The Little Beast

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Blackwind

Rank II

Enthusiast I

404
Idaho, USA
First Name
Johnny
Last Name
H
Member #

26775

Very new here and it was suggested in response to my new member post I post the cause of my joining Overland Bound so here we go .....a trailer.


A few months ago, I helped a neighbor load several items into a moving truck, and he off the cuff asked if I was interested in buying his little old trailer. For a little steel beast, the price we came to was a steal in my book. I primarily used it for hauling wood from the woods on our firewood gathering runs. Here in Idaho, you acquire a permit for cords of wood, and off you go. A buddy knew I had been shopping for an expedition-style trailer, and he asked, "why not turn Lil Beast into one?" I laughed at first, but we all sat down and started brainstorming. The first thing we did was order a 3500 Dexter Torsion Axle with electric brakes. Pulled the old axle and springs, welded in reinforcements to the bottom, and slapped on the new axle. We removed the original towing point and welded in a 2-inch square tube and ordered an Ark Articulating Off-Road Coupler for 2" Receivers. I'm attempting to locate mount points for Rhino Heavy Duty Bars I had laying around but short of installing an actual track system to the round rail running from front to back, not seeing many options. I figured I would post here for input and updates. Think we are going to weld in a rack that can raise lower the tent using linear actuators, which would also provide a mount point other than the round bar for the RTT....this would also allow me to pull the entire rack off the trailer to use it as a normal trailer with a hoist system in the workshop

I thought it appropriate to lay out all my plans for this little monster. I believe the trailer is an old U-Haul trailer that was decommissioned. 6ft x 4ft. The plan is to install items on the outside of the trailer and the tongue box leaving the interior open to general use etc. The more we plan the less likely that looks LOL

EDIT: I posted my new member post in the wee hours earlier today and friends and I spent time going over the trailer and different options this morning. I am resigned to fully convert the Little Beast into a full-blown overland/expedition-style trailer and forego any pipe dreams of using it for anything else. It's a very small trailer. I also have to agree with friends opinions that this opens a lot of doors to options. With that in mind, I am considering drawer systems, etc that can go inside the trailer


Buyers Products Company 16 in. x 16 in. x 49 in. Black Steel Trailer Tongue Truck Tool Box - Ordered and the plan is to add more 2-inch squares to each angled side at the tongue and mount and weld the tongue box. This should raise the tongue box just high enough not to interfere with the trailer jack. Thought of updating the jack but it works so I think I will leave it as-is unless it proves to be inefficient

Electrical - The primary function of the tongue box will be to house two Odyssey Extreme Series Batteries and an electrical system. (probably will change this out to a LiFepo4 battery) I plan to install a NOCO Genius 2-Bank battery charger along with a Port Plug power inlet for shore power and BlueSea battery switches. I have a Xantrex 806-1220 PROwatt SW 2000 Inverter along with a Renogy Rover 40 Amp 12V/24V MPPT Solar Charge Controller Battery Regulator that will also find a home in here. We'll center the batteries for weight and go from there

Hot Water Heater - Pretty sure we'll also have room to install a hot water system in the tongue box as well for cooking and showers

Roam Vagabond Roof Tent with Annex - I already own a roof tent and we are trying to decide if we want to directly mount it to the round bars or have a lift and lower rack system for the tent. If we go with a lift and lower system, we'll fabricate that and use the areas you can see in the first pictures on the sides to weld in square iron on each side for the raise and lower bars. More than likely will go aluminum for the actual towers attached to the tent platform

Stabilizing Leveling Jacks 2 - We are devising a method to install mount points and install these on the front end and backend

Custom side boxes - We are roughing up a few drawings for boxes to install over the wheel wells for various kitchen storage etc

Bedliner - I plan to Bedliner the entire interior with black Bedliner and olive drab on the entire exterior

Water Tank(s) - Trying to decide how I want to do this. Considering how tall she is now, I MIGHT be able to squeeze a few Valterra RV Water Tanks on her underside. If not, I will have a custom-built for inside the trailer up near the tongue and go with a drawer system for a kitchen, out of the back...or out of the side with a few select cuts and door placement.





 
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Blackwind

Rank II

Enthusiast I

404
Idaho, USA
First Name
Johnny
Last Name
H
Member #

26775

UPDATE: So in pretty much everything in my life.....I research a ton and saw the light of 80-20 extruded aluminum! I happened upon a van build on Youtube and this should work perfectly for a lot of what I had planned for the trailer without welding in "more steel" into the little beast. The steel ramp door in the back in particular will be removed and replaced with swing doors made of aluminum and skinned. I will also skin and cover the open sections of the sides and front. I am roughing up plans for the raise and lower rack for the RTT and also the inside layout for water tanks etc.

Water Tanks - As of now, I plan to purchase two 30 gallon tanks, one for each side of the trailer for balance, and will plan to mount towards the front or closer to the tongue end of the trailer. In mocking up plans, I am going to build my own drawer and kitchen system. I have researched a ton of pullout versions and frankly, would prefer to just build my own.
 

