Redeth's Overland Trailer Build

[Redeth005]

Lookig good! Curious, junkyard sourced chassis(?), how much did you pay for it?? thanks, Brian

Thanks Brian, A buddy of mine from Instagram Let me have it for free. He had to make space in his backyard and he wanted the frame to go to a good project/build. So he really wanted to see what i could create with it. So he let me have it at no cost. It is an 87 or 89 first generation IFS toyota 4runner chassis.

-Richard

 

[Redeth005]

Today i cut off the the lower 4 body mount towers and made 2 new ones to match the height of the ones in the far back of the chassis.

First I welded a temporary right angle so i could have a level surface from front to back

Once i made sure it was all level i then took measurements from the front side of the transmission cross-member. I want the new body mount towers to be at the exact face of that transmission mount because that is where i want the large storage box to end. and the smaller box in front will begin at the face too.

Here i cut out the pieces to make the new mounts.


Getting it angled right.


Tall towers finally welded together


So here i have the long ruler extending from the rear all the way to the front of the chassis ending where that 2nd right angle ruler is. I have it mounted on the face of the transmission mount because this is where i want the long ruler extending from back to front to end. This creates a 90 degree angle and gives me a good surface so i know i am properly welding on these new towers onto the frame. I hope that makes sense because its hard for me to explain but you'll understand better once you see more pix.


There they are tack welded into place.


After making sure that everything was the correct height and leveled out throughout the entire frame. then i can finally weld them in permanently.

Not too bad for not having a welding project since my front bumper. It's been almost 2 full years since I last welded something on my own. Those are freekin' solid. They aren't going anywhere. What do my expert welding friends have to say about this? (This is MIG welding with co2) Soon I'm going to learn how to Arc weld. I never really got the hang of advancing the sticks because I finished the last project before i was able to get the hang of it.


Here is a better idea for you of what the perimeter of the box will be.




Because the backside of those new towers dont have any support further up toward the top side i decided to cut up some gussets that will give more support to them. They're gonna be mounted on the back side of those towers and sit on top of the frame. I'll get to welding those on tomorrow. For now, at least everything on the body is completely level all the way around and now I'll finally have a base to build off of. I also need to make 2 more body mounts for the middle section of the sides(from front to rear). So there isn't a "bow" when it has weight on it.



By the way if you're wondering why i used a torch to cut the gussets its because i ran out of those black cutting wheels for metal. and i didn't want to make the trip to harbor freight to buy another stack. Plus i didn't want to cut my good pieces of metal. i had these small rectangular pieces of metal from that body lift kit that my neighbor gave me. I didn't plan to use them but they are the perfect height to use on this application so i just figured why waste them.

Just need to grind them down a bit and sand them smooth again where the molted metal dripping solidified.

 

[Redeth005]

Here are the new gussets on the back side of the first tall body mount towers i made the other day.




Time to begin the smaller (middle) body mounts.
All cut out:




Squaring out the passenger side and making sure these mounts are parallel to each other.


Center mounts nicely welded into place.



Welds are starting to look a lot better! I just needed practice.
You cant see here but i have both the inside and outside parts of these mounts welded for a much more secure mount.




Ends of the bumper have been capped now. Welds came out okay but unfortunately i wasn't prepared to weld on such thin metal so the welds came up a bit more elevated the i would have liked. So i had to grind down the welds and just give it clean angles. I would have liked to just leave it as is but it wouldn't have looked so good.


Looks hella clean now! :great:



Wooo bumper is finally mounted onto it's permanent place on the frame! After this I need to add a simple rear hitch then begin on the trailer tongue.



I'd like to buy a few cans of primer tomorrow and start priming most of the frame to prevent surface rust from forming. For now this rubber under lining membrane for waterproofing showers will do just fine


That is all for now.

 

[Redeth005]

Today it was time to finish that rear bumper. I made the 2&1/2" square cut out for the receiver when i made the bumper. Now it was time to add the receiver. I had originally planned to use the one i bought at Harbor Freight but for as much as it costed i didn't want to have that heavy duty hitch for the super light duty stuff this receiver was meant for. So rather then buy another i figured i would make one with the left over steel i had laying around from when i made my front and rear bumpers.
Now that i learned how to cut somewhat precisely with the acetylene torch i cut out these pieces.


