My DIY offroad utility (base camp) trailer

  • HTML tutorial

reaver

Rank VI
Member

Explorer I

3,680
Caldwell, ID, USA
First Name
Brian
Last Name
McGahuey
Member #

23711

Ham/GMRS Callsign
GMRS WRMV941
Dude, at least you HAVE A garage. I have to borrow a friends to build my trailer... ;).

Looking good though. I wish I had the ability to weld my own frame, but alas, I lack that skill.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Red_Leaf_Overland

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

Dude, at least you HAVE A garage. I have to borrow a friends to build my trailer... ;).

Looking good though. I wish I had the ability to weld my own frame, but alas, I lack that skill.
It's true I am spoiled with the garage lol. I never used to have one and it's nice not having to lay in dirt/mud/snow when I'm working on things ( at least while I'm home lol). I've acquired a few too many project in the last year or so and I need to sort everything out again lol.
 

reaver

Rank VI
Member

Explorer I

3,680
Caldwell, ID, USA
First Name
Brian
Last Name
McGahuey
Member #

23711

Ham/GMRS Callsign
GMRS WRMV941
It's true I am spoiled with the garage lol. I never used to have one and it's nice not having to lay in dirt/mud/snow when I'm working on things ( at least while I'm home lol). I've acquired a few too many project in the last year or so and I need to sort everything out again lol.
LOL. I feel that in my bones. I had a few friends helping me install some additional leaves in my Springs last summer, and that was fun...

Looking forward to watching this progress.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Red_Leaf_Overland

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

I have a lot of holes to drill son a lot of pieces to get my drawer slides ready to mock up in place.... still needs a floor but my trailer has some tires on it that I just picked up and I have no room inside for them right now lol.i did get the upper "shape" put together and can get some more material for bracing....
Once u get the drawer slides together and a floor in it I can start working working on the upper sectionand a few braces for the lower, and once I get the tires mounted I can start working on fenders and run my tail lights.
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: Smidee

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

I forgot how much I hated manually changing tires lol. I only got 2 33s when I grabbed the other set of tires to use the rims because they were super cheap. They are fairly worn but it gives me an idea of how the trailer will sit and I can start to plan out my fenders ( also why i dismounted and mounted manually because I bought everything cheaper than I could have them changed over for).
I grabbed se more material for the roof structure and upper deck and can start working on those as well, but I would like to get the fenders sorted out so I can figure out a tail light situation.
It's slowly coming together and I am hoping to be able to actually use it this year.
 

Attachments

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

A bit more progress tonight. Got the shape of some fenders mocked up.
 

Attachments

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

Final fender shape layed out. A brace in the middle and think I can get a skin on them and get my tail lights mounted up. I gotta shift my attention back to the interior and get the drawer slides made up so that I can get the final dimensions of the inside solidified.
 

Attachments

PCO6

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,268
Newmarket, Ontario
First Name
Stew
Last Name
Beatty
Member #

12534

Thank you. Some things are going as planned and other not quite lol. But it's starting to take shape.
I'm currently building a square back trailer. My plans amount to notes, sketches and thoughts in my head. It's amazing how many things change once you get the point of actually putting them together.

I've always kept a box of what I call "fab scraps". I cut 6" lengths of pretty much every type and size of material I use. They allow me to manipulate small pieces into versions of what I want to build. Many things change compared to how I thought they would go. Simple joinery isn't always what I think it's going to be.

I admire anyone who can design on paper and build to plan but I often think they later end up with a lot of "as built" plans too.
 
Last edited:

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

Everything I do at work has to match my drawings ( make parts, tack together, checked by a supervisor and signed off, then welded solid) so my garage work can be a little chaotic at times. However for some reason the stuff I do in my garage is more complex than most of the stuff I do at work lol.
 

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

Gotnout into the garage for a bit today and welded up some taillight boxes that I will incorporate into the fenders
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: Smidee and reaver

WYWander

Rank III
Member

Off-Road Ranger I

676
Wyoming
First Name
Ken
Last Name
Veltkamp
Member #

47213

Ham/GMRS Callsign
WSDA676
Very nice!

Gonna have to get me some of those zip tie tabs. I'm building one too and want to route wires outside of the frame this time. Ran them inside the frame last time but I want this one completely water sealed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Red_Leaf_Overland

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

Got my rear drawer slides tacked together before I ran outbof welding gas. Needed to get them set up so I know exactly where the front "cubby" will be. The original plan was to have another drawer slide out one side but I didn't leave myself enough room for the locking mechanism. My options at the moment are basically order shorter drawer slides or leave open for now and see how I like it and change later if I decide I don't like it. I might even make up some removable shelving and store coolers on the bottom and cooking supplies ( stove, propane, utensils that don't require a lot of height ) above them.
But first I need to skin the floor and get the rear slides firmly mounted so I can confirm everything.
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: Smidee

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

Finally making this look like a trailer! One fender done, the other is tacked together. Should be able to put the lights in and wire it up soon. I am hoping to be able to start on doors next week but I'm not sure I'll get to them by then due to the amount of free time I have this weekend.
 

Attachments

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

Finally making this look like a trailer! One fender done, the other is tacked together. Should be able to put the lights in and wire it up soon. I am hoping to be able to start on doors next week but I'm not sure I'll get to them by then due to the amount of free time I have this weekend. I also have a bit more welding to do to make "door frames" before I can get to that.
 
  • Love
Reactions: reaver

Advocate III

1,548
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Member #

0

Drawer slides tacked, doors " framed", fenders done, roof rails tacked in, and 1 stabilizer made up to see where/how I want to mount them ( not where it is in the picture they will mount under the floor of the trailer and swing down).... small progress on a few of the things on the list lol.
 

Attachments

reaver

Rank VI
Member

Explorer I

3,680
Caldwell, ID, USA
First Name
Brian
Last Name
McGahuey
Member #

23711

Ham/GMRS Callsign
GMRS WRMV941
Drawer slides tacked, doors " framed", fenders done, roof rails tacked in, and 1 stabilizer made up to see where/how I want to mount them ( not where it is in the picture they will mount under the floor of the trailer and swing down).... small progress on a few of the things on the list lol.
Looks kind tall to me. Are you planning on putting a tent on the rack? Depending on the weight down low, it may be a bit top heavy. Just an observation.

Looking good so far though!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Red_Leaf_Overland