Adventure trailer build thread. | Page 25 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Intro:
This is not a common build here on this forum, but this build is part of another long term build, that has been going on for 10 years now. I feel it is fitting to share this build here, since so much of it's companion is documented on EF. This thread is as detailed as my patience has allowed. I want to be able to help others that might be searching for methods/ideas, and "how to" for much of the build. I do belong to other Overland forums, and will link this thread from them, to share with others.

About:
This trailer is a short compact, stout, capable, high clearance, Swiss army knife of a camper. It is not a popup camper, nor is it a sleep in hard shell camper. It will offer all the creature comforts those do, but in a little different fashion. This style trailer, makes you enjoy the outdoors. You cook/dine, lounge & hot shower outside, but you sleep inside a roomy insulated roof top tent, 78" off the ground.

The tow rig:

The Black Hole

The entire build for the tow rig, has always been with this build in mind, and it has been extremely difficult to keep that to myself, and why it was built the way it was. It is a purpose build, with a specific objective.

The Objective:
To be the living quarters and storage, for off the beaten path journeys yet to come.
To have everything needed to sustain myself, and a few others, out in the middle of nowhere, only accessible by unpaved trails, such as old mining roads. Hauling all the boondocking gear behind, instead of overloading the vehicle's suspension. To minimize setup and tear down times for camping, and have camping items readily accessible, whenever needed.

The trailer needs to be capable of following wherever the tow rig goes. Matching tires, axle width, and the same, if not more height clearance as the tow rig. Sleeping & shelter for 4 comfortably, sustainable cold food storage, food prep space, gas powered cooking, AC/DC power supply, and hot showers for days at a time, are all the requirements for this build.

Goal:

This is the other half of that long term build plan. I am slow at the building and fabricating process, and this will take about a year to complete. Updates will happen as the build progresses. I have entered the 7th month of the build, and expect another 3-4 months left to get it road worthy at the least. Just like anything I have done, it never ends, and improvements will happen, as I gain experience & knowledge with what works best for me.

Baby steps:

This is the first time I have ever attempted anything like this. I am bound to make mistakes, and corrections/improvements are all but a guarantee. I do have a final vision for what I want this to be, as it has been a thought process for many many years now. Please bear with me as this thread goes. Some items won't make sense until it comes to be. I am not going to tell you how things should be done. I am just sharing how I did things on this build. Agree/disagree, like it or leave it, it's mostly a learning experience by mixing what I know, and what I had to learn, to get things as I want them. Definitely not for everybody. Heck, I know I will change things down the road, as I find ways to improve on it. That is part of the fun!



Why am I building this?
I'm Tired of ground tent camping all my life. Tired of the time it takes to set up & tear down. Tired of all the tedious packing, unpacking, moving things from place to place after every trip. Plus, I don't want a motor home that can't leave the roads.
I plan on getting lost a few times, venturing out to places unknown and unseen. We live in a large, beautifully gifted geographical location on the planet. Our own back yard is filled with amazing spectacles. Places that can only be seen on dirt trails, off the beaten paths, not by roads covered in pavement, and delivery trucks. Exploring into the dark hours of the night, and setting camp in the middle of nowhere, instead of heading back. We can traverse a lot of ground this way.

Kudos:

A few friends helped with this build, and I couldn't have got as far as it is without them. Special thanks to James, Matt, Kurt, Ryan, & Jacob. You guys rock!

A warning from the author:

This thread contains: Long drawn out boring tedious explanations, Dry humor, embarrassing anecdotes, speech in the 3rd person, countless pictures, and some content is for Mature audiences. There is a little for everybody here, but be warned, this is not your typical build thread, and not from your typical builder. I am not responsible for your emotional mood swings, due to reading this material. ;)

Edit: Progress pics as of 10/15/18. Getting closer every day!

Dr washed.jpg

RTT on front pass side full view.jpg


First real use!

