Sarge the camp trailer (1 Viewer)

[jynx]

So since I like making build threads to keep up with stuff, I figured I start one for our little camp trailer.

Erin picked this up from a guy from Athens a few weeks ago. The plan was to sell the other 2 basket cases we had (one left yesterday) and then make this one into our camp trailer.


No idea what year it is, but it is a M416A. I've since learned that the "A" is due to the trailer having a surge brake on it. The back has been cut out and turned into a drop tailgate. The body has been cleaned up and painted. The fenders were pulled and still need cleaning up and painting.

Since the tailgate is alread off, I'm going to take the opportunity to make a single side swing. I picked up some Samurai rear tailgate hinges to use for the swing out.

We have a box of Raptor liner to spray the inside with and I have 6 rail brackets to mount along the sides.

Plan is to throw a FrontRunner rack on it and put the RTT on it. New tires, check and repack or replace the bearings, add and wire some lights and add some leveling Jack's. After that we will eventually lengthen the tounge and then work on a camp kitchen and whatever else catches our fancy.

 

[Tennessee80]

Nice start to a camping trailer, man! Rattle can for the win!

 

[jynx]

Not doing a great job keeping this thread up. I spent a few hours last weekend with a cup wheel on a grinder cleaning up the bed floor. We worked on trying to straighten the passenger side rail. Pretty much given up on that for now. So today I spent the afternoon finishing wire wheeling the bed floor, then I hit the whole inside with a scotch brite, wiped it all down with thinner and prepped it for primer.

Primed it with etch primer and then hit it with Raptor liner.

I am going to order the front runner cross bars and work on getting the tailgate mounted and cut to open to the side. Then getting the fenders cleaned up, painted and mounted.

After that I need to check the bearings and get some new tires and get a set of brake lights mounted. I think that is what it needs to be road ready for the trip to Texas next month.

 

[Jon Hardy]

Looks good. Fun project. Maybe I missed it but what's the plan for attaching the rtt? Build a rack for it? How high are you wanting the tent to sit? Building a slide out for the bed of the trailer?

 

[jynx]

Looks good. Fun project. Maybe I missed it but what's the plan for attaching the rtt? Build a rack for it? How high are you wanting the tent to sit? Building a slide out for the bed of the trailer?

We got some legs from @metalshaper that accept FrontRunner load bars. Tried to order them this morning, but the FR site is being dumb. I'll throw a bracket on tonight and get a picture. They hold the tent about 10" above the rails. I have been thinking about a slide out for the bed. Tuffy makes a drawer for the back of a Heepthatwould fit about right, but I may just get some slides and make a slide out platform, like a camp kitchen or something. That's a future project..

 

[jynx]

So I bolted one of the towers on to give you an idea. I didn't feel like drilling all the other holes tonight.

Then I slapped the tailgate on to get an idea of how the hinges will go.

Most of the bed looked like the inside of the tailgate, or worse.

Also, last weekend we mounted a set of leveling jacks on the rear. I need to put a little stitch weld on each one on the front mount to make sure nothing moves. I had to mount them on an angle as the were too long to go end to end across the back.

The nut is on each corner and the impact gun makes short work of running them up and down, so that will be going in the camp box for sure.

 

[Jon Hardy]

Looks good excited to see the rest come together. Do you think there will be much flex on the side of the trailer? Just thinking about the pressure that the rtt will put on the sidewall.

 

[jynx]

I have thought the same and I've been pondering some possible solutions. Based on how impossible it's been to try and straighten the bent side, I'm going to say we should be fine for the maiden voyage, but if it seems flexible I am thinking a removable crossbar welded onto the reinforcing plates may be a good option. Or something that ties to the floor and the sides to lock everything together. We shall wait and see I guess

 

[jynx]

Today we are going full tilt.

So FrontRunner load bars came yesterday, so I mounted the other 3 towers and we put them on the trailer.

Then we went over and fired up the 40 so we could get the tent off the lift. Got it mounted and opened it up to let it air out a little this afternoon.

With the tent on it was time to move onto the tailgate. I drilled and mocked up the hinges before I made the cut. Then 1 cut off disc later I had 2 pieces.

I need a few longer bolts to get it all fully mounted up and tight, but with the help of some clamps I was able to test it out.

Erin is cleaning up the fenders getting them ready for some primer. The black on black is growing on us, so probably pick up some gloss black to match the shell this evening when we make a hardware run.

Once I have it all bolted up and like what I see, I will weld the little part onto the side and then clean it all up and prep it for paint. Inside will get liner, outside will be gloss black.

