1+1=1 Popup Toy Hauler Build

[nicholastheczar]

I've been wanting a toy hauler for a while but they are expensive. Something like this:

I like the idea of the pop up camper on the back and the open deck in front that the camper companies are making but they start at 15k and go up. I started looking and found this thread: Hauling 2 quads with a 2002 Utah Modification, which is exactly what I want to do. So, I decided I am going to build one on my own. Last week I bought this for $700:

It is a 28' frame from a travel trailer. Pulls straight, both axles have brakes. I priced out two axles w/ brakes, and a coupler, and that was around $600 and that doesn't include tires, wheels, or any steel and my time to build it. It was a no brainer.

So, step two was to find the pop up portion. Stopped by a RV dealer and they had taken in on trade a 2004 Viking Pop, just what I was looking for.

So my plan (in a nutshell) now is to hoist up the pop up, cut the axle and tongue off of it and mount it on my flat bed trailer. I want it to look good and not like it was just thrown together, so it will take some pretty good modification to get it right and to get my tongue weight right.

I plan on having the camper on the back of the trailer and making a deck out of expanded metal on the front w/ enough space to carry 3 ATVs or 2 ATVs and a RZR.

As it stands right now, I have $4700 in it.

Nick

 

[gahi]

Cool, a good way to save a ton of money. Maybe start at the front and build your deck to get the space you require, then mount the camper. cut the excess frame and put the axles where the tongue weight is ideal. Does the popup body come off the frame?

 

[nicholastheczar]

Cool, a good way to save a ton of money. Maybe start at the front and build your deck to get the space you require, then mount the camper. cut the excess frame and put the axles where the tongue weight is ideal. Does the popup body come off the frame?

I thought about that, and w/ rough measurements, I think my trailer will end up at about 25'. I'm going to take each one of them to the scales and get weight of each so I know about what I will be working w/ then work on the math of axle placement for proper tongue weight.

Nick

 

[gahi]

build it first, leave the axles in place, then weigh the whole thing? unless you have easy access to big scales. 25 ft including the tongue?

 

[nicholastheczar]

25' does not include the tongue, that will be the deck of the trailer. I am estimating that the camper weighs 2500# and the flatbed trailer is about #1500 in the current state.

 

[REZARF]

Cool, a good way to save a ton of money. Maybe start at the front and build your deck to get the space you require, then mount the camper. cut the excess frame and put the axles where the tongue weight is ideal. Does the popup body come off the frame?

I agree, I'd start up front, and move rearward. You should be close as it sits I would imagine.

I love the idea and it is impressive that you have gone for it!

 

[Fast Eddy]

You don't need the weight of the current popup frame. Go the extra mile and remove the popup from it's frame and move it over by itself.

Cool project.

 

[nicholastheczar]

Here are some measurements I took this evening. Looks like I will not shorten the trailer at all. After the camper is mounted I may end up moving the axles forward some. Wish I was an engineer so i could figure my tongue weight from my measurements and from the weight of the camper.

Nick

 

[nicholastheczar]

You don't need the weight of the current popup frame. Go the extra mile and remove the popup from it's frame and move it over by itself.

Cool project.

My popup has a lot of the lift mechanism for the roof integrated into the frame as well as the water tank so it will have to stay. I will need it anyway for increased rigidity as well as to lift the camper over the top of the tires.

 

[REZARF]

It might be the most work... but you could build it, drive it and see where the tongue weight ends up. Throw the whole rig onto HD jack stands and cut the suspension off and move the axle where you'd like. That said, with weight added of a few quads and the camper, I bet it would be very insignificant to move the axle a foot or two. I bet it tows and tracks just fine.

 

[nicholastheczar]

It might be the most work... but you could build it, drive it and see where the tongue weight ends up. Throw the whole rig onto HD jack stands and cut the suspension off and move the axle where you'd like. That said, with weight added of a few quads and the camper, I bet it would be very insignificant to move the axle a foot or two. I bet it tows and tracks just fine.

