Trailer Usage and Desirements

[Bongo Boy]

Oklay...this is the 3rd attempt I've made to get at this thing.

I'm trying to understand how folks use their trailers, what they feel a trailer should do and be, etc. That's all. I see myself building one from scratch and I'd like to know how the Trailer People use them.

I car camp and have always had enough room in the TJ for all our gear. These are short, 3-day excursions not too far from the nearest Starbucks.

To do more, have more fun, to go further and to do it on far shorter notice...I see a trailer as the answer.

So...I see a lot of folks taking M101s or the like and putting tents on them. What I'd prefer is a trailer that supports deployment of any rectangular plan tent on a nice flat, levelable platform. I'd prefer a fairly-well compartmented trailer, where everything I need has a place and that's the place it goes in. I don't want to 'pack' the trailer...I'd prefer the trailer to be where I store my camping gear, and where I deploy it from when in camp. IOW, trailer is the camp, camp is the trailer.

Need to abandon the trailer for an entire day while we do what we do...so it needs to be secure from predators human and otherwise. Non-towable while in camp, unless you winch it onto another trailer and take it away.

Water storeage, some fuel storage, batteries, umbilical to the rig for battery charging and compressed air maybe (I'm thinking my air tank goes in the trailer), and most important...it's really light unloaded. I'd like to shoot for something closer to 500lbs empty vs 700-800 lbs, so 90% aluminum construction might be an option--as much as I dislike the material in every regard. I'm looking for as small a cross-sectional area as possible for those miserable highway jaunts across the flatlands..Wyoming and can be hellish in a TJ.

So...how much thought have folks given to something other than trailer as 'great big storage bin'? I'd like to eventually get down to no-kidding layout, and I'm talking about where every drawer and compartment goes. For now, I'd like to concentrate on general conops...what do you DO with the trailer from camp setup to bustin' 'er down?

 

[JIMBO]

:rappel: I used to have to load everything in my Xterra and never had enough STUFF when we went camping/fishing

So now when we go, we just put the sleeping gear and the tent in the back of the X

The trailer carries all the camping gear/batteries/solar/fishing gear/tools/inflatable boats/powered cooler/stove--you name it

With the Lock-&-Roll hitch I got from AT, towing is no problemo

Now I can carry so much more and be able to just free my rig for exploring

I have never had the camping ease, before, my tent either attaches to the back of my X For sleeping security)

Or I can set it up free-can't beatit !!

:gunt: JIMBO

 

[Rezarf <><]

An AT Chaser with RTT and custom drawers/boxes fits your bill... all except for the aluminum part of it.

Awesome guys to boot.

That said, I built mine from scratch. It does what we want it to do, store our gear, have water, sink, shower, stove, RTT, 12 power, charging systems, and soon hot water.

We have lots of room so we can free up the rear of the fj40.

My trailer is heavy, but no biggie behind the tractor motor that is the 2f.

For us, we live in Colorado outside of Boulder and we have Gods playground in our backyard, so we will have everything already loaded for a quick weekend, overnight or longer trip... just add water and food and go.

Drawers are the next items to build on our trailer and that will include a slide out kitchen, and storage boxes.

My sig has a link to my build up.

Good luck.

Drew

 

[TheGillz]

Main objectives:

1. Free up all space in Jeep for persons with small personal Items. (persons listed in sig)
2. Be able to go where the Jeep can go. (ruled out factory pop up style trailers and small utility)
3. Be able to afford it this summer for a trip that was planned for august, and be able to use it much more to get us out of the house.

Secondary objectives:
1. Ease of packing to get help motivate us to get out of the house. (camping supplies will stay packed in trailer instead of garage/shed)
2. Be able to have matching wheels/extra spare for Jeep.
3. Be able to carry RTT
4. Have area for gally.
5. Have enough storage for family of 4
6. Be able to expand capabilities as needed.

AT was first choice, the money issue ruled that out quick, unless we wanted to wait 2-3 years to afford one. We looked really hard at the Outlander Sherpa II, but in the end it was juuust out of our price range.

Well having been on this site for a while turned out to be an enormous blessing because we met Mike(Geotracker90) who is a great fab guy and we were able to work out a deal that is good for both of us. As you can see by reading our build thread it is going famously!

 

[Tucson T4R]

The King Kampers (US version of Kimberly Kamper) is a little on the extreme end and I wouldn't want to try to fab one up in my garage, but they are a great example of efficient use of space and specific storage for all your camping/cooking stuff.

Freeing up my 4Runner for people and dog and being able to disconnect the trailer and go play without packing up my base camp were priorities. Having it always packed and ready to go with just food and water to pack at the last minute is great.

The flexible set up options from quick and simple to a ridiculously huge enclosed area (200 sq ft) with a wood burning stove for long winter hunting base camps makes it very versatile.

It is built rugged enough so that I can tow it through about 80% of where my 4Runner can go without it.

