Cant afford to buy, so DIY?

[lhoffm4]

Greetings Programs,
Is it just me or are the prices for gear sky rocketing to the point of sheer nuttery, if that is even a thing? Having been out of work due to the Plandemic, don't get me started, I have had to rethink my approach to gearing up for this latest hobby... Overlanding.

YouTube has been truly inspirational with so many people creating some quite incredible rigs and pieces of kit. I've been inspired to rethink, repurpose and reuse gear I have, or tap into knowledge, skills and abilities that others have displayed and attempt to copy and/or modify designs based on my own skill, features I want, and the tools I have access to.

Some of the projects I have undertaken just for this latest hobby/endeavor include:
- modding a trucked trailer into an Over landing trailer, complete with raised and beefed up suspension, matching wheel hubs to the same wheel/bolt pattern as my truck. I have also added a front cargo area with a tool box and cargo rack on the frame just in front of the truck bed.

- taking a HD contractor rack and modding it to fit over the truck topper on my trailer, fabricating the legs and a steel mesh deck on top to be a platform for the RTT as well as storage for some gear. As my imagination runs amuck, I plan to fabricate some removeable/folding guard rails and put some removable boat seats and pedastle table on it for an elevated sitting area to admire the stars.

- I'm finishing the fabrication of a 180 degree batwing awning as well as a shower-stall/toilet enclosure that will also bolt to the roof-rack. I will have to get help from a local tent maker to skin the awning and make a matching shower curtain (unless I can find one online.

- My Son gave me a couple large 255 Watt residential solar panels, a charge controller and an RV 3k Watt inverter that I plan to incorporate onto the trailer or possibly my truck topper. We are also building a set of 12v batteries from the LIthium Iron Phosphate cells. He has done this to set up his tiny home to be completely off grid. I look forward to sorting this project out.

Necessity is truly the mother of inspiration and invention.

My setup will never look "commercial" but will hopefully function admirably for my purposes: camping, hunting, sightseeing, etc.

What have/are you considering doing or fabricating for yourself/ your Over landing trailer or gear? I have always enjoyed customizing my equipment to suit my ideas and needs. I will add some pics for this thread shortly. Show and tell us what you have done/plan to do...

 

[Boostpowered]

So are you out of work due to covid or retired?

If it is the former then camping may not be a priority unless it's getting to that point where your loosing your home and having to live out on the road. There are lots of jobs out there right now for someone who is motivated to make money.

 

[lhoffm4]

So are you out of work due to covid or retired?

If it is the former then camping may not be a priority unless it's getting to that point where your loosing your home and having to live out on the road. There are lots of jobs out there right now for someone who is motivated to make money.

Oh no, I'm working. I did have about 5 months off last year while recovering from a widow-maker. Really puts life into perspective. Also gave me lots of time to plan my trailer build. Now that I am able, I'm working and executing my trailer build. I have to go a little slower these days and both the Wife and the Doc are keeping closer tabs, but I gotta be outdoors, I gotta have projects to keep the brain and ticker working.

 

[Billiebob]

I'm on the same project.
The trailer is bilt, but the kitchen needs finishing.

The only thing I'm lacking is reliable refrigeration. So 200W of solar plus the charge controller are getting mounted and wired to my old AGM battery.
Then I'll need a better fridge than the current Kooltron thing. Then I'll need a propane stove. Then I'll need a propane heater. Then I'll need....
Must be a Jeep thing.

But same, the mind and ticker need challenges.

 

[lhoffm4]

I'm on the same project.
The trailer is bilt, but the kitchen needs finishing.

The only thing I'm lacking is reliable refrigeration. So 200W of solar plus the charge controller are getting mounted and wired to my old AGM battery.
Then I'll need a better fridge than the current Kooltron thing. Then I'll need a propane stove. Then I'll need a propane heater. Then I'll need....
Must be a Jeep thing.

But same, the mind and ticker need challenges.

What are you looking for in a propane stove? I'm also a bit of a Coleman-aholic. I may know someone with a few suitcase stoves of the 425 class-two burners. I love mine. I have been known to use a propane tank with a tree that let's me run a lantern, stove and a large pot turkey fryer type for hot water in camp. So many hobbies, so little time and money! Haha!

 

[loper]

I recently commented on another member's trailer build, to the effect that I really like seeing people build what they want, rather than buying whatever is available.

