlbanyCountyFasteners.com has amazing prices and super fast shipping, especially on their eBay store, I probably ordered from them 20 times throughout my build! Basically a bag of 25 of a fastener costs about what 4 of them do at Home Depot (if they even have them).

I built mine almost 3 years ago now and over this past winter I spent some time fine tuning it, basically doing some things I wished I had done originally. I went with stiffer springs, added grease able shackle bolts, shocks, more water/fuel storage, made the overhead rack extend/retract 16" for a lower center of gravity during transport, re-worked my awning mount, added an inverter, did a bunch of re-wiring and replaced the LED flood lights with flush mount versions. I find that it's a constant work in progress, we always seem to find small things we could do better after a trip. In the fall we will be taking it from Seattle to Baja Mexico and back over a month so we're doing our best to get it all set up to support us for that long on the road, I think we're close.

Here is my basic build thread on Expedition Portal if you want to check out my outfitting and steal any ideas I came up with (help yourself, that's what it's all about!)

For the full build thread you can check it out on Scott's Dinoot.com forum, absolutely the best resource available for building these trailers.

 

[compactcamping]

Thanks guys, always happy to help customers with questions from the basics to working out new ideas / needs.

 

[billum v2.0]

Great job, looks like it could have come from a Jeep dealer! Nice to see another Dinoot on here in the sea of M100's Do you have plans to do any further outfitting like electrical, solar, water tanks, etc? I totally second the comments about Scott and the Dinoot.com forums, I know I couldn't have pulled it off without all the support there. I also went with stainless fasteners and tee nuts under the floor, I found an amazing resource for all of that too, AlbanyCountyFasteners.com has amazing prices and super fast shipping, especially on their eBay store, I probably ordered from them 20 times throughout my build! Basically a bag of 25 of a fastener costs about what 4 of them do at Home Depot (if they even have them).

I built mine almost 3 years ago now and over this past winter I spent some time fine tuning it, basically doing some things I wished I had done originally. I went with stiffer springs, added grease able shackle bolts, shocks, more water/fuel storage, made the overhead rack extend/retract 16" for a lower center of gravity during transport, re-worked my awning mount, added an inverter, did a bunch of re-wiring and replaced the LED flood lights with flush mount versions. I find that it's a constant work in progress, we always seem to find small things we could do better after a trip. In the fall we will be taking it from Seattle to Baja Mexico and back over a month so we're doing our best to get it all set up to support us for that long on the road, I think we're close.

Here is my basic build thread on Expedition Portal if you want to check out my outfitting and steal any ideas I came up with (help yourself, that's what it's all about!)

For the full build thread you can check it out on Scott's Dinoot.com forum, absolutely the best resource available for building these trailers.

jays0n;

Thanks for the links, but I'm a veteran of your posts over on Scott's forum. I must have read your original "Another Dinoot build" thread a dozen times before starting my trailer. Referred to it as well as your follow-up "update" thread multiple times during the build. "Borrowed" several of your build innovations, the stainless T nuts being one of many. Thanks for making my build much easier through both your written narrative and especially your photo documentation.

To your questions on electrical/water/water heater/etc., my perspective comes from years of bare bones backpacking. The original trailer plan was a simple, inexpensive utility trailer to extend the cargo capacity of our 2 door Wrangler. That plan morphed multiple times, coming to its conclusion after stumbling into JScherb's original Jeep trailer thread. Even well into the build, the trailer was only going to supplement the hauling capacity of the Jeep and allow us to cram all our backpacking paraphernalia into it. The roof top tent was literally a last minute thought. Your build thread made it clear you had an end game in mind from the start. Mine took on a life of it's own during the build. Heck, I didn't even think about adding the roof top tent until the trailer was nearly done. The tent with a real mattress and trailer with the ability to carry more supplies than I can on my back are such game changers from what I'm use to that thinking about on demand hot water seems like Buck Roger's stuff to a generation ago.

We'll see how it evolves, but at the moment I'm living the dream.

 

[compactcamping]

Bill, Came across a few shoots someone catch of you going through Nebraska on your shakedown trip from FB

 

[krick3tt]

For a guy that professes not to be able to build you did a fab job. Be proud, especially since you did it yourself.

 

[jah310]

Awesome!


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[billum v2.0]

For a guy that professes not to be able to build you did a fab job. Be proud, especially since you did it yourself.

Thanks krick. For the record, I'm not being modest. I was in too far to quit. If I'd have known what I didn't know a lot earlier, you'd see a golf cart trailer with plywood sides behind the Jeep.

