RTT Sold: Lightweight off road trailer with RTT
Sold the tent, I've been convinced to keep the trailer for now. I'm going to build out the kitchen and add an awning (alliteration!) for basecamping in order to keep the van build simpler.
Location:
Jackson Hole area, WY, USA
Description:
I designed and built this trailer about 2.5 years ago, and it has gone on about a dozen trips to various locations in the west since then. It has been towed into some pretty wild spots and will go almost anywhere my Taco will. I love this trailer and was planning to add a pull out kitchen, water tank, heater, etc. Plans change and now I need to make room for a baby, so I am building a van instead, need the cash for the van, and don’t have the room to store it. Now I am wishing I had done a build thread, but instead I will try to recreate it here.
Frame:
I started with a Harbor Freight 2500lb 4’x8’ trailer kit. I shrunk it down to 48”x50” and added a center beam using most of the parts from the kit. The front and back crossmembers are doubled, and the triangle of the tongue ties back into the spring mount. 2” receivers were added front and back. Everything was welded together, the paint was scratched and primed, then coated with black Duplicolor bedliner. There are fold up stabilizer jacks on the back, and a crank down tongue jack that can be either folded back or removed for a stable, easily leveled platform. Safety chains are coiled cables and attached via shackle. There is a handle on the top of the tongue as well.
Hitching options:
When towing on the road I use a 20” extension that can be removed to shorten the tongue for offroad use. It tracks the rear tires of my Tacoma almost perfectly when shortened, and can be turned around in a very small space. It pulls and tracks well when lengthened and is easier to back up. There is a 2” ball coupler that I use to move the trailer around with an atv, and both ends of a Max Coupler included. All necessary pins are anti-rattle locking style and also included.
Electrical:
7-pin plug with everything connected and working. Lights are all inset LEDs, including reverse, front and back side markers, and license plate lights. The 12v constant power is capped coiled and ziptied inside the frame for future additions. There is a splice in the 7 cable wire where I had to add some length when I swapped trucks. I left it that way figuring that it made for a predictable breaking point should the trailer get disconnected and the plug left in.
Axle:
3500lb axle with functioning brakes. Sits under 2000lb leaf springs with one leaf removed, and a shackle on the back. The current hubs are 6x5.5 with studs to match oem Tacoma lug nuts. I also have a set of hubs with bearings with a 5x4.5 pattern that match Rangers and older Jeeps (not JK). The hubs are the greasable type with zerks under the cap, but I have always taken them out to re-pack with high speed disc brake grease.
Box:
Built out of thin wall 1”x1” and 2”x1” tube. Top and bottom are 14g cold roll, sides are 16g hot roll. All of the interior welds are continuous. All corner pieces, top and bottom welds are also continuous. The 2 center vertical supports are welded for a few inches at the top, bottom and middle. Where not welded continuously they are sealed with black silicon to keep water out. The bottom got a little warped while welding in some supports due to a welding-while-pissed-off incident by my brother in law (who is usually a better welder than I am). To flatten the floor and give me something to screw into later I added a ¾” ply floor that was coated on all sides in primer and bed liner, though bolted, and sealed around the edges with silicon.
The lid is removable and double sealed. It is strong enough to stand on and held in place by 12 spring latches that hold 300lbs each.
The tailgate originally swung down, but I swapped to a left side swing in preparation for plans to add a kitchen. The hinges are weld on and greasable. The latch system is a locking handle that turns and pushes solid rods into flanged tubes that are welded into the door frame. I didn't get the hinges perfectly aligned, so it takes some effort to lift the tailgate off, but still swings freely.
Everything was wire brushed, sanded, hit with self-etching primer, then top-coated with Duplicolor bed liner for easy touch up later. I just went through and sanded all the nicks and recoated everything. I also brushed off and treated rust on the underside and coated with a rubberized undercoat, including inside the fenders. The axle tube and high wear areas around the hitches have been sprayed with Rustoleum Hammer finish.
The tongue rack can hold water cans, fuel cans, propane tanks, porta-johns etc. The locking tongue box holds jack pads, stabilizer jack handle, hitches, and a spare set of bearings, all included.
Tires and fenders:
I have used both 265/75r16 on steel oem ranger wheels and 235/85r16 on alloy Taco wheels. 33” tires might fit, but it would be close with wheel travel, so no guarantees without mods. I usually ran the tires at 18psi on the road and would air down to 12psi on trails for extra cushion. Fenders are supported and strong enough for me (155lbs) to stand on with no deflection.
Tent:
It is a clean Tepui Kukenam Sky in very good shape, everything functioning (caution! may contain traces of red sand and dog air). I added Sealine snap buckles to all of the straps for more secure travelling, the velcro didn’t quit hold on the road. Also included are a shoe hammack, a battery powered LED rope inside for mood lighting, and an anti-condensation mat under the mattress. The plastic finish on the bottom of the platform is showing wear under where the ladder feet sit while folded up.
Weight:
I haven’t weighed it unloaded in the current configuration, but loaded up on a recent trip it scaled at just under 1100lbs, so I am estimating somewhere in the 750-850lb range.
Price:
I’m thinking $3,700 on the Tacoma wheels and almost brand new 235/85r16 Duratracs.
I wouldn’t mind keeping the tires and wheels, so if you want to put your own tire and wheel on I will drop the price by $500 and you can either show up with wheels that fit either set of hubs, or I can put on the 5 lug hubs and a set of 13” Harbor Freight wheels for free to get you home.
I’d prefer to sell together, but might consider splitting the tent and trailer if there are buyers for both.
It is hard to price a home build like this, so if the collective thinks I am way off I will adjust.
Might be willing to meet part way within a days drive of Jackson if you can wait for my schedule to be open. Advertising locally as well.
