Has anyone tried putting a cab over camper in a US M101 trailer?

[AzRover]

Has anyone tried putting a cab over camper in a US M101 trailer?
I would like to try this with my M101A2. Is this a stupid idea?

 

[Curmudgeon]

As long as it's not too big a camper I see no reason you couldn't do that. But if you're talking about a 3000+ pound full size camper, an M101 is gonna be too light. Plus the cargo box is only about six feet long, so it's gonna be awfully short, and way too wide. An old pickup bed trailer would be much more appropriate for hauling a camper, just not as classy (unless it matches your tow vehicle).

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[AzRover]

As long as it's not too big a camper I see no reason you couldn't do that. But if you're talking about a 3000+ pound full size camper, an M101 is gonna be too light. Plus the cargo box is only about six feet long, so it's gonna be awfully short, and way too wide. An old pickup bed trailer would be much more appropriate for hauling a camper, just not as classy (unless it matches your tow vehicle).

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Thank you Curmudgeon,
The bed size on the US M101A2 is 8feet by 5 ft. 5 in., so the length should be ok, but may be too wide. I would have to find a light camper for the 3/4 ton trailer. Then there is the center of gravity, will it be too high to move off road?
A pop up, slide in camper, without the cab over part may work. I pull the trailer with a Land Rover Discovery. Will the cab over part hit the roof of the Discovery when crossing a ditch? There may be other problems that I am not thinking of.

 

[fisher205]

Check for an Alaskan non cabover. Check their site alaskancamper.com for specs and then check their classifieds. There is ususlly an older 8 foot used one there.

 

[Dave]

Not an M101, but a slide in on a trailer...

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8677

 

[jagular7]

I basically have done that although I've mod'd the frame.

I didn't have a bed on my frame, but I replaced the military axle, wheels, and tires with a 3500# Dexter axle with electric and parking brake. I put the axle on top of the military springs to lower the frame. I added 14" tires. I drilled the frame to relocate the axle every 5 inches for 4 places. I extended the front tongue by removing the heavy steel tongue of the military with a boxed tongue from a boat trailer. I added a support beam from the ball coupling to the second crossmember.

I then have a Quicksilver slide-in camper for a truck. I'm not done. Going to add side bars for storage under the wheelwells of the camper, add a tray in front/behind the triangulated box, add an aluminum box on the back that swings away. That will be my kitchen.

 

[kcowyo]

That's really slick. Very nice build. :clapsmile
.

 

[AzRover]

Jagular7,
The trailer looks good. I like the Quick silver camper. I would like to put one in the M101, but I can't find a dealer in Arizona. I don't want to modify my trailer, so it can still be used to haul stuff, so a slide in would work.

 

[jagular7]

Jagular7,
The trailer looks good. I like the Quick silver camper. I would like to put one in the M101, but I can't find a dealer in Arizona. I don't want to modify my trailer, so it can still be used to haul stuff, so a slide in would work.

Sent you a pm.


The overall weight is near 450#, so add another 100# for the shipping crate. Have it shipped freight to you from a dealer you can locate. Here are some dimensions to go through to make sure it will fit in the trailer tub.
Overall exterior dimensions are 79" long, 60" wide, 30" high. The wheelwell is 48" wide, 57" long from the front to the back and 14" high.

 

[lowenbrau]

Thank you Curmudgeon,
The bed size on the US M101A2 is 8feet by 5 ft. 5 in., so the length should be ok, but may be too wide. I would have to find a light camper for the 3/4 ton trailer. Then there is the center of gravity, will it be too high to move off road?
A pop up, slide in camper, without the cab over part may work. I pull the trailer with a Land Rover Discovery. Will the cab over part hit the roof of the Discovery when crossing a ditch? There may be other problems that I am not thinking of.

I don't think you'll have any trouble with the trailer handling the camper but you need to be really careful with the ditch crossings. A four wheeled vehicle has the advantage of two axles working against each other to resit a rollover. A trailer has no such advantage. As soon as the axle hits the magic camber number.... flop. It happens when you least expect it and often enough to make me uncomfortable with any real offroading with such a setup.

I have an Alaskan camper in a trailer made from a 3/4 ton pickup. It seems to follow pretty well but it had the advantage of being lower while traveling and has not (while I've had it) seen anything really difficult trail-wise.

Kudos for using the 101A1 as the platform. I think they are the most practial (though maybe not the most agile) trailers available for the money.

 

[AzRover]

I don't think you'll have any trouble with the trailer handling the camper but you need to be really careful with the ditch crossings. A four wheeled vehicle has the advantage of two axles working against each other to resit a rollover. A trailer has no such advantage. As soon as the axle hits the magic camber number.... flop. It happens when you least expect it and often enough to make me uncomfortable with any real offroading with such a setup.

I have an Alaskan camper in a trailer made from a 3/4 ton pickup. It seems to follow pretty well but it had the advantage of being lower while traveling and has not (while I've had it) seen anything really difficult trail-wise.

Kudos for using the 101A1 as the platform. I think they are the most practial (though maybe not the most agile) trailers available for the money.

Thanks for the advice.
I have not taken my trailer on any trails yet. I do have a wash in my yard, and tested it there, it did well. I would not try anything harder than a 3 rated trail (on a scale of 5). I do want to be able to cross a wash, washed out section of road, rocks, and other obsticals. I did find that my traction control works more pulling the trailer up out of the wash. The trailer has a surge braks, that seems to help going down hill.

I will also have to keep the camper under 1000 pounds, 2200 lbs. total, due to the off road towing limmits if my truck. A tent camper of some kind would be good, and would not be damaged in a roll over.

I will have to do some testing. May be I will simulate a camper with some other load, and see how it handles.

 

[jagular7]

Here you go. Take a slide in military communications box and covert it to a camper. This owner converted the M101A2 with the surge brakes to using a Dexter with electric brakes.

You can search gov't liq under 'shelter' or 'expandable' (even though it is not, the word expandable will be searched - think quick word search) for a quick review of availability.

 

[AzRover]

Here you go. Take a slide in military communications box and covert it to a camper. This owner converted the M101A2 with the surge brakes to using a Dexter with electric brakes.

You can search gov't liq under 'shelter' or 'expandable' (even though it is not, the word expandable will be searched - think quick word search) for a quick review of availability.

Thanks, I have looked in to them. I'm looking for one close to home.

 

[ZR2nit]

I'm curious

I to am also curious about putting a truck topper on a trailer. I have a M416 and want to put a A.R.E. DCU topper on it. Do any of you guys have any I dead on how I may try to acheive this??? I know truck beds have wider edges on the sides. So I don't know how I would go about adding those type of edges to the M416.