 

[Honu]

my main objectives like others are room to carry more and not have it in the rig

comfy camping with little ones so king size bed was a must until they get older then they will get their own tent on the rig
I want to have my lafuma style recliner, dual fridges, lots of water. carry a nice shower/head tent, have a nice sturdy comfy eating table and chairs, be able to easily carry a decent inflatable for water fun, have enough space for the little ones to bring some toys they will like along with such as a wagon which can do dual purpose for us

easy to get into !
this was the one thing I wanted easy access all the way around to get to the kitchen and clothes when the tent was on/up so the tilt top trailers were out for me

organized so having some pull outs and storage that I could also keep it ready to go at a moments notice drop in the food I want and go

I do plan on keeping it loaded with at least a weeks food in MRE fashion at all times just in case
being able to have water (mine has twin tanks) 150 liters total

also the tent I wanted a room off the top tent and a awning that I could wall in

my cousin lives in Dubai and he said over there they use this double shade technique a lot where something large shades something smaller and it really helps out
so having a large awning over the main rig was a must


I dont care to much about weight with the feeling I will bring what I need and I cant see it being a problem

size ! I wanted something smaller than my rig and durable enough to go anywhere I wanted to

I loved the clamshell king Kampers but no king bed
while the weight and size was on the top end they are top notch
I looked at the south african and oz stuff and fell in love with the designs and lucky ended up with a conqueror so got everything I wanted

 

[Bongo Boy]

I have never stayed in one location long enough to warrant "flying that much sheet", but I have to admit Tucson's setup does indeed make me salivate profusely. I thought the trailer looked enormous in the first shot, but as I scrolled down I started singing Who lyrics (watch the police and the tax man miss me, I'm mobile!). Striklee first class accomodations.

The weight preoccupation isn't so much a matter of worrying gross takeoff weight as it is the desire to trade 150 lbs of airframe for 150 lbs of water. That would be worth quite a bit of effort, I think. I'm most likely a short-ranger, but still, I'm thinking shower and toilet as the Main Thing here.

I'm happy to see similar viewpoints on the rapid mobility idea. That's the other Big Point: I am frustrated by any time at all spent 're-thinking' and 're-doing' the packing experience. This is inexcusable when we all have so little time. I'd like to devote planning to where, and not so much what. The only specs I should need relative to the trailer are how far and weather.

Close-up photos of the slide-outs would be hugely fun...I see a wash basin and what I suppose is a flatware compartment, but I can't make out the details of that drawer, or anything of the other one. These are KEY features I'm looking for--a fierce and sudden ****storm starts and my image is of throwing things into their places and camp is secured in a heartbeat, without 3 hours the next am trying to figure out where the flippin' coffee pot is.

 

[Tucson T4R]

I have never stayed in one location long enough to warrant "flying that much sheet", but I have to admit Tucson's setup does indeed make me salivate profusely. I thought the trailer looked enormous in the first shot, but as I scrolled down I started singing Who lyrics (watch the police and the tax man miss me, I'm mobile!). Striklee first class accomodations.

The weight preoccupation isn't so much a matter of worrying gross takeoff weight as it is the desire to trade 150 lbs of airframe for 150 lbs of water. That would be worth quite a bit of effort, I think. I'm most likely a short-ranger, but still, I'm thinking shower and toilet as the Main Thing here.

I'm happy to see similar viewpoints on the rapid mobility idea. That's the other Big Point: I am frustrated by any time at all spent 're-thinking' and 're-doing' the packing experience. This is inexcusable when we all have so little time. I'd like to devote planning to where, and not so much what. The only specs I should need relative to the trailer are how far and weather.

Close-up photos of the slide-outs would be hugely fun...I see a wash basin and what I suppose is a flatware compartment, but I can't make out the details of that drawer, or anything of the other one. These are KEY features I'm looking for--a fierce and sudden ****storm starts and my image is of throwing things into their places and camp is secured in a heartbeat, without 3 hours the next am trying to figure out where the flippin' coffee pot is.

Next time I pull it out I'll try to get some pictures of the slide out details for you. It is nice to be have a spot for everything and it always goes back in the same spot.

I don't enjoy "flying that much sheet" either unless I am in one spot for more than a few days and the weather justifies it. If the conditions are right, it's a sweet little home to come back to and get out of the elements.

the rest of the time, flip it open and chill, with minimal set up.

 

[Tucson T4R]

...........Close-up photos of the slide-outs would be hugely fun...I see a wash basin and what I suppose is a flatware compartment, but I can't make out the details of that drawer, or anything of the other one. These are KEY features I'm looking for--a fierce and sudden ****storm starts and my image is of throwing things into their places and camp is secured in a heartbeat, without 3 hours the next am trying to figure out where the flippin' coffee pot is.

Here ya go...These are pics of the slide out and pantry storage areas on my KK. Hope it helps.

Closed:

Open:

Edit: oops, I noticed after posting that I didn't have the long utentsil compartment open. It's the long narrow hatch behind the sink.

Closed:

Open: