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Just Another Tent Trailer
https://auszookers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=46823		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  atari4x4 [ Tue Jul 01, 2014 1:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Just Another Tent Trailer
In late 2011 I started looking for a 5x3.5" box trailer with the intention of tidying it up & slapping on a roof top tent. Found one 2nd hand a couple days before Xmas & picked it up for a steal... I think he just wanted some extra Christmas spending money.

I'm was aiming for under 450kgs with camping gear, tools, 40l of fuel & a 31" tyre onboard, the trailer started out at 170kgs.
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Was a bit crusty but had a heap of potential. Flipped it over, stripped it down & gave the underside a clean & a coat of chassis black.
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New loom, plug & lights
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New 600kg springs, U bolts & teflon wear pads
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Had an axle made up to suit the width of the rear diff of the Vitara & had F100 hubs fitted
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Flipped the trailer back over to start cleaning it & did a SPOA to it so I could get it up around the right ride height to tow behind the Vitara.... fitted up my wet weather play tyres, I think I'm going to need some flares.
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Bunnings flares should do the job nicely
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Drilled lots of hole for the flares to bolt up.
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Cleaned up, primed & painted the trailer
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Tested it for size... I think I'm doing it right?
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Trailer basically finished
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Picked up an ORAC coupling, due to it being "low profile" compared to the TREG hitches which would probably foul with the tailgate
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Made my own flip top lid using a sheet of Form Ply, Gas struts from a 626 Mazda wagon, Backflip hinges, Anti-Luce latches & some bracketometry I had floating around.
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Shouldn't have a problem of the trailer dragging it's bum everywhere like a dog with worms
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Had a custom tow bar made up due to the height of the Vitara & the height of the trailer
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Hooked the trailer up for the first time, just under 2 months after purchasing it & it tows beautifully behind the zook
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Slapped an ebay rooftop tent on it, it's the perfect size
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Sorry to the dial up users about all the pics... get with the times. ::)
Author:  atari4x4 [ Tue Jul 01, 2014 1:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
This was the first adventure in the old silver blapper... :cry:
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dragged it down to the Murray Mouth this afternoon, dropped the tyre pressures & it sailed along the soft dry sand like it wasn't there!
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the trailer tracks beautifully, when doing a full lock turn the trailer runs exactly in the tracks that the rear wheels put down.
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Author:  atari4x4 [ Tue Jul 01, 2014 1:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
behind the blagon Armsup
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Author:  henno [ Tue Jul 01, 2014 1:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Very bloody nice. I have had my eye out for a "cheapy" small trailer for the good part of a year, in order to build something almost exactly like this. Glad to hear it towed well in the soft sand behind the silver slut, considering the similarities between my current zook and her.
Author:  atari4x4 [ Tue Jul 01, 2014 1:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
it towed better behind the swb as the wheel bases were a closer match, i think the main thing is matching the wheel track but the stubbyness of it helps heaps offroad.
Author:  Jezza86 [ Tue Jul 01, 2014 2:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Too short.
Needs more bbq, sink, 70l water tank and engel :P
Neat work. Being such a light weight trailer yet having such big tyres how's it affect your fuel economy? Figgure mine will be the same x 100
Author:  christover1 [ Tue Jul 01, 2014 2:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Trailer owners are the cool kids.
Nice to see it all in one place.
Author:  sideways [ Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Get a blue rtt cover made up so it matches the blagoon. pompoms
Author:  atari4x4 [ Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
stop messing with my OCD, when i ordered the RTT, i had the option of a blue cover... but i chose grey to go with the shorty, FML. :(
Author:  VitNick [ Tue Jul 01, 2014 8:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Cool to see some extra build pics :). May have to copy the tow bar, my current one doesn't clear the tank guard and have been wanting to swap to a square receiver
Author:  atari4x4 [ Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Jezza86 wrote:
Too short.
Needs more bbq, sink, 70l water tank and engel :P
Neat work. Being such a light weight trailer yet having such big tyres how's it affect your fuel economy? Figgure mine will be the same x 100


:lol: poor jimny.

it's not too bad on fuel, probably about the same as belting around everywhere with the a/c on.
Author:  zukenutter [ Thu Jul 03, 2014 6:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Such a tough looking trailer. No way would I be able to load all of Mrs ZN's camping comforts in there though.
Author:  31zook [ Sun Jul 20, 2014 2:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Nice work gus! Super tidy :-)
Author:  Perram [ Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Hey gus
Dig the trailer. I am making the same sort of trailer for my sierra.

