My Project a Cargo Trailer for back country camping

Converting Cargo Trailers into TTTs

Postby Itsdoable » Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:39 am

Jo wrote:
alefl75 wrote:What type of 4" lift spacer kit did you install?


He said previously:
The stock axle is a torsion spring axle. Wells Cargo sent me two 18" long pieces of 2"x4" steel tube and had them welded between the frame and the axle mounts.


I just did the axle change to an 'underslung' on my 6x14 leafspring. Job is easy if you have the tools and the $40 kit from the mfg (Dexter in my case). Pulled it this last weekend over several Colorado Passes', and other than maybe pushing a little more wind, it pulled great. No more scrapping the tongue jack!
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Re: Nice write up!

Postby elmo_4_vt » Thu Aug 18, 2011 3:02 pm

meach4x4 wrote:By the way... This trailer is FOR SALE!!! I bought a pop-up camper and a boat. No more room to store the trailer, so it (sniff, sniff) needs to go to a good home. :cry:


If you don't mind sharing... Why the switch from this style to a pop-up? I was contemplating both, and am leaning more towards the converted Cargo Trailer, or a home-built version of one.

Don

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Truck: '96 Ford Bronco, Modified for off-road stuff

Trailer in progress: Not a tear drop exactly, sort of a mut of a couple different designs.
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heater

Postby silverado » Sat Aug 20, 2011 11:48 am

Was that a mini heater I saw in one of your pics ? I was wondering if a my buddy heater could be used in an enclosed area, like my trailer.
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Re: Nice write up!

Postby meach4x4 » Sat Aug 20, 2011 7:54 pm

elmo_4_vt wrote:
meach4x4 wrote:By the way... This trailer is FOR SALE!!! I bought a pop-up camper and a boat. No more room to store the trailer, so it (sniff, sniff) needs to go to a good home. :cry:


If you don't mind sharing... Why the switch from this style to a pop-up? I was contemplating both, and am leaning more towards the converted Cargo Trailer, or a home-built version of one.

Don

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I'm switching from a Jeep pulling a trailer to a Tacoma with a Four Wheel popup camper because I bought a boat, and I want to be able to use the boat and camp out at the lake.

I sold the Jeep and did the switch 3 months ago. Since the switch, I've camped in the camper 4 times for 10 nights. I've also camped in the trailer 3 times for 6 nights since the switch. Here's my thoughts on the differences:

Towing/Hauling - the camper is lighter than the trailer by about 400 lbs dry weight. Aero is pretty close to the same. Fuel consumption is close to the same. The camper probably is about 1 mpg better on fuel because I can't load it as heavy as the trailer (see capacity, below)

Roominess - The trailer is basically a room with a bed and a desk in it, so it has a little bit more room than the camper, which has a galley, couch, bed and cabinets built in. The camper has 6' 4" head room when it is popped up. The trailer has 5' 3" headroom. The trailer has a lot more headroom above the bed, but the camper is enough to sit up on the bed without hitting your ceiling.

Cargo capacity- The trailer shines for hauling cargo. I built it specifically for carrying everything I needed for extended trips or even weekend hauling. My theory is to only carry the items I need for each trip. If it is warm, no heater is needed. If we are camping where they have pits, I leave the luggable loo home, etc. For water storage, I use Reliance 4.5 gallon jugs. If I'm camping where there is water nearby, I leave them empty.

Comfort - The mattress on the trailer bed is 3" of poly foam wih 2" of memory foam on top. It is very comfortable. The mattress on the bed in the camper is 4" of the highest density foam I've seen. It is a bit firm for my comfort, but it will probably stay supportive for a longer time. If you want to make up the bed in the popup, you have to slide the mattress out over the top of the sink and half of the couch. To use the stove, you have to slide the bed back in, so no cooking with the bed made up. No coffee in bed. The trailer has a counter top that I use a small propane stove on to cook. Coffee in bed is possible. The trailer is fully insulated except under the floor. The popup is insulated in the hard sides and ceiling, but the sides of the popup are not. (There is an optional "Arctic Pac" that is an insulated curtain for the popup, but it is almost $500.) In the trailer, the heat source is either a small ceramic cube heater when you have hookups, or a Buddy heater when you don't. The popup has the typical Hydroflame forced air furnace. The trailer stays warm in temps well below 20 degrees. The popup gets a bit chilly in temps below 40 because of the lack of insulation. Overall, I think the trailer is the most comfy of the two.

