The Anti-Trailer thread

[Pokey]

Theres been some great discussion of trailer weight going on in another thread and rather than hijack- i thought i would start this discussion on the next logical step in the "trailers are too heavy" concept.

To start and end i would make this assertion--->For guys with smallish-FJ40/Wrangler-esque statured vehicles- with next to no cargo space to begin with---a trailer might be the only option. But for people with larger 4-door or extended cab vehicles- i believe i need to draw the line in the sand at not hauling an extra 700lbs of trailer to carry 500lbs of crap.

Being in the larger capacity family of vehicles with my FZJ80, im now thinking that a swing away-hitch mounted cargo tray may be the logical solution--- these easily hold 12+cu feet of space: 58" width/ fridge depth/and 30-40"tall (to not block rear visibility completely)

-goosenecked a bit over the rear bumper height and you will have no issues with offroad clearance.

-according to CHP you can extend over a few feet without backup lights

-tongue weight on average class 1-3 hitches is good for 250-500+lbs. (although id choose to have heavier items like batts/water near the center of the cab. behind front seats and leave the lighter bulkier stuff for the bumper-cargo spot).

-lower (than roof) for better center of gravity offroad

-no aerodynamics issues

-no major backing up issues on trail like a trailer

-swing away to allow easy rear hatch access.

-even a beefy overdesigned carrier should only weigh-50lbs or so and still offer 12+cu feet of carry capacity...............much better than a 700lb trailer for 18-20cu ft.

Im wondering if anyone has experience with any of the aftermarket ones???? drawbacks? concerns?? issues???? And more importantly--what kewl ideas do people have floating around their grey matter on design for a swingout cargo platform (ala kitchen, storage,etc.). And once again to not offend anyone------>For guys with smallish-FJ40/Wrangler-esque statured vehicles- with next to no cargo space to begin with---a trailer might be the only option.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I think a rear mounted storage basket is a good solution for some, depending on the terrain of course. I think for basic trails there would be few downsides, weather, mud? Depending on the weight you load them with, you could have some funky handling (light front end) but I doubt you'll too heavy? The issue with most gear IMO isn't as much the weight as the volume ti takes up.

 

[elcoyote]

Most of the hitch carriers I have seen pose the same downside of reducing your departure angle on the trail. If you decide that a rear carrier is the way to go for you, I recommend that you have nothing less than a class III hitch and that either the carrier or the hitch pin you use with it removes the sway from the carrier caused by the slop between the carrier 2" tube and the receiver tube.

Another potential downside to these carriers depending upon your vehicle is access to your rear cargo area. If you have a swing away tire carrier or swing door such as in the FJ Cruiser, you may not be able to open them if the gear on your carrier exceeds the height of the bottom of the door or tire carrier.

If you opt to use this kind of carrier, remember to plan for it's other short comings such as security, protection from weather and trail hazards.

Before becoming a builder of trailers I used to carry all of my gear on board the vehicle in a false bed arrangement that I built and slept on top of. This necessitated regular packing & un-packing which became a drain on my time hence the evolution of AT. Our trailers carry far more than the 18-20 cu ft you mention, 42-54 cu ft is more accurate and they only transfer 10-15% of their weight to the vehicle tongue and do not tax the vehicle suspension as much as 250-500 lbs of gear in a rear carrier. Obviously I have a bias towards trailers. Most importantly, you need to find the solution that works for you and your application through an informed decision making process.

 

[prepmech]

One problem I've had with them in the past is they will twist side to side if loaded unevenly or rubbed on the ground on hills. One 2" square tube in the middle just doesn't give them enough support. If you are going to be making your own and have a way to add the hitch recievers to your vehicle, having a mount on each side would be awesome. You would probably gain quite a bit of capacity too.

Make sure to add some tail lights to it if it is going to cover up the stock ones.

Ranch-hand, the company that makes the hideous "Texas" bumpers for trucks makes some nice ones that are quite a bit stronger than most. They call them wheel-less trailers.

 

[robert j. yates]

I spent some good money on a heavy duty rear hitch bumper, tire rack and gascan/watercan rack and and Hi Lift mount and you know what....after doing one hell of a wheelie and standing my rig up on all that crap hanging off the back of my rig, I stripped it all off and sold it for pennies on the dollar. Stuff hanging off the back = bad in my opinion.

 

[Andrew Walcker]

...Stuff hanging off the back = bad in my opinion.

Words of wisdom, I couldn't agree more.

 

[shahram]

Stuff hanging off the back = bad in my opinion.

Word.

Not to mention that hovering your gear off the back of the vehicle will have a larger effect on your rear suspension, because the gear platform acts as a lever.

