From Wreck to Uluru....Aussie adventure trailer (1 Viewer)

[Billyfj7312ht]

Ok so I have a spare chassis and tub from a build I’m doing and been threatening to build a matching camper…cause this would be awesome!!

Now as great as this sounds to us blokes I don’t seem to be able to get it past the missus who if gets her way would like to get a skip bin in so it can be all taken for scrap……”.with the other stuff I’ve hoarded”.
Now I was hoping to cross that battlefield when the pain of my 21/2 year obsessive car build was behind us(her), after that it will just be a passive hobby promise.

Circumstances have changed of late as I have sold one of my businesses and looking forward to slowing down a bit. My wife has taken this as I have time to clean up behind the shed.

So here’s my plan: I will covertly design and store parts beforehand, then knock out something that resembles a trailer (rolling shell only) and hopefully she’ll see more than a heap of steel.
I have a couple of opportunities in January where I will be left unsupervised for 3-4 days so I will aim for these days to do the manual work.

My overall build Stats are as follows:

85 litres water – at rear
Solar
12V
240V
2 x 4.5KG Gas tanks at front
1 X spare wheel at rear
Pull out kitchen at front – 60ltr fridge – gas cook top - sink
Framed aluminium flip over top/hard floor with attached canvas tent
Permanently set up double bed and storage


Something like this closed, but with flip over top/hard floor.

And will look similar to this open but with the pull out kitchen at the front.

Right now it looks like this

Obviously there’s a lot ahead of me but I just want to concentrate on a primed rolling chassis and tub for now.
This leads to my first round of questions before I spend any money.

1) Can I make a trailer out of an old car chassis or is it too heavy?

2) Should I cut the chassis off at the front tubular cross member then weld an A frame back in to suit turning circles etc. Mainly because the chassis turns up at the end and would affect the way my slide out kitchen works.

3) Should I remove some leafs out of the leaf pack because it is lighter?
I will get an axle and hubs ready made when I narrow down my options.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[ntsqd]

Having converted a truck frame to trailer duty its a toss-up as to whether starting from scratch saves you time. In our trailer's case we came really close to would have been better to start from scratch. Comes down to how much you have to mod the frame for all of your planned features. Not sure what being in your part of the world adds to the consideration. If keeping the truck frame means less hassle in getting it road legal then its a no-brainer, even if that means more work overall.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Thankyou ntsqd for your input.

its a toss-up as to whether starting from scratch saves you time.

Time is not really an issue, I can wire wheel,grind and sandblast but I can not do structural welding so I would have to buy the steel and pay someone to start from scratch.

Comes down to how much you have to mod the frame for all of your planned features.

The mods to the frame should only be re-enforced pivot points for the flip over top and the drawbar area. This will bring me to rolling shell.
Most of my planned features (which may change) will be in the fit off later, mainly the wall between kitchen and tub.

If keeping the truck frame means less hassle in getting it road legal

It will not matter, both will have to be registered as a custom trailer.
Keeping the truck frame and body is purely for looks, so it matches my truck and I hate wasting things.
It's not something that my missus would camp in, it's something I would take on a fishing or hunting trip with the boys.
We'll get a proper caravan sometime in the future.

 

[cruiserpilot]

I have a camprite trailer which I purchased in an ill advised moment. But I like the idea of the flipback.
It would be very difficult to convert your BJ73 tub into that kind of thing.
Do you have rear doors cut down for the back? Looks like the focus is to create a front panel,
and drawer idea you mentioned up front. I'm curious how this will go.

 

[e9999]

your project brings Holidays joy in my life...


























primarily from knowing that my yard is not the only one looking like that...
Thanks!

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

I have a camprite trailer

The Camprite trailers are great, surprising how many they can sleep.

It would be very difficult to convert your BJ73 tub into that kind of thing.

No.... it won't

Do you have rear doors cut down for the back?

I am hoping the top will fold down and follow the contours of the existing rear, might even try and incorporate the rear lights?

Something like this, forget the roll bar its not there now.

Although my finish will not be as high as this I like this idea where I can access the rear to load clothes etc without lifting the top.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Righto then, no objections to the weight so I'm running with it.

