Expedition Trailer Thread

[100acrehuphalump]

Why isn't there an expedition type trailer thread to help educate and illuminate the WTW crowd?


This is me last year in Hearts of the Hills Campground in Olympic NP.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

My trailer is a M416 military 1/4 ton Jeep trailer. Made the same year of my birth ;1966. It was an empty shell in poor condition when we met but has undergone a full recovery and upgraded to become an excellent off road trailer.
The people in the pix aren't me, I have antlers.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Me..and my cousin Bob on a bad day during hunting season...

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Some more of the Solar Tortoise in the aluminum tool box the battery system consists of two deep cycle AGM group 31 batteries, a 30 amp shore charger from an old camper, and a solar charger with digital readout. The rectangular PVC thingy is actually a shower stall I made from 3/4". I used it until I figured out that I could just shower in the changing room annex that's attached to the bottom of the roof top tent. The trailer also has a 26 gallon ATV sprayer tank with a 70psi pump from Northern tool for $169.00 which I activate by attaching the supplied alligator clips to the pos and neg of each battery and there's a small toggle switch to turn it on or off. I run a pecs line to the bottom of the Eccotemp L5 on demand hot water system. Plus attach the gas line to the propane tank and walla a hot shower in the middle of nowhere.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

And a few more. I've made it so the trailer lid can be locked on both sides using a padlock. (Last picture) the perforated square tubing at each corner are actually stabilizer legs for unleveled surfaces.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

If you want to see the whole build thread with all of the pertinent information, it's on my signature in the expedition portal forum where I have the same name. Thanks

 

[DesertDave]

Plus attach the gas line to the propane tank and walla a hot shower in the middle of nowhere.

I wrote the same thing, once, in an e-mail to my girlfriend and she still gives me crap about it periodically. Thanks for the chuckle.

voila'

 

[craig333]

I was one third owner of a military trailer once. Sold my interest during a time of economic distress. Wonder what its doing now?

 

[100acrehuphalump]

I still have mine. I'm considering selling it, now that I'll have the Hawk, but at the same time if the hawk and all of my gear is too much for my GVWR then pulling the trailer would definitely help. Thanks y'all for your inputs and posts.

 

[John D]

100acrehuphalump Trailers are good. Mine was built by my father in 1948. If taken care of, trailers last indefinitely. Attached are images of my trailer. I have rebuilt it 3 or 4 times. My dad rebuilt it 2 or 3 times before me. A good camping trailer should be generic and useful for a wide variety of hauling. It is good to be able to store it in a small space too. The only thing that might improve this trailer for off road would be for the hubs to drilled to take the same bolt pattern as my truck. So, I have to carry a spare tire for my truck. This trailer is so "over tired" the wheels run flat without difficulty.

View attachment 20024

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Thanks for posting John D

 

[John D]

100acrehuphalump If you have a trailer like yours or mine and a truck camper to tow it, why would anyone NOT want to keep it as an option? They go great with a truck camper rig and add a considerable degree of flexibility. Look, I have a 13 1/3 Boston Whaler on a trailer too which serves a similar purpose.

One thing you don't see discussed a lot is using your rig to haul stuff. We travel cross country in our camper, often hauling a piece of furniture to the kids, or cleaning out a deceased relative's house, many things. We use the camper like a little van for hauling stuff and the trailer adds more carrying space.

My grown children use the trailer to haul stuff behind their cars. They go camping with it. I have a friend who borrows it every year for his family trip to the coast. A military trailer like yours is tough, so you don't mind loaning it. My did built mine very strong too. A guy backed into it in a parking lot one time, shredded his car and no damage at all to the welded steel trailer.