Camp set 1.jpg

Camp set 2.jpg

Bat wing awning up.jpg



Current specs:
Main Frame- 12'.5"L x 48"W
Whopping 25" of ground clearance with 35" tires
Fenders- 72" Long x 14.00" Wide tapered to 0.00" in front
Cabin- 48"W x 72"L x 36"H
Overall Width - 76"
Overall Height - 68" Roof Rack lowered - 78" Roof Rack lifted
Overall Height- 80" With RTT stowed - 140" RTT open & rack lifted
Dry weight- 2300#'s

2"x3"x3/16" Steel Tube Frame, with 1 pc center tongue beam from front to rear.
3500 Lb Timbren Axleless Independent suspension
10" Electric brakes
35"x12.5" Goodyear MTR's w/kevlar & matching spare
15"x10" Mickey Thompson black satin aluminum wheels
Lock N Roll off road articulating Hitch
14 Ga steel cabin walls & roof
3/4" Ply floor, stained, sealed, & 5 topcoats of acrylic gloss clear
Commercial 60 Mil Waterproof TPO membrane under belly skin
12 Ga steel Fenders on Sq frame & 2" x 3/16" Round slider tubes
Spare tire mount on cabin front
16 Ga swing out 4'W x 2'D x 24"H Tapered Tongue box
16 Ga Side boxes with Tapered front compartments
Telescoping Roof rack (12") with scissor jack actuation
Two rear 31" BAL C leveling jacks & swivel plate base
Dual 5K swivel weld ring flat plate base Tongue jacks
ARK dual wheel offroad 750 HD Tongue jack
Slider system for hidden Solar panel storage
Dual 11 lb Propane tank storage mounts
Quick Disconnect Water supply
All Stainless & Aluminum hardware, where applicable

Interior:
Front compartment 48"Wx24"Lx36"H
Two side doors, and upper 12 ga shelf with expanded metal rear wall
Rear Compartment 48"Wx48"Lx36"H
3/4" PT wood flooring, custom finish, clear satin marine topcoats.
Tie downs on frame tubes
1-60W Led rear cabin, 3-10w Led front cabin
Wiring plumbed with flex and hard conduit
Split cabin with full rear cabin deck, tie down racks

Power:
Dual Group 31 MAGM deep cycle 110 AH batteries
110 shore
100W Renogy Solar
Charge:
NOCO Marine 110v 20 amp onboard Dual smart charger
30 amp Renogy MPPT Solar charger
140 amp traveling vehicle charge, via smart charger
Soon to come: 40 amp-500 watt DC-DC charger from alternator
Portable Valence 80Ah Lifepo4 Solar Gen w/inverter

Accessories:
4 season 23Zero 73" Walkabout RTT W/ large Annex room - telescopic ladder w/rung pads- Ext shoe bags-Led lights- 3" thick x Ca King mattress w/anti condensation mat.
Oversized high density 3" thick 56" x 96" mattress. Cold weather cover, additional secondary rain fly.
Rhino Rack 8.5' Bat Wing 270* Wrap around Awning (2019 version)
5Liter - 1.5 gpm - On demand instant hot water heater
ARB/ViAir 150 psi onboard air system
Ready Welder II
Slide out Kitchen/storage- 1/2" Baltic Birch, sealed/stained/clear coats 350# slides
ICECO VL45 portable fridge/freezer - AC/DC
Custom powder coated locking Fridge slide out.
Wireless controlled winch (upper roof rack storage, rear bumper hitch receiver)
Rear door interior fold down table
Dual 11 lb propane tanks (rear fender mounted)
Marine control panel, rocker switches w/circuit breakers, 12v battery meter, Aux outlets
30 gallon fresh water tank & 3.0 gpm instant on pump w/ inline filter
Trailer Harness Connection lock box
First Aid field kit (large)
Dual Fire Extinguisher's

LED Lighting:
Front- 2-45w dual pods w/amber fogs
Sides- 4-18w pods
Rock- 4-10w blue IP 67
Cabin- 1-60w 3 setting round rear compartment ceiling fixture, 3-10w pods front compartment
Tails/brakes/turns- 30w 6" oval
Reverse- 30w 6" oval
Markers- 3w red & amber
7 pin RV trailer harness & J box