 

[jynx]

Made a TSC run for hardware. Finished up the hinges. I'm happy and it opens and closes pretty good.

I need to cap the tube, blow everything apart, finish welding and paint and line the tailgate.

Erin got the fenders all sanded up. Got primer and the first coat of black on one, the second just in primer.

I'm thinking I'm going to clean up the bottom sides, prime as needed and then have them ready for some raptor liner when I do the inside of the tailgate.

 

[TeddyBoy]

oh yay, another @jynx project...

 

[jynx]

Where is the middle finger emoji oh there it is.

Hell, @TeddyBoy It is actually getting done... maybe it is just what I needed to see what getting something done feels like.

Besides your just jealous you only have one money pit.

 

[FJCRAWLER]

Besides your just jealous you only have one money pit.

Well that's not actually true. He does have an @tgreco sometimes.

I am curious about something. How you getting away with building Sarge in the "She garage"?

 

[TeddyBoy]

Besides your just jealous you only have one money pit.

well, I am married ya know.

 

[jynx]

Well that's not actually true. He does have an @tgreco sometimes.

I am curious about something. How you getting away with building Sarge in the "She garage"?

Cause "She" is the main driver on this one. Kind of like the original sami build.

well, I am married ya know.

Uh, hello... who do you think starts digging all these holes I have to fill with Money. I guess Erin just has a different shovel.

 

[jynx]

Well, I was out of town for the last part of the week, so today was back on Sarge.

We needed tires so we used the leveling Jacks to lift it and pull the wheels and tires. Threw those in the truck to take to co-op. Then I pulled the drums to check the bearings... holy cobwebs. Both sides look like they havent been touched since the end of the war, but everything still works, so I blew it out, hit it with some brake clean and decided those could wait for another day.

Co-OP didn't have 2 matching tires but after a little poking around he came out with a couple of 215/85R16s that are almost exactly the same size as the oe units. Treads were really close to the same, so he mounted them up and we were on our way.

Then we went to Hank Trailers on 99 for bearings and seals. Took the old ones with me and when I first walked din he was like you need bearings for what... well turn out we must have a later 416 because it has 3.5k outers. 2 dexter bearing packs and we were in business. Back home, passenger side all buttoned up, start on DS and the outer race spun in place... boo. So back to Hank and since it takes 3.5k bearings, I can use a regular 3.5k hub. Even better news is I can get that drum in a 6x5.5 pattern, so if we decide to go to Toyota pattern, we just need 2 new hubs. Anyway, I picked up 2 hubs and an extra bearing set so I can carry one complete assembly with us.

DS back together and wheel mounted up.

Whilst I was working on bearings, Erin was working on wiring. She pulled all the new wire and got it all set up with the new lights.

We took him out for a spin to town. I will pull the dust caps and check all the bearing tomorrow, but it pulled well. So really all we lack is getting some paint on the tailgate, tidying up the wires and checking the bearings and we should be good to roll.

Sorry I had grease on my hands most of the day so no good pictures, but I'll grab a few tomorrow.

 

[jynx]

Well, we've used the little trailer some, we've used the big trailer some and now that the gooseneck has a new home it's time for some maintenance and a little rework.

First step was to pull the little trailer into the shop and get the small tent off.

Looking around for a place to store it and low and behold I remembered the 55 has a set of frontrunner mounts set up for just such an occasion. So...

Then the rails had to come off.

So with the rails off, I pulled the towers off and then went to work.

I decided to flip the mounts inside the rails so I can adjust the height of the middle set.

The trailer has a mashed rail on one side and the mounts key onto the round lip, but since the one side is mashed the rails aren't even so I'm going to have to adjust the center up to compensate.

Got the trailer level side to side and front to back and have two of the rails roughly located and level both directions.

I have a third set of mounts for the last rail, but the third cross-bar won't be here until Saturday, so until then I'm kind of at a stopping point. I need to get some bar stock to make some shims to keep the mounts level on top and still tight against the tub in the center.

I'll probably clean up the mounts and tub this week and get everything nice and fresh for so I can drill some new holes in the side on Saturday.

 

[jynx]

We pulled the big tent off the gooseneck last week and it is currently sitting on funsize waiting for its new home.

This is getting a rework for some upcoming camping trips with my sister-in-law, her hubby and their 2 boys to the big south fork.

 

[jynx]

Well, finally got all the right hardware and got it bolted onto the trailer tonight.

It got dusky before we got it opened up, but going to let it air out tonight and pack it back up tomorrow.

I forget how ridiculously big it is. Open it is 87x96, which is bigger than a king size mattress by roughly a foot in both directions.

I'll grab a daylight picture tomorrow.