homemade redneck travel trailer type thing

[bradw18]

well im not real sure what to call it so its the redneck travel trailer type thing.

this is my first post i live in kentucky and enjoy camping. i dont get to get out as much as i would like though. seems like im always having to buy more camping supplies due to always losing camping supplies. my idea was to turn my 14 foot boat trailer into a trailer to keep all my camping supplies in. Then i had the idea wouldnt it be cool to make the trailer double as not only a trailer for storage but also a place to haul a 4 wheeler and triple as a platform for a tent. im sure its already been done. im very much into green energy ex. solar and wind energy. im gonna incorporate a nice size battery bank and a inverter or 2. i plan on building the sides up 2 feet or so and and make a top that goes on it. im still in the designing ideas so forgive my bouncing around with my ideas. heres a pic of the trailer im gonna use.




i was gonna scrap the whole boat and trailer but i hate to waste a perfectlly good trailer. im thinking about making the sides out or 1x1 or 2x2 square stock. or use wood. iv seen both used which one should i go with? i have quite a bit of lumber already. metal is something ill have to buy. im gonna strip the boat of anything i think i might be able to use and part out the old merc 500 on ebay to help fund my project. more pics will soon come. i hope its pretty all next week as i have my garage tied up with my lsx s10 build and will be doing most of the work outside.

[Treeview]

Pull the boat off...strip out all of the extras like seats, etc. Build a base and walls...the flip the boat over to make it into a solid, waterproof roof..aerodynamic too!

[bradw18]

hahaha the ol boat is still surprisingly strong i couldn't put a hole in the hull with a ball ping hammer. iv already got the boat stripped i gotta wait for another helper to come before i lift the motor off it. has anybody else made a travel trailer using a boat trailer?

[bradw18]

i borrowed this image from another thread on here hope nobody minds but this is how id like my tent trailer. i want the sides to fold in. and some kind of water proof top will set on top of everything that will be strong enough to hold a 4 wheeler.

[bradw18]

Well made some progress today got raid of the boat and stripped everything off the trailer I didn't need ( rollers winch and guide boards). From tounge to rear of the trailer is 17ft and 44 1/2 in wide. I'm building a platform 5x10 an walls will be 2ft tall. I'm gonna have a queen size bed an about 4 foot of open space that I'll put storage shelfs and other things. I'm gonna have to buy another tent for sure the one I have is 18x10.





I was going to try to use metal but iv seen so many other successful tear drops and other tiny trailers made of wood that in gonna build mine with a 2x4 frame

[bradw18]

Thought about welding 2 s10 beds togeather

[parnold]

You will find that several people have used a boat trailer as their frame for their teardrops. You may want to consider shortening the tongue, but that can always wait till you're near completion. It sounds like you will have a nice roomy trailer. I'm interested in watching your progress.

[bradw18]

i planed on making it about 14 foot total . i would make it shorter but i dont want to mount my batteries underneath my platform. so im gonna build a 2ftx2feet battery inclosure. i got my basic frame cut out tonight im gonna have it about 10ft 4in or so long as far as the sleeping area. i plan on having it mostly done by the end of the week if i dont get anymore parts in for my s10. wonder how much weight my leaf springs can take?? i got 7 in of clearance between the middle of the axle to the bottom of the frame of the boat trailer.

[parnold]

That size boat trailer is probably rated for under 1000 lbs.

[bradw18]

just read your whole build thread and i love the design of yours. thinking about maybe changing my design and going with a tear drop style camper. i love how you did the ac unit very creative. only thing i can think of with a tent is more head room but at the same time tents do blow away

[Martiangod]

Gotta just love workin in mud, Nothin like the workout from 20lb boots

[bradw18]

Sounds like you've worked in a little mud to

Hopefully it has dried out a little today. My goal for today is get the floor framed in

[bradw18]

progress was slow today as i forgot it was a good friends birthday. but i did get my basic frame done. trying to figure out the best way to mount the basic frame i have built to the trailer it self.




hope to make some major progress tomorrow.

on the first or second pic theres is a upclose view of the tire and suspension. the boat trailer has another 3 foot piece of 2x3 rectangle that is u bolted to the trailer frame it self. my idea was weld the two pieces of rectangle stock together and do away with the u bolts. theres about a 6in gap between the boat trailer and the frame iv build if i can get all the u bolts off the frame ill be able to lay a board down on the frame and bolt it securely to the boat trailer then attach the frame iv build to that. im open to all suggestions if anybody has any

[canned o minimum]

ANYTHING that says Home Made or Redneck gits MY attention !

[bradw18]

Wish my garage wasnt being taken sucks working outside at night.

heres my other project