Lowenbrau Nice looking rig..
Offroad trailers: your thoughts and why
- Thread starter BMAN
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Lowenbrau question. The ax and shovel holder you use, where can I buy one or did you make it Jim C. Rubiconcruiser @msn.com
NorCalDoug
problems solved daily...
Rubiconcruiser said:
I don't think that's Lowenbrau's trailer. If I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure that's Exiled's set up.
lowenbrau
SILVER Star
Yep, Doug's right. I only covet Exiled's trailer. I haven't actually stolen it yet.
Mine's a still little more plain.
Mine's a still little more plain.
I too covet Exileds trailer, and like Lowenbrau, I thought an M101 was a better platform...so I basically stole Henry's ideas instead of his actual trailer
. Mine's a 92 M101, SOA, 35 MTR's with a custom aluminum lid on 400lb gas struts, a Hannibal tent, and I wanted running water so I mounted a 6gpm Sureflow pump, a battery, 19gal water tank and plumbed it all exiting the front of the trailer where I attach a shower head...then it's just the flip of the toggle switch for running water. I love the set-up, my only complaint is that with the stiff suspension, she's pretty bouncy on washboard. Future plans are to continue stealing Exileds idea's and do an extended tounge, beefier wider fenders and maybe a new paint job.
couple more
and this is why wider fenders are a really good idea
Bigot,
You have a nice trailer too. As you know I have made a few mods after checking out yours. I now have the water tank, pump system, hot water (Helton) under the hood, and still trying to find an Venturcraft trailer for the tent set-up. Then after I get the top made for the trailer, install the tent, then install a rack for my Riverhawk I'll be set. My 101 has shocks and with any kind of load I don't feel the trailer at all.
Gman
You have a nice trailer too. As you know I have made a few mods after checking out yours. I now have the water tank, pump system, hot water (Helton) under the hood, and still trying to find an Venturcraft trailer for the tent set-up. Then after I get the top made for the trailer, install the tent, then install a rack for my Riverhawk I'll be set. My 101 has shocks and with any kind of load I don't feel the trailer at all.
Gman
Nice trailers all you guys. Enjoy your Memorial Day,,Semper Fi...
semlin
curmudgeon
great ideas. three quick questions
Dan, did you fab those hoops or find them somewhere of the shelf?
Brett, do you yearn for a tailgate and do you get much benefit from the SOA?
i am somewhere between dan's and brett's in my plan. m101 with hoops/lumber rack and tent on top of that. I was thinking put the hoops up high enough to get into the trailer with the tent on using smaller top hatches and a tailgate but it looks like Brett just lifts the whole thing up which never occurred to me.
Dan, did you fab those hoops or find them somewhere of the shelf?
Brett, do you yearn for a tailgate and do you get much benefit from the SOA?
i am somewhere between dan's and brett's in my plan. m101 with hoops/lumber rack and tent on top of that. I was thinking put the hoops up high enough to get into the trailer with the tent on using smaller top hatches and a tailgate but it looks like Brett just lifts the whole thing up which never occurred to me.
IMO, the flip up lid is key...even with the tent up it's still easy to get in there....the other big advantage is keeping a low center of gravity. Light weight and low COG were two things I really wanted in a trailer and this set up fits the bill
Exiled
SILVER Star
Finally, this long weekend couldn't come long enough! Sorry, BMAN, I spent all week swamped, we've been short-staffed on my team....
Trailers! This is a topic I can talk about, and those of you that have met me in person now I can do that about anything!
My first comment is that if you have access to fabrication or have the skills to do so, FORGET about adapting a trailer like I did, it's a losing battle. You're *much* better off building from scratch and incorporating all the right features from the start, rather than adapting an existing trailer designed for other purposes. Trust me on this one, I've spent the better part of ten years doing and redoing, testing mods and changing them. If I was doing it all over again, I'd show up at JK Customs with blueprints and drive out with the perfect trailer for 1/2 of what I have in mine.
So what's the perfect trailer? Well, it starts with the right frame. The M416 and Canadian M101 (CM101) are very stout trailers that have a very short tongue. That makes them hard to reverse, and as I learned the hard way, the body will hit the corners of the Cruiser body if the trailer jacknives. I extended the tongue on mine by 24" and it's one of the best mods I've ever made, I can have the trailer completely perpendicular to the truck without the tubs making contact, and now I can open the rear bumper's swingouts with the trailer connected. I even had space to mount a cooler basket in front of the tub, which is really practical in camp.
Suspension. This is another tough one, and it's touch and go on the M416 and CM101 because like most military vehicles, they're under-rated and designed to take a lot of abuse. In my case, I improved the ride by adding longer shackles and I play with the tire pressure, but I really like the coil-sprung suspension of the Adventure Trailers and if I was starting from scratch, would rather use something like that.