Tongue box build:
Full box tube frame & 16 ga sheet, w/plate and tube gussets
Dual battery mount tray
Red oak Shelf for Noco dual 20 amp charger, 20amp solar charger, 12v systems (3) circuit breakers, fuse panel, main power cutoff switch
3 space divider walls & front storage shelf
Gas lift struts, 2"x 3/16" thick Aluminum lid hinge
Dual SS locking paddle latch handles
Dual 4" SS louvered vents w/bug screens
Pass thru power cord outlet with weatherproof door hatch
NOCO 110v wall power plug w/ weatherproof cover
2k locking latch to frame, & dual 7/16" clevis pins to frame
5/8" spindle for swivel action, for spare tire removal/security

Paint:
Frame- Chassis saver gloss black
Cabin Exterior- Acid etch primer & Single stage Gloss Black automotive 2k urethane
Cabin Interior- SW DTM Gloss White
Side & T boxes, All doors- Urethane Epoxy primer & Single stage Gloss Black 2k Urethane
Roof rack- Chassis saver gloss black
Fenders-Acid etch primer underneath & Urethane base topside, Black Raptor liner w/grip additive

Trim: Aluminum



Lots to add to that list up there, and I will as the build progresses. :)

I hope you enjoy the thread, as much as I have enjoyed the build itself.
 



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Good parts use, the seals are special. BTW, nobody makes the hatch seal now, and only Ford had it until they obsoleted it around 2011.
 












Picked out the Dual battery charger I want. REDARC's BCDC charger with dual Isolate, solar charger & Regulator, DC-DC, & low voltage amplifier/regulator from Alt/start battery. These are fan less sealed smart charging units. Waterproof & dust proof, and can be installed in any orientation. Works in sub freezing temps and up to 176F. The higher charge rate with managed voltage will help with battery life. These batteries are very expensive consumables, and I want the longest life span I can get out of one.

The model used in this product video is for a single Aux (House) battery. I will get the BCDC1240D unit for dual batteries over 200 Ah. It's a larger 40 amp unit.



Now to save for it.
 






So I just finished reading thru your trailer build and....this thing's awesome! Definitely put a lot of thought into it. Makes me want to build one and I don't even have a use for it!!!

I did want to mention something to you about an issue you brought up about a year ago (half way into this thread) and that was related to a lubricant for the scissor jack on top.
Try this: https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Evinrude-OMC-508298-Triple-guard/dp/B001KYH6AW

This is used in outboard motors mostly on the prop shafts. It is really thick and sticky and doesn't come off easily. I run this on my boat and the same grease is still on the prop shaft after all summer of running the lakes. Might be a good option that won't get wind/rain-blown off, or affected much by extreme heat.

Keep up the excellent work!
 






Well, first off @kmack, congrats on making it through the entire thread. I bet that took some time! Your still kicking, so it didn't kill you at least. :thumbsup: Thanks for the kind words.

Thanks for the idea on that grease too. I have used that stuff on the Jet ski throttle cable in the past, because of it's water proofing ability, and never even thought of it for these jacks. What my main concern with lubricating that rooftop jack was dripping onto the paint from high heat. It's black, and will be in some hot climates now and then. Since that post was made, I have already bought a couple different lubes for it, but have yet to apply them. DPFE and Silicone sprays made for RV equipment. If those don't hold up, I will test that Johnson/ Evinrude grease on something in the heat, to see if it melts and drips.
 






Well, first off @kmack, congrats on making it through the entire thread. I bet that took some time!
Yeah, it took a couple days! But I had some leisure time here at work... :popcorn:
 






Just curious. What is your total project weight so far?
 






Just curious. What is your total project weight so far?

Haven't officially weighed it yet. Best guess is just under 2k as set up currently. That's including the spare tire, kitchen stocked, Roof top tent, awning, misc gear & accessories, and packed tongue box with batteries. If I stripped it down to just the trailer itself, guessing around 1200 lbs unsprung, and 1500 with axles and wheels.

