Questions on a "Budget build"

[BlackGX470]

POssibly building up a trailer for my RTT on a budget, cheaper the better..... want to make sure I dont get too deepinto cost with my thoughts
Lots of beginner ?'s and and I' m reading thru a ton of info here and on the web


Currently have a 5x8 Lowes trailer on 12" rims and looking to carry a RTT on it along with other creature comforts:
for this to be a viable overland trailer to deal with logging roads like in the pic below, maybe worse with more "pot holes" and minor water / mud crossing ( north woods in Maine see pic, its not me) gravel roads but no "offroading" what do I need to do upgrade this trailer?
stregnthin the tongue?
flip the axle
upgrade the rims to 13, 14 15? ( depening if they will fit with the fender, If I need to cut off the fender what then ? what rims wil lbe sufficient to deal with those roads?_
I figure at some point going up on tire size I'd have to upgrade an axle or just use some hub extenders?
One fellow who goes up there says 15" would be good, if so what would that enatil to fit on this trailer and how would I be certain?



or is to better to just pick up one of those m416 trailers and put a rack/ RTT on it? cost savings wise?

 

[Ben_There_82]

POssibly building up a trailer for my RTT on a budget, cheaper the better..... want to make sure I dont get too deepinto cost with my thoughts
Lots of beginner ?'s and and I' m reading thru a ton of info here and on the web


Currently have a 5x8 Lowes trailer on 12" rims and looking to carry a RTT on it along with other creature comforts:
for this to be a viable overland trailer to deal with logging roads like in the pic below, maybe worse with more "pot holes" and minor water / mud crossing ( north woods in Maine see pic, its not me) gravel roads but no "offroading" what do I need to do upgrade this trailer?
stregnthin the tongue?
flip the axle
upgrade the rims to 13, 14 15? ( depening if they will fit with the fender, If I need to cut off the fender what then ? what rims wil lbe sufficient to deal with those roads?_
I figure at some point going up on tire size I'd have to upgrade an axle or just use some hub extenders?
One fellow who goes up there says 15" would be good, if so what would that enatil to fit on this trailer and how would I be certain?



or is to better to just pick up one of those m416 trailers and put a rack/ RTT on it? cost savings wise?
View attachment 278804

Check the weight capacity of the trailer first. Can always upgrade tire size, flip axle if needed. Tractor supply sells all of those parts. I had a 5x8 with 15’s on it. Hauled lots of things. Probably more weight than should have. Towed that thing coast to coast and from washing to Mexico. Get some buddy bearings for it and grease them thoroughly. As long as you aren’t beating on it and bouncing it through major pot holes continuously with excessive weight then you should be fine.

 

[Ben_There_82]

POssibly building up a trailer for my RTT on a budget, cheaper the better..... want to make sure I dont get too deepinto cost with my thoughts
Lots of beginner ?'s and and I' m reading thru a ton of info here and on the web


Currently have a 5x8 Lowes trailer on 12" rims and looking to carry a RTT on it along with other creature comforts:
for this to be a viable overland trailer to deal with logging roads like in the pic below, maybe worse with more "pot holes" and minor water / mud crossing ( north woods in Maine see pic, its not me) gravel roads but no "offroading" what do I need to do upgrade this trailer?
stregnthin the tongue?
flip the axle
upgrade the rims to 13, 14 15? ( depening if they will fit with the fender, If I need to cut off the fender what then ? what rims wil lbe sufficient to deal with those roads?_
I figure at some point going up on tire size I'd have to upgrade an axle or just use some hub extenders?
One fellow who goes up there says 15" would be good, if so what would that enatil to fit on this trailer and how would I be certain?



or is to better to just pick up one of those m416 trailers and put a rack/ RTT on it? cost savings wise?
View attachment 278804

Also, if you do have to cut off the fenders, Tracy’s supply has replacements also. Actually, they have about every component you’d ever need in stock to work on that trailer including springs and axles.

