Homebuilt Adventure Trailer

ECloud89

ECloud89

Rank II

Enthusiast II

336
Pendleton, IN
First Name
Ethan
Last Name
C
Hey guys, last weekend I picked up a Harbor Freight folding trailer as a base to start my adventure trailer and I figured I'd start a build thread to show my progress. I didn't want to reinvent the wheel so the wife and I settled of the HF trailer to keep the budget happy. Here it is so far.
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The tongue will be shortened later.

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Nice trailer! Makes for good blank canvas for adding all the goodies that you will need on your future adventures. Keep us posted and send photos as you build it along.


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I second adding storage instead of chopping it down. My plan had also been to chop the tongue down on this boat trailer but instead I used the spare parts for a front deck.

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Cool! One of these day's I'll get a trailer built. Maybe sooner rather than later...went on a winter camp and realized I need a trailer, not enough space in the XJ.
 
That's my biggest drive to build the trailer. We took several camping trips last summer and ran out of real estate quick with just me, my wife and our dog in a jku.
I appreciate everyone's input on the tongue length. The dimensions for the box are 43"x6' and the tongue is currently at 6' to front cross member. The picture makes it look shorter. I have plans for a front storage box for a 12v system and air compressor. I want to to track well with my Jeep and not cut corners too badly on trails.

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Awesome. I will subscribe for ideas along the way. Bad weather and lack of indoor work space is delaying me, but I will soon start a "poor man's off-road trailer" build thread. I found this old thing in a parking lot where I work and it has apparently been abandoned for a decade. My employer said go ahead and take it.
So far I have hardly touched it, but I have rust inhibiting primer for after I take a wire brush to it. Then I will flip the axle to increase clearance, throw on some 31" A/T tires I have laying around with about 10% tread remaining. Eventually I will chop the walls down a bit and add some sort of rack across the top, maybe even Yakima-type bars to attach bikes, kayaks, cargo boxes, or even someday a RTT. No matter where I go with it, I am going to do everything as close to free as I can.
From the previous chatter on here, I am thinking I might try to shorten the overall length in order to move more nimbly on trails.

Not trying to hi-jack your thread @ECloud89 just showing camaraderie! I promise I will put future posts on its own thread. I just had to announce my intentions so that the OB community would hold me to following through on it :)

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Sweet deal on that trailer @raundhaus! That's a good find. We've had pretty balmy weather in central IN so I've been able to work on it most of the week. Tonight we got the rear frame cross members welded in and tongue drilled for a hitch pin. Then I couldn't resist a cruise around the yard.

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I will also say not to shorten the tongue until you have the trailer near completion. I would add tongue storage like a HF box (get the more expensive box trust me on this) and behind the box in front of the actual trailer add a few water and fuel cans. My trailer is also a HF based build and I'm about to extend the tongue by about 18 inches from what the PO had it set too in order to open the swing out tire carrier while the trailer is attached.

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You might need to widen that axle or put spacers. When the trailer gets loaded, the axle will flex a little and those tires will likely rub.
 
I'm going to run a 1/2" spacer on the wheels to get by for now but the plans are to run the same wheels as the Jeep which have a bigger offset. Tonight we didn't make much progress and it will be slow going from now until I get more steel for the body fab. We did flip it over and set it on jack stands to weld on the bottom side of all the joints. I am planning to gusset the tongue joints this week and wire some temp lights and go for a test drive.

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The weekend was productive. Got the wiring for all the lights ran thru the tongue and tired up along the frame and got all lights operating. Next stop is paint and fenders. I'm using the PVC as a frame for a tarp until I get a lid made. Here it is pre-brake light install before rain came in. I still need to get a set of spacers for the axle also but it's moving right along.
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I don't think we're going to put doors in the sides, there was plans for a tail gate but with the lights so close together it would be a small opening. We're working on a swing out tire carrier with integrated flip down table for the rear, which was going to be the biggest benefit of the tailgate anyway. Just need something big enough for our Coleman stove and meal preparation.

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Fenders and license on, time to work out the kinks and figure out propane, spare tire, and air compressor/tank set up.
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Already got annoyed with the pintle hitch.
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