Sold the tent, I've been convinced to keep the trailer for now. I'm going to build out the kitchen and add an awning (alliteration!) for basecamping in order to keep the van build simpler.
Location:
Jackson Hole area, WY, USA
Description:
I designed and built this trailer about 2.5 years ago, and it has gone on about a dozen trips to various locations in the west since then. It has been towed into some pretty wild spots and will go almost anywhere my Taco will. I love this trailer and was planning to add a pull out kitchen, water tank, heater, etc. Plans change and now I need to make room for a baby, so I am building a van instead, need the cash for the van, and don’t have the room to store it. Now I am wishing I had done a build thread, but instead I will try to recreate it here.
Frame:
I started with a Harbor Freight 2500lb 4’x8’ trailer kit. I shrunk it down to 48”x50” and added a center beam using most of the parts from the kit. The front and back crossmembers are doubled, and the triangle of the tongue ties back into the spring mount. 2” receivers were added front and back. Everything was welded together, the paint was scratched and primed, then coated with black Duplicolor bedliner. There are fold up stabilizer jacks on the back, and a crank down tongue jack that can be either folded back or removed for a stable, easily leveled platform. Safety chains are coiled cables and attached via shackle. There is a handle on the top of the tongue as well.
Hitching options:
When towing on the road I use a 20” extension that can be removed to shorten the tongue for offroad use. It tracks the rear tires of my Tacoma almost perfectly when shortened, and can be turned around in a very small space. It pulls and tracks well when lengthened and is easier to back up. There is a 2” ball coupler that I use to move the trailer around with an atv, and both ends of a Max Coupler included. All necessary pins are anti-rattle locking style and also included.
Electrical:
7-pin plug with everything connected and working. Lights are all inset LEDs, including reverse, front and back side markers, and license plate lights. The 12v constant power is capped coiled and ziptied inside the frame for future additions. There is a splice in the 7 cable wire where I had to add some length when I swapped trucks. I left it that way figuring that it made for a predictable breaking point should the trailer get disconnected and the plug left in.
Axle:
3500lb axle with functioning brakes. Sits under 2000lb leaf springs with one leaf removed, and a shackle on the back. The current hubs are 6x5.5 with studs to match oem Tacoma lug nuts. I also have a set of hubs with bearings with a 5x4.5 pattern that match Rangers and older Jeeps (not JK). The hubs are the greasable type with zerks under the cap, but I have always taken them out to re-pack with high speed disc brake grease.
Box:
Built out of thin wall 1”x1” and 2”x1” tube. Top and bottom are 14g cold roll, sides are 16g hot roll. All of the interior welds are continuous. All corner pieces, top and bottom welds are also continuous. The 2 center vertical supports are welded for a few inches at the top, bottom and middle. Where not welded continuously they are sealed with black silicon to keep water out. The bottom got a little warped while welding in some supports due to a welding-while-pissed-off incident by my brother in law (who is usually a better welder than I am). To flatten the floor and give me something to screw into later I added a ¾” ply floor that was coated on all sides in primer and bed liner, though bolted, and sealed around the edges with silicon.
The lid is removable and double sealed. It is strong enough to stand on and held in place by 12 spring latches that hold 300lbs each.
The tailgate originally swung down, but I swapped to a left side swing in preparation for plans to add a kitchen. The hinges are weld on and greasable. The latch system is a locking handle that turns and pushes solid rods into flanged tubes that are welded into the door frame. I didn't get the hinges perfectly aligned, so it takes some effort to lift the tailgate off, but still swings freely.
Everything was wire brushed, sanded, hit with self-etching primer, then top-coated with Duplicolor bed liner for easy touch up later. I just went through and sanded all the nicks and recoated everything. I also brushed off and treated rust on the underside and coated with a rubberized undercoat, including inside the fenders. The axle tube and high wear areas around the hitches have been sprayed with Rustoleum Hammer finish.
The tongue rack can hold water cans, fuel cans, propane tanks, porta-johns etc. The locking tongue box holds jack pads, stabilizer jack handle, hitches, and a spare set of bearings, all included.
Tires and fenders:
I have used both 265/75r16 on steel oem ranger wheels and 235/85r16 on alloy Taco wheels. 33” tires might fit, but it would be close with wheel travel, so no guarantees without mods. I usually ran the tires at 18psi on the road and would air down to 12psi on trails for extra cushion. Fenders are supported and strong enough for me (155lbs) to stand on with no deflection.
Tent:
It is a clean Tepui Kukenam Sky in very good shape, everything functioning (caution! may contain traces of red sand and dog air). I added Sealine snap buckles to all of the straps for more secure travelling, the velcro didn’t quit hold on the road. Also included are a shoe hammack, a battery powered LED rope inside for mood lighting, and an anti-condensation mat under the mattress. The plastic finish on the bottom of the platform is showing wear under where the ladder feet sit while folded up.
Weight:
I haven’t weighed it unloaded in the current configuration, but loaded up on a recent trip it scaled at just under 1100lbs, so I am estimating somewhere in the 750-850lb range.
Price:
I’m thinking $3,700 on the Tacoma wheels and almost brand new 235/85r16 Duratracs.
I wouldn’t mind keeping the tires and wheels, so if you want to put your own tire and wheel on I will drop the price by $500 and you can either show up with wheels that fit either set of hubs, or I can put on the 5 lug hubs and a set of 13” Harbor Freight wheels for free to get you home.
I’d prefer to sell together, but might consider splitting the tent and trailer if there are buyers for both.
It is hard to price a home build like this, so if the collective thinks I am way off I will adjust.
Might be willing to meet part way within a days drive of Jackson if you can wait for my schedule to be open. Advertising locally as well.
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