Wolverine RVGP

[The Crow]

So the start of my first offroad trailer build begins with a simple little 4 x 7 utility trailer I had sitting in the backyard. I had used it for hauling various building materials for projects around the yard and it had been relegated to just a place to throw scraps and garbage into. I had picked up a 10 man arctic tent to get into some winter camping, the same military one I was accustomed with from my time in the army. I packed the back of my Ranger with all my camping gear and used the trailer to haul bags of firewood and other things.

 

[The Crow]

It was after that I had been seeing a lot of offroad/overland trailer builds and decided I would give it a go. So I backed the little trailer into the garage and started what I named project "Wolverine RVGP". The first step would be to remove the sidewalls and re-finish the metal flooring. Just trying to keep it relatively simple I went with pressure treated lumber for framing using 2x2s, 2x4s and 1/2" plywood. The plan was to fiberglass the roof and joins.

 

[The Crow]

The build continued from there and soon the trailer started to take shape. I really didn't have much of a plan, just a general idea making decisions as I went along. The basic concept was to have a 4 season trailer I could sleep in and function in winter conditions.

 

[The Crow]

Some more progress...

 

[The Crow]

Soon I had a working shell and took it out for some field testing, still just using it to haul wood and gear....

 

[The Crow]

So my next step was to paint the trailer. Army green of course. I also added a roof vent, side vents and some fuel cans...

 

[The Crow]

Next up I installed a power outlet and some exterior lights. Also arriving in the mail were a couple of windows.

 

[The Crow]

As I mentioned, the trailer was going to be capable of winter camping so next up was some sheet foam insulation, poly, and interior paneling.

 

[The Crow]

...then windows, flooring, some carpet and a bed. Because I would be camping in the winter I wanted to be up off the floor to have a bit of air circulation and reduce condensation underneath. If any of you have been camping in cold climate you'll know its a bit of a challenge. The mattress I went with is a Zinus 6" spring mattress (size narrow twin) I ordered from Amazon. it arrives rolled up in a box so you have to be careful unpacking it. Also along with it I got a matching bed frame. I cut the legs down so I could sit on the bed and have just enough head clearance. I later made some drawers to fit underneath.

 

[Red_Leaf_Overland]

looks awesome!

 

[The Crow]

Next was a few interior additions like blinds, foldup table, bedside table, 12v power pack, smoke & CO2 detectors, fire extinguisher, etc... I also added a small shelf for a portable DVD player.

 

[The Crow]

From there it was time to upgrade the suspension. The little utility trailer had a solid axle on leaf springs and 12" wheels. I decided to upgrade to 15" wheels and go with Timbren 2000lb HD axel-less suspension. First step would be to get the trailer up high enough to remove the old axle and work under. Once that was done I could start on welding up some inboard brackets and custom cross member for the Timbren suspension.

 

[The Crow]

Work continued on welding things up. I decided to also add a center bracket to bolt to the main tubing that ran down the center of the trailer to the hitch and eventually it was ready for paint and install.

 

[Timbren-Industries]

Looking good so far!!!!

 

[AggieOE]

You are completely overhauling that trailer! Nice work! Looking forward to seeing the completed suspension.

 

[The Crow]

Next up was packing the hubs on the Timbren axles. I bolted them to my workbench to make things easier to work on. Once that was done they were fitted to the trailer using grade 8 hardware.

 

[The Crow]

With the axles installed the Wolverine was ready for wheels and tires. I went with some standard steel 15" trailer wheels from Princess Auto. Scuffed them up and spray painted them black. For tires I got some Motomaster Eliminator Xtrail A/T 235/75R15 that were on sale. (I think they're made by Cooper) Anyways, got them bolted up and checked toe and camber, everything looked good. Was good to see it back down on the ground, way more ground clearance now.

 

[The Crow]

With bigger wheels and tires installed I would need new fenders. Again it was Princess Auto for those, going with some squared fenders. Much better than the previous round ones because now I have a place to set my beverage. ;) Anyways after positioning them where I thought they would sit best I got to work on making some brackets to secure the upper part of the fenders to the sides of the trailer. I used some square tubing to space the fender centered over the tire and installed pem-nuts. Timbren specs indicated I didn't need a whole lot of travel clearance for these axles so I was good there.

 

[The Crow]

With the upper brackets taken care of I would need to come up with a solution for securing the lower parts of the fenders. Metal Supermarkets was a great place to get the materials I needed at a decent price. Way too expensive at the hardware store. Anyways, I decided on fabricating some triangle brackets using angle stock and some expanded metal on top. this would connect the fender to the frame and provide a step as well as deflect anything away from the fender when off roading. It was a bit tricky to design with the side of the fender being at an angle.

 

[The Crow]

Got the fenders and brackets all painted up using some Tremclad semi-gloss black and rubberized undercoating on the inside of the fenders. Could have taken them for sand blasting and powder coating but decided to keep things simple and budget friendly. Should do just fine. Added some mud flaps and good to go. From there it was just reinstall my fuel can holders and ready for some off road trials to test it out.