Reality of cargo trailers off road?

[poriggity]

I have taken mine threw the woods and lived in it all last summer, but no major photos like you are looking for. However, it is in the process of being rebuilt so I can take it to those mythical places you speak of, that an m416 will go.

Holy cow I absolutely love this trailer! Got any interior pics?

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[jscherb]

There's a trailer (not mine) in the first 20 seconds of this video I came across on Facebook, it's apparently from the Vermont Overland Trophy event last year. The trailer appears in the very beginning, then the camera focuses on a red Toyota for a bit, then it's back to the trailer going over the rocks.

https://www.facebook.com/tim.smith.1884/videos/10204397046315688/

It's a fiberglass Dinoot trailer tub kit, which is how I came across it - I was searching for them.

 

[beardus supremous]

Holy cow I absolutely love this trailer! Got any interior pics?

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These are over the summer, it is gutted at the moment to be redone.

 

[verdesardog]

verdesardog, Great looking home. How big is the trailer that it is build on??

The bed of the trailer is about 6'6"x12'.Here is a link to the build thread on another forum: http://americanadventurist.com/forum/threads/not-a-tear-drop.1075/

 

[Septu]

You really just need to decide what you really need the trailer for and where you will actually end up taking it. Not the pie in the sky wish list, but where you would really pull it. Speaking from experience, those are two very different lists of trips.

I ran a Little Guy Rough Rider teardrop and my m101 off road trailer for the last 2 summers. Loved both, but the reality was I wasn't taking the LG down anything more than a gravel road or a super easy trail that I knew well. Unfortunately that basically relegated it to road trips and campgrounds... so I sold it. And while my m101 isn't quite as nice for campgrounds and road trips, with the tent that I have on it, it's not really an issue.

Do I need my m101? Absolutely not. The truth is for 95% of the camping I do, I could use a standard travel trailer. But I hate sleeping on the ground and decided to get a trailer that could go pretty much anywhere my jeep can go. Could you build a cargo trailer to do that? With enough time, money and effort probably. The question is why? You either need or want your trailer to go anywhere, in which case perhaps a large cargo trailer isn't the right setup for you. Or it's something you will likely never do, but like the idea of it being able to go most places (kind of like me with my m101).

Whatever you go with, there's going to be compromises. They might range from just going slower over the trail (such as with my m101) to not taking it on that trail. And while I can't speak for you, I would suspect that if the majority of the people on this forum were honest with themselves, that the vast majority of us do not "need" a true off road trailer for the vast majority of our camping needs. But hey, they look amazing (mine included).

 

[stoverjoe]

I have a 5x12 utility trailer that I built a 5x8 "camper" on. The front 4' is for storage. This year, before we hit the Arizona strip I am putting a (bigger) lift kit on the trailer. Should clear 35s like the truck. But I'm toying with the idea of putting wheelbarrow wheels/tires on the back corners to deal with the dips. Anything you want to take offroad is either ready, or a "few mods" away from being ready...imho

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[normal_dave]

Here's our "base-camp" cargo trailer conversion. I thought too big for anything but light overlanding, since I normally tow with my '95 E-150 2WD van.

I've just added a full-size Montero to the stable that is more than capable of towing my trailer even fully loaded. So now I'm wondering if this would be overkill for some trips? I'm thinking I could tow to the location where we would setup camp then roam out from the basecamp with the Montero.


We typically family camp in it, but also use it for day trips to kayak or mountain bike, because depending on the trip, everything is loaded, secured, ready to go. With the kids off to school, it is usually just us here lately, but we still like the convenience.
Here's a build thread for more info:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=48345

Just for fun, here's an off-road cargo conversion made by the same company that built our base trailer
http://www.coloradotrailersinc.com/2016-cargo-craft-elite-v-5x10-off-road-cargo-trailer-new-cargo-trailer-co-i1821272

 

[Rutdigger]

I don't have any shots of it, but before I built my UEV I took my little 4x8 Look cargo out to ELK camp in Colorado a cpl times. It had stock suspension on it with oversized tires for a trailer. The problem I had with mine was the stock suspension configuration. I hate, hate, hate the way a stock leaf spring trailer axle bounces all over the place. That is the main reaso I build Trailing Arms for my trailers now. A cargo trailer can be an adventure pull anywhere trailer IF you change the suspension configuration and get a some type of hitch that allows more articulation in all directions. That will be the next addition to my trailer. As for the shape, it will go anywhere your rig can pull it. This Sep I will get you some action shots of my suspension on my UEV on the ELK trails.

