Overland Trailers - first-hand experience: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

[tjZ06]

Here it is:



It looks tiny on the RV-pad, lol. It'll probably go in the garage, but my brother-in-law had to pick it up for me as I'm down in the bay for work. I have power on the RV-pad, so if I do keep it out here I'll hook it up and get a good cover for it. I suppose once it goes on the matching wheels and 35"s it might not fit in the garage anyway.

I didn't fully set everything up while picking it up (it was all setup when I checked it out over the weekend and @Retired went through the entire thing and systems-checked everything for me) but I snapped a few pics:







Like I said, I was down in the Bay Area for work with my commuter, so my Brother-in-law had to tow it home for me. He just got a brand-brand new F450, I think it was up to the job:

-TJ

 

[Road]

Here it is:

View attachment 190718

It looks tiny on the RV-pad, lol. It'll probably go in the garage, but my brother-in-law had to pick it up for me as I'm down in the bay for work. I have power on the RV-pad, so if I do keep it out here I'll hook it up and get a good cover for it. I suppose once it goes on the matching wheels and 35"s it might not fit in the garage anyway.

I didn't fully set everything up while picking it up (it was all setup when I checked it out over the weekend and @Retired went through the entire thing and systems-checked everything for me) but I snapped a few pics:

View attachment 190720
View attachment 190719
View attachment 190721
View attachment 190722
View attachment 190723

Like I said, I was down in the Bay Area for work with my commuter, so my Brother-in-law had to tow it home for me. He just got a brand-brand new F450, I think it was up to the job:

-TJ

.
That's a really interesting setup; with the nose box forward of an open storage area, and the rear swingout with sink and prep area. All very clever.
Clean looking little trailer!
.

 

[tjZ06]

.
That's a really interesting setup; with the nose box forward of an open storage area, and the rear swingout with sink and prep area. All very clever.
Clean looking little trailer!
.

Yeah, I hadn't actually found this make in my search until the previous owner reached out. I really, really like the cargo basket design and the swing-out sink/prep area because it makes the overall thing smaller/lighter. It is indeed super clean and well kept. I also got a Max Coupler and a bunch of other great accessories with it.

-TJ

 

[Truckee]

Congratulations, I think you scored the perfect trailer for your usage.

 

[tjZ06]

Congratulations, I think you scored the perfect trailer for your usage.

Thank you, and I agree!

-TJ

 

[Kent R]

Congrats on getting the trailer, hope to see you on the trails this summer.

 

[ptgarcia]

That's is really nice! I love it!

 

[tjZ06]

Congrats on getting the trailer, hope to see you on the trails this summer.

Thanks, I really need to start putting some trips on the books... but the trailer will also allow me lots of spur-of-the-moment trips.

That's is really nice! I love it!

Thanks, me too! I really think I found the "right" one. It's in amazingly great condition, has all the accessories I could need/want, is compact and light, but also has all the features. I can't say thanks enough to @Retired for a great, no-fuss deal on a great trailer.

I'm actually home this weekend, so the goal is to swap the hubs and get the matching wheels/tires I got for it on. I'll also start placing some of my gear in it, measuring, and seeing what different gear I might need (probably just a different cook set I'd think - right now I have a suuuuuper minimal/cheap set but the trailer will allow for a bit nicer and more complete setup).

-TJ

 

[Kent R]

Thanks, I really need to start putting some trips on the books... but the trailer will also allow me lots of spur-of-the-moment trips.



Thanks, me too! I really think I found the "right" one. It's in amazingly great condition, has all the accessories I could need/want, is compact and light, but also has all the features. I can't say thanks enough to @Retired for a great, no-fuss deal on a great trailer.

I'm actually home this weekend, so the goal is to swap the hubs and get the matching wheels/tires I got for it on. I'll also start placing some of my gear in it, measuring, and seeing what different gear I might need (probably just a different cook set I'd think - right now I have a suuuuuper minimal/cheap set but the trailer will allow for a bit nicer and more complete setup).

-TJ

We are having a show and tell for Adventure Trailers at the Aprii Sierra Foothills Overlanders Meet-up if your interested.

 

[tjZ06]

We are having a show and tell for Adventure Trailers at the Aprii Sierra Foothills Overlanders Meet-up if your interested.

What are the dates?

Thanks,
TJ

 

[Kent R]

What are the dates?

Thanks,
TJ

Unfortunately we meet the third Thursday of each month at 1900 hrs, its a long drive for you. You should have received a forum message with links to the three local meet-ups.

 

[tjZ06]

Unfortunately we meet the third Thursday of each month at 1900 hrs, its a long drive for you. You should have received a forum message with links to the three local meet-ups.

Gotcha, I think I got those links but I haven't looked into it too closely yet since it's been winter and we're pretty exclusively doing Glamis stuff during that season. I'll look back through those links. I have a weird schedule (or, life?) and am generally in the Bay Area Mon-Thurs, then Lincoln (above Sac) Fri-Sun. But all winter Fri-Sun is Indio instead, except when we're in Glamis. So my "Overlanding" season is prob ~May-Oct and best if things are closer to Lincoln, but if I plan ahead and bring the Jeep/trailer down to PA for the week then head out from here. Thursdays being up in the Sierra Foothills would generally be tough, but at some point I'll plan on making it.

-TJ

 

[Kent R]

Gotcha, I think I got those links but I haven't looked into it too closely yet since it's been winter and we're pretty exclusively doing Glamis stuff during that season. I'll look back through those links. I have a weird schedule (or, life?) and am generally in the Bay Area Mon-Thurs, then Lincoln (above Sac) Fri-Sun. But all winter Fri-Sun is Indio instead, except when we're in Glamis. So my "Overlanding" season is prob ~May-Oct and best if things are closer to Lincoln, but if I plan ahead and bring the Jeep/trailer down to PA for the week then head out from here. Thursdays being up in the Sierra Foothills would generally be tough, but at some point I'll plan on making it.

-TJ

I had a typo, it is Tuesdays not Thursday.

 

[tjZ06]

Well, I'm finally home on a weekend and got to mess with the trailer a bit. The previous owner was kind enough to include the other set of drums/hubs with the 5x5 bolt pattern to match my WJ. I went ahead and re-packed the bearings and swapped them onto the trailer. While I was at it I re-torqued the spacers, and checked around all the suspension bolts and things like that (all was tight and clearly well serviced and well cared for). I ordered up 3 more wheels/tires to match my WJ, that way on shorter runs I can bring just the 1 spare that is on the WJ's bumper if I dare (probably not a great idea) or on longer trips I can bring two spares and they can go on either rig. In a real worst-case scenario situation if I had used my spare(s) and just needed to get out and back to civilization I could even harvest wheels off the trailer for the WJ.

Anyway, here's a quick comparison of the PO's Colorado ZR2 wheels and tires vs. the ~35"s I have for the WJ (315/75-16):


And a comparison on the trailer:




And a couple all done:








I went ahead and got it on shore power on my RV pad there... and I think I'm just going to have to sleep in it tonight, there's just no two ways about it!

-TJ

 

[tjZ06]

As per my WJ build thread, I didn't get to go camping this weekend as originally planned, but at least set the combo up and did some testing and got weights on it all. It sags a bit, but not a ton (it sits a little tail-low even w/o the trailer). I might look into a slightly stiffer rear coil, or I might drop the front coil-over setting a bit. Anybody care to guess weights for the Jeep and the trailer each independently, tongue weight of the trailer and total?

-TJ