Jevy's humble M-416 build thread

[VanIsle_Greg]

oh and Greg one of my struts is bent from when I originally tried closing it but had the strut mounts too close. You'ld probably be better off getting a new set

Ha ha, thanks for the heads up...I will source a new set.

 

[Jevy]

well here's a little review of me camping without the trailer. Basically no other way to say it but it sux. I was surprised to see that there was literally no change in mpg's when on the road and not pulling the trailer. I mounted the fridge on a "make shift" truss in the rear cargo area of the Jeep. I had originally planned on making a cargo rack to go above the tonneau cover but now that clearly isn't going to work. So it looks like the trailer is going to be the part of any camping trip. I carried minimal gear in one backpack but having the fridge mounted so high I had to use a step stool to reach the contents of the fridge(couldn't get anywhere near seeing it). I did some measuring and putting the fridge on the back of the jeep isn't going to work either. It's so tall that it would have to be mounted beyond the spare tire and it just doesn't look like that's going to work. So now it looks like the trailer is going to start going along on all camping trips that are not true back packing trips.



Here's my campsite for the past couple of nights. Right next to a river and had some water running through it. I slept like a baby.....and the pic doesn't do it justice. Half my hammock is out over the water. This was an awesome spot. I definitely made the right choice with selling the RTT. The hammocks for me are just the perfect platform for camping.



So now the fridge is out of the trailer I'm going to look into maybe building up a bracket to carry it on the rear of the trailer. I would like for it to be on the outside of the trailer for easier access but then there's really nothing to go inside the trailer other than misc camping gear. Thoughts/Suggestions????? I also thought about making an access panel in the rear with the fridge on some sort of a slide out but honestly think that's pushing my capabilities to fab it up and make it work right with sliders.

I think some of the next few trips are short weekend trips so I will likely leave it as is until I know for sure how to handle the fridge. Only big concern with the fridge inside the trailer is during the summers it can get 100* with 100% humidity. I'm a little concerned being up in the trailer could hurt the electronics in the fridge.....

 

[Jevy]

It's been almost a couple weeks since I posted anything. I'm still planning on keeping/using the trailer for primarily camping trips. I'm not going to dive into it now but next winter I would like to figure out how to mount a slide so that the fridge will slide out from the back of the trailer. I'm going to start doing a bit of reading because that is not something I've ever done before. I also think I will probably mount some sort of a water holding tank with a pump. Right now I'm thinking about having a small recessed opening to access shower head type of spigot for showers/cooking/cleaning etc. Most of our trips are less than 4 days so the water tank will not have to be particularly large.

So for now I'm done messing with the trailer and Jeep. Quite frankly I'm burned out on it and need a break. The Jeep has a couple items it needs attention on but I'm just going to take a step back for a few weeks.

 

[Wallygator]

Just read through this whole thread. Love the build and what an inspiration. Happy your back is doing ok. My 416 is in 100 or so pieces. I really need to get it going. I need to ask you, when your trailer was completely loaded up with the tents and kayaks and everything else, did you ever feel like you needed trailer brakes? My tow rig will be an '89 Land Cruiser with the stock motor and a brand new brake job. So it will be slow going but I do not want it to be slow stopping all loaded up. :088: Thanks and please keep the ideas coming.

 

[Jevy]

WG.....I have 4 wheel disc brakes on the Jeep and only ever got even a little nervous was when I was driving in the rain. Really there's not much weight on the trailer. The tent and kayaks are big items but probably only added 2-300lbs to the contents of the trailer. At this point the biggest issue I have with the set up is that the Jeep can only run 60mph without it started to get hot. I changed the thermostat and that seems to have helped some but it will still get up there when on the interstate. I'm interested to see what happens this summer when it's hot outside. At this point I'm guessing theres a larger radiator in the future.

The trailer is really overkill just for weekend camping trips without hauling kayaks but I've put ALOT of time and $$$ into it so I'm going to keep it. Even if I only take it a handful of times a year it's paid for and doing no harm just sitting here. I've started back riding recumbent bikes so maybe we can do a couple trips centered around that a year. Also since it literally doesn't make a difference in mpg's there's no reason not to take it. Only problem I have is backing it up without a spotter on the passenger side. I haven't towed it without the kayaks/rtt so that may or may not be an issue anymore.

 

[Wallygator]

WG.....I have 4 wheel disc brakes on the Jeep and only ever got even a little nervous was when I was driving in the rain. Really there's not much weight on the trailer. The tent and kayaks are big items but probably only added 2-300lbs to the contents of the trailer. At this point the biggest issue I have with the set up is that the Jeep can only run 60mph without it started to get hot. I changed the thermostat and that seems to have helped some but it will still get up there when on the interstate. I'm interested to see what happens this summer when it's hot outside. At this point I'm guessing theres a larger radiator in the future.

The trailer is really overkill just for weekend camping trips without hauling kayaks but I've put ALOT of time and $$$ into it so I'm going to keep it. Even if I only take it a handful of times a year it's paid for and doing no harm just sitting here. I've started back riding recumbent bikes so maybe we can do a couple trips centered around that a year. Also since it literally doesn't make a difference in mpg's there's no reason not to take it. Only problem I have is backing it up without a spotter on the passenger side. I haven't towed it without the kayaks/rtt so that may or may not be an issue anymore.

