WC Accessable Off-Road Pup

[JP4Crawler]

The family & I love camping. I used to be able to cram all of our gear into the 4R & set up a very comfortable camp in about an hour. I'm now in a wheelchair & it alone takes up most of the rear. It also takes me a lot longer to set up camp & the wife ends up helping more. Looking for solutions has led me to the world of trailers. I seek out solitude when choosing a location to set up, so off road capabilities are a must.

I've spent lots of time reading through the forum gathering info & ideas. We saw AT's composite & teardrop last year & really thought the TD was the way to go. After adding in all the options:Wow1: & still having to make mods for extra storage, that idea fell to the side.

So the natural solution was to build our own. But what to build? A TD seemed like the way to go, but the build was going to take too long. Same with the military/Chaser design, plus the wife is ready for a more comfortable camp experience. I want something I can drag down the Dusy or the Con, but that's not important to the wife & the happier she is, the more we go camping. Then I saw the pop up build & thought that might work.

So, last week I picked up a 1972 Starcraft in great shape for $350.:ylsmoke: The frame does not seem up to the task, so I'll build a new one with ample storage underneath & throw the pop-up on top. I won't be dragging this over the Con but it will fit the bill in every other way & make a great base camp.

Here's the plan:
-New frame with 12-13" of storage under the whole Pup. 30 Gal of water, dual batteries & a pull out kitchen with room for the BBQ. There is a kitchen inside, but I mostly cook outside.
-3500# axle with brakes, YJ springs & shocks. I'd like to use the shocks off my 4R but think they're too long. TBD. 33" tires that match the 4R.
-Interior is good to go but will get a face lift anyway. Beef up cabs & benches & cut in a wider door to fit my WC & rig up some kind of lift for it (I'm still working on that one).
-New cable for the lift system & upgrade to an electric winch.

Main goal is to get it out on the trails:smiley_drive:, so some of the percs may come later & the WC lift is not a necessity but would be really nice. Plus I have to be able to set it up solo. I know it will be big & heavy, but I think it'll work. Take a look at my drawings & let me know what you think. Open to all critiques, thoughts & ideas.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Trail100]

Awesome idea with the storage underneath, if mine wasn't so far along I might have stolen that idea.:sombrero: Looks like a great plan, I'll have to keep an eye on your progress.

 

[greentruck]

A couple of thoughts on your design.

You've got water and batteries centered. A generally good idea for keeping tongue weight down. It might be better to center them ~6" in front of the axle to make it easier to balance. Being a little nose heavy makes it easier to shift your weight inside when it's unhitched and set up for camping. You want to be able to move toward the back of the trailer without it tending to lift the front end. You could rely on rear jacks, and they are nice to have as an option, but better yet to also have the weight set up so that you don't have to use them to be able to roll around inside.

Which leads to my wondering where the WC lift is going to go and how heavy do you anticipate it being? I assume that the mechanism is where the entry door is and below? Then the space underneath you have marked as storage may have to be allocated to that function. However, depending on its weight, it might affect the recommendation I just suggested, i.e. maybe it doesn't need to come forward after all because of the weight of the WC lift?

This is an interesting project that many others will draw inspiration from, because it will help them get to the benefits of solitude you enjoy.

 

[JP4Crawler]

Origionally I had the axle about 6" to the rear. Still not sure on that issue. I figured I could mess with water & battery placement to deal with any weight problems.

Once I'm in the PUP, there's not a lot of room to move around & affect weight distribution. I'll never be rear of the axle but will have stabilizers anyways, so no concerns there.

WC lift mechanism will be custom & light weight. Everything I've looked at is either too heavy or too expensive. If it has "disabled" attached, it's triple the cost. Everything else I've found is just too heavy so far; tail gate lifts, trailer lifts, etc. So, a little winch, some pulleys & some creative engineering should accomplish my goals. I'm basically going to mimic the lift mechanism on the PUP. Press button one way; go up, the other,go down. With me attached hopefully.:sombrero:


Here's my very rough idea for the WC lift:

 

[greentruck]

Now that I see your sketch of the lift I understand much better. That's a good, creative design! The fact that it's outside with the base of it in front of the axle is great for solving any weight distribution issues I perceived.

Having the lift outside avoids taking up internal space, too. Maintenance will also be much easier with everything out in the open. It is easier to design and add this on as a package, with perhaps some mounting differences, to multiple different vehicles than to build a custom lift into each.

The only thing that might be a concern is that it hangs outside during travel. It will get dusty, etc, but there are components available (hydraulics, switches, etc) that can deal with the weather.

To improve off-road utility, you'll want to make the arms fold back like you have it sketched, but also be careful as you can to install everything as much as possible to fold back versus folding forward when in the stored position. That will minimize the possibility of snagging brush and branches in it during travel. Looks like that's the way you're thinking, but just to make this explicit for readers.

It does get expensive to buy turn-key systems. But the good thing with your approach is that components are relatively a small part of that cost. If you spec and build your own to a proven design (once you're done with prototype changes, etc) the cost is much cheaper -- and the capability may be even better than what you can purchase if designed for your needs.

