Project 'Yeller'

[87Warrior]

In April of 2021 I decided the time had come for me to pull the RTT off of my Land Cruiser and permanently attach it to a trailer... a trailer that is always ready to go and could follow me anywhere I really want to take my 100 series Land Cruiser. This thread will attempt to show the progress on project 'Yeller'.

Objective: Have a trailer that is always ready for adventure.

Goals:

• Small cargo trailer that gear can be permanently stored in
• Water resistant construction
• Have the ability to haul two kayaks
• Hold a RTT and awning high enough so that I can walk under without ducking
• Tongue that allows for 90° jackknife
• Simple and effective electrical system
• Allow for permanent mount water tank

I spent an agonizing amount of time reading various trailer build threads across the web to learn what sort of design would work best for my needs. I then searched various forums, craigslist, FB marketplace and local classified postings for a trailer that could be modified for my use. In most cases a good trailer candidate was sold before I could take a look, or it was astronomically priced. I happened along a craigslist ad for a slightly overpriced trailer that looked to have potential. The ad had been up for over 20 days but it was still available when I inquired. It was probably still available because the seller would only take phone calls.


I went to check it out, negotiated a bit and proceeded to drag it home. My anxiety was sky high at the thought of dragging a trailer 80 miles home (in the rain) with no fenders, lights or knowledge of how the bearings looked.


Once I had the trailer in my possession, I created an arm chair plan for 'Yeller':

• Relocate axle under the tub at 60/40
• SOA and shocks with 235/75R15 tires
• 2-1/2x2-1/2x0.25 hitch 'backbone' with receivers at the front and rear
• 1-1/2x1-1/2x0.1875 rack structure
• The green boxes represent a kayak
• Awning and RTT height is 6' 6" from the ground
• Access doors front and year
• Weatherproof side flip up doors
• Paint (the yellow will go away, but the 'Yeller' never will)

 

[87Warrior]

The first step of the project was to remove the "box" from the frame. The construction of this trailer is interesting; the box bolts together and is a lot wider than the frame. I don't anticipate this being a problem, but if necessary I may add a swaybar to the frame and axle if side-side sway is an issue.


Adding the backbone to the trailer. This is a piece of 11'-2.5x2.5x0.25" square tube. Since this is square tube and not receiver stock, I will need to grind a small seam on the inside of it to fit 2" hitch accessories. The joy of working with old material can be seen on the floor. I spend 1/2 of my time grinding rust and paint to find clean metal. After the frame and rack are welded, I will media blast and paint.



The original tongue was bent and twisted, so I spent some time trying to straighten it out and figure out how it might attach to the new backbone.


With the tongue complete I started adding supports in the inner frame for a floor. This trailer never had a proper floor since a welder used to occupy that space.

 

[87Warrior]

I flipped the trailer over and finally stripped out the old/stiff suspension to layout the double eye springs and hangers. My initial thought was to position the axle at 40/60 on the box. I choose to bring the axle forward a little to 45/55 since I plan to have water storage in the front portion of the trailer box.


I also got the Compact Camping Solutions shock kit configured and the brackets attached to the axle. While working on the axle I attached the brakes and went to pack the bearings to mount the hubs. All of the bearings were damaged and looked like this:


I flipped the frame back over and loosely installed the springs and old axle to get an idea of how high the trailer would sit. Notice the shackles are already at a steep angle. This proved to be a poor choice later on in the build when more weight was put on the trailer.


Now that I had an idea of how high the trailer would sit, I attached the front jack then started working on the RTT and awning rack. This is made of 1.5x0.1875" tube. Once I had the height established (just above my noggin) I tacked the whole thing together. The next step is to cut a bunch of 45° gussets for the rack and burn it all in.

 

[87Warrior]

I started to test fit the "box body" back onto the trailer frame and quickly discovered that working around the rack was somewhat challenging. The rear rack supports did not provide adequate clearance for the rear most section of the "box body" to slide into position. The solution was to move the rear most vertical supports out a 1/4" on each side.


I received new Timken bearings for the axle hubs and spent some time cleaning, greasing and assembling the hubs then slid the axle under the trailer. To my surprise, the new assembled 3,500lb axle weighed substantially less than the old square tube axle. I found a set of Jeep Turbine wheels with 235/75R15 tires in my pile of parts and decided to mount them to the trailer. To my surprise the bore on the Turbine wheel was big enough to let the trailer hub pass through and looked darn good. I ultimately chose to use the Turbine wheels on project 'Yeller'.

Test fitting the fenders. I was worried these 10" fenders would be overkill, but I think they will work great!


The fender top will also make for a convenient work surface on both sides of the trailer.


The frame on this old welder trailer is a hybrid of 3/16 and 1/4" c-channel, plate and my addition of the 1/4" tube backbone. It is way overkill for my intended use and if I was starting from scratch I would certainly make a more efficient use of materials. Total trailer weight shouldn't be more than 120lbs over the original trailers weight.