 

[BasketCaseTech]

I have one of the Carry On 5x8 trailers too, so I can give some input. I don't use it for overlanding but would do a few things before I considered it. The bigger the tire you put on it, the longer the bearings will last. Bigger tire size = less revolutions at the same speed. These trailers having the smaller tires go through bearings like mad - that size needs to be greased every 500 miles of operation. Any Tractor Supply/Fleet Farm type store should carry the fenders you need to make them fit. Heck, you can even get the wheels and tires there too! If you want more choices on wheels, that axle was also built with a 5x4.5 lug pattern hub, so you could always swap out the hub to 5 lug making wheel availability much better. Flipping the axle would help make the fenders not need to be as high and give you a bit more clearance at the rear for negotiating any slopes or driveways you go through. Double up the angle iron frame, they are only 1/8" thick rails and won't stand for any weight on the perimeter while bouncing down the trail. Probably would be a good idea to strengthen up the draw bar and tongue attachment area as well, the tongue isn't attached in any way I would feel comfortable hitting the trail with. If yours has the steel mesh deck instead of the wood, you might consider cutting it off and replacing it with some marine grade FRP plywood - 2 layers of thinner sheets glued together and alternating directions so the seams go different ways, sealing the edges before you screw it down... Just make sure to block the trailer square while you do it as the mesh is really the only thing making the trailer stay square. The better choice would be apitong instead of FRP, but its heavy and expensive. You don't actually need to remove the mesh, but adding the plywood is important to strengthen the deck and every pound you can remove is another pound of gear you can haul! Very important too, make sure the balance is right on whatever you put in/on it. Once you get some weight on them, if you don't have the balance right, they will wiggle and sway behind you as you go down the road.

These are just suggestions, everything depends on what kind of weights you plan on running and how rough the roads might be. The trailers are cheap enough that even if you mash it up on your first attempt, you can scrap it for spare parts and start over on another. I've seen them on sale for $800 at times, and sometimes on marketplace for way cheaper.

 

[BlackGX470]

great answers guys.... didnt think about the bearings.. but those are cheap and easy swap when needed. I'll start reaching out to see costs etc.
figuring i can get away with less than 500$ on "upgrading it" to overland/ gravel road class.

 

[smritte]

While the comment on the bearings is true, what was not said is, the taller the tire the more leverage on the bearing. The heavier the tire the more load. This equates to faster bearing wear. The bearings and spindles on those trailers are small. Dirt roads add more stress then paved.

The question is, how long will they last? The answer has too many factors to consider. I would strongly advise if you go this route, periodically tear them down and inspect them. Your combination may work well. Or not.

The common axle run on overland trailers is a #3500 axle. I currently have two trailers. One is a box type and the other a tear drop. My first was built on a "Harbor Freight" type chassis. It lasted for a couple of years of off road before the spindle bent. That was about 20 years ago. Since then I've built four counting my current two.

I'm not saying don't build like that. I recommend you build your first one like that. If for some reason, you don't like trailer camping, your not into it much.

 

[BlackGX470]

I have one of the Carry On 5x8 trailers too, so I can give some input. I don't use it for overlanding but would do a few things before I considered it. The bigger the tire you put on it, the longer the bearings will last. Bigger tire size = less revolutions at the same speed. These trailers having the smaller tires go through bearings like mad - that size needs to be greased every 500 miles of operation. Any Tractor Supply/Fleet Farm type store should carry the fenders you need to make them fit. Heck, you can even get the wheels and tires there too! If you want more choices on wheels, that axle was also built with a 5x4.5 lug pattern hub, so you could always swap out the hub to 5 lug making wheel availability much better. Flipping the axle would help make the fenders not need to be as high and give you a bit more clearance at the rear for negotiating any slopes or driveways you go through. Double up the angle iron frame, they are only 1/8" thick rails and won't stand for any weight on the perimeter while bouncing down the trail. Probably would be a good idea to strengthen up the draw bar and tongue attachment area as well, the tongue isn't attached in any way I would feel comfortable hitting the trail with. If yours has the

that axle was also built with a 5x4.5 lug pattern hub, so you could always swap out the hub to 5 lug making wheel availability much better.

So the tires I am running now are just an amazon Kenda tire 4.80 x 12 on a 5 x 4.5 lug pattern. So no need to upgrade the hub then?
Definitely wil strengthen the tongue as well.
Any suggstion on tires for highway and a little offroad? Looks like the normal trailer tire is 205/75/15

Figure i'd pick up the new rims from TSC and tires. Then see if they wil fit tall wise and upgrade fenders then.

looks like these will fit , ill do a little more research that they do
15 rims

 

[KonzaLander]

If you have enough clearance, get a set of 15" steel wheels and tires from an older Jeep (XJ, MJ, YJ, ZJ, TJ) with the 5x4.5 pattern. These should have a hub bore that is big enough to fit around the trailer hub. Aluminum Jeep wheels will generally require a spacer to clear the trailer hub. Going this route will get you a wheel that can accept real radial tires (I hate trailer tires). More than likely you can find wheels that already have good tires that will suit your needs. You could also buy adapter spacers and run 6 lug Toyota wheels that match your tow rig. Don't forget to install a spare wheel/tire for your trailer.

