My Camping Trailer Project
- Thread starter Dirtco
- Start date
Lights and wiring!
This was a huge undertaking, I have a ton of lights and electrical equipment.
I installed the stock battery out of the 4Runner, for the time being.
I picked up a stainless steel box for free, so I used it as my electrical control box. Here is the front of the control box; switches w/ waterproof boots, indicator lights, shore plug and digital voltmeter.
Shore plug in use, it connects to the batter charger/maintainer
Back side of the front panel
Inside the control box
Spare fuse block and master on-off switch/circuit breaker
Voltmeter
This was a huge undertaking, I have a ton of lights and electrical equipment.
I installed the stock battery out of the 4Runner, for the time being.
I picked up a stainless steel box for free, so I used it as my electrical control box. Here is the front of the control box; switches w/ waterproof boots, indicator lights, shore plug and digital voltmeter.
Shore plug in use, it connects to the batter charger/maintainer
Back side of the front panel
Inside the control box
Spare fuse block and master on-off switch/circuit breaker
Voltmeter
I figured if the 4Runner has rock lights, the trailer might as well have them too. They are one watt LED flood lights and there will be a three-position switch on the trailer that controls the lights:
Truck ON – The lights will turn on when I turn on the 4Runner’s rock lights, they will feed off the trucks electrical system. Great for night wheeling to camp, and situating the trailer in a good spot after dark.
OFF – Enough said
Trailer ON – The lights turn on, feeding off the trailer’s electrical system. Great for setting up camp, finding stuff under trailer, and making people think there’s a UFO hanging out in the woods.
The HID reverse light works the same way.
Truck ON – The lights will turn on when I turn on the 4Runner’s rock lights, they will feed off the trucks electrical system. Great for night wheeling to camp, and situating the trailer in a good spot after dark.
OFF – Enough said
Trailer ON – The lights turn on, feeding off the trailer’s electrical system. Great for setting up camp, finding stuff under trailer, and making people think there’s a UFO hanging out in the woods.
The HID reverse light works the same way.
cosmiccharlie
Explorer
I really like how this turned out!
Mark Harley
Expedition Leader
Amazing finish....and to think it started as a truck frame.
This has been one of my favorite builds to follow.
Great out of the box thinking.
This has been one of my favorite builds to follow.
Great out of the box thinking.
Thanks!
Thanks Mark! I'm not done, just getting started on the fun part; using it and fine tuning it!
Crush Jeep
Adventurer
Looks great, do you have any pictures of the full set up while you were out with it? Also the wiring job is impressive, no doubt people think there is a UFO I the woods.
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Thank you! I have a couple pictures of the first time I had it in Moab, I've changed things around a little and streamlined the process since then. The trailer does not normally set so tall, I stacked rocks/wood to level it and the stabilizer bars unweight the suspension which makes it taller.
And some night time UFO shots!
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So that brings me to the end of what I will call “phase one”, I had a rolling trailer and a good platform. I used the trailer a few times and started a list of things I wanted to add or change; I’m sure all of us have been down that road.
First on the list was to lower the trailer a little; keeping with the budget build concept I really didn’t want to go out and buy new springs and shocks if I didn’t need to. So I decided to shorten the shackle down to factory length, this would lower the trailer around an inch or so.
Before
During
After
First on the list was to lower the trailer a little; keeping with the budget build concept I really didn’t want to go out and buy new springs and shocks if I didn’t need to. So I decided to shorten the shackle down to factory length, this would lower the trailer around an inch or so.
Before
During
After
Going back a little bit. After I installed the RTT I noticed the trailer moved around a lot more than I liked; both getting up into the tent, and moving around inside the tent, it was all a little “sketchy”. So I built some stabilizer bars (kind of like the out riggers on a back hoe) that unweight the rear of the trailer suspension, and plant it down where it sets.
They worked great! But, they took up valuable room inside the cargo area and beat the crap out of all the camping gear inside. I had planned on mounting them outside the trailer but I ran out of time when I made them.
First strut in place
Both in place
The struts have welded inserts for a tight fit, and to keep water out of them.
They worked great! But, they took up valuable room inside the cargo area and beat the crap out of all the camping gear inside. I had planned on mounting them outside the trailer but I ran out of time when I made them.
First strut in place
Both in place
The struts have welded inserts for a tight fit, and to keep water out of them.
I also replaced the battery with a group 34 Die Hard Platinum. The old battery was the stock 4Runner battery that came with the 4Runner when I bought it. It served its purpose for the first season, but it was leaking acid from bouncing around on the trail, and the cold of winter finally killed it
Old
New - I had to modify the tray and the hold down since I built it around the old battery and this one is a little bigger, but it was worth the work.
Old
New - I had to modify the tray and the hold down since I built it around the old battery and this one is a little bigger, but it was worth the work.
![1000x500px-LL-b2fdb6ac_lozGr_GIF_Collection_of_someone_eating_popcorn[1].jpg](https://forum.expeditionportal.com/data/attachments/152/152837-f0cfb8617ea7e6b75647603059541543.jpg?hash=8M-4YX6n5r "1000x500px-LL-b2fdb6ac_lozGr_GIF_Collection_of_someone_eating_popcorn[1].jpg")
I wanted a better solution for lighting inside the tent, and some place to plug in my electric blanket (rather than running the power cord outside). Since I was running all the wiring I figured it would be best to go overkill and only do it once.
First I wanted a remote control tent entry and set up light. The remote would allow me to control the light both inside, outside, and on my way back to the tent after hanging out around the fire. I wanted the entry way and lower ladder section lit up by the lights.
Control module
I started by installing the LED light strip on the ladder side of the internal bracing.
Picture of the under side tent lights, there is one in each corner
First I wanted a remote control tent entry and set up light. The remote would allow me to control the light both inside, outside, and on my way back to the tent after hanging out around the fire. I wanted the entry way and lower ladder section lit up by the lights.
Control module
I started by installing the LED light strip on the ladder side of the internal bracing.
Picture of the under side tent lights, there is one in each corner
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