NudeDiver
Contributor
At the request of several people, I'm starting this thread (a bit earlier than planned, but here it is). I will add to it periodically, so feel free to check back in periodically if you are interested 
The first summer I had my 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, we went on a camping trip to the Arctic Circle and back (May 2007). On that trip, I came to the realization that camping with a soft top Jeep is a bit of a bummer, because you have no security for whatever it is you have in the Jeep. So, I stewed about this for a while. We considered a number of options - such as buying a Coleman Evolution (E2), a TAB Teardrop, a Scamp, some lesser-quality used camper trailer of some kind, and a number of commercial options for an adventure cargo trailer. In the end, we found all of those options too expensive. By April 2008, I had talked a friend into helping me build something from scratch - and so the project began.
The basic idea was to build something super heavy-duty, so it could go anywhere my Jeep could go, provide enough cargo storage capacity to make extended expedition-style camping trips and support a weekend diving trip for at least four people (that's at least 16 cylinders/tanks, 2 each per person per day, plus their gear - about 1,000 pounds JUST for dive stuff). I also wanted a device that could serve as a "bug out" trailer - supporting our ability to live "off grid" for up to 2 weeks at a time (i.e. food, fuel, water, generator, batteries, gear, etc.). Finally, but certainly not least, the trailer would need to provide some gear security from animals (including the human kind) and have as much flexibility as possible in terms of how it could be used.
One major feature of any such trailer is that it can be basically left "packed up and ready to go". You don't have to hunt down all your camping (or whatever) gear and pack it up, or unpack your Jeep (or car) when you get home from camping or other such things (it also frees up storage room in your garage, shed, etc.). Just pack up a cooler and load it up with a few other such things and off you go. This saves a LOT of time on weekend trips, where you try to leave as early as you can Friday and get back late Sunday evening. This time savings and convenience is expected to lead to more outings during our bright and sunny, almost 24-hour daylight summers
So - based on these basic criteria, I sketched out a design, tweaked it a bit, and tweaked it some more. Then the buddy that is helping me provided some comments and we tweaked it some more. Eventually, we got a basic plan that we both thought could be accomplished within our limitations (skills, budget, tools, space, etc.). So, moving on - some of the basic features include:
BASIC SPECS
COST SUMMARY (PRELIMINARY!!!)
ADDITIONAL FEATURES TO BE ADDED (incomplete list)
GEAR INFO
Gear that is expected to stay with and essentially remain part of the trailer, even though it is not structurally built-in. It's also stuff I have, or plan to add soon after trailer is "ready to use".
Anyway - I think you get the idea. This whole thing has been taking up space in my 1-car garage for the past year - I just rolled it out of there a week or so ago when I finished doing the majority of the sheet metal work. I am REALLY itching to use this thing to go diving. Hopefully it will happen in April - but if not - then May for sure. Right now, it is a work in progress. For the first set of pictures, please keep this in mind.
As I write this and look at the pictures I have taken since rolling it out of my garage:
So - as I said - this post is by request. Feel free to ask any questions you may have and provide feedback and ideas too. I'll be posting additional pictures of the build process as I have time. Unfortunately, I had a server crash and I lost a lot of the very early pictures. Kinda sucks, but oh well ):
Cheers!
ND
The first summer I had my 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, we went on a camping trip to the Arctic Circle and back (May 2007). On that trip, I came to the realization that camping with a soft top Jeep is a bit of a bummer, because you have no security for whatever it is you have in the Jeep. So, I stewed about this for a while. We considered a number of options - such as buying a Coleman Evolution (E2), a TAB Teardrop, a Scamp, some lesser-quality used camper trailer of some kind, and a number of commercial options for an adventure cargo trailer. In the end, we found all of those options too expensive. By April 2008, I had talked a friend into helping me build something from scratch - and so the project began.
The basic idea was to build something super heavy-duty, so it could go anywhere my Jeep could go, provide enough cargo storage capacity to make extended expedition-style camping trips and support a weekend diving trip for at least four people (that's at least 16 cylinders/tanks, 2 each per person per day, plus their gear - about 1,000 pounds JUST for dive stuff). I also wanted a device that could serve as a "bug out" trailer - supporting our ability to live "off grid" for up to 2 weeks at a time (i.e. food, fuel, water, generator, batteries, gear, etc.). Finally, but certainly not least, the trailer would need to provide some gear security from animals (including the human kind) and have as much flexibility as possible in terms of how it could be used.
