the unfancy 5x8 "toy hauler"

[squeak]

I used to operate a mobile automotive painting service where I would go to car lots and do small paint and body repair work on the spot. To do this I invested in a brand new 5x8 utility trailer with a 6ft ceiling. Long story short: EPA no longer permits painting outside of a paint booth, I'm no longer in the mobile painting business, trailer has seen very little use in the last few years. I cleaned out the trailer on monday, and I'm going to be setting it up to haul 2 motorcycles. My dad and I like to go to and camp at a vintage bike show in the fall and a motorcycle trials school in the spring. We usually tent camp and I hope this trailer can improve upon the tent camping experience without taking away the primitave fun. I will be fabricating a "bed" that hinges up from either side and is supported in the middle by cables. The other camper will sleep on the floor of the trailer (both on air matresses). The trailer has the "barn door" style rear doors that can't be opened from the inside so some sort of screen door will be used when the trailer is occupied. The trailer will basically be a tent that doesn't have to be set up and gives better protection from the elements. It will also offer better protection for our bikes and gear during travel.

Here's what I'm starting with





And here's some brackets I started on for hanging the bed.

[chiefb711]

Welcome! I look forward to seeing what you do with this trailer. What are you doing with the bed? I always ask because I'm still working on my design and I want it to be tested, tried, and true. Good luck in your build!

Ryan

[hankaye]

squeak, Howdy;

Welcome to the Wonderful World of CTConversions...
Looking forward to seeing what you create.

hank

[squeak]

Thanks for the welcome. For the bed there will be a piece of 3/4" plywood mounted to the walls with hinges on both sides of the trailer. They will swing up and meet in the middle. Each at each inside corner of the plywood there will be two of the square plates you see cut out in my first post, one on top of the wood and one on bottom to sandwich it and spread out the load. They will be bolted together using 1/2" bolts. The top plate will have half of a link of chain welded to it. The longer plates will also have a half link of chain welded to them and will be bolted to the ceiling or top of the wall, either way they will be bolted to a "stud". I have picked up some 3/16" cable to connect between the half links of chain and suspend each half of the bed. I will add reinforcements to the bottom of each piece of plywood if necessary, but I'm under 150lbs so I'm not sure it will be necessary. I hope to have the bed suspended by the end of the weekend.

[squeak]

I don't believe in working on a Sunday, but I don't consider tinkering on something you enjoy as doing work So I managed to get both sides of the swing up bed mounted on their hinges to the walls. I proped them up with broom sticks and it looked something like this:



The bed seems plenty spacious but the small rounded area at the front of the trailer that I had envisioned myself climbing up onto the bed through seemed smaller in real life than it did on the tape measure. The lower area also seemed much more cramped with the loss of headroom. So I decided to just make one side the bed. It's still as big as most cots and allows me to suspend it from four points rather than the two that it would have been the other way. I got all the mounts on the ceiling and bed, but haven't got my cables cut and crimped to suspend it.

[abqlloyd]

Tinkering built this country. Nice work.

[sheila0344]

I like the idea of a cargo trailer conversion. Trying to convince my sons I need one, but why is the bed going to be so high up?
Sheila

[squeak]

I wanted it to be high enough to put a motorcycle under. I will be able to put some light camping gear on it while traveling. Also if someone is sleeping on a cot on the floor they still have a little head room.

[cornfused]

I usually have my bunks up high like that too. Speaking from experience... make sure you have a solid step or ladder to get up there. The first few times I camped in mine I climbed up into mine off a camping chair. One night when I had one leg up on the bed and the other on the chair mid climb the chair tipped over, I caught myself by hanging upside down off the bed railing with the leg I had up already... needless to say after that I built a solid platform to climb up there.

[squeak]

Thanks for the tip. I'm planning to make a bench/step/storage compartment along the front wall of the trailer.

[squeak]

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been busy, but not too busy to get the trailer "finished".

Here's the storage compartment/bench/step







Got the bed suspended



Motorcycle wheel chocks and tie down points. I built this from flat 1/8" plate. I forgot to take pictures while building it though. The left side is set back about 5" from the right to avoid handlebar conflict.



Last minute decision to trim out the bed in 2x4s so things won't fall off of it as easily during transport. Cost a small amount of bed length, but worth it to a short guy like me.



I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I like the no frills feel of it. My goal was to build a trailer that added a little convience to the tent camping experience without losing the simple feeling that camping gives. I'm sure once I've camped in it I'll make a few tweaks to it, but I feel like she's ready for her first adventure.

[rebapuck]

Go forth!!