A nice little trailer is the DEAL. John D

 

[100acrehuphalump]

I'm definitely on the edge wether or not to tow the trailer. It's not very heavy or large. It can be left to reserve your campsite in a campground too. My V8 doesn't even know it's there, except when the mileage decreases. I could use it to haul my mining gear, extra fuel, Dutch oven, mechanical jacks for the Hawk, a platoon of imaginary friends, etc. . I could also lower my profile by mounting the Canoe/kayak on the trailer lid instead of on top of the Hawk. My truck is pretty close to capacity with a Hawk and all of my stuff. I have a tow package and hauling the trailer may help to shift some of the weight. I do have concerns though about being able to access an area, navigate it smoothly and be able to turn around easily.
Dan

 

[John D]

100acrehuphalump, No need to tell you, it depends on where you are going and the camping plan when you get there. So far, I have left a folding chair sitting in the middle of the parking pad to reserve the site. If it is a pay camp site, there will be a clip on the post for your reservation card. Honestly, I have never run up on a fellow camper so rude as to try to take a camp site. You may want to leave your trailer chained up so as to not worry about it for the day. On the other hand, if heading into seriously remote areas, I would want the trailer, and all it contains, with me.

There is no hard and fast rule on this. Folks on this web site write about off-road travel with a pop up truck camper. I have learned from experience not to take my nice camper into seriously rough areas because I don't want to damage it. Never mind how flexible it is, heavy brush will tear the sides. If I had your military trailer with the pintle hitch, I would off load my camper back at a base camp, using Moab as an example, and take the trailer off road. So, definitely, take your jacks in the trailer. Leave that pretty new camper in a safe place and take that ultra tough military trailer with you, for example White Rim. Another place is driving the Nevada deserts, such as retracing the Hastings Cutoff, where the truck convoy usually comes back to town for the night. In seriously remote places, no one should be traveling in a single vehicle. You need a buddy. But a properly equipped expedition trailer almost makes it safe.

On urban trips, using New York City as an example to make the point, the trailer complicates parking. Your FWC will do a lot of things for you that were formerly done by the trailer. You probably should rebuild the trailer and set it up for what you need now. The little military trailers are fairly common, but not easy to find one a nice as yours. No question, keep that trailer. John D

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Thanks John, those are lots of good ideas and great advice. I really don't want to sell the trailer. Maybe just re-modify it to meet my new needs. I'm done with the roof top tent. The trailer could rise to meet many of my needs. How long does it take to unattach/reattach a FWC on your vehicle?
Most of the time I'm traveling out in the middle of nowhere by myself and the dog. It's difficult to find a travel buddy who can leave for as long as I usually do. I'll be out west this year for around two months or so. Gonna do some detecting for some shiny metals.

 

[John D]

100acrehuphalump Taking the camper on and off; you will get better with practice. I am slow and methodical, about and hour for about 15 minutes of work. I enjoy taking the camper off and putting it on so I am never in a hurry.

You learn loading landmarks, the middle imprint in the truck bed floor is lined up with the middle of the front window. Jack the camper to the correct height, about an inch above the truck bed. Sight back in your side mirror to see things are lined up. Get out and check as the camper goes on. Plug everything in. Push it all the way in. Hook up the turn buckles. Police up the camp site, load all the junk you took outside. Shut the windows and roof hatch, Stow extension cords, police the camp site, check your doors and drawers inside, including the fridge, etc. I use a written check list.


Every camp is different. I use a level to chock the truck or camper level. Figure out the potentially dangerous things, like a jack collapsing. Take care of business when loading and unloading. John D

 

[Buckshot62]

We are in the process of building up a utility bed trailer for our camping needs.I want a trailer that I can drop from the truck, open a door and slide out a grill. Looking at a 8' bedslide to mount grill and cooler on. Already bought a topper with ambulance doors on it so everything can be locked up when we are off sightseeing.Lots of work to be done.I would be interested in hearing other ideas and pics of others trailers.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Not too many people on here are using trailers. A few but not many. Two good websites for expedition trailers are expeditionportal.com and americanadventurist.com

Here are a few more shots of my trailer after I removed the roof top tent and RTT rack...

 

[100acrehuphalump]

And some more

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Und eine...another good reason to tow the trailer is so I can bring 1-3 kayaks without adding to an already tall profile of the Hawk and therefore decreasing mileage.