Yet Another Bolt-Together Fiberglass Trailer Kit
- Thread starter jscherb
- Start date
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Josh,
Thanks!
The segment of the market this trailer tub kit is aimed at is the DIY-er who wants to build something to his specific needs, and wants to be on the road for under $1000.
The design I've worked up for the M416-style fenders can be installed either on the M416 brackets or directly bolted to the fiberglass tub side. I'm waiting on manufacturing quotes now.
Jeff
ManleyORV
Rugged. Reliable. Ready.
For sure. That's the market that is not being served, now that M416 and old military trailers are so much harder to find, the DIY guys don't have a good base for their project. If you want a $5,000-$30,000 ready to go Expedition Trailer, you have a plethora of choices now.
BTW, I was always a fan of your Retro Wrangler Pickup project!
-Josh
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Joel,
I was referring to the quotes for the M416-replica fenders. I've already got a pretty good idea how the fiberglass parts would price out
.jeff
Last edited:
jscherb
Expedition Leader
I don't really know how to answer that question. I don't know how to answer this one either: will a dump run scratch or dent a military M416 tub? Or would it scratch or dent one of the high-end expedition trailers?
It all depends on what you're taking to the dump and how you throw it into the tub.
If you're running a metal recyling business and plan to use a trailer on a daily basis for hauling scrap metal around, or you're running a landscaping business and need to carry loads of topsoil and paver bricks, then a fiberglass tub probably wouldn't be the best choice.
If you're looking for a lightweight, inexpensive, easy-to-build and customize recreational trailer which may be used occasionally for other hauling duties, then a fiberglass tub can be an excellent choice.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
I regularly use my fiberglass Jeep-tub trailer for hauling - here's a load of just under a half ton of bags of topsoil. I know this is a "soft" load with no sharp edges, but it's the only photo I have right now of a "big load" in the trailer.
The construction of the fiberglass "M416" tub uses the same basic design as the trailer above.
sburggsx
New member
Joel,
I was referring to the quotes for the M416-replica fenders. I've already got a pretty good idea how the fiberglass parts would price out
jeff
I like the sound of that.....
jscherb
Expedition Leader
I haven't decided if I'm going to go ahead and make the molds, but I have been getting PM's and emails from people asking if they can buy one, or if I'll build one "just for them" .
If I do decide to go ahead, here's what I'm thinking... I'd like to make two prototypes, one of each size, just like the photo below.
The first one I'd make would be a 4' Mini-M416 on a Harbor Freight 12" wheel/21" tire Mini Trailer. It would look pretty much like the 1/4 scale model on the right in the photo below. I probably would offer it for sale before starting to build it, so if anyone wanted to own it, they could contact me and we could work it out so they could commit to purchase before construction started - then they could have some say in how it got built.
If I then decided to build a second one, it would be a 6' version, on an HF 1720-lb. capacity frame, with Jeep-sized wheels/tires. I'd paint it olive drab just like I did the model. It would have metal M416-style fenders. And military tail lights, since I just acquired some.
The second one would either go to a company for them to use as a master for making production molds, or if a company wasn't interested in it, I'd sell it to anyone interested.
I don't think I'd make more than those two, and I'd definitely be selling whatever I did build, because I've got too many trailers already. I'd be building them just because it would be a fun project for me.
I'll decide whether or not I'm going to make the molds as soon as I finish up the last mold for my current project: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/78680-CJ-Grille-Conversion-Kit-for-the-TJ-LJ. I expect to wrap up the fiberglass work on that project by the end of next week.
.If I do decide to go ahead, here's what I'm thinking... I'd like to make two prototypes, one of each size, just like the photo below.
The first one I'd make would be a 4' Mini-M416 on a Harbor Freight 12" wheel/21" tire Mini Trailer. It would look pretty much like the 1/4 scale model on the right in the photo below. I probably would offer it for sale before starting to build it, so if anyone wanted to own it, they could contact me and we could work it out so they could commit to purchase before construction started - then they could have some say in how it got built.
If I then decided to build a second one, it would be a 6' version, on an HF 1720-lb. capacity frame, with Jeep-sized wheels/tires. I'd paint it olive drab just like I did the model. It would have metal M416-style fenders. And military tail lights, since I just acquired some
.The second one would either go to a company for them to use as a master for making production molds, or if a company wasn't interested in it, I'd sell it to anyone interested.
I don't think I'd make more than those two, and I'd definitely be selling whatever I did build, because I've got too many trailers already. I'd be building them just because it would be a fun project for me
.
I'll decide whether or not I'm going to make the molds as soon as I finish up the last mold for my current project: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/78680-CJ-Grille-Conversion-Kit-for-the-TJ-LJ. I expect to wrap up the fiberglass work on that project by the end of next week.