I want to make it as short as practical so I have calculated that in front of the tub I need room for a fridge (500mm) + landing/prep space (250-300mm) that's 800mm minimum for the front storage box. Then I need 820mm say 900mm between the tow ball and the storage box to clear the side of the car on full lock, when manufactured I'll probably add upto another 200mm to allow for angles etc.

That's an overall length of between 3400mm and 3600mm (11ft - 11ft something?)
I have organised my mobile welder who I have used on my car build to come around 2nd week in January to nut out how the drawer bar is to be designed. He maintains and repairs hire equipment trailers for a large hire company here so this is right up his alley.

I will have to run through 2 options for the drawer bar - A single 85mm round tube with 3mm wall I have lying around.
This option is the first drawing which would give me the best turning circle and no cost to me, except welder, strengthening plates and any gussets. Not sure this is the strongest option though.
The lower diagram is the tradition set up and I would think stronger? with less turning circle though.

 

[chappohj47]

Finally an Aussie trailer build good job billy

 

[chappohj47]

Any updates on this billy

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Any updates on this billy

Hey mate.
January hasn't quite panned out as expected. I had 2 opportunities to modify the chassis and both were foiled by greater powers.
I was busy the first 3 day opportunity repairing fences after a flood went through our river paddock. I did cut the front off the chassis and decided with help from my welding guy to make an A frame which he took sizes of. I covered the chassis up with a tarp before the missus got home thinking I'll get photos and do a bit more the next week when my lovely wife goes to Paris for work. Then her PA couldn't go to Paris so within a few days I had a ticket and was off with her.
I am back in a week so I'll get some photos of where I'm at.
On a different note I did see this elec car in the Toyota showroom here. The exterior is made of wood but had trouble communicating with the salesman on the rest of the build.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

A few weeks ago I pulled the chassis out and worked some sizes out so I could order materials.

I cut the excess off at the front that I couldn't use.

I am running with 150mm x 50mm x 3mm wall tube and 100mm x 50mm x 3mm wall tube.
Some 10mm plate for the hitch area and some 5mm plate for gussets and bracing.

This weekend I set about cleaning it up.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

6 hours of grinding over 2 days
3 - 80gr 5" flap discs
2 - 5" grinding discs
2 - 5" thin cut off discs
1 - 5" Knurled wire wheel
5 swims - 10 beers - 1 pair of crocs.

I bent the to ends to match each other and so they meet at my desired length. (for me it was 163* Deg). makes the overall length 3900 - 4mtr overall.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

At this point I wiped it all down with thinners so I could hit it with some rust converter and primer so it won't flash off till i get back to it.

The rust converter has a primer with it so it will hold it in this condition for a week or so. I will get my sandblaster out and concentrate on joints and internals now as I think I will have it hot dipped galvanised once the front "A" frame and rust repairs are done.

 

[ntsqd]

My Early Bronco's frame was hot dip galvanized. It's a blessing and a curse. Nice to know that rust is pretty much a thing of the past, but post-galvy mods are painful.

 

[cruiserpilot]

What a job! Amazing.

 

[e9999]

good job but yikes! you don't think it would have been better or easier to start from scratch with some new tubing?

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

you don't think it would have been better or easier to start from scratch with some new tubing?

So far my material has cost around $140 bucks, that will get it to the galvanizer. Frame, leaf spring hangers and body towers all in the right spot. My welder is also a close neighbor so ATM its a quick weld up of stuff Billy fitted on his way home.
He is also welding some patches I prepared for my mower deck.

New tubing for a whole build to this point would have cost $400 bucks plus labor. It is also now a job that would have to be done at a shop with overheads and receipts. What are you trying to sabotage my build....should we start calling you Susan now....Look if your gunna keep this up we'll have to let you go. I'm going with the old frame, there's no turning back.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

I bought my steel in a duragal finish before I decided to hot dip gal the whole trailer.
Now I'm not sure if they will dip the trailer frame?, I am in the process of finding out.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

This has gone as far as I can go for any large scale work for a week or so? He's all packed back up under a nondescript tarp.
My welder has spent about an hour so far welding the steel I fitted and has probably another hour left towards end of week/early next week, then its Gal or paint, suspension bushes, shackles and axle.