I have a couple of questions.

What's it like to sleep in with no hand brake or stabilizer legs?
Are you limited to perfectly flat ground?
Or do you chock up the wheels?
Last question, do you ever feel like it's going to (flip) roll back onto the gate/tail side.

Thanks Jake
Author:  atari4x4 [ Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Cheers Jake, the only thing I'd want done differently is deeper sides.

I sleep like a log, infact it took Shep's chainsaw to wake me down at Beachport last year.

I've got wheel chocks for it but haven't needed them & for stabilizer legs I use a pair of axle stands that I drilled an extra hole in & have the screw top adjuster so I just level it up with the jack stands at the & wind the jockey wheel out to lock it in. I don't like the idea of having the stabilize legs hanging out the back as I reckon I'd rip them off or damage them offroad.

Plus it's always nice having a axle stands if you do ever have mechanical issues.
Author:  Perram [ Tue Sep 09, 2014 8:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Thanks for that!
very helpful.

Jake
Author:  zukenutter [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 6:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
atari4x4 wrote:
Plus it's always nice having a axle stands if you do ever have mechanical issues.


Hmmm good point
Author:  henno [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 6:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
zukenutter wrote:
Hmmm good point


Very good point, in fact. After reading this last night I actually turned to the gf and told her we were scrapping the idea of stabilisers on the trailer with that post in mind.
Author:  Chop [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
More shit to bounce around! :thefinger:
Author:  atari4x4 [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
less shit to fall off. :thefinger:

same goes for having a basic removable jockey wheel rather than the swing up ones... seen one camper trailer rock up to camp minus the wheel & bolt.
Author:  henno [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
I've lost two of those swing up ones. :?
Author:  gvzookdriver [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 9:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
You seem to miss place lots of things henno car jockey wheels.......
Author:  Chop [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 9:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Never lost or dropped mine, occy strap around also prevents that. If the oodnadatta track and the corro's in kakadu couldn't move it you girls are doing it wrong! :thefinger:
Author:  pete_79 [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 9:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Chop wrote:
Never lost or dropped mine, occy strap around also prevents that. If the oodnadatta track and the corro's in kakadu couldn't move it you girls are doing it wrong!:thefinger:


Yep, occy strap from handle, around the drawbar and onto the wheel. Never moves.
Author:  atari4x4 [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 10:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
just another thing to worry about, i've dragged my drawbar a few times offroading on silly stuff & it would have munted a permanently mounted jockey wheel, when i hocked up the jockey wheel comes off & if i don't bother disconnecting the blagon there is no need for the jockey wheel or axle stands.

also, last time i checked you can't use stabiliser legs as chassis/axle stands. :wink:
Author:  christover1 [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 10:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Expense alone put me off the swing up jockey wheels,
plus no way of getting good ground clearance.
It stays inside the car mostly anyway.
I too now use a modified axle stand as a stability leg, for if I need to use camper when not connected to car (rare)
Author:  zukenutter [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
My jockey wheel usually travels in the trailer, keeps the salt off it. They don't like salt.
Author:  atari4x4 [ Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
yeah nah. :?
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Author:  Jimmy! [ Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
Cool setup.

What's the stuff you mentioned about wheelbase?
Is the general idea to match the car wheelbase to the trailer wheel to rear car wheel wheelbase?
If you get what I'm trying to say haha
Author:  pete_79 [ Sat Sep 13, 2014 11:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just Another Tent Trailer
The main idea is to match the trailer axle with to the car's. So the trailer tyres run in the car tracks and are not pushing new tracks (increasing drag).

I made my axle so when running the same offset rims all round my trailer is within 10mm or so of the Jimny's track width.

The wheel base is not so important. Some people prefer a longer drawbar for better stability, but obviously this reduces ramp over.

I tried to get pretty close to the Jimny's wheel base with my drawbar length. From the rear wheels to the trailer wheels is 100mm longer then the car's wheelbase.

If that's what you where asking?
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