Lowe’s 4’x6’ Carry-On trailer build

Andy G

Adventurist
So without a gear hauling capable rig for awhile - All I’ve got is a sweet Kia Soul for now - decided I needed a trailer to haul our fishing kayaks and camping gear for the 2-5 night adventures I take with my boys and sometimes the wife.

Went to Lowe’s and bought one of their 4x6 Carry-On trailers as my starting point.

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Did a spring-over-axle conversion to get it up about 3.5” and added 13” wheels and tires.
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Added a No-Weld rack from Compact Camping Concepts.
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Loaded up the kayaks (one on top of the car, two on the trailer) and headed up north for some camping, kayaking and fishing with my 2 sons.
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An awesome weekend...!
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The trailer tracked great, and I’m looking forward to getting some sort of freakin’ off-road capable vehicle to get off the beaten path.
 
Did a spring-over-axle conversion to get it up about 3.5” and added 13” wheels and tires.

Did you flip the axle or weld on new perches? I have the 5x8 version and the pervious owner just flipped the axle. Has a bit of a camber issue now since trailer axles have an arch to them. May not be a big deal on a small 4x6, but something to be mindful of if you're putting bigger tires on and plan on taking it long distances. I just use mine around town so it's no big deal. However on my bigger trailer I chewed up a set of BFG A/T's before I realized that buddy had done the same thing. I think I need new buddies. LoL

I curious why you cut off the tail gate rather than just remove it?

If his is anything like mine (also from Lowe's but a 5x8 version) they weld the hinges opposed to each other so you can't remove the gate. I got my trailer from a buddy who actually cut the hinge off one side and flipped it making it removable. A pain, but worth it.
 
Nice! I curious why you cut off the tail gate rather than just remove it?

Like Dean mentioned, the only way to remove it is to cut off the hinges. I like being able to keep it closed to keep stuff in if needed...and since I won’t be using it as a ramp, it works out great this way.
 
Did you flip the axle or weld on new perches? I have the 5x8 version and the pervious owner just flipped the axle. Has a bit of a camber issue now since trailer axles have an arch to them. May not be a big deal on a small 4x6, but something to be mindful of if you're putting bigger tires on and plan on taking it long distances. I just use mine around town so it's no big deal. However on my bigger trailer I chewed up a set of BFG A/T's before I realized that buddy had done the same thing. I think I need new buddies. LoL


I had new perches welded on to avoid any potential camber issues.
 
I still need to weld a piece of angle iron over the top of the cutoff part of the ramp. Then I’ll be happy haha
 
I knew of a few guy's who had problems of the slipper springs (original leaf springs) left on these Lowe's trailers on trails w\utility trailers. Scott Chaney sells a Smooth ride leafs & hangers
https://compactcampingstore.com/products/smooth-ride-frame-springs
https://compactcampingstore.com/products/trailer-spring-hanger-kit
Scott is a good honest knowledgeable guy. Longer leafs wont re-act to bumps quicker than short leafs do whether on Hwy or trail use. The problem with slipper springs is they break easily under stress used in offroad conditions or they slip out of the pocket & your axle shifts while the trailer is under load. I've seen this on a abandoned Lowe's trailer left on a trail in the Ozarks I & the wife came upon. Bummer for me I had to back up 1\2 mile on a National Forest dirt road that was 1 1\4 wide as my full size GMC up hill until I can find a reasonable area to back in & turn around. I had a drop off on the right side & a straight up bank on the other.
These springs can not deal with suspension articulation (travel) in offroad use, the spring will slip out of the pocket especially if your trailer is supporting a load of camping gear while you are maneuvering over wash out\rut or exposed large rock, creek crossings & etc.
I used the smooth ride springs 1,400 plus lbs capacity on both trailers I've built & added Scott's shock kits too. I've seen a huge difference in Hwy & offroad handling, & the insurance known that my suspension wont fail is another great plus.
 
I got the same trailer years ago. It had the axle with the top mounted reworked perches and 13” wheels. Bought it cheap and have been beating the hell out of it behind the ATV hauling firewood, bear carcasses and other woodsy stuff out in the back forty for years. I now have a collapsible deer stand made to fit in it for a mobile blind. It ain’t fancy but it does the job.
 
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