It's not a light weight trailer by no means, but it won't fall apart either. It's made to out live me. :D

Goal is 2500 loaded wet. Time will tell how that goes.
 






You have constructed a well built trailer. To be half the weight of your tow vehicle you are doing good.
 






You have constructed a well built trailer. To be half the weight of your tow vehicle you are doing good.

Tow rig has been modified to help in towing. Both on road and off. Bigger engine, trans mods, and gear reduction case, along with suspension upgrades.

It's been quite a project, and not one for somebody who isn't willing to sacrifice a couple of years of time and resources. Lol
 






Was going through my camp gear, and deciding what to sell off or give away, and came across my Old Coleman folding Kitchen. This is 15 years old at a minimum, and maybe 20. It's in like new condition still. You can't buy this style anymore from them. This unit has a working stainless sink top, with a nice faucet & drain. It's frame, brackets, racks are all powder coated in a silver vein. Solid work tops, and HD latches. It even has a motion sensor LED light for the underside of the lid, that works! A pole for hanging a bigger light, paper towel holder, utensil hanging pegs, small 2 shelf storage rack on the lid for whatever, and a nice big rack shelf underneath. I forgot how compact this is, and how big it gets when fully open. Heck, It even has laminated assembly instructions still there.

I decided to keep it, and store it in the trailer, as it packs up neatly in a carry case, that will strap to the rear deck perfectly. It will come in handy when there is more than 2-3 of us using this trailer as the main camp base for cooking & what not. Room for one or two more grills, wash station, and lots of room to store items. It folds up in a couple of minutes, easy breezy.

If I don't want to hook up the instant hot water heater to it, I have a pressurized Propane Zodi Hot water heater tank, that will hook up to the faucet, or can use a water jug and gravity feed it with a garden hose. I like having more than one option, and that's 3! lol

C Kit closed up.jpg
C Kit 1.jpg
C Kit 2.jpg
C Kit 3.jpg
C Kit 4.jpg
C Kit hot water setup.jpg


I understand now why I never got rid of this thing. It's just too cool to part with. Can throw it in the back of the rig to use w/o the trailer too.

The basement has become an parts staging & storage area for all things trailer & tow rig. It's like my 2nd shop with HVAC control. The Bar looks like a cluttered parts counter at Autozone. LOL!


Will be chopping away at this thing a little at a time over the winter into next spring. Won't have many updates to share, as I have other things I'm working on, and can only invest in one thing at a time. I like to spread it out a bit. :D

Happy Halloween EF !!
 






Pulled the trigger on the Heavy Duty, ARK XO 750 Down under "Jockey wheel" (as they call it). Got it installed last night. I went the cheap route, and didn't get the more expensive black version. Same unit, just not black, so......... yeah.

The Good:
It is super easy to work, smooth articulation and fast cranking action. It's solid with all 1/4" steel, Grade 5 hardware, four heavy duty wheel bearings, huge powder coated wheels with nice tires, and with it on the tongue beam the trailer is now easy to move around. No more crank handle to strap up as it is removable with a magnet connection. (Just hope I don't forget it and lose it on the road/trail) It has a 10" crank articulation, with 4 height positions for the unit. I have it set as low as it can go, and it takes 8.5" of lowering to get the wheels to lift the trailer to level. Not much left to raise it higher if needed. Lifted problems, only lifted people understand. LOL

The Bad:
It has a clamp. This clamp is huge. It's universal for 4 sizes of frame heights. From 3" to 6" tall. I needed the 4" setting. The way they have it made, you need to keep the center of the pivot to the center of the frame rail. This drops the clamp way below the frame rail. I lost 2.5" of clearance because of it. The top section raises well above the frame rail too. Nothing I can do about this but weld it directly to the frame rail. As of now, I don't want to do that. the backside of it has two channel pieces for the back half of the clamp. These are massive long, and I still need to cut the excess off, now that It is on.

