70's datsun pickup bed camping offroad utility trailer

[cjmoon]

This is going to be.a slow build but thought I would post.
Late 70's datsun truck bed I've always loved the 70's mini truck beds. Looked for a toyota for a while.but this came up in my price range.

Planning on replacing the front half of the frame and cutting the fenders prabbaly will sit a little lower when done. But it will be a few weeks before being able to put time to this project

 

[cruiserpilot]

This should be interesting. Same track width as your truck?

 

[cjmoon]

Yes with a 5000# drop axle

 

[e9999]

Should be fun.
You may want to check that axle. Looks like an odd job.

 

[cjmoon]

It's a very odd job.. I built it. Started as a trailer drop axle flipped it and cut bent it to correct camber. Fish plated the welded. It's stiff and heavy. I have no worries. I have built several custom suspension and axle set ups.

This is not my first truck bed trailer either. Pulled one in college for 3 years pretty much every where I went with tools tires parts... drove a jeep and needed a lot to keep it going.

 

[meatloaf]

Looking forward to this build especially since I am currently working one from a mid 70's Ford Courier.

 

[cjmoon]

Looking forward to this build especially since I am currently working one from a mid 70's Ford Courier.

another great 70's iconic truck. hope to have my subaru suspension rebuild finished up in the next week or so, then I can start the trailer

 

[cjmoon]

Progress has been slow but should get slightly faster as I moved it it the garage frome my father's place several miles away.

Bought a weatherguard tool box to put in front of the bed with the 6' tongue and extesion length to balance it out. If I had room to store the topper I would keep it as its very period correctangular and love the old style. But I don't so it's on craigslist

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

what, no pop top camper shell?

 

[cjmoon]

Slow progress. Never put the nursery above your garage. Really slows things down. And the hot weather. At 10pm tonight garage and oitside temos match at 86.

Center support will be extended back to about the axle eventually. This will get me started. Get it in place and make it mobile. Picture of where the frame is getting spliced in.

 

[cjmoon]

Slow progress. Next step is lowering the rear end. Moving to a slider style rear leaf spring slider. Frame height should be about 25" when done.

 

[gandrimp]

Why such a long tongue?

I just finished my build with a 99 ranger bed. I like the bed you have better, due to the outer bed hooks.

 

[cjmoon]

i went back and forth on lengths. I have a very universal end goal which makes it hard. Ultimately length will make road manors the best. one of the uses will be hauling dirt bikes for a long distance tripped planed for next summer. I'd like to put one across the tongue and room for a quad or 2 dirt bikes in the back while still doing overland type terrain. axle to hitch is about 106". the lenth is handy for canoe or kayaks also

 

[onemanarmy]

those truck bed trailers are cool...they just make for such heavy tongue weight

 

[ntsqd]

The longer the tongue, the lower the tongue weight for any given load. It's exactly like getting a longer lever to lift something up.

 

[cjmoon]

Front side sliders attached with fuel tank supports coming next.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

 

[cjmoon]

As mentioned I decided to do shackle sliders. I've never used them before but always wanted to based on the low profile nature. Prices and designs are all over the place. I went cheap since this is a trailer build but then had second thoughts so I'm incorporating some wear item sliders based on an over sized leaf spring bushings that will rub the bracket internally on these speedway budget sliders.

Ordered some cj5 shocks 7" travel and cj5 shock frame mounts. All very universal and $10-15 each. Can't fabricate anything for even close to that. I will need to fab a lower mount. I'm planing on a bolt on mount to the brake flange on the axle. If I add brakes at any point it should still fit with longer bolts

 

[cns]

I can't tell from the picturfes, but is that going to be a sliding tongue? Like on a dump truck trailer?

 

[cjmoon]

yes its a 2" receiver with 3 different positions to pin it in. almost a 3ft extension if needed