They are 2.5" wide and 7.5" long. I wish i would have cut all the pieces 2&1/4" it would have made it much easier to weld together with alot less grinding. And if you are wondering why i didnt just use a 2.5" square tube its because i didnt have any laying around. and rather then buy a small piece i figured i would just make one out of the scrap metal i had laying around.


Trailer hitch hole is marked, and indented in the center so i can make my holes with the drill. These have got to be the ugliest welds i ever done. But they'll hold up. Its totally fine, nobody will ever see them unless they go under the trailer and physically look for them lol


Perfect size. It is about 1/8" too big of a hole but it works for what i want to use it for.


Woooo Hitch receiver welded on. As you can see i welded it on both sides of the bumper so i can avoid getting water into the tube bumper. by doing this i'll make a water tight seal so it wont rust from the inside.


This is more like the reason i chose to do a hitch. mainly for this d-ring. In case i ever get caught in a bad spot while out exploring. I also wanted this for carrying light weight mountain bikes for cruising around when i dont feel like driving anywhere.


Surface cleaned up with acetone and then primed to prevent rust.


By the way, in case you are wondering where the hole sits on that receiver. Keep in mind that the bumper is made from 2"x4" steel tube. I left about 1/4" sticking out in the front of the bumper so i could have enough metal surface to get a good corner weld. And i have another 1/4", or 3/8" at most, on the back side before the hole starts. It's plenty of room to put that pin in place. I think it may even work with a locking type trailer pin as well.

 

[toyotech]

Looking good. Excited to see it closer to done


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[rustED]

Nice work Richard, the body mounts and bumper are looking great!

 

[rnArmy]

Someday I'd like to learn to weld. I'm looking forward to seeing how your project turns out.

I love Harbor Freight; I've got lots of "stuff" from Harbor Freight. A lot of things I've done to my trailer were cut with one of their cut-off saws. I've given one of their tow bars a good work-out. But that recovery shackle thing you bought I would not trust. It's just two tabs welded to the end of a piece of square tubing. I'd recommend you get something a little more serious like this:

 

[Cyberman]

I wouldn't be too worried about the shackle on the trailer. Not like you are going to recover a Jeep with your trailer. I used the same one on my truck for a while. I did use it to pull a few rigs. Eventually, I lost the shackle, and ended up with a bigger one for the truck.

 

[ACE JK]

Nice build

 

[indiedog]

Nice work so far Redeth. Great potential to look very mean!

This is way too late but wondering about stepping the box floor down at the front to bring it closer to the chassis. This would give you more storage and greater height for a fridge/freezer or other. That would however mean your newly created mounts would need to be cut down! :Wow1:

 

[Redeth005]

Nice work so far Redeth. Great potential to look very mean!

This is way too late but wondering about stepping the box floor down at the front to bring it closer to the chassis. This would give you more storage and greater height for a fridge/freezer or other. That would however mean your newly created mounts would need to be cut down! :Wow1:

Great question. That was my original plan but after inspecting my own 4runner I realized that the stock gas tank, which I plan to reuse as a spare gas storage, sits at that level. Yes the tank is on the right side, but the on board water storage will be sitting on the left and sit more or less at the same height as the gas tank. And the water tank will sit recessed protected by the frame plus an under plate in case I hit.

None of this makes any sense yet. But I have a huge update for all you guys later today. I haven't had any progress in the past 3 weeks because I ran out of money. And up until this past Wednesday I finally got paid and I bought all kinds if good stuff for the trailer. I'll post everything I bought in an update hopefully by tonight.

 

[Redeth005]

WOO HOOO! :sombrero: FINALLY SOME UPDATES! Well not to the trailer yet, but items are already ordered!

So Like i mentioned in the previous comment; the trailer project had been placed on hold for about 3 weeks because i ran out of money to spend. And also because i had just started my new career as a Surgical Technologist at UCLA hospital in Santa Monica CA and unfortunately for me they withhold the first biweekly check. So this week i finally got paid and was able to go crazy on spending.