I welded all of the old drilled holes in the "box body" shut and attached the fenders. Now that the rear panel of the "box body" fit between the rear rack supports, I worked on incorporating a rear door. I am thankful to be nearing the end of the grinding through 7 layers of paint to find clean metal ritual.

 

[87Warrior]

I cut and drilled the rack gussets and also put gussets in the corners of the rack. These should help prevent the rack from twisting. The drilled gussets will also make for nice tie down points or a place to hang stuff while at camp. The top of the "box body" had a giant hole in it with a haphazard lid when I bought the trailer. I settled on using boat deck hatches to fill the hole on the top. These should provide a water resistant cover and allow for easy venting of the "box body" in extreme heat.


I did find a front door solution that worked out pretty well.


I needed to finish prepping the 'box body' so I could take the whole thing apart and get ready for sand blasting. One of the last things to do was to install 4 used SouthCo locking latches for the side doors along with some generic handles. I repeated this same installation on both sides.


I removed the 'box body' from the trailer for the last time (let's hope!) and finished welding the rack and attached the receiver hitch reinforcement rings at each end of the backbone.

I then pulled the trailer frame out of the shop to media blast it. I really don't like blasting, but it is the best way to remove paint, rust and scale and end up with a consistent finish.

 

[87Warrior]

I pondered for awhile on how to remove the weld seam from the 2.5" backbone tubing. My first few tries were using tools I already had. I tried to use a reciprocating saw with a cutting blade on it with no success as well as a hammer and chisel. Then I tried to use a hand file and while the hand file was working (slowly) it was way more effort than I cared to do. Seeing this as an opportunity to buy a new tool I started looking at mini belt (finger) sanders but ultimately settled on a file that attaches to the reciprocating saw.


I drilled an 11/16" hitch pin hole at both ends of the trailer and both ends of the trailer will accept 2" hitch accessories.


After a bit of blasting clean up, the yellow finally started to disappear from Yeller! Here it is with one (of three) splotchy coat of DTM Chassis Black on the frame.


I finished stripping the paint from the 'box body' using any method available. While I am not sure how old the trailer frame is (I suspect its from the 60's) I do know that it has had at least 5 paint jobs (red oxide primer followed by: Cat yellow, white, blue, red, yellow). These layers of paint were a pain to remove since it was so humid in Kansas. I could hardly use the blaster since the two water traps I have didn't seem to catch all of the moisture in the air line clumping the blast media. Might be time to build a drier... The angle grinder with flap wheel and stripper wheel worked great though!

 

[87Warrior]

It took me almost a week to get the 'box body' components stripped and primed (yay... the yellow is GONE!!!!). The components where moved outside so I could get them ready to spray with Raptor liner. I am sure the folks from the neighboring county that drive my road think I am crazy.


I bought my first Raptor liner kit from TCP Global a decade ago for doing the bed of the [still incomplete] MJ project. The results were fantastic so I decided to use Raptor Liner from TCP Global again. I chose the tintable version of the Raptor liner for Yeller and went with "Charcoal Metallic" as the color. Mixing the Raptor liner is quick and easy: Fill the bottle of liner with the provided hardener to the next ridge in the bottle then dump in one bottle of the color tint and shake it like a shake weight!

Initially I followed the Raptor instructions and set my airline pressure to 60 psi (40-60psi is recommended). From my past experience I knew the higher the pressure the finer the texture. I wasn't thrilled with the rough texture of the Raptor liner being sprayed at 60 psi.


On the second coat I ran the line pressure to 85 psi, since I seem to remember spraying the MJ bed around 90psi. The texture was much finer and did a nice job smoothing out that rough first coat.


After the Raptor cured for 1 day, I taped off the fender and coated it in Chassis Black paint. You can also see the final texture of the Raptor liner.


Components moved inside and awaiting final assembly...

 

[87Warrior]

I cut the floor for the center part of the trailer using a PVC panel for the inner floor. I've never used this material before, but being water and mold proof is a huge bonus based on where it will be installed. It doesn't need to support any weight as weight inside the trailer will be sitting on the frame.

Then I started to reassemble the 'box body'. Between each steel panel on the 'box body' I am running a strip of 3/4" Butyl tape to try and keep some of the elements at bay. My least favorite part of the trailer is the back panel. It was clearly beat by an orangutan in it's previous life.


I am also starting to focus on the trailer's electrical system. I prefer easy to use and multiuse components when it comes to my overland projects. The trailer will have a 7 Pin connector and have a 20amp power provided by the vehicles second battery. Since there are no good spots to mount rocker switches in this trailer, I am going to use an Auxbeam switch kit and panel mount the thin switch pad inside the side door.