One major feature of any such trailer is that it can be basically left "packed up and ready to go". You don't have to hunt down all your camping (or whatever) gear and pack it up, or unpack your Jeep (or car) when you get home from camping or other such things (it also frees up storage room in your garage, shed, etc.). Just pack up a cooler and load it up with a few other such things and off you go. This saves a LOT of time on weekend trips, where you try to leave as early as you can Friday and get back late Sunday evening. This time savings and convenience is expected to lead to more outings during our bright and sunny, almost 24-hour daylight summers
So - based on these basic criteria, I sketched out a design, tweaked it a bit, and tweaked it some more. Then the buddy that is helping me provided some comments and we tweaked it some more. Eventually, we got a basic plan that we both thought could be accomplished within our limitations (skills, budget, tools, space, etc.). So, moving on - some of the basic features include:
BASIC SPECS
- Frame is 4 feet wide by 7 feet long
- Outside width, fender to fender, is 75" (also outside box to outside box)
- Ground to top of trailer roof is about 62"
- Ground clearance, to bottom of frame, is 21" (26" in spring over axle config)
- Dexter 3500 lb (65") axle and leaf springs, w/electric brakes
- Main framing is square tube steel, 2" x 2" x 0.1875" thick
- Secondary framing is square tube steel, 1.25" x 1.25" x 0.120" thick
- Tertiary framing is square tube steel, 1.25" x 1.25" x 0.083" thick
- All framing is welded together, with nothing bolted together
- Tongue is square tube steel, 2" x 2" x 0.1875" thick
- Tongue has 3500 pound coupler and 40" steel safety cables with locking hooks
- Massively thick rear bumper, steel "C-channel", frame reinforced
- Floor is aluminum sheet metal, 0.125" thick
- Side and door skins are aluminum sheet metal , 0.063" thick
- Fenders are steel, "Jeep Style", size 10" x 19" x 36" (bolt on, and removable)
- All door hinges are heavy duty, weld-on style
- Rear door has three 4" weld-on hinges, other doors have two 3" weld-on hinges
- Hinge-side of rear door frame reinforced (better support weight of spare tire)
- P245/70R16 Wild Country Radial XTX tires (with spare mounted on rear door)
- Jeep Grand Cherokee 16x7" OEM rims (5 on 5 bolt pattern)
- All framing and super structure, fenders, bumper, tongue and stabilizers/levelers professionally powder-coated for long-lasting weather resistance
- Final empty weight TBA, but net capacity of 2000 lbs predicted
- Total "internal" storage of 100cf (almost twice that of the Horizon)
- Adjustable/relocatable axle to accommodate various loading possibilities, five positions
- Completely flat top, for top-carried items, roof rack, or roof-top tent to be added later
- Multiple compartments for organization and security
- All internal storage, including battery bank compartment, can be COMBINED by removing 3 internal bulkheads (they're bolted in)
- Rear Main Bay (49cf, roughly 50x48x35")
- multiple and numerous welded-on D-rings for tie-downs
- expandable by removing two internal bulkheads (combine with Lower and Upper bays)
- configurable via internal "lip" on sides, to support 0 to 4 tank racks, a shelf, or other options
- Front Battery Bank & Headache Rack (7cf, 48x20x12") - w/extra waterproofing
- Upper Bay (10cf, 48x22x17") - has removable shelf to combine with Lower Bay
- Lower Bay (7cf, 48x18x18") - sized perfectly for 5 gallon gas and water jugs
- Steel Boxes (three)
- Each is 48x18x18" (9cf each, 27cf total)
- One box is designated to be outfitted as a galley (stove, fuel, supplies, etc.)
- Rear bumper has three 2"hitch receivers and two D-rings, and is super heavy duty. Estimated capacity is 800 to 1000 pounds
- Plan to make a bumper mounted cargo rack for motorcycle and other purposes
- Total of 27cf maximum security via steel boxes (2 T-handle style locks per box)
- Removable tongue (slides into two 2" receiver tubes, secured with standard or locking 5/8" hitch pins)
- Completely and easily removable axle frame (which contains axle & spring assembly)
- Paddle-style locks on all doors (rear and front doors have two locks each)
- Three removable internal bulkheads, for maximum configuration flexibility (and potential use as table tops)
- Removable center shelf, designed to be used as a portable table top
- All doors easily removable
- Springs can be mounted in the "over axle" position, to gain about 5" in ground clearance (extra brackets are welded into place)
- Front side mounted 2" receiver tubes provide jack points, insertion points for stabilizer/levelers and other purposes
- Removable rear bumper (attached with four 5/8" grade 8 bolts with lock nuts)
- Tekonsha Prodigy electric brake controller (in tow vehicle)
- Tekonsha breakaway switch for electric brakes (mounted on tongue)
- Dexter electric brakes
- Room for up to FOUR full-sized deep cycle batteries in battery compartment
- Wiring runs internal to trailer to avoid snagging it on rough-terrain, provide weather proofing, etc.
