Trailer Build

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Gravel Travel Canada

Gravel Travel Canada

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Pathfinder I

1,798
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Member #

4004

Hi all, I am on the starting line and about to start my trailer build. It will be a tear drop style, minus the round shape.

I have been collecting parts and I am ready to start. The shape is what's holding me back so I am asking for advice. I really want a queen sized mattress in it but this will make the trailer 4 inch wider (outside of tire to outside of tire measurement). Should I care of be concerned?

Parts in shop
-timbren 3500lb with hd axles
-steel wheels
-33 inch bfg mt's
-lock n roll hitch

My plan is to steel frame it, clad in in aluminum sheets. Insulate it, and use pvc boards in the inside.

Doors and windows... holy moly are the expensive! Anyone know of a place cheaper than teardroptrailerparts.com ?

I'm sure I'll have questions along the way. Hoping to have it finished before the snow comes. I have a friend / fabricator doing the steel and aluminum work so things are going to move fast.

I am digging the shape of the conqueror 440 and will likely mimic its exterior shape to some degree. No kitchen, no slide outs, just a mobile bedroom as I am done sleeping in tents (ground and rtt). I drive a mid sized truck so the kitchen will stay in it...I cannot wrap my mind around sleeping with a kitchen under or beside me in bear country. This year, 12% of the nights were spent overlanding/camping (so far). I have been wanting to do this for a while now and I'm quite excited to get started.

I have been pouring over other build threads (thanks for taking the time) and have picked up ideas from each. I'll try to pay it back / forward by keeping this thread detailed during the process.

Ted
 
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RMEWanderer

RMEWanderer

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Traveler I

60
Horseshoe Valley, Ontario
First Name
Neil
Last Name
Bachmann
Just got one this summer. Had been researching designs, renting from different manufactures and visiting Overland Expo for ideas.
Took all my money this spring and bought a condo as a rental unit, instead of building my garage. Oh, well there goes my trailer build. At least in a few years I'll have a monthly income while I'm on the road.
I sucked it up and had someone build me one. Well he really didn't want to at first as I was asking for so many changes to his plans. We finally came to an agreement and it began. I figured I would just get him to build something I could start to use and work out the details and finish it along the way.
Note with the Timbren axles. I had a 4" drop put in. The original spindles had clearance issues when the suspension compresses. With the new ones I needed to ditch my original rims and find something with at least 5.5" of backspacing to keep the tires under the fenders. They just barley stick out now. Am rethinking the whole fenders thing anyway. It was something I couldn't get him do for the build.
It's a queen sized bed but a galley kitchen in the back. No cooking or food prep ever goes on in there. I don't want animals attracted to my sleeping quarters. Just storage.
 
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RMEWanderer

RMEWanderer

Rank 0

Traveler I

60
Horseshoe Valley, Ontario
First Name
Neil
Last Name
Bachmann
Sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread.

The wheel base width was a concern for me because I usually tow behind a Jeep TJ. If I remember correctly its 7" wider than the Jeep.
The original plan was to have them the same but I would have had to put the wheels under the frame to make it work with a queen sized bed. This would be too top heavy and put the bottom of the open door at about 48" above the ground.
At this point I'm not planning or running any crazy rock crawling trails with the trailer in tow but I do have to think about how close I pull up to a gas pump and make extra wide turns (not just for trailer length but the width too.) Fortunately it is pretty easy to move on its own. I have had to disconnect and turn it by hand to get me out of a tight campsite. (Unhooking was almost like admitting defeat after putting a 53' trailer into a single bay underground loading dock.)
 
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RMEWanderer

RMEWanderer

Rank 0

Traveler I

60
Horseshoe Valley, Ontario
First Name
Neil
Last Name
Bachmann
I was thinking about it a bit more on the weekend. I wanted to go 33" as well to match the planned size for the jeep (currently 31") that way I would only have to carry one spare. The only tire I could find that was 33x9-10" were super swampers. 33x12.5 plus space between the tire and trailer left me needing a 14" wide fender to cover them. That's a lot of extra width. I ended up deciding on the biggest 9.5 that I could find 30x9.5x15 BFG TA KO2. My theory was that the spindles were separate and the trailer could run the bigger spare from the jeep in a pinch without worrying lockers and differentials etc.
 
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Gravel Travel Canada

Gravel Travel Canada

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Launch Member

Pathfinder I

1,798
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Member #

4004

Design is almost finalized.

A few nagging issues

The trailer will have 23 inches between the frame and the ground. The skylight sits 4.5 inches off of the top of the trailer. The trailer needs to fit into a standard sized garage. 4-5 inch mattress. Doesn't leave a lot of room for me (head room inside). I would like a minimum of 48-52 inches of headroom (top of mattress to ceiling).

Total exterior length is just over 15 feet. Price to pay for what I want. Originally I had planned on rebuilding an m416 with an rtt and envisioned a trail capable trailer. 15 feet in length means tight forest trails and switchbacks will be cumbersome. I am willing to make this sacrifice, reluctantly.

I have decided to make the tongue box part of the frame and body of the trailer. It will be accessible from the inside only. It will house the battery and electronics. Makes making the trailer easier.

Windows and doors, going to have to purchase them asap. Disappointed in how much they cost, supply and demand I guess.
 
Gravel Travel Canada

Gravel Travel Canada

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

1,798
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Member #

4004

Build scheduled with Fabricator for January. Still collecting parts.

Decided to go with Goal Zero for the electrics. Bought a 100w panel ( boulder) for the roof. Going to frame the roof rack to hold two of them in case I find one panel is not enough. A Yeti 400 will reside in the trailer.

Sent from my STH100-1 using OB Talk mobile app
 
Gravel Travel Canada

Gravel Travel Canada

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

1,798
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Member #

4004

Etch primer applied to frame and two coats applied to entire frame and cage. Frame will get sprayed black at a later date once the floor is installed.

Interior dimensions will be 62 inches wide, 59 inches high and 90 inches long. I went larger than most folks as I wanted a full queen size mattress and enough headroom to sit up and move around without hitting my head.

Cut the aluminum sheets ( .100 ) yesterday, hope to begin installing today. Going to silicon the the steel then use rivets to attach the sheets. Quick weld to fill the rivet. Corner and wherever two sheets join will have caps that will be attached using Sikaflex 292. This adhesive will also be used inside on the corners of cage to help attached the aluminum sheets ( prevent rivets from shearing ).

Still debating color schemes but leaning towards desert tan with black trim.

IMG_20180224_1652475.jpgIMG_20180224_1702552.jpgIMG_20180224_1652200.jpg

Sent from my STH100-1 using OB Talk mobile app
 
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Gravel Travel Canada

Gravel Travel Canada

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

1,798
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Member #

4004

Got most of the aluminum installed today. Used an adhesive and ss rivets. The gap is due to the trailer being 44 inches wide and the sheets being 40 (big money saver). 3 inch corner caps out of aluminum will be installed using Silka 292 adhesive, the rivets will act as a spacer. Should be bomb proof.

Windows and doors openings cut this week and mount the Timbren axles. Not looking forward to aligning them.

Next weekend finish up the aluminum (floor, back wall and corner caps).

IMG_20180225_1508194.jpgIMG_20180225_1634357.jpgIMG_20180225_1512107.jpgIMG_20180225_1527338.jpgIMG_20180225_1642080.jpgIMG_20180225_1712532.jpgIMG_20180225_1713105.jpgIMG_20180225_1721224.jpgIMG_20180225_1717574.jpg

Sent from my STH100-1 using OB Talk mobile app
 
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