Custom lightweight camping trailer
- Thread starter coppertop_01
- Start date
coppertop_01
Crazy Ginger
I've got a battery box that currently is mounted to the tongue, but also I'd like to keep the main part of the weight on the trailer thus not loading the car's rear suspension too much, but I guess I could also creatively load the trailer keeping light stuff in the tongue box and the heavy stuff over the axle.
The unfolded weight is also supported by angle brackets that the hinges bolt through, they keep the weight transfer away from the hinges and the wood screws that hold it together.
Jer
The unfolded weight is also supported by angle brackets that the hinges bolt through, they keep the weight transfer away from the hinges and the wood screws that hold it together.
Jer
Rezarf <><
Explorer
This tent trailer is full of win! Lightweight is the key to a happy trailer.
HOLY !! CRAP !!!
I have drawings from a year or so ago of the truck bed trailer I'd like to put together... 7' X 16' I believe... EXACT same Coleman modified dome tent (the green & white bugs me)... 97% the same decks and such... I can't believe it... thanks for the R & B & T so to speak...
Not as many support legs... any sagging on the decks ?
I'm probably going to go with some type of steel frame... how do the decks deploy... just fold open ?
You mentioned there was some chaffing or wear damage... what exactly were the culprits ?
Did you HAVE to remove the tent floor over the decks ?
Mind if I PM you ?? HA !!! Below is my first drawings with a smaller tent...
I WAS hoping to keep most of it below the edges of the bed rails... I doubt it'll happen though...
Thanks !!
Curt
I have drawings from a year or so ago of the truck bed trailer I'd like to put together... 7' X 16' I believe... EXACT same Coleman modified dome tent (the green & white bugs me)... 97% the same decks and such... I can't believe it... thanks for the R & B & T so to speak...
Not as many support legs... any sagging on the decks ?
I'm probably going to go with some type of steel frame... how do the decks deploy... just fold open ?
You mentioned there was some chaffing or wear damage... what exactly were the culprits ?
Did you HAVE to remove the tent floor over the decks ?
Mind if I PM you ?? HA !!! Below is my first drawings with a smaller tent...
I WAS hoping to keep most of it below the edges of the bed rails... I doubt it'll happen though...
Thanks !!
Curt
Last edited:
LandCruiserPhil
Expedition Leader
Love the out of the box design!
What is the final travel weight?
What is the final travel weight?
coppertop_01
Crazy Ginger
HOLY !! CRAP !!!
I have drawings from a year or so ago of the truck bed trailer I'd like to put together... 7' X 16' I believe... EXACT same Coleman modified dome tent (the green & white bugs me)... 97% the same decks and such... I can't believe it... thanks for the R & B & T so to speak...
Not as many support legs... any sagging on the decks ? not sure what you mean, I've got 7 support bars on each side, 4 goto the walls of the trailer, 3 to the ground, but either way I don't notice any sagging and it's very supportive
I'm probably going to go with some type of steel frame... how do the decks deploy... just fold open ?yup they just fold open, the one side with the double hinge can be a little tricky, but nothing two people can't control, I've figured a way that I can do it alone as well
You mentioned the some chaffing or wear damage... what exactly were the culprits ? the main culprit is my brackets that support the removable legs, I made them too high and when in the closed position they rub the side of the tent, I'll be replacing them today
Did you HAVE to remove the tent floor over the decks ? no, I did it because of my dogs, since the floor was going to be over 30" off the ground I didn't want to have a long ramp so the dogs could get in, but also removing it gave me a lot more room inside the tent, easy to stand up and change plus move around
Mind if I PM you ?? HA !!! Below is my first drawings with a smaller tent... no problem pm'ing me, I'll help where I can
I WAS hoping to keep most of it below the edges of the bed rails... I doubt it'll happen though...
Thanks !!
Curt
Actually I'm going to be working on it today, gotta fix the door on the trailer, for some reason the hinge has bent out of shape and has almost pulled out of the rivets, just gotta put a new one in and in a different orientation. Also I'm removing the fenders and building "saddle bags" for it, actually they are alum side bins with doors and double as fenders. Last time I went camping I realized that mounting the tent to the top reduced the amount of stuff I could store, fine for a long weekend, not so much for a week long trip.
I'll post up some new pics later, I put a tongue jack and a swing out step to aid getting in and out recently.
