wompser's m416 trailer build (1 Viewer)

[DudeAbides]

Wompser,

Great build. I can't wait to see more updates in the future. Do you ever make it over to the JK Forum? There would be many people interested in your build on that site.

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JkOwners would be a better site to post it. If you have the wrong parts on your Jeep and show pictures they will ban you on JK forum (sound completely ridiculous but happens all the time)

I love this build, I have a small trailer I've been wanting to build up and this has given me inspiration to finally start.

 

[wompser]

thanks to everyond for the kudos! I never expected to be an internet celebrity, but someone actually flagged me down on the road and mentioned that they had seen this forum and liked my build! kinda crazy!

anyway, I haven't been on here much but wanted to catch up on some questions that people have asked. first up, about the spare tire... yes, it's basically just bolted up to the cross member with a plate to hold it in place. it's not a very good solution, and I really should re-do it. getting everythign to line up properly was a real chore, but at least it's now on solid. it's darn near impossible to get it put up on there though, I wound up using a rachet strap to hold it in place, I'd hate to change it in the mud/rain. while there's a certain efficency in using the plate method, I think it would be easier to make a hinged cage to hold the wheel, or some type of racheting lift to crank it up. anyway, hopefully I won't have many flat tires.

secondly, someone PM'd me and asked this: "Please tell me about your suspension lift and how it is working for you. Have you had any problems or would you change the design at all. Im going to lift my trailer a bit and don't want to change all the bushings out. Your design looks like a perfect solution."

I think the design is working pretty well... at least I haven't had any problems. (there's a ton of pictures of the lift earlier in the thread. personally, I think it's a bit better of a solution than a SOA conversion, but others may disagree. I like it my way because it doesn't raise the trailer TOO high, and you could easily do it a bit lower by using smaller blocks. I'm not 100% sure of the strength of my way though. I haven't had any problems, but I also havent' really pushed the limits off road with a full trailer either. I think my solution is a little unsightly, but I havent' taken the time to correct it. if I could change anythign, I'd probably make use a piece of black plastic to fill in the gaps in the wheel well, so it dosen't appear to be up on blocks. it's a minor thing, to be sure, but it looks a little unfinished.

one other thing, my front landing leg design kinda sucked, so I've now replaced it with a proper caster single wheel. basically, the problem was that my two wheels weren't far back enough from the center of rotation on the leg and so it was pretty squirrly whenever I would push it around. parts were starting to bend a bit too, so I cut the whole thing off and re-did it. I'll attach a picture soon.

 

[wompser]

oh, and yeah, I should prob. do some cross posting to other forums, but i just haven't gotten around to it!

maybe I'll do it when I build out my top for the trailer.. which is coming this spring! (hopefully?) what can I say, I have more projects than time!

 

[BlueT2]

trailer tires?

wompser - trailer looks awesome! You have given me some great ideas!

I did have a question about your tire set-up? Why didn't you use the same tires on your trailer that is on your jeep. That way the only spare needed is on the jeep and they are all interchangeable?

I understand if it is a budget thing, but I wanted to do that on mine (used set off of craiglist) and I either need to change out the axle, which I hate to do, or get some spacers that will convert a 5x5 patterned to a 5x4.5 pattern.

Just wanted to pick your brain on that.

Cant wait to see what you do with the lid/top.

Thanks for all the great pics.

Rick

 

[wompser]

I think you might have answered your own question! had the tires had the same bolt pattern, i'd consider it... but at I think the tires were around $300 each, plus $200 a wheel, plus around $100 for spacers, it just didn't seem worth it. additionally, the tires being wider and backspacing being different, I'd also need to make the fenders wider. all and all, it was too expensive and too much of a hassle. admittely, there'a a certain efficency to only carrying one spare, but acually I like having the weight of the spare up underneath the trailer, it balances out the weight of the tongue when the trailer is empty.

all that being said, if i were building it 100% from scratch, I would have made the wheels and tires all the same.

 

[GregB00XJ]

Very nice... very nice build. I am a big fan of the colour as well as your attention to detail. I am working on an M101 CDN2 that I recently purchased. I am looking forward to having a multi purpose, multi use trailer...of course color matched to my Cherokee.

Nice work my friend! Next time I am in Seattle I will keep my eyes peeled.
Greg

 

[Mark Harley]

Great build start to finish! I have a 101A2 a little bigger but your ideas have helped.

 

[77TLCFJ40]

Thanks much for your parking brake handle relocation details and pics!

Still working well?

 

[wompser]

Wow... just realized that this thread has over 100,000 views. Crazy! I changed my email a few years ago and forgot to update it on this forum. My apologies to all the people who DMd me over the years who I never answered.

The trailer is still doing great! Unfortunately it's been kept outside and is starting to show a little wear from the elements, but it's holding up very well. (the aluminum is a little tarnished, and I haven't kept up with the polishing.) Since I rebuilt it, it's been on MANY camping trips all over the northwest, and dozens of dump runs, trips to the garden center, and picking up machine tools and raw materials. I'm surprised that with very little upkeep the trailer continues to follow my jeep wherever it goes. The only further comments I'd make on this build are that I don't like the arrangement of the front trailer wheel very much, it's really not a robust enough design for a wheel, I need to work on that. Secondly, mounting the spare battery in the aluminum box brought the center of gravity too far forward on the trailer, which makes it a little awkward when moving it around by hand. One day I'll get around to re-mounting it somewhere farther back on the trailer to balance the weight better.

thanks for all the interest in this project!

 

[wompser]

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