New Project Trailer

[ArkansasDon]

well we made it back, over 2,000 miles in 2 1\2 days to pick up our new squaredrop camping trailer in Summerfield Florida. We ordered it over a month ago, & they called last week for pick up. This is my new project for a offroad conversion camping trailer. Many new modification coming up.

We cover Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, & Florida. The actual trip was 913 miles one way but we ran into 175 miles of traffic road construction detours especially in the Birmingham I-59/20 in Alabama which sent us all the way down to Montgomery Alabama then back up Perry Alabama to our original course. We tried to use the city of Birmingham as the detour but the congestion in the city limits with resident traffic, truckers & travelers was a total grid lock & confusing mess. Plus we it this right at the peak hours of folks coming home from work.

Quite the trip, we lived on Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, coffee, chicken strips w\ranch dressing, Burger King & a night out at Applebees. Drive time average was 12hrs 1st day, 2nd day 14hrs, today 5 1\2 hrs.
Now the fun & the changes begin.

 

[Al Swope]

That is a neat little trailer. Have you considered lifting the box off the frame and putting storage under? If you raised it 1', you'd get ~50 cubic feet of storage and it would still be easy to get into. Picture the box sitting on the rails of this. You could do a strong custom box lift. Wait this is your project...

 

[ArkansasDon]

started on the new trailer project this afternoon (the actual trailer). Starting with the axle flip. I'll be using the Dexter Axle Flip Kit for the Dexter 3,500lb axle on the trailer. Then I'll add the shock absorbers kit.

 

[ArkansasDon]

just about finished the suspension work on the new offroad camping trailer. All is left is adding the shock kit to the suspension.
This trailer has 23" of chassis ground clearance, 14" of axle to ground clearance. The new tires & wheels look great. The tires are 235x75Rx15" General Grabber ATX, rims are U.S. Wheel 8 spoke steel 15"x8" 5 on 4.5 I had powdered coated black.
Next is removing the original fenders & adding the jeep style fenders I painted white to match the trailer. Then the new tongue, tons of fabricating work were I'll add the Lock n Roll articulating coupler hitch.

 

[Steve & Deb]

So shiny and new! Looking good, Don.I wish I'd spent the extra few $ for the 15" wheels vs the 14" I have on my Hiker. That's the only regrets so far.

 

[ArkansasDon]

Thanks Steve, Monday I'm starting on the tongue. Be welding in a 2" back bone 1\2 way under the chassis. I'll add some extra bracing in the tongue then cover the top with metal.
Behind the tongue box I'll add 2 5 gal. Scepter Water Cans with AT Overland Scepter mounts http://store.adventuretrailers.com/at-can-holder-scepter-style/ which I'll sand blasted & prime, paint white & clear coat on each side of the tongue box.

 

[ArkansasDon]

More work on project offroad Runaway Ranger Runner, finished up the suspension. The shock hangers are all bolted & welded in place, the shocks are on. Thanks Scott Chaney of Compact Camping Concepts for the shocks & mounting kit. This will help to manage the axle spring movement & providing a smoother ride on those dirt roads & trails Sally & I like to travel & camp.
I also mounted the 2 12v. LED blue courtesy lights.

Monday I will start on the tongue fabricating & installing back bone, primer, paint & clear finish.

 

[ArkansasDon]

cutting off the original stabilizers & will be replacing them with BAL C-Series Stabilizer Jacks 28" w\Jack Foot Pads.
I also assembled the new offroad Lock n Roll hitch & coupler
The tongue fabrication will be finished up by Thursday.

 

[ArkansasDon]

the new tongue is all done w\exception of the safety chains. A huge difference between the street version of a trailer tongue & one fabricated for offroad. 2" receiver hitch welded in place for the new offroad articulating coupler (Lock n Roll). I went a lot larger dia. tubing. Now clean the metal, run a wire wheel on a grinder to give the automotive epoxy primer a tooth to adhere (2 coats) then 3 coat of automotive base black paint followed by 2 coats of automotive clear gloss. There's a huge difference from the original tongue vs. the new tongue in the other photo's.

 

[Al Swope]

Nice. Is this a butt joint or does the old frame slide inside the new receiver tube?

 

[ArkansasDon]

no, theirs a sleeve inside, then welded all way around. I believe it isn't going anywhere, plus I will skin the top of the tongue in 3\16" aluminum diamond plate like I done my other trailer.

