BrandFX Workpod Trailer Build (1 Viewer)

[NorCal Cruiser]

A couple of years ago I purchased a BrandFX Workpod for $600. It was from a Ford Ranger with a 7’ bed and it seemed like a great starting point to build an off-road trailer. I was looking for an easy way to securely carry our camping gear since I was to the point where I couldn’t cram the two kids, dog, and gear for remote camping in the back of the 80.

After picking up the Workpod I started searching and found out I wasn’t the first person to have the idea to build a trailer from one of these. Here are some of the examples I found online:

After letting the Workpod sit at my dad’s house for a couple years I’m finally making the time to build a trailer for it so sit on. I’m planning to build a 48” wide trailer with a 30” front deck in front of the Workpod to hold firewood, gas cans, propane tank, and a spare tire. The overall trailer length will be 13’. The frame will be made out of 3x2x0.120 tube (blue on the drawing below) and the tongue will be 2.5” square receiver tubing (drawn in red).

I found a Timbren 1 tonne HD 4” lift trailer suspension on Craigslist for $350. I’m setting them up with electric brakes and 6 on 5.5 hubs to match my 80. And the track width will be the same as my 80. I’m estimating that, aside from the wheels and tires, the trailer will weigh about 650 pounds- 200 lbs of steel, 300 lbs for the Workpod, and about 150 lbs for the suspension, brakes, and hubs. I should have about 1550 pounds of carrying capacity before hitting the 2200 weight rating of the suspension.

I’ve ordered an Ark articulating hitch which seems like it will be easy to use and it uses a regular 2” ball (I had a Lock n Roll on my Adventure Trailer Chaser and this looks easier to use).

My longer term plans include adding a battery and moving my Engel fridge from the back of my 80 to the trailer. I have two 100 watt solar panels which will provide more than enough power for the fridge and some interior LED lights. I would also like to add a 270 degree awning to provide shade on the side and back of the trailer.

Any tips, advice, or feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[tlin]

Just some words of encouragement.......get 'er done!

Never seen a trailer based off these, thanks for sharing the pics. Just did a local CL search and yes, there's an identical Work Topper close(ish) to me for........$2,500. (ouch)

Give yourself a realistic timeline with some self-imposed penalties if you miss them. Treat it like you would something at work and push yourself to bring it to completion. Following along....

--t

 

[Exiled]

Tongue looks short for the length of the trailer, or is that just the "receiver" portion of the tongue and the insert can be adjusted for length?

 

[NorCal Cruiser]

Tongue looks short for the length of the trailer, or is that just the "receiver" portion of the tongue and the insert can be adjusted for length?

The Ark hitch adds another 12” in length so I’m going to have 30” from the pivot point back to the triangulating supports. The rear bumper is 68” wide. I’m hoping the 6ish inches the ball sticks out behind the bumper will give me the clearance I need to jackknife the trailer without hitting.

Edit: it looks like I should end up with about 36” of clearance.

 

[NorCal Cruiser]

8 hours of work transformed a few pieces of tubing into a frame. We spent about an hour laying everything out, checking to make sure it was square and level, and clamping everything together.

My 68 year old dad did the welding using his ancient 220v Lincoln stick welder that he’s had longer than I’ve been alive. After we had the frame rails and main cross members welded up we had to figure out where to add the cross member to support the Timbren suspension. We added some plates to strengthen the cross member and to give us room for the vertical bolts for the suspension hangers.

When it was all said and done were only a long 1/16th of an inch off from being perfectly square.

Next weekend the plan is to paint the frame, mount the suspension, add a sheet of metal on the deck the work pod will sit on, and wire up the lights and brakes.

I picked up some LX450 wheels with stock tires to use for the trailer. I had been looking for some regular 80 series wheels but I found these at a local wrecking yard.

I’m hoping to have this ready to take camping in three weeks. We’ll see how that goes

 

[NorCal Cruiser]

Here’s the mocked up suspension. It’s ready to be bolted on after painting the frame.

I thought I ended up with the narrow spindles but now I’m not sure. The stock sized 275/70R16s seem to fit ok.

