M101 A3 Camp Trailer AKA "Bode Custom"

[Mark Harley]

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/118365-Trailer-stuff-at-SEMA

You have some catching up for us. From Camo to SEMA in 3 months?

 

[Troyadventures]

I know I was soon busy with the 4 projects I had no time to post. Will get in it this week!! Lots of details to show

 

[Troyadventures]

 

[Mark Harley]

Can't wait to see the full build.
Looks awesome.

 

[XSapper]

Subscribed! Doing something similar with a scratch built trailer. Wife and 3 kids require a lot of room to haul stuff, especially when 2 of the kids are teenage girls.

 

[gunbunny]

I've been working on my M101A1 for the last year, modifying it to make it easier to tow behind my Jeep TJ. I know there are some purists out there that would cringe at the sight of the removal heavy cast lunette. I mostly need the trailer to haul things, but I would like to camp with it on occasion. So, I too need any camping accessories to come off and store someplace else.

I originally thought about getting some trampoline material ($60/yard x115" long) and sewing up the perimeter with nylon webbing and loops to make a flexible top to sleep on. I really don't want to resort to buying an M101 top bows and cover, as they would make the trailer (in my opinion) too tall for the Jeep, and more than cumbersome to drive. Looking out the rear window of the Jeep with two car seats in the back is bad enough.

I like your idea of using a tonneau cover from a Ford F-250, and making a pop-up out of it. Adding a shelf on top of the wheel wells would make for a lot of storage space without sacrificing legroom, and actually add a little usable floorspace since the wheel wells are out of the way.

View attachment 195695

 

[robertwalker2003]

Nice looking trailer Gunbunny. I have been working on mine for a year or so myself. Keep us posted on yours.

Robert Walker

 

[Scoutman]

Subscribed. Do you have any better picts of the adjustable hitch?

 

[rdavisinva]

Nice rig...

We use power management devices at work for vehicles with a single battery that run on-board wireless modems, ToughBooks, and mobile printers. They have a sensor the prevents the voltage dropping below 12 Volts.

Always wanted to locate a programmable unit because cutting off your powered devices does not seem optimal because you don't want to be away running trails and come back to spoiled food and hot beer just because you went below a certain voltage.

Think you wouldn't want to run the deep cycle source completely flat, but there has to be a threshold you want to maintain to keep the battery from going bad from too many complete discharges. The battery we use is for big 12V stereo audio and the manufacturer documentation warned to stay above 9 volts, so keeping an eye on the voltage is a good thing. Some of the solar controllers have a digital display that lets you see the source input as well as battery voltage.

Just a few thoughts...

RDavisInVA

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Troy, do you have any more detail you can show us about this trailer? I've got a M101A3 as well and love your use of the Tonneau cover. I'd like to duplicate something like that for my own build and would like to see how you built the support structure for it, attached the canvas, etc.

I'd also like to see how the cooking surface (I think) on the DS side of the trailer gets used, along with how well those ammo boxes work bolted to the bottom of the trailer.

Thanks!