If your trailer has a slipper style leaf spring, you should consider installing a spring with a shackle to help the ride.

Beware, building a trailer is fun and addictive. I hate to say it, but it will cost you more than you anticipate

 

[smritte]

I recommend you run an all terrain off road tire. doesn't matter who. The off road tire will get you the stronger sidewall you need and the load rating should be higher then you need.
The tires I currently run are Falcon Wildpeak and BFG KO2.
In my area, I have predominantly granite and various volcanic rocks. The granite's not so bad but the volcanic has sharp edges. Regular dirt roads can still cut sidewalls on street tires easily here. In the forest, tree roots. My M-100 (box type) trailer has been on a number of hard core trails, my Teardrop on moderate trail's. All the flat tires I've gotten have been on dirt/fire roads, some of which were things that dropped off vehicles.

 

[smritte]

Beware, building a trailer is fun and addictive.

Hmmm!
So that's what happened. I wonder if I should stop designing my next Teardrop. OH! the M-100 needs modifying too.

 

[TalkingJeep]

Following! I'm in the early stage of planning a trailer, style, etc which may possibly double as multi-purpose when not camping. = short term project
I also want to eventually get a small comfy trailer that my wife can enjoy. ie hvac kitchen etc = long term plan.
I would ideally like my trailer to have 5x5.5 wheels, like my CJ8 for obvious reasons (emergency spares).
My owners manual for my 85 CJ8 states 2000 lb gross trailer weight and 200 lb tongue weight.


#talkingjeeptrailer

 

[BasketCaseTech]

If you already have a 5 lug hub you are in good shape. As far as tires, Kenda makes a really good looking 235 wide off-road tire (not exactly cheap) but you would probably do fine grabbing any 15in AT or even MT tire that has a good thick sidewall. It's hard to find anything in a 205 that's not a highway or trailer tire. If you want to go just a little bigger and swap to a 13in wheel, the Forceum MT 08 PLUS is available in a 165/80R13 10 ply with a 1477lb load rating. $75 each on simple tire. I have never used them but they look like a good solution for a smaller trailer. Bigger tires will also put more leverage on the spindles of that 2k axle so keep inspecting regularly for cracks.

 

[socal geek guy]

While the comment on the bearings is true, what was not said is, the taller the tire the more leverage on the bearing. The heavier the tire the more load. This equates to faster bearing wear. The bearings and spindles on those trailers are small. Dirt roads add more stress then paved.

The question is, how long will they last? The answer has too many factors to consider. I would strongly advise if you go this route, periodically tear them down and inspect them. Your combination may work well. Or not.

The common axle run on overland trailers is a #3500 axle. I currently have two trailers. One is a box type and the other a tear drop. My first was built on a "Harbor Freight" type chassis. It lasted for a couple of years of off road before the spindle bent. That was about 20 years ago. Since then I've built four counting my current two.

I'm not saying don't build like that. I recommend you build your first one like that. If for some reason, you don't like trailer camping, your not into it much.

i agree with the axle comment, seems like the 3500 lb dexter axle is a good axle to go with that is easily available and lots of people have used them. when researching, i heard a lot of stories where the 2000 lb axles were weak and bearings didn't last long. i did look at timbren suspension for my little trailer, but was having a hard time justifying the expense for how often i go out with the trailer.

15 inch wheels are good because there are a lot more sizes/brands/models of tires than what you have now. i got some 15 inch steel wheels from discount tire for less than $100 each when i got some all terrains, so i was able to keep the 15 inch wheels/trailer tires that came with the trailer as spare tires.

as much as i wanted to get another set of wheels that would match my tow vehicle so that if i got a flat on the vehicle, i could borrow a tire from the trailer in an emergency, it was just going to get expensive to make it work with hubs and other things i didn't want to deal with. depending on your situation, that is something to consider though. the biggest negative for me is that my garage door frame is low, so i could barely squeak in with the tires on it, so doing it with tires/wheels that would fit on the tow vehicle would make it too tall to fit.