The Bushbaby - Custom Offroad Trailer

[timmysj66]

Welcome to the Bushbaby trailer project!

This has been project I've been planning for over a year and I've been collecting the materials and every thing for the last 5 months. It was time to dive in!

Here is my value list: (I have the right to change my mind midway through!

1. Must be able to go off the grid
2. All season camping capable
3. Matching wheel tracking and tire size to match my Land Cruiser. (Only need to carry on spare!)
4. No wood materials or anything that can rot (I just finished rebuilding an old shasta trailer.... yikes!)
5. Standing height inside (6ft)
6. Full Queen Mattress
7. Full interior Kitchen
8. Shower and composting toilet
9. Rear hatch for fun and to act as a toy hauler
10. Compact and east to haul with almost zero set up time.

Here we go!

 

[timmysj66]

Frame is welded! My welding skills are average... I'm super lucky to have a friend that is a professional welder to do the real import welding.

This is the steel I used for the frame. (You can see my cut list in the diagram below)
3 - 20'x2x3 (.120)
1 - 20'x3x3 (.188)
1 - 20'x2x2 angle (.120)

 

[timmysj66]

My 1.5mm FRP showed up from Vetroresina the other day for the composite walls I'm going to build. 527 LB's shipped across the states was not fun, but super stoked to get it!

With 112ft x 8 ft, I tried my best to design my trailer size with minimal waste in materials as I could. We'll see what happens.

 

[timmysj66]

Guesstimating the axle placement was an adventure.... people all over the internet recommended the 40/60 rule... I was interested in a more accurate guess. Thanks to the math help from: https://mechanicalelements.com/trailer-axle-position/
and 5 pages of math and 3 stressful days of pulling my hair out, I commited to 126" from the end of the hitch. Wee!

 

[jwiereng]

and 5 pages of math and 3 stressful days of pulling my hair out, I committed to 126" from the end of the hitch. Wee!

Thanks for sharing. Cool math. 60/40 is rule of thumb often quoted and requoted, but that thumb is too broad. Main thing I dislike about the 60/40 rule of thumb is that is does not do a good job of factoring in the tongue length. Usually expo type of trailers have a longer tongue that the big box store utility trailers.

I much rather prefer the 10-15% range of advice. Interesting that it also depends on tow vehicle. For example if I have a Chev 3500 with empty bed I'd like more weight on the tongue than if I had a 2 door Jeep, all things being equal. I have been tempted to think about a movable axle, but to incorporate beefy, stand-on-able fenders is a big challenge.

 

[billiebob]

60/40 is for uniform loading but it actually refers to weight distribution.

Calculate the load and center the axle so 60% is ahead of the axle 40% is behind the axle.
Regardless of the tongue length. Calculate based on the full load including the storage box weight.

60/40 refers to pounds, not inches.

 

[billiebob]

60/40 is for uniform loading but it actually refers to weight distribution.

Calculate the load and center the axle so 60% is ahead of the axle 40% is behind the axle.
Regardless of the tongue length. Calculate based on the full load including the storage box weight.

60/40 refers to pounds, not inches.

An other way to think of it.... weigh the trailer, set the axle so 10-15% of thebtotal is on the hitch....
To do that you might need to build it, load it, scale it, then place and weld on the axle mounts.

 

[timmysj66]

I've been slacking on updates here.... but the work hasn't stoped. I painted it this summer with some DTM enamel. I'm regretting not doing a rino coat or something.... I may consider that as I'm not entirely pleased how the enamel turned out.

 

[timmysj66]

Built a 8'x12' working platform to start laminating my walls. My bubby said I'd need at least 4 people every time I wanted to lay down a sheet of the FRP..... instead I built a pulley system with suction cups to slowly lower the FRP to the foam.

For the walls I'm using 1.5 mm FRP laminated with West Systems Epoxy to 2" 40 PSI Foam Board.

I did a test piece, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. I'm nervous to do a full 8x12 wall!

Also, unrelated to this build.... last photo is of the 1964 Shasta I just finished and sold! Now I can fully focus on The Bush Baby!