East Coast Market for Aluminum camping trailer - M416 style?

[60Dan]

Hey Everyone,

Some of you on here have followed my build -- http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...my-LV-416-Explorer?highlight=modifying+lv-416

Since its completion I've been on a few trips - most notably on a recent 4200 mile trip to Yellowstone and Montana.
Ive lost count of how many people have asked me if I make them, sell them, rent them etc etc

Since then Ive been thinking of starting up a business building an M416 style trailer like in my build thread but made out of aluminum.

I haven't done the math yet (as the trailer is currently being drawn up in CAD), but with the weight savings over steel (pull behind a car, truck or SUV), and the resistance to corrosion Im hoping to enter a market that hasn't been explored.

From what I've read on Expo and a few other sites, there seem to be 3 types of us explorers out there ...

1) The guy that can buy the very best
2) The homebuilder with enough mad fabrication skills to put together a lunar module!
3) The weekend tinkerer who wants a solid base (M416, M100 etc) to modify and make his own

This would be a mix between 1 and 3!
Buy the trailer complete, or just buy the components you need and make your own!

I value the opinion of everyone on here, so my question is ... Do you all think there is a market on the East coast for something like this?

Thanks for your input!






I will be at Overland Expo East in October if anyone want to talk to me about it, or just come by and have a brewski!

Edit: Mods sorry if this in the wrong section - just thought this was the most appropriate part of the forum.

 

[chuppie]

What price point are you thinking?

Thanks

 

[drbandkgb]

Looks cool.. (From Murfreesboro)

 

[TwinStick]

I think it is a fantastic idea !!!

Having said that, i also think many people, such as myself, are looking for something a little bit bigger for a full sized truck (I own a Power Wagon) and a family, who are not hard core off roaders, but want the ability to go far off the beaten path, and take along more gear, food, spare parts & what ever, & to be able to stay gone for a good while. The (larger size) ability to be able to carry 2, 63 or 82 qt fridge-freezers, side by side-opening from the front, or, back to back-opening from L & R sides, on a bedslide type deal would be fantastic. As would the ability to have a hard shell option.

I am a #3.

 

[expedition4x4]

Looks good, I will also be at expo east and will definitely talk to ya I find myself squarely in #3

 

[60Dan]

What price point are you thinking?

Thanks

Hi Chuppie,

Thats hard to say right now until I can get an aluminum prototype mocked up. I know this is a deciding factor for most people and so I plan on keeping the price as low as possible without sacrificing quality.
My problem is I have high standards and am a bit of a perfectionist - this could be my undoing! (when it comes to making a buck anyway
If I wouldn't pay for it, then I don't expect anyone else too, period.

I will try and give you a better idea on price as soon as I can.

Looks cool.. (From Murfreesboro)

Thanks for the support drbandkgb!

I think it is a fantastic idea !!!

Having said that, i also think many people, such as myself, are looking for something a little bit bigger for a full sized truck (I own a Power Wagon) and a family, who are not hard core off roaders, but want the ability to go far off the beaten path, and take along more gear, food, spare parts & what ever, & to be able to stay gone for a good while. The (larger size) ability to be able to carry 2, 63 or 82 qt fridge-freezers, side by side-opening from the front, or, back to back-opening from L & R sides, on a bedslide type deal would be fantastic. As would the ability to have a hard shell option.

I am a #3.

Thanks for the support. I have thought about this, and may do something bigger down the line. I regards to size ... I had the opportunity to take the truck and trailer through some pretty tight off road trails in Montana. Being that the trailer was narrower than the tow rig was advantageous. Basically any where the truck went, I knew the trailer would follow.
That being said, many people may have no intention of going off road.
Another thing to consider is the trailer fits perfectly in a standard 1 car garage, anything bigger would mean it needs to go in the driveway - which could be a bid deal for some spouses out there!

I am open to a bigger platform in the future for sure.

Im also a #3!

Looks good, I will also be at expo east and will definitely talk to ya I find myself squarely in #3

Thanks expedition4x4!
I look forward to meeting you. If you don't see the trailer, I'll be with a guy who has a Campteq pop up installed on his 80 series - kinda hard to miss!

 

[rnArmy]

I think there's a market for folks that want to pull a little lightweight trailer behind their Jeeps. Here's my aluminum Army theme's trailer. It's essentially one big aluminum truck tool box on a modified 4' Harbor Freight type trailer frame. The box is 40" x 50" at the base. And enough height so I can stack two Rubber Maid 8 gallon action packers on top of each other (24") and still close the lid. Tires are 205/75/15" on 15x5" trailer rims.