I have somewhat of an interest in such systems. I have a medical condition that could lead to paraplegia, but fortunately in my case seems to be more theoretical than likely. I also am a director of a local non-profit that is trying to improve mobility in our facility beyond the one poorly placed lift to one floor we have now. So I have some exposure to the challenges and the potential benefits you face in developing this. It will help others, too, to have a proven design out there.

 

[HenryJ]

Would a 2:1 ramp be useable? Maybe with a small winch assist? I keep thinking that the lift might be a potential failure point. Rough roads and dirt.
I try to think simply. A ramp that folds in the middle could extend off the side and be within the height of the body. A small winch could be used to deploy it and then attached to a WC to assist in climbing it?
The sweet part of this is those not in a WC can walk up the ramp. Loading and unloading supplies would be nice too.

Just thinking out loud.

 

[JP4Crawler]

I would definitely use all weather materials for the lift. I will make it as small & tight as possible, protruding out from the trailer less than 6" or even less. Probably come up with a cover for it, like those for a high-lift or something along those lines. The lift would be soley for the trailer so no need to have it portable, I just lift myself up into my other vehicles.

I did & still am considering a ramp just for simplicity's sake. It would be around 6ft long & I sometimes end up in some pretty uneven/tight camps so I may not always be able to deploy it, which led me to the lift idea. Plus, I would use the WC platform as a large step/landing & another normal step as the 2nd one into the trailer for normal foot traffic. One of the main reasons for all the storage underneath is to avoid much gear needing to ride in the actual pup, just clothing & bedding mainly, so loading up isn't a big concern.

I am gathering parts for the main build & hope to get under way in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for the thoughts & speak up if you see anything else.

 

[Tucson T4R]

Sweet idea Jason! I don't have any helpful insights but I'm glad to see you pursuing this project. Maybe someday we can share a campfire.

I'm subscribing to this thread. :wings:

Edit: Oh and welcome to EXPO!

 

[Atoyot1031]

Looks like you've got some good ideas.

You might want to check out my build thread here:
http://forum.ih8mud.com/trailer-tech/354638-offroad-popup-camper-build.html

She seems to be working well for us this far!

Good luck!

 

[JP4Crawler]

Thanks Brad. I've been a long time lurker. I'll be exploring AZ on our way to NY next summer, so maybe you can show me some of your favorite spots.:sombrero:


WOW! Atoyot, your build is amazing & a great write-up as well! Thanks a million for the link. I'm already stealing many of your ideas; extendable stabalizers! Perfect, I was wondering how to solve that issue. I've already got the Max Coupler, so should avoid the Lock-n-Roll issue. I looked at a Palomino the same size as yours, which was great but because it has the scissor lift I had to pass. I'm not tall enough to get the roof up.

A couple questions for you Atoyot:
-What's the wall thickness of your water tank? I'm looking at 2: 1/8" or 3/8", it's a no brainer choice, but price is a big difference.
-How long are your springs?

Thanks.

P.S. Axle ordered!

 

[Atoyot1031]

WOW! Atoyot, your build is amazing & a great write-up as well! Thanks a million for the link. I'm already stealing many of your ideas; extendable stabalizers! Perfect, I was wondering how to solve that issue. I've already got the Max Coupler, so should avoid the Lock-n-Roll issue. I looked at a Palomino the same size as yours, which was great but because it has the scissor lift I had to pass. I'm not tall enough to get the roof up.

A couple questions for you Atoyot:
-What's the wall thickness of your water tank? I'm looking at 2: 1/8" or 3/8", it's a no brainer choice, but price is a big difference.
-How long are your springs?

Thanks.

P.S. Axle ordered!

Depending on the level of your build, you could retrofit the Palomino with a winch-type lift. The 7' box is very manageable offroad. I'm 6'2, and I have to use my ladder/step stool to access it.

Not sure of the thickness, I'm guessing it was at least 1/4" from when I cut it to install the bulkhead fittings. I bought my tank off ebay, and it was ~$100 to the door.

Not sure of the length of the springs. I could measure for you if need be. I used them because I had them left over from my old Toyota minitruck ('87). They are stock Toyota truck springs with an add-a-leaf.

I couldn't believe how cheap burly new trailer axles with hubs were.:Wow1:

Good luck, and let me know if there's anything I can help with!

 

[Tucson T4R]

Thanks Brad. I've been a long time lurker. I'll be exploring AZ on our way to NY next summer, so maybe you can show me some of your favorite spots.:sombrero: :

I'd be happy to. Let out a yell when your plans are set and we'll figure something out. Gotta support my Toyota120 buds. :elkgrin:

 

[corbin8or]

let me know if I can help at all... I am a rep for a lift company called coach lift. I have one that I put on my truck that takes me from my chair to my RTT.

 

[Borrego60]

Try these guys for a water tank www.etanks.com What's the wall thickness of your water tank? I'm looking at 2: 1/8" or 3/8", it's a no brainer choice, but price is a big difference

 

[fulljam]

Very Nice!!

I like when poeple do custom thing!