Homebuilt Expo Trailer off Boat Trailer?

[jklanier84]

Hello Everybody,
New to the forum here,

Im considering building an Expo Trailer/Mini-Camper off an old boat trailer I've had laying around for years.
Its just sitting in my yard and it either needs to go away or I need to do something cool with it.
I was hoping I could get some feedback on the feasibility of my project from those who have bravely gone before me.

So, The basics:
VIN plate says it was built in 1986 with a capacity of 900lbs. GAWR-1180
It's 12' long from hitch to taillights, and 4'6" wide at the outside edge of the fenders (41" from the inside edges of the fenders)
The frame galvanized steel, and in great shape.
The axle is 1.5" square steel, with leaf springs and u-bolt shackles. The axle spins freely and without noise, but everything is really rusty.
Hubs are 4 lug with 4.80-12 tires. Tires are totally shot, but i wanted to upgrade to something bigger anyway.

I dont plan on going anywhere crazy with the trailer itself, but it would have to go down long stretches of rough dirt roads and short stretches of light trail riding to an off-grid campsite.
My basic thought was to build a 4'6" wide, 10' long box (height TBD) and drop it on the frame.
I'd wind up with 4'x7' sleeping area, and about 18" for a galley off the back and another 18" deep storage in the nose.
Can I just slap a set of tires on it grease the bearings and go for it? Is my idea a disaster waiting to happen?


Heres a few pics of the trailer and my basic design sketches.

 

[jesemd]

Assuming everything on the trailer is in decent shape, you should be fine to use the trailer as it is.....I would personally invest in new bearings and grease and a set of new tires and rims. You would probably be under $100 and lots of safety there.

On building a camper you will need to watch your weight distribution. Most of the weight of a small boat is in the stern, so the wheels are way back on the trailer. If you build a big camper up front like that you could easily overload the trailer or exceed the recommended tongue weight for the tow vehicle. I would maybe stick to 4x7 and have 12-18" extend off the back.

You could cut the trailer frame where the v becomes the tongue and re-attach the coupler there. that would save a few feet on overall length.

if it was in my backyard i would build it tomorrow.

 

[jklanier84]

LOL yea, now that i've realized how cool this is going to be, i cant wait to get started.

The rims look fine so i was just going to clean em up and put slightly bigger tires on 5.30-12 instead of the 4.80-12

Here's a closer look, at what is now my biggest concern, the welds on the front spring mounts look terrible. and the hardware holding the axle to the springs also looks trashed.
I was planning to flip the axle to under the springs (to allow a lower deck heightanyway so ill just replace the hardware.

After I took the pics i pulled the wheel hubs, and checked everything. For a trailer that been sitting for 5+ years everything was in great shape.
I think Ill replace the bearings and re-grease everything and hope for the best.

SO... im thinking trailer rehab is looking like
Wheel bearings and grease
New axle to leaf spring hardware
Have someone re-weld the leaf spring mounts, get new bolts for the leaf springs to frame connections.

After that I should have a good base to build on... i think

Any basic rules on how WIDE i can bulid? I would assume outer egde of wheels would be the max.


View attachment 395174View attachment 395175View attachment 395178

 

[workingonit71]

just start with removing axles, hangers, & springs; go on from there

LOL yea, now that i've realized how cool this is going to be, i cant wait to get started.

The rims look fine so i was just going to clean em up and put slightly bigger tires on 5.30-12 instead of the 4.80-12

Here's a closer look, at what is now my biggest concern, the welds on the front spring mounts look terrible. and the hardware holding the axle to the springs also looks trashed.
I was planning to flip the axle to under the springs (to allow a lower deck heightanyway so ill just replace the hardware.

After I took the pics i pulled the wheel hubs, and checked everything. For a trailer that been sitting for 5+ years everything was in great shape.
I think Ill replace the bearings and re-grease everything and hope for the best.

SO... im thinking trailer rehab is looking like
Wheel bearings and grease
New axle to leaf spring hardware
Have someone re-weld the leaf spring mounts, get new bolts for the leaf springs to frame connections.

After that I should have a good base to build on... i think

Any basic rules on how WIDE i can bulid? I would assume outer egde of wheels would be the max.


View attachment 395174View attachment 395175View attachment 395178

• That axle set-up looks worse than mine did when I started out. That might be more than surface rust, and the hardware might be past redemption. you want to flip that axle to make the deck height lower ?; spring-over-axle will raise deck height, and that's preferred for overlanding anyhow, but step back for a minute, and think this over.
• You say you want a trailer capable of some off-highway travel " it would have to go down long stretches of rough dirt roads and short stretches of light trail riding to an off-grid campsite", but you want to stay with sketchy suspension, spring hangers rusting off, and 12" tires (not a good off-road, even light off-roading combo).
• I've been studying this for years, progressing slowly towards a light-off road experience, and I started with a frame not suited for that, with a sketchy suspension, and 8"
  tires. I recount my progression somewhat in detail here:http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/170405-Boxy-off-road-camper-build-thread?p=2278599#post2278599
• what I started with became this 4x8 frame
• I suggest, from my experience in trailer building (learned from my mistakes, and correcting as I go), not from offroading, but, you shouldn't try to make inferior material rise to the occasion, It will eventually fail, and you'll wish you had built a strong base to start on. Take off your current axle, take the spring hangers off completely, remove the fenders, and start with the frame on the ground (or blocks). Take a 4x8 sheet of plywood, center it over the frame rails, and mark it where 60% of the sheet is forward of the old axle centerline, and 40% behind the old centerline. Mark out a comfortable space for a sleeping space (a twin bed mattress is about 75"x38"0, a full or queen mattress will require adding to the sides of the 4x8 test pattern. then find what little space you have, and mark out that space (if yo need to lengthen your pattern, do it proportionately from the 60/40 line, to maintain that proportion.
• You'll see that the plywood is sticking out past all frame supports, but you may not need to add more steel, forward or backward, if you use a thick plywood base (I used 3/4" ply), it will support a lot of weight especially after connecting to strong walls. Just having that long tongue out front, if it is in good condition, is probably all the floor support you might need.
• Back to that axle and suspension. Mark the width you decide that you need, at the 60/40 line, and compare it to the old width between the old fenders (I assume that they were welded to the outside frame rail). Mark that 41" on the ply at the 60/40 (that's your frame rail location), and mark the total width you need (that's where your wall will stand- if less than 48", just use 48"). If you want low deck height, you must make sure to add at least 2" past your wall marking (for tire section width, on new, wider tires), and add more, if that's under about 7.5" from your frame rail mark (minimum width past the frame rail, for hub, and backing plates (I think that a heavier duty axle should have brakes, so why not get it all done at once). that final mark is the hub face of your future axle. I just followed the Dexter Axle measurement procedure (I winged it from memory), that I used to order my replacement axle, after my original failed.
• axle tag for my trailer
• By now, you've figured out that I'm urging you to build up your good frame pieces, using a workable floorplan you can live with and build upon, and starting afresh with new spring hangers welded properly (using the 60/40 line as the one and only axle centerline), attaching new springs (rated to the loads you might carry), and a heavy-duty axle (I was citing my 3500lb Dexter, as an example; I recommend it). All done with new hardware, and torqued to your satisfaction (you have no idea what the old hardware was tightened to, or if it was).
• Get a friend to help, or make new ones, anybody that can help you build it. But, it's better to make sure that you build a strong base, because it's much easier to do it at first, than retrofit later. I know from experience. Good luck with your trailer.