Jeep TJs (especially the four cylinders like mine) don't have the highest rated towing capacity. And it fits nicely in my not-too-large two car garage. Check out my build thread (warning - it is long but covers a lot - there's a table of contents on the first page first post).

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f27/...ype-trailer-ultimate-build-up-thread-1180456/

I think the trick would be to keep it simple; a simple tub like mine on a simple leaf-spring suspended frame (C-channel would work fine) to help keep the price low. There are lots of trailers out there that start around $4000 (Ruger for one) and go up from there. If you could bring it down to around $2500 nicely set-up you might have a winner.

Just my opinion.

 

[aaschmann]

What i would want is the ability to carry a roof top tent and kayaks/paddleboards/windsurfing gear at the same time. Also being able to use it for household chores wood,mulch,game,etc…I think marketing for water sports,hunting as well as camping/expo travel would give you the best chance for success on the east coast.(Yes, I realize that would be a lot to ask out of one trailer with lots of compromises but I don't what/can't afford three trailers and hate loading boats on the roof.) Best of luck to you.

 

[chuppie]

View attachment 245991View attachment 245992View attachment 245993

I think there's a market for folks that want to pull a little lightweight trailer behind their Jeeps. Here's my aluminum Army theme's trailer. It's essentially one big aluminum truck tool box on a modified 4' Harbor Freight type trailer frame. The box is 40" x 50" at the base. And enough height so I can stack two Rubber Maid 8 gallon action packers on top of each other (24") and still close the lid. Tires are 205/75/15" on 15x5" trailer rims.

Jeep TJs (especially the four cylinders like mine) don't have the highest rated towing capacity. And it fits nicely in my not-too-large two car garage. Check out my build thread (warning - it is long but covers a lot - there's a table of contents on the first page first post).

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f27/...ype-trailer-ultimate-build-up-thread-1180456/

I think the trick would be to keep it simple; a simple tub like mine on a simple leaf-spring suspended frame (C-channel would work fine) to help keep the price low. There are lots of trailers out there that start around $4000 (Ruger for one) and go up from there. If you could bring it down to around $2500 nicely set-up you might have a winner.

Just my opinion.

I agree with RN and I think there is a lot of Subarus, RAV4 etc that would like a lightweight version also. One option I would like to see is axles with brake flanges, if you want to add them later. Another possibility is to build the tubs to sell that could be bolted onto what ever the customer wanted.

Good luck and keep us posted. Seems like there are few expedition type companies on the east coast and ones I know in NJ and NC are extremely unhelpful in answer any questions.

 

[GFA]

I think an alum body tub with or without a tailgate and an optional lid would be a home run in itself. There are tons of people with the ability to build a frame but are not able to bend sheetmetal to form a body. It's very hard to find an m416 in decent shape for a reasonable price..

 

[KC0GFG]

imo a steal option would be better for the at home fabricator. because how many people can weld aluminum? also i think if one were to offer a set of pre bent panels that when welded together gets you a 416 clone would be the way to go. you could go as far as including directions on how to modify a HF trailer kit add your panels and whala your verry own 416 clone

 

[60Dan]

I think there's a market for folks that want to pull a little lightweight trailer behind their Jeeps. Here's my aluminum Army theme's trailer. It's essentially one big aluminum truck tool box on a modified 4' Harbor Freight type trailer frame. The box is 40" x 50" at the base. And enough height so I can stack two Rubber Maid 8 gallon action packers on top of each other (24") and still close the lid. Tires are 205/75/15" on 15x5" trailer rims.

Jeep TJs (especially the four cylinders like mine) don't have the highest rated towing capacity. And it fits nicely in my not-too-large two car garage. Check out my build thread (warning - it is long but covers a lot - there's a table of contents on the first page first post).

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f27/...ype-trailer-ultimate-build-up-thread-1180456/

I think the trick would be to keep it simple; a simple tub like mine on a simple leaf-spring suspended frame (C-channel would work fine) to help keep the price low. There are lots of trailers out there that start around $4000 (Ruger for one) and go up from there. If you could bring it down to around $2500 nicely set-up you might have a winner.

Just my opinion.

Hi rnArmy,
I did happen to see you thread a while back. Nice work on that trailer BTW!
I have considered different suspension setups, and I agree, I think for now the leaf sprung option makes the most sense. Not only to save on cost, but the ease of repair on the trail compared to an airbag or trailing link setup.
Not to say that couldn't be an option, but as a base model leaf sprung is the way to go.