 

[normal_dave]

Awesome build you have there Rutdigger, I agree about standard leaf spring setups on single axles, although the tandem setup is very forgiving, on the bumpy roads, one reason I went with it even though I didn't need the weight carrying capacity. I knew I would have some limitations, but I've been some places I didn't think should go.

 

[Mass_Mopar]

Some great looking trailers in this thread!

You really just need to decide what you really need the trailer for and where you will actually end up taking it. Not the pie in the sky wish list, but where you would really pull it. Speaking from experience, those are two very different lists of trips.

Whatever you go with, there's going to be compromises. They might range from just going slower over the trail (such as with my m101) to not taking it on that trail. And while I can't speak for you, I would suspect that if the majority of the people on this forum were honest with themselves, that the vast majority of us do not "need" a true off road trailer for the vast majority of our camping needs. But hey, they look amazing (mine included).

Amen. I'm in the process of ordering a 5x8 cargo trailer to serve as a basecamp. It'll be small and light enough to tow behind my Rubicon. My RTT will go on it, and I'm working on a design for a dinette / bed to use when the weather is nasty. Honestly, the only reason we'd sleep in it is in high winds or extreme cold when the tent is unbearable, so it doesn't need to be very big.
On our recent trip to Canada, in 13 days we slept in the tent for 11 and in the jeep for 2. A cargo trailer would've worked perfectly for 100% of that trip, where we would drop it at a campsite and go explore the local area for a couple days, then hook up and move a few hundred miles away, and repeat. Very much looking forward to it.

 

[wesel123]

Built up a cargo trailer a few years ago. I dragged this trailer all over the place. Mangle pass, 2 trips over the Mojave. Stayed rock solid for all the years I used it.

3500# axel with breaks
Modified to accept lock and roll coupler(2" receiver up front)
31" tires
Added shocks
Chuck Box mounted on swing out door
Custom High lift mounts for leveling and for storage
Reinforced frame (1/8"-2x4 steel tube)
4 Yakima cross bars for roof top tent (had and 1800 Eezi Awn)

 

[TwinStick]

Also, in all honesty, it would be super simple for any cargo trailer manufacturer to make a cargo trailer with a good lift & 33-35" tires. They would sell them so fast, they wouldn't be able to keep them in stock, IMHO anyways. But the reason they don't is because of the litigious world we live in. Liability. It can shut down a company quick. 1 good law suit is all it would take. Sad really. Just ask anyone who has taken a new 4x4 seriously off road. Electronic nannies are a nightmare sometimes, when off road. Imagine climbing a steep dangerous hill & get halfway up it & your truck dies because the transmission fluid runs to the rear & the sensor is towards the front. It senses there is no oil & shuts it down to "prevent damage", while you roll helplessly backwards down the hill, with no brakes, no steering and crash or total your truck. Someones great idea who has never gone off-road in their life. That happened to some 3rd Gen Power Wagon owners with automatic transmissions. I have a manual trans & luckily I have not had that happen to me.

 

[Weeds]

Checkout www.coloradotrailersinc.com they sell an off-road cargo trailer.

 

[bamabrock]

These guys are coming out with an overland edition of their cargo campers. They appear pretty stout. https://m.facebook.com/weeroll/

 

[MOguy]

I have a 5x10 cargo trailer. It is a little big for allot of the trails out my way but use it for base camping, kayaks or getting fire wood out of the woods.