Jer
coppertop_01
Crazy Ginger
Dunno, but I'd be interested in the dry weight as well, it's starting to pack on a few lbs, but I can still push it up a slight hill into my garage alone, I'm guessing 500-750lbs.
THANKS !!! Well done...
Concerning the "sagging" I was wondering if there was much (if any) and I was referring in my setup I had fewer support legs...
The bike channel mounts help I bet also...
Concerning the floor I definitely want to remove it from side to side just so I CAN ! stand up... that my #2 wish... the ability to stand up... I was thinking about leaving the flooring on the decks as an additional barrier... I'm in the HOT desert so I have like 2.3 seasons not much moisture, but I can remove it from the decks later if need be...
The door does swing on an odd axis... I was scratching on what to do there...
I see you've got the pole ends just hang'n in the air... was this an intentional outcome or just where they landed so to speak ?
Now find a paint that'll spray on it... that green is a little tough on the eyes...
Also... you mentioned a JEEP... but all I'm seeing is a Subi... you've got the wheel'n stickers on the trailer... but all I'm seeing is the Subi... what gives ?
Thanks for the reply and I'm sure I'll have a few Q.s for ya... if & when I start up on it again...
Curt
coppertop_01
Crazy Ginger
Gotcha on the sagging, I probably overkilled it, after looking at a friends 70's pop up and the two support legs for the bedding sections, my 7 legs look a little much.
The door is an odd one, especially if you want the floor to be lower in that area, you will also notice that in my case when you attach the tent door to a hinged door the hinging axis aren't the same, so when you open the door it kinda tugs on the tent. There is bound to be an easier way to this, but I can't see it.
The tent poles kinda just happened like that, didn't have a plan until I got it on the platform, but they seem to work fine, the problem lies with the fly, it's original design is to have fly lines going out from the tent, but since its 30" higher than what Coleman designed for it the lines can't really go the way they wanted, I tied it off to the trailer which didn't seem to cause any problems.
Green is a little crazy, I'm sticking with it for now, but I think the ultimate plan when the tent is worn too much is to replace the whole thing with a custom canvas tent, something a little more durable and harsh weather rated.
The wife owns the jeep, it's a 05 TJ w/rubicon express arms, 3.5" lift, 33's, winch and 410's, but it's also a 4 banger 6speed so it stuggles with the trailer when loaded, so much easier for my 265hp Subi to pull.....in time she'll be getting a lift and some knobby tires.
Jer
TroySmith80
Adventurer
Nice! I really like what you've done here. It's been a couple years now, any changes or reports?
I've been considering something similar as well, but i want it to be a little more automatic/fast setup than what this one sounds like (more like 10 minutes than 30, we'll see if that's reasonable). I've seen a few others both home made and commercial that are all close to what i want but not quite exactly. I currently have a very small conventional pop-up tent trailer but it's not ideal either. I'm currently thinking of a utility/storage box about 8x6' with internal wheel wells and a topper like a flip-pac but that goes sideways instead of forward.
Here's some of the others
http://www.campertrailers.org/holspeed_mk11.htm
http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-your-own-Pop-Up-Trailer/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb7WvNwAvcM
Lifetime tent trailers
Sylvan Go tent trailer
coleman switchback tent trailer
I've been considering something similar as well, but i want it to be a little more automatic/fast setup than what this one sounds like (more like 10 minutes than 30, we'll see if that's reasonable). I've seen a few others both home made and commercial that are all close to what i want but not quite exactly. I currently have a very small conventional pop-up tent trailer but it's not ideal either. I'm currently thinking of a utility/storage box about 8x6' with internal wheel wells and a topper like a flip-pac but that goes sideways instead of forward.
Here's some of the others
http://www.campertrailers.org/holspeed_mk11.htm
http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-your-own-Pop-Up-Trailer/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb7WvNwAvcM
Lifetime tent trailers
Sylvan Go tent trailer
coleman switchback tent trailer
coppertop_01
Crazy Ginger
Actually I ended up getting a popup fleetwood neon trailer, not as light but a lot easier to put up and the tent materials are more durable, plus other reasons......my friend has the trailer now, tent wore out and needs to be replaced. If I had time I'd get it back, disassemble it almost to nothing and build a light, strong and better pop up. But I don't have time, too many projects, 05 TJ always needs upgrades or maintenance, '11 subi WRX needs nothing but there's always projects on that, 85 Fiero GT needs to be finished and I wanna start a IFS/IRS offroad/onroad buggy rig/bouncer, nevermind a house that needs maintenance/upgrades