In the above picture you can see I already have new taillights. I modified these LED "Jeep" style taillights to have the tag light on its own circuit. Both lights have a tag light for some reason and I intend to switch the tag light as low output area lighting. The reverse lights will be powered by the tow vehicle and by a switch for more camp light options. A diode will prevent the tow vehicle reverse lights from illuminating when the trailer reverse lights are manually switched on. While this trailer is small enough it doesn't require amber clearance lights, I am adding two on each side at the bottom of the 'box body' at the front a rear. These clearance lights will illuminate with the taillights, but they will also have the ability to be manually switched on with diodes preventing the taillights from illuminating. I suspect these clearance lights will be my 'go-to' camp light.

I know most folks would rather bolt on a couple of small high lumen LED bars for area lighting. I have learned I dislike a lot of light at camp and prefer to let my night vision do it's thing. In the event I need additional light around the trailer, 4 Nilight "rock lights" at each corner of the rack should provide enough illumination. The trailer will have interior cargo light since it is pretty dark on the inside that will turn on whenever one of the 4 doors are opened.

 

[87Warrior]

The handles and locking latches were installed along with some adhesive backed weather stripping.


I then started working on getting the 4 doors mounted on the trailer. I lined the doors with butyl tape and then clamped them in place. I progressively tightened the clamps to evenly spread the butyl seal under the door. Once the door made contact with the 'box body' I drilled and bolted the doors in with #8 machine screws and locknuts.


I then secured the floor to the frame with galvanized carriage bolts/split lock washers and nuts. Once I get some miles on the trailer and know the floor will work out I will apply seam sealer.


I buttoned up the leaf springs and set the trailer weight on the axle in anticipation to finally do a test pull behind my Land Cruiser. I hear two loud pops when the trailer settled on the ground and noticed the shackle was laying against the frame. When I calculated the shackle angle months ago, I did not expect the springs to flatten out so much and collapse the shackle under the weight of the trailer. Ugh, now I have to move the rear shackle hanger back 2.5 inches. Ah, the life of DIY.

 

[87Warrior]

I was able to get new shackle hangers welded on and painted. Then I installed the shocks, tightened down the suspension, torqued the lug nuts and filled the tires with air. With an empty load the leaf spring shackles are sitting just past 90° towards the rear of the trailer; perfect.

First test pull was a success.


Starting to build the wire harness for Yeller. I wasn't sure what the best way to go about building a custom wire harness was, but I got it done. Sure am glad I had a wire diagram cheat sheet so I did't forget something.


And a bit of trailer farkle. I made a vanity plate. In Kansas, trailers under 2,000lbs are not required to be registered/tagged.

 

[87Warrior]

I decided to get Goodyear Trailrunner AT's in a 235/75R15 for Yeller. The spare tire mount under the tongue is a temporary solution until I can come up with something better.

The trailer electrical system is now fully operational. I opted to use an Auxbeam switch assembly for power distribution. The switch panel has an extension cable that will allow it be used in the RTT, stuck to the outside of the trailer or secured inside the trailer. This will be great for those late night nature calls!

 

[87Warrior]

The inaugural weekend run with the trailer was a success.



It pulled great on the interstate and down rough rutted roads. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it (almost) tracks perfectly behind the cruiser in tight turns. There was some "bounce" in the trailer on occasion, but I suspect once it actually gets loaded up for a trip the extra weight will makes the springs work more gracefully.


Two 'issues' presented themselves on the trip.

- Squeaky suspension sounds like a mid 90's Chevrolet truck. Since the bushings are new, I suspect it is due to a lack of lubrication. I am considering moving to a grease type "wet" spring bolt to make sure grease is in the bushing since it seemed to 'wipe off' when I installed the spring bolts.
- Unsecured RTT straps flap in a wind and make an annoying 'tap-tap' sound. A couple of those reusable gear-ties should fix that problem.

 

[john61ct]

Can I ask why you didn't just design and fab a custom unit from scratch?

 

[87Warrior]

Can I ask why you didn't just design and fab a custom unit from scratch?

I thought it would be easier, cheaper and quicker to start with something premade and modify it. Having spent 5 months on this project, I now know that was a bad assumption.

It probably would have been a lot easier to build from scratch, especially if I sourced clean metal. 3/4 of my time on this project was devoted to cleaning and prepping material in some fashion. The price of metal in 2021 certainly wouldn't have made the project cheaper for me. It's a 4 hour round trip for me to get to the nearest metal supply store.

I learned a lot doing this project. I also hope to learn if pulling a trailer on trips is really enjoyable as a DIY teardrop might be in the future.

 

[john61ct]

Using new materials **might** cost more but

obviously if you enjoy the fab work for its own sake, then no need to count your labour costs.

The biggest advantage to me of a custom rig is being able to design and get exactly what I want

My idea is to do a solid base platform, so that this RTT tub style "pod" could be swapped out for a future TNTTT one, maybe also a utility bed, boat cradle...