Jevy, thanks for the insight on the weight and brakes concerns. My LC is 23 years old and does not have 4 wheel disc but I think it will be ok. My trailer will be for weekend trips also and will mainly carry the camping stuff and wood for the fires. I went through a similar situation with my LC as you did with your Jeep. I got sort of taken and have dumped a lot of money into it to make it right. Still have a ways to go. I hope the newer/bigger radiator solves the issue for you. If it is getting up there now it will probably overheat in the summer and a bigger radiator should fix it. Hope you keep on riding bikes and getting back in shape. I realized that a lot of my health problems were caused by excess weight and I feel a lot better now. The body was not meant to carry extra poundage but man it sure is easy to pack it on. Anyway, thanks again.

 

[Jevy]

I can't believe I'm typing this but I'm debating on selling the trailer. I just don't see where I have a real "need" for it anymore without the kayaks. Would anyone have any suggestions for where to start price wise??? Either that or thinking about maybe removing the roof and putting the yakima bars on some sort of hinged rail basket where I could haul bikes on the trailer and be able to use the trailer for more utility type stuff.

I don't really need the money but if I don't have a good use for the trailer then it's taking up alot of room without any real purpose. Any thoughts???

 

[Flashole]

What about some sort of hoist system in your garage where you can hoist the lid off the trailer. Like a jeep hard top hoist. That would make the trailer more functional when you aren't using it for camping.

No clue what you would ask price wise. I'd say somewhere less than what a comparable new one would cost from one of the trailer builders, plus some percentage of the cost of the tent and other parts that might ad value.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Sad to hear you might sell it, but if you don't need it then, why keep it. I like the idea of keeping it as a utility/multi purpose trailer. I used mine for a year and a half hauling yard waste and junk to the dump. I moved my dads stuff with it and got rid of a lot of recycling and old appliances with it.

Lid hoist is a great idea!!

 

[Alastair D(Aus)]

Ideas

Jevy,
Just came across your thread and am sorry about your back issues that have had such impact on your life.

I have a few comments and suggestions if you still have the trailer.

1. Do the laws in your state/country allow the number of projections outside the trailer body and the amount of tyre beyond the guards on both vehicle and trailer? Here in Australia the police and registration people would have it off the road as soon as seen.

2. you could make a simple frame on the trailer that would slide out to provide for slinging the hammock if no suitable trees were available.

3. Why do you need a generator? With a battery charged from the vehicle and only a few lights and the fridge I would think you could do without it. A single solar panel would help in summer. More peace.

4. It is possible to adjust the pressure in gas struts. The guys who recharge old ones can do it in situ and get the balance right.

Hope you are ok and still able to enjoy camping.

cheers

 

[Jevy]

Thanks Ala.....technically I should cut down the cross bars for the rack but haven't had any issues yet. I most likely won't need the generator much if at all but I like the idea of having it along just in case since I already have it.

I'm going to put together a rear hatch door with a slide for my fridge to slide out the back. Also debating on putting a small water tank/pump in. Definitely doing the rear hatch/slide if I can figure out what slides to use. I'm also looking at going with one of the hard sided tents like the Magnolia. Something that would go up quick and easy yet be low profile.

Jevy,
Just came across your thread and am sorry about your back issues that have had such impact on your life.

I have a few comments and suggestions if you still have the trailer.

1. Do the laws in your state/country allow the number of projections outside the trailer body and the amount of tyre beyond the guards on both vehicle and trailer? Here in Australia the police and registration people would have it off the road as soon as seen.

2. you could make a simple frame on the trailer that would slide out to provide for slinging the hammock if no suitable trees were available.

3. Why do you need a generator? With a battery charged from the vehicle and only a few lights and the fridge I would think you could do without it. A single solar panel would help in summer. More peace.

4. It is possible to adjust the pressure in gas struts. The guys who recharge old ones can do it in situ and get the balance right.

Hope you are ok and still able to enjoy camping.

cheers

 

[Jevy]

well today I took the dimensions of the fridge and started to look at putting the fridge on a slide out so I could access it with the top still closed. It never even occured to me until today but the fridge is too tall to have it on a slide. It goes about the rim of the trailer lip and into some area that's made with the top hatch. So it seems that my lack of planning is going to just be something I have to live with. The only other idea I have is to remove the tongue box/wiring and recess the electric panel into the side of the trailer and mount the fridge on the front of the trailer in place of the tongue box. Any thoughts/ideas for what I should do??? Moving the electric around isn't that big of a deal(heck winter hasn't even started yet). If I were to do that I would likely remove the generator box I put on the tongue and then relocate that towards the back.

 

[Jevy]

I've been thinking about which way to go with the trailer and I've pretty much made my mind up that I will be mounting the fridge in place of the tongue box. I'm going to get the trailer back into the garage soon and start getting back into the trailer. I have a camping trip in October that I would like to carry the trailer on and having the fridge on the outside of the trailer would be of great benefit.

 

[Jevy]

just a short update with a couple of pics. Today I removed the battery and tongue box and preparation for putting the fridge on the front. I also had a box I fabbed up on the front for the generator but I decided to take it off as well.

Here's what it looked like before I got started on it today



Here's where I stopped.



The fridge has a reflectix cover on it that I fabbed up earlier this spring to help it not to work so hard while in the heat of summer.



I'm going to take a couple hour break then go out and try to start figuring out the plan for the base. I think I'm going to put an angle iron lip around the perimeter to help keep it from shifting then add a couple tie down points.

 

[Jevy]

Here's a few pics of what I have come up with on putting the fridge on the front tongue of the trailer. After thinking some more I'm not sure I'm going to leave it on this configuration. I saw on here somewhere that that they had put the fridge on the front and on a slide. It was in an enclosure that would have kept most of the weather/debris thrown from the Jeep off direct contact with the fridge. Any thoughts on the setup now vs putting it on a slide in an enclosure?

I know the welds are fully done but I have an outing in a couple of weeks and think I'm going to just try it like it is once before I fully weld it up.