I don't want to build carelessly without knowing the exact measurements/dimensions of the items i'm going to install into the trailer. It would really suck to build the storage compartments only to find out i came up too short on size to fit the stuff i want. So i went ahead and ordered a ton of stuff of this build with my first paycheck. The following items are one of the crucial parts that i wanted to include in my trailer; MY HEATED WATER SYSTEM FOR THE SHOWER! After many hours of research i finally found some affordable, compact, & 5 STAR rated items that i could use and be content with. Here is everything in a nutshell:

WATER SUPPLY:
Lets start with the water storage tank. This tank holds 15 gallons (57 liters). I chose this water tank because of it's low profile. Rather then having a super bulky box like your average RV or 5th wheel trailers the height on this tank measures only 8" the width is 30" and length is 16" this size will be a perfect fit directly next to the stock gas tank that i plan to reuse for a spare gas storage. It will be mounted right next to the tank and sit almost flush with the frame. I will most likely build a metal plate skid out of 3/16" just to protect the plastic water tank from rocks and stuff on the trail I cant tell you exactly how i will do it yet but once i have the tank it will be much easier to explain with pix. Details and link below:
15 Gallon Water Tank ------------------[$116.54+tax and S&H]
(H=8" x L=16" x D=30")
http://www.valterra.com/product/abs-water-tank-8-x-16-x-30-15-gallon/?pcat_id=1701


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Next up I researched for hours on end before finally making my mind up on a heated shower system heated by your average BBQ propane tank and low GPM(gallons per minute) speed. This particular model is rated 5 stars on multiple websites but one of the things that held me back from buying it before was that i didnt know how to rig this water heater to work off the grid where i dont have access to a home water hose that has normal water pressure. Without water pressure this thing wont work it needs at least 20psi of water pressure to work. So i did alot nore research and finally i came accross this guy on YouTube who explains exactly how to rig this water heater with a water compressor. Check it out:
How To Connect The Eccotemp L5 Water Heater to a Flojet Water Pump + Battery Starter Pack - YouTube

Here is where i bought mine off of
Eccotemp L5 -------------------[$119+tax and S&H]
Eccotemp L5 Portable Tankless Water Heater and Outdoor Shower - Portable Hot Water Heater - Amazon.com




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I went ahead and went with a water pump that gives less GPM then the one the guy in that youtube video used. My reason behind that is mainly to conserve water so i dont waste 15 gallons all in one day. This particular pump had better ratings too. This particular pump is 1GPM and works at 60PSI which is plenty to get the EcoTemp shower/heater working.
Shurflo 1GPM Water Pump that ----------------[$69.99+tax and S&H]
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...x1TZRSaXTPbwq8fMD4_1TL7hdwy83LhdyQaAhhv8P8HAQ




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As expensive as that small 1GPM water pump is it does have a chance of getting damaged with debris that can clog it and such so why not buy a simple filter that filters all the water entering that water pump. It'll get the job done and give my water pump a longer life. Best part about it is that the clear container at the bottom is unscrewable so you can open it up rinse and clean then reinstall it. quick and easy maintainence at low cost will keep your water pump working longer.
Shurflo Water strainer -----------------[$13.41+tax and S&H]
to enure longer life of water devices.
Amazon.com: SHURFLO (255-313) 1/2" Twist-On Pipe Strainer: Automotive




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The hose on the water heater device is way too short and will never reach all the way to my Cabellas shower tent. So i got this 118 inch (9.8 ft/3 meters) shower Hose Extension ---------- [$15.99+tax and S&H]
KES I3300 Extra Long Replacement Shower Hose 118-Inch (3-Meter), Stainless Steel - - Amazon.com



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This is going to be a pretty smaller compact area to refill my water tank. I was looking at the fancy chrome marine water fill ones but those cost way too much and i figured this is going to be locked away from the outside anyway behind a metal door. so i decided on this small (8 x 5 x 1 inches) Gravity/City inlet water filler
Water fill box --------[$21.28+tax and S&H]
Amazon.com: JR Products 497-AB-2P-A Polar White City/Gravity Water Hatch with Plastic Check Valve: Automotive




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As of right now the only thing that i need for this water system is going to be the is the brass adaptors for the tubing that attach onto the water tank and onto the water pump plus the 7/16" vinyl tubing. I didn't want to buy these items yet because i wanted to be sure how much i would have to buy and be sure on the exact threading sizes. Those items i can easily find at a Home Depot or Lowes warehouse. So that will be bought at a later time

But if you watched the youtube video i posted you will see what kind of tubing and brass adaptors i will need to make this work.