Convenience - This is hard to compare. The trailer makes a great base camp. You can unhook it, setup, and leave it there while you go explore. You have a locked hardsided storage while you are away from base camp. It really isn't practical to take the camper off and leave it in camp when you explore. Folks who use and love their popups enjoy expeditions where they drop the top, drive on a trail, then setup at a new camp site each nite. The value of the popup is that you have everything with you and can set up in a hurry each night.

Off road capabilities - I think this is pretty close, also. The trailer adds a bit more weight, but it is all on the hitch. The camper is lighter, but it adds the weight on the back axle, adding to the pickup's weight and raising the center of gravity.

Durability - I have to give the trailer the nod for durability. The camper has a lot of convenience like drawers and cabinets, but the trailer has rugged totes for storage that I've used for years. The appliances in the camper are about what you'd expect in a decent RV. I'll have to use it a lot more to see how they hold up, but I know the stuff in the trailer has already been tossed around in the back of Jeeps and pickups with no noticeable ill effects. The trailer has held up for hundreds of miles of rough road with no noticable effects. The camper is new, but other owners have used them on the same roads as I've used the trailer for years with no negative reports.

That's my opinion of the two. If I never wanted to tow anything behind the pickup other than a trailer, I'd probably still be using the trailer. The camper cost more than double what the trailer cost, so that may factor into the equation, also.

Hope this helps explain why the switch.

Gil
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Re: Nice write up!

Postby meach4x4 » Sat Aug 20, 2011 7:54 pm

Duplicate message deleted :roll:
Last edited by meach4x4 on Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Nice write up!

Postby meach4x4 » Sat Aug 20, 2011 7:55 pm

Duplicate message deleted
Last edited by meach4x4 on Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: heater

Postby meach4x4 » Sat Aug 20, 2011 8:00 pm

silverado wrote:Was that a mini heater I saw in one of your pics ? I was wondering if a my buddy heater could be used in an enclosed area, like my trailer.


I used the mid-sized buddy heater when I didn't have hookups available. It does a fine job of heating the trailer up in just a few minutes. I leave the roof vent open, and turn off the heat when I'm climbing into bed. The heater has a CO sensor and tipover sensor built in, but it would drive you out of the trailer if you left it on. The insulation is good enough that if you heat it up before going to bed it will be comfortable all night.

Gil
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Postby meach4x4 » Sat Aug 20, 2011 11:43 pm

iSpy wrote:Just come across your thread ........ good trailer.

I would add one comment, why do most narrow CT have the bed 'front-back' ....... they can be made to fit 'side-side' ....... if you stretch the side.

The side door would have made a good 'slide-out' panel.

See my link below. This makes much better use of the barn doors. (I think)

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=44263

Mine is made from a 8x4. when both slide-out are open the CT is wider than it is long.

Here are some links to the initial build....

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=44261

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=44262

I hope this helps some others.


That's a great trailer! The application is quite different. My trailer has a couple of requirements that may be difficult for a trailer with slide outs to acheive:

Minimal weight - less than 625 kg empty
Dustproof enclosure - able to pull 300 km on dirt roads with no dust seeping into the interior
Ruggedized - able to travel thousands of km of dirt corrugated roads without breakage or loosening with minimal maintenance requirements.
Cargo capacity - able to carry 380 kg of cargo without overloading suspension. Must have over 2.5 cu. meters of secured cargo space

Clearly, both your trailer and mine are purpose built for different applications. My application dictates that the trailer is much simpler. Yours is very elegant and would be fantastic for use in a different environment.
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Postby meach4x4 » Thu Nov 10, 2011 8:02 pm

NEWS FLASH!!!!

After reconsidering my camper requirements, I've decided the base camp feature of the trailer outweigh the boat towing advantage of the pickup/camper for my recreational needs. My new plan for the future is to go back to a Jeep pulling my Wells Cargo Conversion. I will be doing my boating locally for day trips and using the trailer conversion for backcountry trips and destination trips (like Moab) where I set up a base camp and do day trips in the Jeep. I can still go on extended overland type trips with the trailer, as I did in the past.

Gil
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Postby SteveB » Fri Nov 11, 2011 3:16 pm

Thank God you did not sell your CT! Anticipating retirement, I converted my 5x8 CT around the idea of using it for a base camp too. I pull mine with a FJ Cruiser. Just came back from 5 days in the Eastern Sierras. It worked great. I plan to visit Moab, Canyonlands, Arch es, etc. for about 7 days in the spring. Happy trails.
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Postby Trainman45 » Sat Nov 12, 2011 1:56 am

Great to hear your jumping back into the CT. !! When I found this forum your posts were one of the first I read about CT's. It was good to read your pros and cons about the truck camper and the CT. I went with the CT, and will be heading for the Overland Expo in May to get more info on how to live on the road, best equipment to get, and Safety while traveling. Thanks for all the info you have provided everyone.!! :thumbsup:
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Postby bc toys » Sun Nov 13, 2011 7:45 am

Hi Gil good to see you back Im in Yuma Az working hope to get back your way someday and get out and go jeeping and camping I still have my trailer and jeep haven't been camping or jeeping in a while keep in touch
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Re: heater

Postby Glenlivet » Sun Nov 13, 2011 12:20 pm

meach4x4 wrote:
silverado wrote:Was that a mini heater I saw in one of your pics ? I was wondering if a my buddy heater could be used in an enclosed area, like my trailer.