My feelings about this subject are pretty standard. I think Tom Sheppard hits it on the head. No roof racks. No fluff on the back of the vehicle. Pare down the gear as much as possible, organize, and lash it down good, close to the center of gravity, and between the axles. If the need arises because passengers take up the bulk of interior storage, a well-built trailer with long travel suspension, filled to half its capacity, is the most viable solution. But, since most of us aren't crossing the Sahara with little to no supply depots, very few of us have need for it.

If people can live out of this:

Then we can make do with this:

 

[adrenaline503]

If people can live out of this:

Then we can make do with this:

[/QUOTE]


EXACTLY!! I have lived out of a pack so many times that a truck bed and wildernest seem like luxury. I often think people like seeing how much they can haul, rather than how little they can live on. I often feel that less is more. The one aspect of a trailer that I like is that you can drop it off at a camp site and still have your vehicle pretty light. Anywho, good points from everyone.

 

[Pokey]

My basic idea was to move away from the low hanging-wire mesh open to the general public types out there and come up with something new with good angle so as to not effect the departure angle.

I have no real concern for weight. Heck- anyone with a 4x4labs- Hanna- Arb rear bumper has bolted on 200+lbs right out of the box---hanging single and sometime dual 35" tires dual jerries-and a hi lift-with not one issue at all. Thats 400+lbs on every tom/********/harrys 80 series--and ive never heard a peep about wheelie popping.

My goal would be capacity with the intent to keep the heavy articles in the rig with a sealed container (protect things from mud/wet/burglers). At most it would be nice to get the fridge as the heaviest with lightweight bulky stuff like tents-bags-clothing(everything else light that normally might get thrown on the roof.) Probable total weight--250lbs max including the carrier.(less than your avg bolt on rear bumper and probably 1000+lbs less than a trailer setup.

I agree- an 80 series with 2cnd and 3rd rows removed is a cavern. And up to now- i havent needed more capacity. I guess the goal is to keep it that way. My main interest was to simply shift some of the bulkier items off the rear full length bed-so theres minimal offloading of gear when we pull into camp on a dark-rainy night. Ideally id like to have the swing out hitch hold the fridge and a bunch of bags and a propane tank--that way we just can roll into the back--shift a few bags to the front seats and call it a night.

 

[Funrover]

For me, if I had a roof that folded up it's be perfect. I love my Rover don't get me wrong, but if I am stuck inside for awhile due to rain or something of the sort I want to be able to stand up at least!

I love trailers, and for me it makes more sense(as I often have 4 people) but if I could have a fold up roof that lets me create sleeping for two then the other 2 could stay below.. that would be ideal. That way it's all in one!

Now for the rear cargo basket.. BAD at least for my applications. Something like a dormobile is just aout perfect!

 

[shahram]

I have no real concern for weight. Heck- anyone with a 4x4labs- Hanna- Arb rear bumper has bolted on 200+lbs right out of the box---hanging single and sometime dual 35" tires dual jerries-and a hi lift-with not one issue at all. Thats 400+lbs on every tom/********/harrys 80 series--and ive never heard a peep about wheelie popping.

I don't know about wheelie popping, but think instead about axle weight limits. You'd be surprised how easy it is to overload an axle. You throw four guys and a week's worth of minimalist gear--tents, sleeping gear, personal gear, camp kitchen, cooler or two full of cold ice and beer and food, etc.--into an 80 series, and you're getting close to, if not exceeding, the axle's designed limits. In most applications, the rear über-duty bumper with the dual wheels, gerries and hi-lift are overkill anyway. The type of four wheeled exploration we do here in North America rarely, if ever, requires that much equipment relegated to the rear bumper. I have the Kaymar rear tire carrier for the OEM bumper, and even though it couldn't weigh more than sixty pounds, the added sixty pounds of wheel and tire made a difference to the (then stock) suspension. The weight that far off the rear axle gets some leverage when the bouncy-bounce starts.

 

[teotwaki]

One assumption in the first post is that a person with a 4 Door is all alone in the vehicle. When my family and I fill 4 seats it is a different equation. We'll head to Lake Powell and jam in clothing, camping gear, climbing gear, a kayak, gas cans, food, water cans, off-roading gear and much more. The folks in the back seat have to use a swimmer's snorkel out the window to breathe. If they opened the window all the way something important might fall out.

A trailer looks mighty attractive to me

 

[CA-RJ]

I don't know about the rest of you, but even when I'm by myself, I don't like having the back of my 4Runner all cluttered up with stuff. Even if it's neat, I still don't like having it there. For me, having a trailer will be more of a convenience.

 

[CodyLX450]

I've seen people have trouble driving on paved roads with those hitch basket setups. There's many parking lot/driveway entrances out here that because of the slope of the road down into the gutter, then curb and slope up of the entrance - most people would be dragging/damaging those carriers.

 

[Dave]

There's got to be something said for the "plug and play" aspect of a trailer. You could, essentially, have it primed and ready for action all the time. When it's time for play, fill the fridge and go.

I suppose the same could be true if your daily driver and your play vehicle are not one in the same.