With it being on the tongue rail vs the tongue box frame, I lost a few right turn radius degrees. It will hit the rigs back bumper as is on a tight turn. I think I need to make a bump stop for it so that doesn't happen. Installed it on the pass side because I am keeping the 2k jack that's on the Dr side, to lift it higher than this thing allows if needed. I still have to cut off the welded tube mount for the old wheel jack, and paint.

Overall thoughts:
I like it for the beef, and ease of operation, but the mounting design, still needs work for smaller frame heights. I would like to see a weld on mount version to make it smaller, and regain the underside loss. Bolt on is more $$ for them with a larger demographic, but even the cheaper versions offer both weld & bolt on.

Now that it's on, I wish I wasn't Scrooge Mc'Duck, and got the black version. This thing is shiny. So shiny, that any future blemish, will stick out like a turd in a punch bowl.


Jockey closed with wheels upright.jpg
Jockey clamp drop under tongue.jpg


Before the old wheel stand is removed......How is this for redundancy?


All 3 stands on.jpg


Jockey backside of clamp.jpg
Jockey wheels down.jpg
Jockey handle off.jpg


Because of the mounting location, I had to get the upgraded 4 ga charging wire ran to the battery first. That took 5 times as long as installing this thing!

I did notice that this unit is the latest model as they just recently went away with a spring loaded lock pin for the wheel base storage position. It has a welded on pin now, and you have to crank the wheels upward all the way to lock it in. You can see the pin holes for it by the tires, in the last picture. Will trim up the long clamps this weekend.

Shop is cleaned up, and transformed for a new project starting this weekend. Had to set up the big table, and a new wire spool on the welder for this one. :D
 






I was surprised to get to the bottom of the post and the Jockey wheel wasn't painted. lol.

New welding project? Sounds big and ominous.
 






I was typing "How much you want for the Coleman Kitchen?", then I kept reading your post. I like to travel light when I go on expedition type trips, but that is cool.
 






Yeah, Way to many moving/spinning/sliding parts on that thing to paint it. My original thinking when I bought this version was, the black is more expensive, and it will probably get chipped on the trails. Talked myself right out of that in a hurry! (Haha/cry)

Current project is more overland related stuff, but for the tow rig. That one is going to take a couple- three- four- weekends, and evenings. Got a jump on it this evening actually. :)

That old camp kitchen is pure gold. I have tried to get rid of it, but just can't! lol I looked at the new ones available at Cabella's, and they don't compare in quality.

Rant on:
Remember seeing "Made In USA", on long lasting quality goods made here, and was on just about everything? Not anymore :(
Somebody needs to teach them Chinese, to at least translate better. I wanted a small wall rack to hang a couple garden tools, and got this answer to a dimension question..... "OH, you wan the 3ft house for the garden tool, it's for ease of mine, and fit best in space we provided for all in last year chicken soup sale." "Thank you, look again!"
Rant off:
 






Was picking up some supplies at the supply gettin place, and seen this 1200w/2400w Peak inverter, on a clearance rack as I was walking out. I grabbed it, went back in line, and thought they made a mistake with the final price. They told me everything on that rack was half off the marked down sticker price. :eek: Deal!!

Peak 1200w inverter.jpg


I paid $15. :D I looked it up and found them on Ebay for $90+$20 shipping. I think they are a discontinued unit though. I have used this brand in the past, and they worked great. Only a Modified sine wave, but that's alright at this price.

This includes the dual remote power outlet with USB, and on/off switch for the unit. Can mount this thing, then install the remote elsewhere, with the 10 ft cables supplied for it.

I should have grabbed a couple more at that price. Might go back and grab another. lol

Edit: I went back and grabbed the last one they had. Lol
 






It's been a while since I touched this trailer. I decided to get the power inverter installed, since that was the subject of the last post made here.