Tub/Lid/Tailgate. Some people like the sealed feature of the ex-mil trailers, but I really like the tailgate on mine, especially since mine's SOA and fairly tall. It's a very practical way to access the trailer and when I'm camping, I leave mine dropped with the lid on, and can reach inside the trailer easily. The lid was another modification that I think *really* improves the efficiency of the trailer. The idea was to be able to leave the trailer locked up at a campsite while wheeling/exploring, without putting your gear at risk. It also works great on roadtrips, I leave mine locked with the gear inside while grabbing meals or sleeping in a motel. You can do aluminum or steel, depending on budget/fabrications skills. I used steel and it's worked out well, but one thing I feel I goofed on was the length of the gas shocks I used. I wish they were longer or mounted differently so I could open the lid higher. I've tried finding longer shocks of the same or higher rating, but haven't. On my lid, there are two reinforcing ribs that run parallel to the sides of the trailer. To maximize the space, I mounted a cargo net that runs tightly between the two and is a great place to carry tarps/rain-gear within easy access. I also use it to carry a rubber water bladder (empty). Finally, I recently added a handle to it (FJ25 passenger side oh-s*** handle, what did you expect?!) to make it easier to open. I have weatherstripping on the inside of mine and between the weatherstripping and the Scorpion-lining on the tub lip, the seals is great.
Trailers! This is a topic I can talk about, and those of you that have met me in person now I can do that about anything!
My first comment is that if you have access to fabrication or have the skills to do so, FORGET about adapting a trailer like I did, it's a losing battle. You're *much* better off building from scratch and incorporating all the right features from the start, rather than adapting an existing trailer designed for other purposes. Trust me on this one, I've spent the better part of ten years doing and redoing, testing mods and changing them. If I was doing it all over again, I'd show up at JK Customs with blueprints and drive out with the perfect trailer for 1/2 of what I have in mine.
So what's the perfect trailer? Well, it starts with the right frame. The M416 and Canadian M101 (CM101) are very stout trailers that have a very short tongue. That makes them hard to reverse, and as I learned the hard way, the body will hit the corners of the Cruiser body if the trailer jacknives. I extended the tongue on mine by 24" and it's one of the best mods I've ever made, I can have the trailer completely perpendicular to the truck without the tubs making contact, and now I can open the rear bumper's swingouts with the trailer connected. I even had space to mount a cooler basket in front of the tub, which is really practical in camp.
Suspension. This is another tough one, and it's touch and go on the M416 and CM101 because like most military vehicles, they're under-rated and designed to take a lot of abuse. In my case, I improved the ride by adding longer shackles and I play with the tire pressure, but I really like the coil-sprung suspension of the Adventure Trailers and if I was starting from scratch, would rather use something like that.
Tub/Lid/Tailgate. Some people like the sealed feature of the ex-mil trailers, but I really like the tailgate on mine, especially since mine's SOA and fairly tall. It's a very practical way to access the trailer and when I'm camping, I leave mine dropped with the lid on, and can reach inside the trailer easily. The lid was another modification that I think *really* improves the efficiency of the trailer. The idea was to be able to leave the trailer locked up at a campsite while wheeling/exploring, without putting your gear at risk. It also works great on roadtrips, I leave mine locked with the gear inside while grabbing meals or sleeping in a motel. You can do aluminum or steel, depending on budget/fabrications skills. I used steel and it's worked out well, but one thing I feel I goofed on was the length of the gas shocks I used. I wish they were longer or mounted differently so I could open the lid higher. I've tried finding longer shocks of the same or higher rating, but haven't. On my lid, there are two reinforcing ribs that run parallel to the sides of the trailer. To maximize the space, I mounted a cargo net that runs tightly between the two and is a great place to carry tarps/rain-gear within easy access. I also use it to carry a rubber water bladder (empty). Finally, I recently added a handle to it (FJ25 passenger side oh-s*** handle, what did you expect?!) to make it easier to open. I have weatherstripping on the inside of mine and between the weatherstripping and the Scorpion-lining on the tub lip, the seals is great.
Exiled
SILVER Star
Water/fuel/gas. I have not yet worked out an ideal way to carry water in my trailer. I've thought of doing something like dieselbigot's, but I don't want to lose cargo space and don't know if I want to carry clothes/gear in the tub with the water tank. The ideal location is underneath, but I haven't figured out a good way to do it without blowing the meager budget that the CFO allows these days. For fuel, I have to NATO cans mounted on the sides of the tub, works great like that. For gas, I recently designed a couple of mounts for the smaller propane bottles based on (ok, blatant ripoff) of my friend Alex's battle-tested trailer (three month expedition of Baja California). I had originally decided to do a permanent tank mounted under the tub, but Alex's experience made me rethink it. First, those tanks are expensive and might not be easy to fill everywhere you go. Second, you might want to cook away from the trailer sometimes, and a portable tank doesn't limit your distance.
Fenders. I crunched up the original fenders pretty bad on mine (M416), they just weren't strong enough to stand up to trail abuse. So I designed stronger ones (tube frames with steel plate) and had JKCustoms make me a set. I could have made them wider, but I'm pretty happy with the overall strength and they didn't add too much weight to the trailer. I also should have rethought the design to allow for the mounting of a flat work surface (table for cooking) since that's the ideal height. I'm still toying with that....