I used the mid-sized buddy heater when I didn't have hookups available... ... I leave the roof vent open, and turn off the heat when I'm climbing into bed. The heater has a CO sensor and tipover sensor built in...

Actually I think the Mr. Heater Buddy heaters have a low 02 sensor, not a CO sensor. They'll shut off when the available 02 is less than the equivalent of what's available at 7000' elevation but they don't sense the buildup of toxic combustion gases.
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Re: My Project a Cargo Trailer for back country camping

Postby meach4x4 » Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:20 pm

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I posted here, but I thought you all may want an update after 2 years of using the trailer PLUS I wanted to let you all know that I am (again) planning to sell the trailer.

During the last 2 years I have really enjoyed the trailer. I've used it for 2 weeks in Moab each spring, travelled to the Gathering In The Redwoods, and enjoyed trips to California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. We have camped in spots where most trailers would have made the trip, and we did it in comfort. I started pulling the trailer with my 2008 Jeep 4 door Rubicon Unlimited. When I got a wild hair and thought I would move to a Four Wheel Drive camper on a Tacoma, I sold that Jeep. After a few camp trips in the FWC camper, I decided that the Jeep pulling the converted cargo trailer was a better match for my usage. I sold the pickup and camper and bought a 2005 2 door Rubicon Unlimited. I modified the Jeep to be a great rock crawler without losing the capability of towing the trailer. Since then, I've been to Moab, the Grand Canyon, Northern Utah, and several other great camping spots.

In the September, 2011 edition of Four Wheel Drive magazine they featured the JK Jeep and the trailer, with the most focus on the trailer. In order to show how well it did on the trail, they asked me to take the trailer into a very tight primitive campsite for the photo shoot. On the way to the site, I had to squeeze through a very tight spot between a couple of Junipers, and took a couple of minor dings and scratches on the driver side of the trailer. It was disheartening, because other than those dings, the trailer was pristine. The dings are visible (barely) in the photos the took of the trailer. Other than that, the trailer has remained as it was at the time of the build.

Other than routine maintenance of lubing the hubs, charging the battery, and routine maintenance of the roof caulk, the trailer has been totally care free. It has met all the objectives of the project, and tows down the road as straight as can be. One of our favorite campsites is Toroweep Lookout on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We've camped there several times in the trailer and it has exceeded my expectations. I am able to drive over the 60 miles of dirt to the rim with no concerns at all. The interior of the camper is free of dirt, due to the gasketed and tight fit of the 3 doors.

I am very happy with the outcome of the project, but my wife is retiring later this year, and we need something we can live in full time for a few months each year while towing the Jeep around the country. In order to make that happen, I need to let this trailer go. If you are interested in it, contact me at my email: meach4x4 (at) Hotmail(dot)com (remove (at) and (dot) then replace with @ and . to correct address).
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Re: heater

Postby meach4x4 » Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:35 pm

Glenlivet wrote:
meach4x4 wrote:
silverado wrote:Was that a mini heater I saw in one of your pics ? I was wondering if a my buddy heater could be used in an enclosed area, like my trailer.


I used the mid-sized buddy heater when I didn't have hookups available... ... I leave the roof vent open, and turn off the heat when I'm climbing into bed. The heater has a CO sensor and tipover sensor built in...

Actually I think the Mr. Heater Buddy heaters have a low 02 sensor, not a CO sensor. They'll shut off when the available 02 is less than the equivalent of what's available at 7000' elevation but they don't sense the buildup of toxic combustion gases.

Thanks for the clarification. I agree with you, but I just returned from camping at 7,500 feet, and the heater ran fine. Here is an applicable excerpt from the manual:

"When operating the heater at altitudes over 7,000 FT. above sea level, the unit may not burn as bright as in lower altitudes. This is normal. At higher altitudes, the heater may shut-off. If this happens, provide fresh air, wait 5 minutes and re-light. Due to local atmospheric conditions heater may not re-light."

Gil
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