 

[ArkansasDon]

more work on project offroad Runaway Range Runner. I wanted to use the jeep style fender & couldn't because of the existing round fenders & the holes they left. It seem that if I used the jeep fenders I would of had to raise the fenders higher than I wanted to clear the patch work of the existing fenders.
So I decided to make do with the existing round diamond plate fenders & media blasted them (outside), primed them, base painted them white & clear coated them all with automotive coatings.

This morning I shot the truck bedliner on the 1st 17" up from the bottom of the fender faces & edge. I like them nowm I bolted them all the way threw the cabin. The truck bedliner will act as a rock guard from chipping running them dirt roads & trails Sally & I like to do finding a camping spot & bolting (1 1\2" 1\4-20 bolts, large washers, lock washers & nuts) them threw the cabin will make sure they are not ripped off by low hanging branches or brush.

Now I am pulling all the trailer light wiring out from underneath & installing new 15" LED trailer lights & wiring.

I ordered some 1\8" aluminum diamond plate & will cut it to 8" tall by 8ft. Then size it & scribe it all & media blast it & coated in a matte black moly ceramic coating & install it along the lower sides. I will do the same with the front diamond plate rock guard scuff it & coated it in the same ceramic matte black coating.

 

[ArkansasDon]

finished putting on the right side fender. I have to say, things do not always come out as you want them to, but I am really pleased by the outcome of these fenders.
I also installed the rear LED light.

 

[ArkansasDon]

installed the stabilizer jacks this morning. I went with the BAL C Series Stabilizer Jacks 4,000 lb capacity that extend to 28".
I used my floor jack to help me install them by holding them in place. What difference between these & the originals stabilizers. I'm still holding 23" of ground clearance on the chassis & over 18" of ground clearance from the bottom of the jack foot pads.
I installed the new marker lights on the fenders, finished removing all the trailer light wiring underneath, I have more metal coming in on Friday. I only have one part that didn't quite work out how I wanted them to, the jeep style fenders (size is 10"w x18" @ the top x 35" w @ the bottom) which I'll toss in the scrap metal heep for Charlie to pick up for scrap metal. Now to order more parts on line.

 

[ArkansasDon]

The wallpaper for our offroad camping trailer came in today. This will go on the wall (which I'll build) that divides the sleeping area from the rear storage compartment only. This will be @ our head while sleeping \ laying down as an accent wall. I think it will look nice against the finished birch walls. Sally has all the fabrics ear marked for ordering, bedding, curtains, sheets she will alter these by cutting them down & sewing to fit them tailored fit. We going to cover the floor with these 24"x 24" x 7\16" interlocking EVA foam floor tile.
The mattress will be a custom made 6" thick memory air cell foam mattress much like a tempurpedic mattress in a queen size.

 

[ArkansasDon]

more work done today. Welded the safety chain on the tongue, cut the 3\16" aluminum diamond plate to fit the top of the tongue. I drilled & tapped the top of the tongue rails, used bugle head machine screws w\ 1\4-20 thread x 22 holes to attach the top plate to the tongue rails. Primed with automotive epoxy primer, shot 2 coats of base color black.
Monday I'll clear coat the top tongue platform x 2 coats. Tuesday will be covering the 1st 1\2 of the trailer, the tongue platform & shooting on the 2 stage catalyzed bedliner on the sides if the tongue rails & underneath, the front aluminum rock guard & the 8" aluminum trim piece's for the both sides of the camper.

 

[ArkansasDon]

decided to spend a few hours this evening doing a little more work on project Offroad Runaway Range Runner. Cutting 1\8" aluminum for the sides of the trailer. This vertical\horizonal metal band saw makes the job easier. I'll be media blasting these pieces & spraying the truck bedliner on them.
I also installed the Rugged Ridge Hi Lift Jack Mount.

 

[Al Swope]

Band saw

 

[ArkansasDon]

finished spraying on the truck bedliner on the front & the side pieces I made this early this morning. This afternoon they were dry enough to installed them using 3M automotive 2 sided trim tape & the 2 sided tape primer & several dots of Flex Seal Glue.
It's the look I am looking for. Waiting for the graphics for the doors to come in, these will finish the whole exterior off.

 

[Greg]

Nice. You're making me want a trailer again.