I'm not knocking some of the great products available (off road trailers, Sportsmobile vans, Earth Roamers, etc.), but offroading or overlanding really shouldn't be a means test. Cool gear helps, but a lack of the latest gear shouldn't prevent going out and having fun.

For my part, figuring out how to build stuff is part of the fun. We've spent a fair chunk of change on our van, but we built a lot of it ourselves, with more projects still waiting for time and money.

However you get there is cool, but I appreciate ingenuity a lot.

 

[grubworm]

with all the cheap chinese imports completely taking over, its hard to build cheaper. like a finished pressboard book shelve from walmart that you just stick together in 5 minutes for $40. just buying the plywood to build the book shelve is double the cost, let alone the labor, glue, screws, poly finish, etc

i build a lot of things that cost more than buying, but i do get exactly what i want and usually a lot better quality. some times there is a big savings. i wanted a decked system for the tundra and buying a nice one was around $1200. it was plastic and metal and very well made, but the drawers didn't pull out far enough, so i built my own out of 3/4 plywood and it ended up costing around $600...half price. the 60" slides were crazy expensive, so i decided to build my own slides using 5/16 bolts and roller skate bearings with angled aluminium. i spent a good bit of time and money on the slides and never could get all the rollers to line up perfectly and the drawer kept binding, so i did have to give in and buy the expensive slides. they do work great and sometimes i find i can only go so far without needing to buy certain things that are factory made.

so, as to the OP's question of what we are building ourselves, this is my decked system that does exactly what i need and just so happened to be cheaper than buying



i recently looked at a swing away hitch mount carrier and found several in the $1000-1200 range. i knew that was a bit expensive, so i looked at building my own. i can weld, but would need the help of a fab shop to get a good bend in the square tubing, so factoring in that expense and the materials...i would be around $400. i then found a very well built swing away carrier for $300 online. i bought it and absolutely love it and it is built extremely well and was cheaper than i could make.



sometimes its better to build and sometimes it isn't. however, i find that the best results seem to come from combining the two...usually buy something at a decent price and then spend a little time and money making a few mods and end up with a great item at a decent price point. the swing away carrier was $300 and getting a cargo basket to mount on it would be another $200. i had a utility wagon from northern tool that my oldest son tore a wheel off of. i took the basket deck off the wagon and threw the rest away. the basket has been sitting in the shop for years and then BAM! i found the perfect use for it and saved $200.

 

[lhoffm4]

with all the cheap chinese imports completely taking over, its hard to build cheaper. like a finished pressboard book shelve from walmart that you just stick together in 5 minutes for $40. just buying the plywood to build the book shelve is double the cost, let alone the labor, glue, screws, poly finish, etc

i build a lot of things that cost more than buying, but i do get exactly what i want and usually a lot better quality. some times there is a big savings. i wanted a decked system for the tundra and buying a nice one was around $1200. it was plastic and metal and very well made, but the drawers didn't pull out far enough, so i built my own out of 3/4 plywood and it ended up costing around $600...half price. the 60" slides were crazy expensive, so i decided to build my own slides using 5/16 bolts and roller skate bearings with angled aluminium. i spent a good bit of time and money on the slides and never could get all the rollers to line up perfectly and the drawer kept binding, so i did have to give in and buy the expensive slides. they do work great and sometimes i find i can only go so far without needing to buy certain things that are factory made.

so, as to the OP's question of what we are building ourselves, this is my decked system that does exactly what i need and just so happened to be cheaper than buying

View attachment 204575

i recently looked at a swing away hitch mount carrier and found several in the $1000-1200 range. i knew that was a bit expensive, so i looked at building my own. i can weld, but would need the help of a fab shop to get a good bend in the square tubing, so factoring in that expense and the materials...i would be around $400. i then found a very well built swing away carrier for $300 online. i bought it and absolutely love it and it is built extremely well and was cheaper than i could make.

View attachment 204577

sometimes its better to build and sometimes it isn't. however, i find that the best results seem to come from combining the two...usually buy something at a decent price and then spend a little time and money making a few mods and end up with a great item at a decent price point. the swing away carrier was $300 and getting a cargo basket to mount on it would be another $200. i had a utility wagon from northern tool that my oldest son tore a wheel off of. i took the basket deck off the wagon and threw the rest away. the basket has been sitting in the shop for years and then BAM! i found the perfect use for it and saved $200.

I keep telling my beautiful wife “I’m going to use that for a project later...”.
so I can appreciate saving something until I find a use for it... The Mrs. tells me that’s how a horder gets started tho...lol