Bill, Came across a few shoots someone catch of you going through Nebraska on your shakedown trip from FB

Thanks for the pictures Scott. Been busy as heck at work so haven't been on here for a while. The upside of all the work, I'm leaving with the Jeep/trailer tomorrow for 10 days in the Grand Tetons. Heat index here today was 112, forecast in Moose Wyoming is in the 70's this weekend.

Awesome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Awesome" is a reach, but I appreciate your enthusiasm jah, thanks.

Going to try to attach a larger image rather than a thumbnail.

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[Abe Froman]

This is my favorite of all the trailers on expo: the size, the look, the color match, the clean aesthetic.
Great job.

 

[compactcamping]

Glad to hear your next Trailer Supported Adventure is almost here. Look forward to seeing pictures of it. Enjoy the 40 degree drop in temps

 

[billum v2.0]

This is my favorite of all the trailers on expo: the size, the look, the color match, the clean aesthetic.
Great job.

Bueller? Jeez, thanks for that compliment. If you're around in September, we'll be in your backyard (Silverton/Ouray/Telluride) for a week beginning on the 11th. Happy to show you the trailer setup in person. Maybe you can help us with trail logistics, our first time to your corner of Colorado. We have the Wells guide, but always defer to first hand experience. PM me if interested.

Glad to hear your next Trailer Supported Adventure is almost here. Look forward to seeing pictures of it. Enjoy the 40 degree drop in temps

Will be sure to send you pictures, Scott. And, yes, I'll enjoy the Wyoming temps.

 

[Abe Froman]

Bueller? Jeez, thanks for that compliment. If you're around in September, we'll be in your backyard (Silverton/Ouray/Telluride) for a week beginning on the 11th. Happy to show you the trailer setup in person. Maybe you can help us with trail logistics, our first time to your corner of Colorado. We have the Wells guide, but always defer to first hand experience. PM me if interested.


PM sent. More than happy to help out........and see that trailer in real life!

 

[billum v2.0]

Back from the Tetons/Jackson. Trailer/Tepui RTT just went about their business with no drama. With almost 4,500 miles on the pair and 15 nights in the RTT since May, I'm comfortable writing that I tip my hat to both Scott at Dinoot and the folks at Tepui for well thought out and executed products. The trailer has seen some tough roads, western Nebraska and Wyoming in particular this trip, without incident. The trails during the Moab trip were much rougher, but eased over at a couple miles per hour or less. No, it's all of Wyoming's secondary two-lane roads that were the better test. Hours on them at 65/70/75 MPH should have shaken or bounced problems/weaknesses to a head. An hour and a half checking fasterners/straps/buckles once home produced a single sheared screw holding the L track tie-down system to the plywood floor. And my initial concerns of the chopped fiberglass construction of Dinoot's body are fading.
Looking forward to Telluride/Ouray in September. Bueller - Hope to meet up with you while we're there.

 

[compactcamping]

Back from the Tetons/Jackson. Trailer/Tepui RTT just went about their business with no drama. With almost 4,500 miles on the pair and 15 nights in the RTT since May, I'm comfortable writing that I tip my hat to both Scott at Dinoot and the folks at Tepui for well thought out and executed products. The trailer has seen some tough roads, western Nebraska and Wyoming in particular this trip, without incident. The trails during the Moab trip were much rougher, but eased over at a couple miles per hour or less. No, it's all of Wyoming's secondary two-lane roads that were the better test. Hours on them at 65/70/75 MPH should have shaken or bounced problems/weaknesses to a head. An hour and a half checking fasterners/straps/buckles once home produced a single sheared screw holding the L track tie-down system to the plywood floor. And my initial concerns of the chopped fiberglass construction of Dinoot's body are fading.
Looking forward to Telluride/Ouray in September. Bueller - Hope to meet up with you while we're there.

Thanks for the update, glad to hear it and that you are getting lots of Trailer Supported Adventures in!
Dinoot tubs are actually hand laid mat, not chop gun shoot. Better from a overall strength standpoint and knowing you are getting the thicknesses you expect.
Unfortunately not going to make it to Ouray this year, but hope we can meet in person at some point.

 

[billum v2.0]

Somewhere my wires got crossed, Scott. I remember a conversation pre-purchase where I asked specifically about how the fiberglass was laid up and I would have sworn you said it was chop gun shot. Wanted hand laid mat and have been a little leary of the structural integrity ever since that conversation. Thanks for the correction, that's good to know and a bit of a relief. Yeah, I'd enjoy a face-to-face sometime, too.