My Baja Trailer build....

[J-man]

and just to make it clear, i really hate mud. especially baja mud with salt and sand mixed in - it turns to a mexican concrete mix and the only way to remove it is with 2500 psi pressure washer. dam shiz sticks like glue. I will post pics sooon, just too tired last night when i got home.

 

[philos1]

we're waiting...

 

[philos1]

yep, still waiting here

 

[J-man]

yep, still waiting here

i feel so bad, camera is dead and i couldnt find my charger to charge the battery so i can plug the darn thing in to download my pics! Found it now, promise pics tonight - if not - revoke my membership!!!

 

[REZARF]

i feel so bad, camera is dead and i couldnt find my charger to charge the battery so i can plug the darn thing in to download my pics! Found it now, promise pics tonight - if not - revoke my membership!!!

Relax man, Work off your schedule, not the guys after trailer pics!







































Now GET ON IT!
Rezarf <><

 

[philos1]

yeah man, it's all good. Just a little friendly ribbing- don't take it too seriously....















































but I am still waiting

 

[J-man]

Pics are here!!!

Ok, here we go. Enjoy the pics and anything you notice - dont hesitate to speak up.

Since the last pics posted i did change a few things:
Leaf packs: I took out the overload spring and added 2 more leafs to each side to increase the load capacity to total 6 leafs each side.
Shocks - never put em on and not plannning to: the leafs by themselvs soaked up bumps wonderfully and it didn't sway at all.
Tailgate: fabbed up a 1/4 steel plate that closes to the outside of the box - youll see pics. Still need to weather strip it.
Unfortunately after powdercoating it, i added the tailgate and the flip up doors - so those just had a sanding and quick coat of rustoleum black gloss spray paint.

After the maiden voyage, there are a couple things to do:
1: The rack that holds the tent/tire - bent in the middle due to weight and thin walled 1" tubing. Going to change that to something stout as a centerbrace will not work with the way the top doors open.
2: add one more leaf to each side as it did bottom out when hammering down the rough stuff, although i might just add bump stops and call it a day - well see.

Again, thanks to everyone on this board - it definately gave me the confidence to go ahead with the project. Definately a learning experience, although i calculated everything to the best i could and in the end i have a trailer that i can load with all my stuff and hit up baja for a week or 10 if the schedule arises.




Now GET ON IT!
Rezarf <><[/quote]

 

[J-man]

More pics...

 

[J-man]

more more more... In baja - first one is going up a rediculously steep dune - didnt air down-just pedal down and almost made it up and over - no luck had to back down.

 

[semlin]

it looks awesome. the double lid like that is what i have always planned to do and it is nice to see that design in action. how well did it work for access?

I'd say a centre vertical beam with diagonal braces or a gusset will solve your top frame flex problems.

 

[REZARF]

Bravo J-Man! BRAVO!

Looks killer, sorry to see the top tube bend, but that will happen in the world of us home fabricators... I love the double lid, did you use steel or wood, kinda hard to see from the pics?

Looks killer, I am glad it hauled all your stuff so well. How was the surf?

Rezarf <><

 

[J-man]

it looks awesome. the double lid like that is what i have always planned to do and it is nice to see that design in action. how well did it work for access?

I'd say a centre vertical beam with diagonal braces or a gusset will solve your top frame flex problems.

cool, thx man. I love the double door as you can access both sides easily, as well as the tailgate for loading bigger things in/out. Its also nice to have those little gas pressureized lift gate shocks to keep the doors up while at camp.

"I'd say a centre vertical beam with diagonal braces or a gusset will solve your top frame flex problems"
Help me understand this as i cant picture it in my head.

 

[J-man]

Bravo J-Man! BRAVO!

Looks killer, sorry to see the top tube bend, but that will happen in the world of us home fabricators... I love the double lid, did you use steel or wood, kinda hard to see from the pics?

Looks killer, I am glad it hauled all your stuff so well. How was the surf?

Rezarf <><

cool, thx man. I cant wait to see yours when its finished. As for the double doors, i originally went with thin wood with a diamond plate skin adhered to the door frames i built - that didnt turn out too well, so instead i went with sheet metal with 1/2 tubing underneath all inside a door frame. It works well, but next time id probably use a sheet of 3/16 steel, and weld a simple brace on it instead of the way i made mine - i thought about it too much and in the end its not exactly what i wanted - but its functional and it works so thats ok! (sometimes you just have to let it be...)

Surf was fun, the group we had was even better so it made it a trip to remember.

But ill tell you what, as much as i love the landcruiser, that thing is a beast. It really needs a lift and 315's to make it's presence known, and not be such a sand plow. But the stock height and 285's bfg at's are fine for now, and i really liked the center lock diff, helped out in the soft stuff a lot. I am glad i got it for my wife tho, as i get to beat on it now and then (like on baja trips)

 

[J-man]

Bravo J-Man! BRAVO!

Looks killer, sorry to see the top tube bend, but that will happen in the world of us home fabricators... I love the double lid, did you use steel or wood, kinda hard to see from the pics?

Looks killer, I am glad it hauled all your stuff so well. How was the surf?

Rezarf <><

and its crazy too, the powdercoating is such a strong finish on steel, but as you can see from the bottom of the fenderwells, its no match for 100's of miles of baja roads when rocks/sand is being kicked up from the tow vehicle. Oh well, its hymen has been broken.....

 

[semlin]

"I'd say a centre vertical beam with diagonal braces or a gusset will solve your top frame flex problems"
Help me understand this as i cant picture it in my head.

take a look at my trailer sideracks to hold the tent earlier in the thread. i used beefier steel than you but still used a centre vertical post for added support of the top siderail.

 

[blupaddler]

Welcome home!

Did the boards get any dings from rocks being kicked up by the Landcruiser? Although I am sure the board bags helped to protect them a bit.

 

[philos1]

FREAKING AWESOME!!!! well worth the wait! When I have room to store one, I'm definitely building one...

 

[REZARF]

J-man,

Here are a few easy ways to fix up your bent tube without adding too much weight or adding a center post to hold up the middle of the rack.

Basically, here are two truss designs. I like the green one more, I would use a second 1" tube about 2 inches lower than the top tube. Then take some 1/4" cr steel round bar and chop it up in about 5 in sections and weld them up in a /\/\/\/\/\/\ form and whoa-la! You would have a support that extends to your main gussets.

The red one wouldn't take much work, but the green one would do the job better and look cooler... IMHO. Each pic makes it look like they need to be 6" tall, but in reality, an inch or two would be plenty. In fact, just welding another 2" tube to the bottom of the top one would work too.

Hope it helps.

Drew

 

[BJ42Brumby]

Great trailer... well done..

Now, only other thing I have to say.. where the HELL did semlin get that photo of? And how dare he show my face in the morning..

Seriously. .. I've just been flicking through the trailer section and really enjoying the efforts and results. I'd call this one a big tick in the win column..

 

[J-man]

Welcome home!

Did the boards get any dings from rocks being kicked up by the Landcruiser? Although I am sure the board bags helped to protect them a bit.

thx rob, i was worried about that, but seems all the rock dings were below the diamond plate and the boards came out unscathed, even had a couple un-bagged on top that were fine. Waves were small, but fun - another great trip overall.