 

[NorCal Cruiser]

It was another busy week. We beefed up the rear cross member, painted the frame, mounted the sheet for the deck, mounted the suspension, and got the pod on the trailer. We’re going to have to enlarge the cutout at the back of the pod to fit around the rear receiver and then we’ll be able to bolt the pod to the trailer. And my local metal supplier was out of expanded metal when I went this week. I’ll need a sheet to be able to build the front storage deck.

With the pod on the trailer the bottom of the frame is 24” from the ground and the only things hanging down are the trailing arms for the suspension.

 

[tlin]

Looking good!

 

[NorCal Cruiser]

This was a big weekend- we got the shell bolted to the trailer, the axles setup, and I was able to tow it home, 100 miles, from my parents’ house. Now that I have the trailer at home I will be wrapping up the wiring and hook up the brakes before we take it camping in a couple weeks.

On Sunday my kids helped me wash two years of grime off the shell- it’s looking much better now.

 

[kirvesmies]

@NOR CAL CRUISER , that's a unique looking piece. i like it oh yeah, good on you for getting the kids to earn their supper

 

[NorCal Cruiser]

Over the past few weeks I got the tail lights installed, the brakes hooked up, and some holes in the shell filled with epoxy.

We camped the last two weekends. Two weeks ago we went to Silver and Caribou lakes up in NE California which was a 4 hour drive from home. This weekend we went to Union Valley Reservoir which was only 1.5 hours from home. The trailer worked great. It towed well- no issues at all.

The big items on the to do list are to finish the expanded metal box for the front of the trailer, mount a battery on the trailer, mount my two 100 watt solar panels, and move my fridge from my cruiser to the trailer. We don’t have anymore trips planned for a a month so that should give me time to get the battery set up.

 

[NorCal Cruiser]

Last weekend my son and I took a trip to Lindsey Lake. We got there on Thursday and there was only one other group. The trailer did great on the way there- I like the storage box I built at the front and the 200 watts of solar kept my Bluetti power station charged back up to 100% each afternoon (I was only running my Engel 45 fridge).

There was still some snow on the ground and one the lakes further up had a decent amount of ice- but it didn’t stop my lab from going for a swim.

On the way home I ran into an issue- the “spring” on my Timbren Axle-less suspension turned sideways causing the trailer to lean- I was actually worried that I had lost the spring because I couldn’t see it until I was under the trailer. I was able to fix it on the side of the road by removing the dampening puck that sits ahead of the pivot point and then jacking the trailer up from the point which caused the trailing arm to drop as low as possible. At this point I was able to see that the nipple that holds the spring it place had come out. I’m not positive but it seems like there is a bolt that holds the front of the spring in place.

With the pressure released from the trailing arm I was able to beat the spring back over with a dead blow hammer and get the nipple back into place.

Once the spring was back in place I drove home without any other issues.

Has anyone else had a similar issue with Timbrens? I’m not sure what caused this to happen- the dirt road wasn’t that rough and I wasn’t going fast/ there weren’t any big hits.

 

[NorCal Cruiser]

We just got back from a trip to Bucks Lake. The weather was beautiful- I’m glad we were able to escape some of the heat we’re getting in Northern California.

On our first night we got a visit from Yogi. Our food bins were in the bear box but the fridge stays in the trailer. Hopefully a bear would have a hard time breaking into the shell- there aren’t any good places to get ahold of the edge of the door, there are 3 sturdy steel hinges, and there are sturdy locking rods on the top and bottom of the door.

We found out the bear broke the widow of a Sequoia a few sites down- they had left the window down a bit and the bear grabbed the top of the widow and pulled it out.

 

[NorCal Cruiser]

We just got back from another camping trip- the second since I had the issue with the rubber spring twisting- and it looks like the spring is starting to twist again. Any guesses on what might be causing this? I may need to start a thread just about this.

 

[gnob]

looking at the mounts, my guess as it compresses its getting pushed out by that vertical piece.
id either add the same thing to the other side or maybe add a limit strap to keep that lower plug from being able to get pulled out. maybe both.