Sparksalot

Rank VI
Launch Member

Influencer III

4,312
Bastrop County, TX, USA
First Name
Rex
Last Name
Drake
Member #

19540

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KI5GH
Service Branch
Air Force
Very new here and it was suggested in response to my new member post I post the cause of my joining Overland Bound so here we go .....a trailer.


A few months ago, I helped a neighbor load several items into a moving truck, and he off the cuff asked if I was interested in buying his little old trailer. For a little steel beast, the price we came to was a steal in my book. I primarily used it for hauling wood from the woods on our firewood gathering runs. Here in Idaho, you acquire a permit for cords of wood, and off you go. A buddy knew I had been shopping for an expedition-style trailer, and he asked, "why not turn Lil Beast into one?" I laughed at first, but we all sat down and started brainstorming. The first thing we did was order a 3500 Dexter Torsion Axle with electric brakes. Pulled the old axle and springs, welded in reinforcements to the bottom, and slapped on the new axle. We removed the original towing point and welded in a 2-inch square tube and ordered an Ark Articulating Off-Road Coupler for 2" Receivers. I'm attempting to locate mount points for Rhino Heavy Duty Bars I had laying around but short of installing an actual track system to the round rail running from front to back, not seeing many options. I figured I would post here for input and updates. Think we are going to weld in a rack that can raise lower the tent using linear actuators, which would also provide a mount point other than the round bar for the RTT....this would also allow me to pull the entire rack off the trailer to use it as a normal trailer with a hoist system in the workshop

I thought it appropriate to lay out all my plans for this little monster. I believe the trailer is an old U-Haul trailer that was decommissioned. 6ft x 4ft. The plan is to install items on the outside of the trailer and the tongue box leaving the interior open to general use etc. The more we plan the less likely that looks LOL

EDIT: I posted my new member post in the wee hours earlier today and friends and I spent time going over the trailer and different options this morning. I am resigned to fully convert the Little Beast into a full-blown overland/expedition-style trailer and forego any pipe dreams of using it for anything else. It's a very small trailer. I also have to agree with friends opinions that this opens a lot of doors to options. With that in mind, I am considering drawer systems, etc that can go inside the trailer


Buyers Products Company 16 in. x 16 in. x 49 in. Black Steel Trailer Tongue Truck Tool Box - Ordered and the plan is to add more 2-inch squares to each angled side at the tongue and mount and weld the tongue box. This should raise the tongue box just high enough not to interfere with the trailer jack. Thought of updating the jack but it works so I think I will leave it as-is unless it proves to be inefficient

Electrical - The primary function of the tongue box will be to house two Odyssey Extreme Series Batteries and an electrical system. (probably will change this out to a LiFepo4 battery) I plan to install a NOCO Genius 2-Bank battery charger along with a Port Plug power inlet for shore power and BlueSea battery switches. I have a Xantrex 806-1220 PROwatt SW 2000 Inverter along with a Renogy Rover 40 Amp 12V/24V MPPT Solar Charge Controller Battery Regulator that will also find a home in here. We'll center the batteries for weight and go from there

Hot Water Heater - Pretty sure we'll also have room to install a hot water system in the tongue box as well for cooking and showers

Roam Vagabond Roof Tent with Annex - I already own a roof tent and we are trying to decide if we want to directly mount it to the round bars or have a lift and lower rack system for the tent. If we go with a lift and lower system, we'll fabricate that and use the areas you can see in the first pictures on the sides to weld in square iron on each side for the raise and lower bars. More than likely will go aluminum for the actual towers attached to the tent platform

Stabilizing Leveling Jacks 2 - We are devising a method to install mount points and install these on the front end and backend

Custom side boxes - We are roughing up a few drawings for boxes to install over the wheel wells for various kitchen storage etc

Bedliner - I plan to Bedliner the entire interior with black Bedliner and olive drab on the entire exterior

Water Tank(s) - Trying to decide how I want to do this. Considering how tall she is now, I MIGHT be able to squeeze a few Valterra RV Water Tanks on her underside. If not, I will have a custom-built for inside the trailer up near the tongue and go with a drawer system for a kitchen, out of the back...or out of the side with a few select cuts and door placement.





It looks like a dead bug in the second pic!
 
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Blackwind

Rank II

Enthusiast I

404
Idaho, USA
First Name
Johnny
Last Name
H
Member #

26775

Apologies for the lack of updates, I have been SLAMMED but had to get basics complete prior to Mother's Day Camping trip. Maiden voyage! She still has a LOT of work but all is going according to plan. I'll finish out the electric brakes and tail light wiring and parts of the solar setup on the tongue box. Planning a split door in the back so for now, the trailer will be empty and we will load the bed of the truck with camp items until I finish doors etc.





 

Danno

Rank 0

Contributor I

60
Arizona
First Name
Dan
Last Name
Salazar
Apologies for the lack of updates, I have been SLAMMED but had to get basics complete prior to Mother's Day Camping trip. Maiden voyage! She still has a LOT of work but all is going according to plan. I'll finish out the electric brakes and tail light wiring and parts of the solar setup on the tongue box. Planning a split door in the back so for now, the trailer will be empty and we will load the bed of the truck with camp items until I finish doors etc.





Looks like it coming along!