Box Rocket homemade trailer build (1 Viewer)

[Diesel Cruiserman]

Great build, good read and miss those days with my kids, they have to grow up eventually...

Rob

 

[Box Rocket]

Holy smokes, been a while since I've updated this thread. The trailer continues to get used a lot and continues to be a great tool for me and my family. We've had some great trips over the last year or so.




Back in the fall I decided to color match it to the 80.


Then in November I decided to remove the adjustable rack because I didn't need it's functionality any more, and replace it with a lid to finally enclose the box. I got the main frame of the lid built in November and then things came to a standstill.

well, 5 months after starting the lid frame I have it mostly completed. I still need to finish the new rack for the tent over the next couple days before heading to Moab on the weekend to demo Tepui tents. Overall, I'm glad to finally have a lid on the trailer for better security and protection from the elements. The lid is on the heavy side since it's all steel but shouldn't be an issue once I get the right gas struts. Also there are some imperfections in the sheetmetal work which is to be expected when I don't have a sheet metal break but it will still work fine.
.
The one disappointment was the paint. I had some custom paint mixed to match the paintcode on the cruiser. I had the same place mix some for me a few months back when I painted the body of the trailer and it came out correct. But this paint for the lid was not even close. You can see the difference in the second photo. I need to take this photo in and see if they will remix it for me. I'll do some cleanup on the lid and respray it later since I'm pressed for time for this weekend.
.
Photo of the framed lid.

.
Bad paint match

.
I'll get some finished photos in the next couple days.

 

[Burley]

I really like that lid design. I may end up 'borrowing' it in the future.

 

[Box Rocket]

Couple of grainy iphone photos of the completed lid. I'll be building the tent rack tonight. I am still waiting on gas struts and the weather stripping, but it's getting close.

.

.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Nice work Adam.

I hope to finish mine by summer.

Jason

 

[Box Rocket]

finished up the tent rack and got the tent back on the trailer in time for the weekend.

.

 

[Burley]

Looks badass. We'll done!

 

[Box Rocket]

I was working Saturday in Moab for Jeep Safari but was able to make a little detour on the way down there on Friday. My 15 yr old son, Bjornn was with me so he did some driving and I took some pics since it was a beautiful afternoon.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

[LFD2037]

Did someone bend that lid for you or did you weld pieces together? I dig it!!!

 

[Box Rocket]

Did someone bend that lid for you or did you weld pieces together? I dig it!!!

It's mostly cut pieces. There is one sheet for the top surface, a piece for each end and the sides are each one bent piece. I don't have a press brake so I used the "whiskey bend" method but cutting about halfway through the sheet with a cutoff wheel along the line of the bend, then bent it and rewelded the surface.

Ghetto? yes, undoubtedly.

 

[SFROMAN]

Great looking and functional trailer.

Got a question for you if you don't mind.

In another picture I found of your trailer I noticed two back up lights.

Were they used for backing up?
Camp setup?

Just having a hell of a time figuring out how you would turn them on from inside your truck when backing up.

If you were able to turn the lights on from inside your truck could you explain how you did it?

Have a good one

 

[Box Rocket]

Great looking and functional trailer.

Got a question for you if you don't mind.

In another picture I found of your trailer I noticed two back up lights.

Were they used for backing up?
Camp setup?

Just having a hell of a time figuring out how you would turn them on from inside your truck when backing up.

If you were able to turn the lights on from inside your truck could you explain how you did it?

Have a good one

Those were intended to be used more as "camp lights" rather than reverse lights. Also the ones in the photo you saw where far to big for that use, but it's what I had at the time I was working on a way to make them work. I now have a pair of small dual row 6" LEDs that will be used there.

I am still figuring out the way I want to wire them but ideally I would like to have them just tied to the reverse lights on the truck with a secondary manual switch in the trailer so that they can be turned on at camp.

 

[SFROMAN]

My AT Horizon is lacking in the back up light department which is why I was wandering.

Thanks for the quick response.

And again. Great trailer.

Have a good one.

 

[NBender]

Hi Adam,

Absolutely love your trailer. It is my source of inspiration to build one of my own and when I do so will definitely be gratuitously ripping off some of your design ideas, most notably the telescoping tent rack which you've since moved on from.

What's that contraption you've got supporting the back of your trailer in the first picture of post #226? Is it some sort of stabilizer? I've never seen one of those before.

 

[Box Rocket]

Hi Adam,

Absolutely love your trailer. It is my source of inspiration to build one of my own and when I do so will definitely be gratuitously ripping off some of your design ideas, most notably the telescoping tent rack which you've since moved on from.

What's that contraption you've got supporting the back of your trailer in the first picture of post #226? Is it some sort of stabilizer? I've never seen one of those before.

Yes, the contraption is a simple stabilizer. Inexpensive and effective. Has worked great for me, packs up pretty small and makes for nothing hanging down under the back of the trailer.

 

[NBender]

Yes, the contraption is a simple stabilizer. Inexpensive and effective. Has worked great for me, packs up pretty small and makes for nothing hanging down under the back of the trailer.

Did you fab it yourself or buy it somewhere?

 

[Box Rocket]

Did you fab it yourself or buy it somewhere?

Bought it at Camping World for like $20

 

[Box Rocket]

Few details inside the lid I forgot to post.

Trailer is still going strong and doing what I need from it almost 10 years after the initial build.

 

[Brady Haws]

I love your build (except for that Y sticker on the corner ). I have a HF trailer that I modded down to 4'x4' (ala Dinoot) and slapped on some wheels and tires to match my '08 4Runner. It's a flatbed right now but I have been planning for some time to enclose it. I will more or less follow your build as you have most everything I want in a trailer and some things I hadn't considered. I plan on using it mostly to haul gear camping and load bikes on. Thank you so much for the invaluable input and suggestions. I've got my order from Wasatch Steel ready to go.

A couple questions I didn't see addressed in the post, what gas strut did you end up using on your lid? Where did you get it? Does the lid seal ok? I'd like to keep the Uinta Mountain moon dust out of my gear.

Now that you have had this thing for 10+ years, is there anything you would do differently?

Thanks again for this awesome build!

 

[Box Rocket]

I love your build (except for that Y sticker on the corner ). I have a HF trailer that I modded down to 4'x4' (ala Dinoot) and slapped on some wheels and tires to match my '08 4Runner. It's a flatbed right now but I have been planning for some time to enclose it. I will more or less follow your build as you have most everything I want in a trailer and some things I hadn't considered. I plan on using it mostly to haul gear camping and load bikes on. Thank you so much for the invaluable input and suggestions. I've got my order from Wasatch Steel ready to go.

A couple questions I didn't see addressed in the post, what gas strut did you end up using on your lid? Where did you get it? Does the lid seal ok? I'd like to keep the Uinta Mountain moon dust out of my gear.

Now that you have had this thing for 10+ years, is there anything you would do differently?

Thanks again for this awesome build!

Thanks for the compliments! The reason I post stuff is in hopes that it helps someone else and give ideas about what can be done. That’s why I’m on forums like this and I’ve stolen ideas from others so many times so it’s an effort to reciprocate a little. It’s nice to hear when someone gets some inspiration from something I’ve shared. So thanks.

Not really anything I’d change if I were doing it again. I’ve made those changes along the way as the needs arise. Only thing I can think of is that it would have been nice to build it out of aluminum but I didn’t have those skills when I started.

The lid seals well. The tailgate is where I still get dust intrusion.