Tent. This is another point that I would have done slightly different. If I could do it all over again, I don't know if I would mount the tent (a MARES rooftop tent) straight on the lid, or off a subframe that attaches to the sides of the trailer and raises the tent another 12-18". I'm pleased with the way mine turned out, but it's almost impossible to lift the tent/lid without the gas shocks.
Future. I'm actually getting ready to do another round of small modifications to the trailer. I'm going to install the propane bottle mounts and figure out a way to set up a water tank, and I've also designed a neat setup for a hammock/light/shower mount. I'm also going to incorporate a 12-volt plug, probably on the frame, so I can hook up a light or freezer/fridge back on the trailer.
Still open for suggestions are a place to mount a good workspace when I'm in camp. I've thought of making some sort of table with one telescoping leg that secures to the fender at one end, but I'm still trying to figure out how to pull it off. I am also thinking of incorporating a sliding table about 18" wide mounted under the tent frame, but I'm still trying to figure that out.
Oh, almost forgot. When I got the custom axle for mine, I was on a very tight budget and skipped on a $100 increment that would have added electric brakes to it. I regret that, I think it would have been worth it, especially now that I find myself not just hauling camping gear in it, but the occasional load of mulch or sand or limestone bricks.
Fenders. I crunched up the original fenders pretty bad on mine (M416), they just weren't strong enough to stand up to trail abuse. So I designed stronger ones (tube frames with steel plate) and had JKCustoms make me a set. I could have made them wider, but I'm pretty happy with the overall strength and they didn't add too much weight to the trailer. I also should have rethought the design to allow for the mounting of a flat work surface (table for cooking) since that's the ideal height. I'm still toying with that....
Tent. This is another point that I would have done slightly different. If I could do it all over again, I don't know if I would mount the tent (a MARES rooftop tent) straight on the lid, or off a subframe that attaches to the sides of the trailer and raises the tent another 12-18". I'm pleased with the way mine turned out, but it's almost impossible to lift the tent/lid without the gas shocks.
Future. I'm actually getting ready to do another round of small modifications to the trailer. I'm going to install the propane bottle mounts and figure out a way to set up a water tank, and I've also designed a neat setup for a hammock/light/shower mount. I'm also going to incorporate a 12-volt plug, probably on the frame, so I can hook up a light or freezer/fridge back on the trailer.
Still open for suggestions are a place to mount a good workspace when I'm in camp. I've thought of making some sort of table with one telescoping leg that secures to the fender at one end, but I'm still trying to figure out how to pull it off. I am also thinking of incorporating a sliding table about 18" wide mounted under the tent frame, but I'm still trying to figure that out.
Oh, almost forgot. When I got the custom axle for mine, I was on a very tight budget and skipped on a $100 increment that would have added electric brakes to it. I regret that, I think it would have been worth it, especially now that I find myself not just hauling camping gear in it, but the occasional load of mulch or sand or limestone bricks.
Exiled
SILVER Star
Here's my buddy Alex's trailer, we compare and share ideas on a regular basis and he's done a lot of cool mods to his. Note the wider fenders, jerry can mounts, propane bottle mounts, FJ40-sized INTI rack mounted on top of the lid, and lockable cargo box on the extended tongue.
Exiled said:
Henry,
You really will be glad to have the water tank on board. Between the frame rails...if you are sprung over, you can easily get about 4" depth without any clearance problems. Just strap the tank in place or bend up a simple skid plate. Any pump from 1.5 GPM with a small motorcycle battery will move the water. I think 20 gallons is plenty, I carry nearly 40, and it will last for a week or two with a group of three or four people. More than I usually need. Essential in the desert.
Agree on the electric brakes -- I didn't do it, and probably don't really need it, but my 80 is wired for them, so It would be nice. I believe that the retrofit is not difficult or expensive.
M
Exiled
SILVER Star
Mike S said:
What I can't figure out is, if I tuck the tank in between the frame rails, where do I place the filler so that I can fill the whole tank? The drain is easy, but I can't figure out where to place the filler and I'd prefer not to drill into the floor of the trailer tub.
what did you guys use to fabricate the flip up top for the trailers?
Exiled
SILVER Star
gearguywb said:
Steel in my case, 18-gauge (IIRC) sheet with an x-crease for added rigidity and two reinforcing ribs, 1" lip all around and welded to the front of the tub:
Henry,Exiled said:
Can the filler be a bung welded into the side of the tank, say the tongue end? Then screw an elbow in said bung so top of elbow is above the top of the tank. Should be able to fill to the top if the trailer is tilled slightly tongue high. No holes needed as the elbow can be positioned to poke out from under the body tub. Or is there a perimeter frame all around under the tub? If so drill a hole and sleeve for filler tube maybe?
Nick
semlin
curmudgeon
put the hole near the top of the side of the tank then add an inline shut of valve and hose coupling. you will be able to fill it with a hose then close the valve then disconnect the hose.