What i would want is the ability to carry a roof top tent and kayaks/paddleboards/windsurfing gear at the same time. Also being able to use it for household chores wood,mulch,game,etc…I think marketing for water sports,hunting as well as camping/expo travel would give you the best chance for success on the east coast.(Yes, I realize that would be a lot to ask out of one trailer with lots of compromises but I don't what/can't afford three trailers and hate loading boats on the roof.) Best of luck to you.

I don't see why you cant have your cake and eat it too!
One of the advantages to the aluminum lid would be the ease of removal. I used bullet hinges on my tailgate and lid. The goal would be to make the lid easily removable by two people. Undo the C clips from the gas struts, pop them off, and slide the lid off so you are left with just an open tub. This way the owner can have a multi purpose platform as you mentioned.
The ability to carry kayaks etc is a great idea! Im sure we could come up with a removable rack system that slides into the trailers receiver hitch
It could end up being a bigger pain in the *** rather than just putting it on the trucks roof rack, but it sure does have me thinking!

I agree with RN and I think there is a lot of Subarus, RAV4 etc that would like a lightweight version also. One option I would like to see is axles with brake flanges, if you want to add them later. Another possibility is to build the tubs to sell that could be bolted onto what ever the customer wanted.

Good luck and keep us posted. Seems like there are few expedition type companies on the east coast and ones I know in NJ and NC are extremely unhelpful in answer any questions.

I agree. As I said in my 1st post, I think many of us fall into the #3 category. Having a clean platform in which to start puts you months ahead of your build curve.
The one thing I can't stand as customer, is lack of communication! If my product is held up at customs, or the parts didn't arrive on time, or they missed the fedex truck or whatever ..... its OK ... just friggen tell me! When I have to chase people down because I'm kept in the dark that frustrates me.
I have also become accustomed to asking just 1 or 2 questions (max) in an email!
Have you noticed that if you ask anymore than that, the responder only seems to have the attention span to answer the first question!!
LOL ok rant over!
I was thinking about making trailer brakes the standard, you think just having the option would be more advantageous?

I think an alum body tub with or without a tailgate and an optional lid would be a home run in itself. There are tons of people with the ability to build a frame but are not able to bend sheetmetal to form a body. It's very hard to find an m416 in decent shape for a reasonable price..

I had this problem when I was looking. Even if you find a descent M416 (which are becoming quite pricy), after you sandblast it, fix the sheet metal, prime and paint it, you can be into it for mega $$$ before you even think about adding the fun stuff!

imo a steal option would be better for the at home fabricator. because how many people can weld aluminum? also i think if one were to offer a set of pre bent panels that when welded together gets you a 416 clone would be the way to go. you could go as far as including directions on how to modify a HF trailer kit add your panels and whala your verry own 416 clone

Well the idea would be that once you have the aluminum tub and lid, there would be no reason to weld onto it that I can think of. Most things can be bolted on (roof rack, jerry can holders, swing arm etc).
Was there something you were thinking about adding that would need to be welded, or are you talking about a later repair job?

Thanks for all the feedback guys, keep it coming!

 

[rnArmy]

Thanks for the complements. My opinion(s):

I think having trailer brakes standard would be an unnecessary need and expense for a small lightweight trailer. Having them as an option might be better, but usually trailer axles with the option for trailer brakes are in the much higher rated weight axles (from my limited research).

While I love my little trailer (that's weird...) the diamond plate aluminum isn't the strongest aluminum out there. If I were to remove the lid, I'd have to do something to reinforce the lip around the perimeter (maybe some square aluminum tubing welded under the lip?) to keep the lines straight/prevent bending. I'm sure there's stronger types (or thicknesses) of aluminum. I had to bolt some shallow 1/8" thick channel to the end panels when I mounted the spare tire carrier and 4 gallon Kolpin fuel cell (and to make the ends more rigid).

 

[ljvsnyder]

I would be interested in a DIY type kit, it cuts down on shipping cost and who doesn't enjoy working on a project. If the price point is at a good point, you could sell a lot of kits easily.

 

[skiingnerd]

I'm a 3!
AGREE WITH:
-Love the aluminum option
-Love the option to upgrade to brakes in the future
WOULD LIKE TO ADD:
- would love it if the rack option could be based of yakima bars for flexibility
-hub options so I can match the bolt pattern to my rig (or change it in the future)

I could go for a kit or a tub. Yes aluminum is harder to weld. But I could farm that out or "make some new friends".


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