- Four 4" LED tail & brake lights
- Two 4" reverse/backup lights (can easily upgrade to LED at some point)
- Two 2.5" Side marker lights, front and rear corners, each side (red and amber)
- Two 4" white lights each side, switch activated (lighting up campsite, dive site, whatever)
- Additional wiring (and switches) is in place for future expansion
- license plate light
- 7-pin connector to tow vehicle
- 9-pin connector to removable tongue
COST SUMMARY (PRELIMINARY!!!)
- Planned cost at project beginning: Under $2000
- Current project cost: Around $6700 (includes some work on the Jeep to make it trailer-ready)
- Expected final cost: Under $7500
- Some major cost centers:
- Three 48x18x18" steel boxes, $1057 (a relative "steal")
- Powder coating, $1000 (a super bargain)
- Steel Tubing, $1150
- Aluminum sheet metal, $620
- Aluminum Tubing, $150
- Weld-On parts, $300
- Electrical related, $620+ (still need a battery, that's $200)
- Tools - consumable, $165
- Fasteners, $200
- Consumables, $250+
- Axle kit, $320
- Wheels, $250
- Tires, $300 (value, but traded 5 stock Jeep tires for them)
- Tools, category still to add up
- Painting related, category still to add up
ADDITIONAL FEATURES TO BE ADDED (incomplete list)
- 12v socket outlets, weatherized, planned to be added in various places
- mount points for awning poles
- mount points for side-mounted table (using removable shelf)
- upgrade to multi-axis coupler, for extreme off-road use
- four removable tank racks for main cargo bay (up to 4 tanks each)
GEAR INFO
Gear that is expected to stay with and essentially remain part of the trailer, even though it is not structurally built-in. It's also stuff I have, or plan to add soon after trailer is "ready to use".
- Well-stocked first-aid kit in waterproof 40mm ammo can (painted white with red cross)
- Emergency road/tools kit, including recovery tools, flares, straps, etc.
- Water and gas containers (filled and ready to use at all times)
- Firewood container w/firewood ready to use at all times
- Assorted camp tools (axe, hatchet, shovel, etc.)
- Assorted other camping supplies, equipment and necessities (soap, TP, etc.)
- Several large tarps to serve as awnings
- Tent polls to serve as awning supports
- Four fold-up camp chairs
- Assorted cooking gear and related things
- non-wearable dive gear (dive flag float, emergency rescue float w/line, etc.)
- dive weights (in .50 cal ammo can, custom painted w/dive flag)
- 2-person tent
- double (2 person) sleeping bag
- 2 Thermarest air mats
- Two burner stainless steel camp stove w/backup
- 11 pound propane cylinder (main) with 20 lb backup
- 150 quart "6 day" marine cooler
- on-board air (compressor and/or CO2 tank w/regulator, etc.)
- electrical generator (a bit in the future)
- inflatable kayak or boat of some kind (a bit in the future)
- HAM radio equipment w/antenna (a bit in the future)
Anyway - I think you get the idea. This whole thing has been taking up space in my 1-car garage for the past year - I just rolled it out of there a week or so ago when I finished doing the majority of the sheet metal work. I am REALLY itching to use this thing to go diving. Hopefully it will happen in April - but if not - then May for sure. Right now, it is a work in progress. For the first set of pictures, please keep this in mind.
As I write this and look at the pictures I have taken since rolling it out of my garage:
- doors are missing (frames done, currently painting the skins)
- the green is primer, not final paint (it will be silver to match the Jeep)
- fenders are done, but not installed yet
- two front side panels are missing (currently painting them)
So - as I said - this post is by request. Feel free to ask any questions you may have and provide feedback and ideas too. I'll be posting additional pictures of the build process as I have time. Unfortunately, I had a server crash and I lost a lot of the very early pictures. Kinda sucks, but oh well ):
Cheers!
ND