The box is a busy place. There is so much work going on inside this thing, it needs it's own crew manager. Wait....... That's me. :crazy:

I saved a spot for this thing during the install of the other 50 items. It wasn't much of a spot tho. It had to be shoehorned next to the air tank, in front of the batteries. Was like playing a game of Operation. One wrong move, and that red nose would light up. Wait..... That would be my nose. :eek:

Actually isn't that bad after it's mounted. It is just my arms, hands, torso, and big head stopping it from being an easy job. :laugh:

To mount it to the box, and not make new holes into the side panels, I opted to make a bracket for it, then bolt the bracket to the inner frame work. The base is angle that rests on the box floor, with tube spacers that rest against the vertical wall behind it. The upper section is more angle that rests on the middle frame tube. 3/16" Flat stock was used to connect both angles, and the inverter gets bolted to them. Hardest part of making this bracket, was tack welding the upper angle to the flat stock..... inside the box. Oof, that was fun. There is a slight angle to the frame tube, and getting it all to fit well, made this necessary. I need some kind of ground clamp that is small, and made for tight spots. Something with a 90* clamp end. Probably something like that out there, I just haven't seen it yet.

Inverter bolted to the painted bracket, topside & backside.

Inverter on topside.jpg

Inverter on backside.jpg


Shoehorned that Mother F***er in there like size 8 foot, in a size 5 glass slipper. The remote was hooked up to test it.

Inverter mounted with remote installed.jpg


To test this doohicky thing a ma bob, I plugged in the remote, and charged a battery with it. No red fault light. No audible *****ing sirens. No power consumption Leds.

Inverter remote with batt charger in use.jpg


The no Led power bar had me scratching the cranium. Like a neanderthal, I didn't read the fine print in the manual. So.... I dragged my knuckles across the floor, and found it. It says that there is 10 Led's in the bar. Each Led equals 120w of outgoing juice. The battery charger didn't consume enough for even one light. WIMP!!

Inverter face with less than 120w draw.jpg



Ok, enough playing with my new toy. Took a few minutes to put the box back together.

T box all together with inverter.jpg



When I was reading that fine print, I seen the part where it said..... This unit will draw .009w/hr. It is suggested to unhook from the battery when not in use. WTF!!! A-holes couldn't have said that in BIG print in the beginning of the install instructions? :censored:

So looks like I need to install a 200amp breaker inline to the battery. They make connect/disconnect a snap. Literally.




I'm Serious.





Not kidding.






Don't look at me like that! :shifty:






Signing off :salute:
















:moon:
 






Forgive me if I forgot, but don't you have a solar panel on top to maintain the batteries and overcome any slight current draw? I still haven't found a panel to fit under the sunroof(12x28" will fit), but the $20 Battery Tender controller I've got, Summit sells them too I think.
 






A Youtube series would be monetized and sponsored by now
 



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Yes, there is a solar panel and charger on board. It will only be used when set up for camp. It will help charge the house batteries the day after a night's use mainly.

Eventually the DC to DC charger will charge them with the tow vehicle, when engine is running. It will also double duty as an mppt solar charger, and automatically switch to engine charge when detected.

I remember seeing soft panels in smaller sizes somewhere. My PC just did a bios update, and messed it up. The cell is too hard for me to figure out how to search, copy, paste stuff. Lol, old man problems!! Once I get the PC back in order, I will attempt to find those smaller panels.

J, YouTube and thread posts are ying and yang, oil and water, polar opposites, mayo vs ketchup, orange vs green engine coolant, my ex wife and I. Not sure the world is ready for my kind of humor (insanity) yet.

Edit: PC isn't liking life still. Had to update the laptop, just to use it. lol

Solar Panels for Sale | Buy Portable Power Systems | Renogy

Renogy has a variety of panels to choose from. Maybe one of the smaller ones could work for you Don. Really need them on top, not under. There are roll up, fold up portables, and hard mounts to choose from out there. Small 2500ma to large 100w+.

Edit: PC is dead. Black screen of death today. Warranty must have just expired.
Edit: PC is alive. Figured out how to get into it, and uninstall the last feature update. Way to go MS, your on top of your game! smh, son of a filthy goat herder!
 






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