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And Steel items bought are a pair of Jeep Style Fenders that measure (10" wide x 36" long x 19.25" high.": -------[$78.99]
They are made of 16 guage steel. These are the biggest and widest fenders i was able to find. and 36" wide sitting at the top of a 35" tire i think they will be perfect size for some sort of flexing and articulation when placed at the correct distance away from the tire(maybe 6-7" away). I'm not gonna take this trailer rock crawling or anything so i think these will work out great for the terrain i plan to use the trailer on.
Pair of Trailer Fenders Single Axle 10"x36" Jeep Style Free Shipping | eBay





With everything i bought today plus tax and shipping and handling i spent a total of $392.48 That was a heap of cash but still peanuts compared to what the CVT tent and Fridge freezer is going to cost me. At least with the items i bought today i will be able to fabricate the front storage box and make trailer tongue already. With a propane tank holder area. Plus i still need to find a stock 14 or 17 gallon 1st gen 4runner gas tank with the skid plate for it. After i have the water tank storage with the stock gas tank installed at the right height then i can start building the large storage compartment floor or at least the base frame. but i cant fabricate anything on the rear compartment box until i figure out how to fabricate the cooler slide out. And that is going to become a challenge for me to do without having the fridge/freezer cooler in front of me. I will need to go based off of the dimensions online because it cost too much to buy right now. I will get more into detail about what fridge i chose and why at a later post.

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Now the updates don't end there! :wings:

Today i went to meet up with my buddy Ruben again (he's the guy who helped me pick up the chassis the day i brought it to his home) to pick up his donation for this trailer. He upgraded to some new heavy duty Trail gear springs and let me have these worn leaf springs with a slightly bent overload leaf on both. These are Trail-Gear 4" lift front leaf springs for a 1st gen 4runner/2nd gen pickup. They should work for what I plan to use them for. I doubt the weight of my trailer will ever require the use of the overload leaf anyway. So I think I'm in the clear. And in case you're wondering why i didnt use stock leaf springs or why im going with a lift on the trailer this is why....
I wouldn't mind the stock leaf springs but stock leafs would most likely sit way too low. I want to get a close match from the trailer to my 1st Gen 4Runner height. That's why I never bought stock springs off Craigslist. These Trail-Gear springs are going to sit slightly lower then the 4" of lift they say they get; this is mainly because they are front leaf springs instead of rear ones. But I'm totally fine with that. It is supposed to be a 4 inch lift but he broke them in and now they sit at about 3" of lift but since I'm going to use them in the rear of the chassis they will most likely sit at a 2" or 2.5" lift which is about where I want to be on this build.


Also if you are wondering why the leaf springs are damaged its because He was traveling about 50mph and hit a small rut that bent the springs. They still work fine. And then the last blow was when he rolled over his truck. That was when he decided to just go with a new set of leaf springs. Believe it or not these springs only have 2 wheeling trips on them haha! He goes all out when it comes to offroad as you can see...

Next update is that today i went digging in my closet and found my old AllPro-offroad 4" shackles from when I replaced them with 6" to fix the rear sagging. Glad I kept them! I'll be using these shackles paired with the donated leaf springs I just brought home to get at least 3" of lift on that trailer to match the lift I have on my 4runner. And also here are a bunch of spring bushings that I got off the person who sold me the front axle that is currently on my 4Runner 3 & 1/2 years ago from before I did the solid axle swap on the truck. Wooo I'm so happy I'm off to a great start with this project SO MANY DONATED ITEMS! So grateful to everybody who has helped me out with parts.

 

[toyotech]

Sweet mother of goodies. I been eying those water tanks but unsure how you tap it for lines. Let me know how it's done and photos help. I need one for my OBS as well


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[Redeth005]

Sweet mother of goodies. I been eying those water tanks but unsure how you tap it for lines. Let me know how it's done and photos help. I need one for my OBS as well


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From what I read, and observed on 1 person who did a YouTube video it looks like they are pre tapped holes. Unless he did it himself. I'll have to let you know once the tank arrives I hope it is already threaded I don't want to have to worry about tapping the plastic and risk breaking it on my own stupid error lol

And I'll definitely post a ton of pix. Don't I always? Lol

 

[Mashurst]

Looks like the tank is threaded 3/8. Presumably this is npt. Also note that the pump is not rated for drinking water. I'll be waiting to see how it works out I have looked at these tanks for a trailer I am building. I think for my use I will want a pump rated for drinking water. May be harder to come by.