With our growing family, every trip has become more and more difficult to fit our gear into the back of the JK. After going over some options, roof rack, receiver basket, we decided that maybe a small trailer would fit our needs. Thankfully, there are quite a few build threads on this forum and others, that not only inspired us, but answered A LOT of questions.
First up, I needed a platform to begin with. I hit all the usual spots, finally coming across this little trailer on Craigslist, San Antonio.
I picked up the phone and gave the owner a call and we agreed to meet the same afternoon. $450 later, I was the new owner. Later that evening, after some research, I found out that it was indeed an older Harbor Freight trailer that has since been discontinued.
My first order of business was paint.
So I stopped in to my Local Home Depot and picked up a few cans of Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint, 400 and 800 grit sandpaper, and a bottle of denatured alcohol.
I had never done any sort of painting before, so after watching a few YouTube videos I gave it a go. First, using the alcohol to clear the metal of any contaminates, then using the sandpaper with water. After 3 rounds of that, I started painting.
I have to say, the end result was better then I expected. Not only did I not have any experience, but my confidence in a spray paint was very low. One thing I kept hearing was, "It's all in the prep work", and I have to agree,
Now that the paint was done, I turned my attention to the front of the trailer. I liked the tray, but was really wanting a basket. In my mind, a basket would be useful for firewood, trash, wet clothes, etc..
So I picked up some metal and headed over to the welder. While there, he welded together a metal frame for an awning. This frame is made out of 1" square tubing and slides securly into 2 existing 1 1/4" square tubing posts.
Welding was done, and now it was time to start accessorizing while I was still researching how exactly I was going to get the same wheels and tires I have on my 2014 JKUR, onto the trailer. A 4' Arb awning was added, as wells as a Worthington 11lb propane tank secured to the trailer with a Powertank mounting bracket. To secure the awning to the 1" square tubing I headed over to FourTreks.com where I picked up 2 of their modular awning mounts.
Ok, now it was time for wheels and tires. I knew I wanted to get JK wheels and tires on the trailer, but I did'nt know how I was going to get there. The wheels required a 5 on 5 hub, and the hub on the trailer certainly was not that. Ok, this can be solved by replacing the hubs with replacements from Northern Tool, unfortunately that wasn't going to work for me either. I needed a brand new axle that would fit my small trailer with 5 on 5 hubs. So I stopped into my local trailer supply store, Southwest Gooseneck in San Antonio. I worked with Jesse in parts, he was very helpful and interested in my project. We measured everything out and we decided on a Dexter 3500# axle. However, it was much longer then I needed, thankfully they were able to cut and sleeve it for me as well. Next issue, in order for the grease cap to clear the factory wheel, I needed a spacer. Adapt-It-USA to the rescue, they offer a 5 on 5 adapter with the exact specs I needed. They had them made and shipped to me in 7 days, great service.
That was it, the final piece of the puzzle. New axle was on, along with new springs with shackles as well as the wheels and tires.
Well, that's about it for now. I know I have seen a lot of threads asking how to get Jeep wheels and tires on their trailers, I hope this is helpful and shows what worked for me. Next up for my micro-trailer, a fender solution, and then it's time for a trip! I will be sure to keep this thread updated with anything new. Thanks for viewing, Rod.
First up, I needed a platform to begin with. I hit all the usual spots, finally coming across this little trailer on Craigslist, San Antonio.
I picked up the phone and gave the owner a call and we agreed to meet the same afternoon. $450 later, I was the new owner. Later that evening, after some research, I found out that it was indeed an older Harbor Freight trailer that has since been discontinued.
My first order of business was paint.
So I stopped in to my Local Home Depot and picked up a few cans of Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint, 400 and 800 grit sandpaper, and a bottle of denatured alcohol.
I had never done any sort of painting before, so after watching a few YouTube videos I gave it a go. First, using the alcohol to clear the metal of any contaminates, then using the sandpaper with water. After 3 rounds of that, I started painting.
I have to say, the end result was better then I expected. Not only did I not have any experience, but my confidence in a spray paint was very low. One thing I kept hearing was, "It's all in the prep work", and I have to agree,
Now that the paint was done, I turned my attention to the front of the trailer. I liked the tray, but was really wanting a basket. In my mind, a basket would be useful for firewood, trash, wet clothes, etc..
So I picked up some metal and headed over to the welder. While there, he welded together a metal frame for an awning. This frame is made out of 1" square tubing and slides securly into 2 existing 1 1/4" square tubing posts.
Welding was done, and now it was time to start accessorizing while I was still researching how exactly I was going to get the same wheels and tires I have on my 2014 JKUR, onto the trailer. A 4' Arb awning was added, as wells as a Worthington 11lb propane tank secured to the trailer with a Powertank mounting bracket. To secure the awning to the 1" square tubing I headed over to FourTreks.com where I picked up 2 of their modular awning mounts.
Ok, now it was time for wheels and tires. I knew I wanted to get JK wheels and tires on the trailer, but I did'nt know how I was going to get there. The wheels required a 5 on 5 hub, and the hub on the trailer certainly was not that. Ok, this can be solved by replacing the hubs with replacements from Northern Tool, unfortunately that wasn't going to work for me either. I needed a brand new axle that would fit my small trailer with 5 on 5 hubs. So I stopped into my local trailer supply store, Southwest Gooseneck in San Antonio. I worked with Jesse in parts, he was very helpful and interested in my project. We measured everything out and we decided on a Dexter 3500# axle. However, it was much longer then I needed, thankfully they were able to cut and sleeve it for me as well. Next issue, in order for the grease cap to clear the factory wheel, I needed a spacer. Adapt-It-USA to the rescue, they offer a 5 on 5 adapter with the exact specs I needed. They had them made and shipped to me in 7 days, great service.
That was it, the final piece of the puzzle. New axle was on, along with new springs with shackles as well as the wheels and tires.
Well, that's about it for now. I know I have seen a lot of threads asking how to get Jeep wheels and tires on their trailers, I hope this is helpful and shows what worked for me. Next up for my micro-trailer, a fender solution, and then it's time for a trip! I will be sure to keep this thread updated with anything new. Thanks for viewing, Rod.
🏽