I thought of that and looked at how the axles are attached and it actually wouldn't be that hard to move them. I'm going to start work on it tomorrow and see how much progress I can make. I'll post up some pics.

Nick

 

[nicholastheczar]

Decided to do a SOA to gain clearance and to allow me to get the popup closer to the flatbed trailer frame w/o having to worry about the flatbed tires coming into contact w/ the popup.

SOA complete

I then used the winch on my 40 and a ARB snatch block to pull the popup onto the flatbed. It was pretty getto, but it worked like a champ.

I now need to center the popup on the trailer and will probably move it forward about another foot or two for tongue weight and chop of the back of the trailer. I'm going to drop pull the axle off and chop the tongue off. From what I have read, it seems you TW needs to be 10-15% of your total trailer load. I'm estimating my Dry Weight will be around 3,300# w/ a TW of 400# and a loaded weight of around 5,500# w/ a TW of 700#. My 08 Tundra has a Payload Capacity of 1,515#, a standard tow capacity 10,100#, a GVWR total of 7,200# and a GCWR total of 16,000#.

Need to buy some more steel now and get some expanded metal for the front flooring.

Nick

 

[gahi]

if you just rotated the axle upside down to do the springover, your camber will be off. The axle has the bend in it so when loaded to capacity it straightens out some and gives the wheels and tires the correct camber. With the axles upside down when loaded the axles will continue to bend in the same direction and really wear the insides of your tires.

btw, those Tundra's are friggin sweet. The back seats feel like they have more room then the front. It'll be a nice setup once you get it dialed in.

 

[nicholastheczar]

if you just rotated the axle upside down to do the springover, your camber will be off. The axle has the bend in it so when loaded to capacity it straightens out some and gives the wheels and tires the correct camber. With the axles upside down when loaded the axles will continue to bend in the same direction and really wear the insides of your tires.

btw, those Tundra's are friggin sweet. The back seats feel like they have more room then the front. It'll be a nice setup once you get it dialed in.

Yeah, I realized this after I bolted it together. I went to tractor supply and bought 4 new perches.

I've been really happy w/ the Tundra. Pulled my 40 to Moab from TX with it this year, pulled great. You're right about the back seat, its like a limo back there, so much room. I bought mine new in 08 and have 65k on it now. Has been a great truck!

Nick

 

[Black Op]

Look more like redneck ingenuity.

 

[nicholastheczar]

Look more like redneck ingenuity.

I've got your redneck ingenuity right here!

Got the camper lowered down now I need to position it for correct tongue weight. I will buy more steel this week and hopefully make some progress this weekend. The camper is resting on blocks right now to make it easier to move. Once it is finialized, it will be about 3 inches lower and welded permantly to the frame.

Nick

 

[se2000]

How about centering the popup and having a front and rear toy section?

 

[samsdad]

Or rotating the pop-up 180*. You would then have access to the front storage at the rear of the trailer.

 

[nicholastheczar]

How about centering the popup and having a front and rear toy section?

If I centered it, it would throw my tongue weight way off. I have it positioned now where the popup wheel well is over the front tire and my tongue weight is about right. Moving it up even more would put too much weight on the front of the trailer.

Or rotating the pop-up 180*. You would then have access to the front storage at the rear of the trailer.

Can rotate it. The popup itself is about 10', maximum width allowable is 104".

I think it will work out well with it about 3.5 feet from the back of the trailer.

Nick

 

[se2000]

He said 180 which puts the front at the back. Not sideways.
Do you have proper tongue weight with or without the toys? If it is with, Then without them it will be wanting to lift you back up. And vice versa.
You may want to take into account that you may replace your toys, add or delete items as time goes by.
Having the camper balance the trailer a little light without toys may be the best solution. Now if you make everything modular, you could rebuild it as thing change.