a1gemmel builds an offroad trailer from scratch

[a1gemmel]

So I kind of flipped a coin to decide which forum I'd post this build thread on. Landed on FR4x4, so either sorry or you're welcome based on your interest in trailer fabrication.
Here's what we're doing:
https://i.imgur.com/fsvJFwgh.jpeg

I need a trailer specifically for a group camping trip coming up, and more generally to fit my outdoorsy needs.
The requirements are roughly as follows:
- sink and hot water, with 10 gallons of water storage
- propane cooktop
- 12v fridge
- onboard air
- 100 watts of hard-mounted solar
- 1000wh of battery capacity
- storage for camping gear
- ability to follow my pickup on 37s through reasonable trails
- future possibility of adding an overhead rack and rtt
- not look like trash on wheels

I've been gathering up bits and bobs and have most of what I need to knock this thing out, so let's get started.

First up, I welded a receiver onto the 1/4" wall piece of 2x2 tube that's going to make up the spine of the trailer. This is massively overkill, but enables pulling doubles or recovering other trucks with a rope off the trailer if push comes to shove.

https://i.imgur.com/d0ZHVE7h.jpeg

The next step was to yadda yadda the whole 4'x5' frame construction and forget to take any photos. Note the recesses on the rear of the frame for access to the hitch pin.

https://i.imgur.com/3VBKctdh.jpeg

I dug around in the Strategic Toyota Reserve (or as my lady calls it - the pile of junk in the side yard) and came up with some leaf spring hardware and a pair of stock leaf springs from the front of my '81 pickup.

https://i.imgur.com/0idhAyMh.jpeg


The empire of dirt also yielded the right size tubing to accept some leaf spring bushings I cut down in the trusty mini-lathe, and some square tube to make hangers out of.

https://i.imgur.com/cZRdU5qh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/uYktC0Oh.jpeg

A critical part of the process is to break your holesaw arbor, fix it in the lathe, then rip the threads out of your holesaw, then weld it onto the arbor. Don't forget this step. Profanity isn't strictly necessary but does help.

https://i.imgur.com/BZ0bLIzh.jpeg

All tacked up on the frame. I'm using a 4" drop axle flipped as a sort of trailer portal axle, this gives the trailer axle on 31s roughly the same ground clearance as my truck on 37s. I may switch to spring-over-axle once I get it more fully assembled and right side up to take measurements. The u-bolt plates that came with the axle won't work with the width of the Toyota leaf springs so I need to fabricate some first.

https://i.imgur.com/UiqIpe0h.jpeg

That's all for now, thanks for following along!

[a1gemmel]

Next up... took a leaf out of the pack, made a new pin.

https://i.imgur.com/PZsbAUQh.jpeg

Made some passable u-bolt plates - I've drilled the plate with the option to push the axle back 1.5", which I am doing.


https://i.imgur.com/4jTVKFdh.jpeg

My axle is a custom order 3500lb 4" drop axle at 62" wide. I had to order the 6x5.5 hubs from another source and assemble it myself as I couldn't find any vendor that offered this combo. All in about $300 for the axle and hubs. Once I'm closer to completion I'll post a complete parts list with costs for anyone interested.

https://i.imgur.com/LF5RL9th.jpeg

The trailer is now trailering... except for a tongue. It's on a set of 31x10.5R15 on stock steelies from the same '87 4runner part-out that donated the suspension hardware.

https://i.imgur.com/cXllDIdh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/CQGgLTLh.jpeg

[TjMike]

Following. Have always thought about an off road trailer and just assumed I'd be buying one.
Looks great so far and really looking forward to seeing your progress.

[Mountaineer01]

Agreed, this looks awesome, excited to see the progress and the end result!

[a1gemmel]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, I looked at buying built offroad trailers but I just can't justify the price. Starting with a utility trailer is also an option but after looking at marketplace for a while I just didn't find anything that was the size I wanted and heavy duty enough for the use case.
This is a project where I'm happy to spend time instead of money, fabrication is fun and I get to try new things.

Mounts from my parts bin and some used shocks will complete the suspension system. They're at a fairly weird angle but I think they'll be good enough for a trailer.

https://i.imgur.com/Htnb5dIh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/7TsvnUAh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/9DYYtufh.jpeg

Lookin' good! The ball hitch is kind of temporary, I'd like to make some kind of swivel hitch using leaf spring bushings and common hardware.

https://i.imgur.com/0yQAyQdh.jpeg

[Jim]

Good progress!

[xaza]

I used Lock N Roll for the hitch on my trailer and love it. It is very quiet and does not bind up.

https://locknroll.com/

[a1gemmel]

I assembled what will become the "roof" of the trailer by fitting it up clamped to the frame. I missed taking a photo of the million clamp moneyshot.

https://i.imgur.com/TnOeZBqh.jpeg

The front half gets some bracing as it'll be load bearing for luggage or the moose I hit with my truck.

https://i.imgur.com/yXgAxh9h.jpeg

That assembly now disappears into a corner of the shop for a while as I finish up the frame - I have a few things where I need to flip the frame over to weld the underside, and I want to get that done before the trailer gets too heavy.

The front half of the frame (which will be the storage area) gets some bracing in advance of welding the floor in.

https://i.imgur.com/gdAeStsh.jpeg

[a1gemmel]

A while ago I snagged a whole pile of steel shelving off of marketplace for a song and a dance. Although I had to buy a lot of the longer pieces specifically for this project, much of the bits and bobs and shorter pieces come from buying lots of off-cuts from local fabrication shops and squirreling them away in my stockroom. If you want to build stuff out of steel without spending a fortune, this is the way to do it. These particular steel shelves will get to live out their retirement serving as the floor of the trailer.

https://i.imgur.com/BfgGBvMh.jpeg

As a nice side-effect, the powdercoat on the shelving is a fantastic coating for protecting the bulk of the floor.

https://i.imgur.com/CI1H0Ddh.jpeg

[TjMike]

The trailer is looking great and you're making good progress. Good idea with the steel shelves. Have the keep that for future projects.

[a1gemmel]

Next up - fenders.

https://i.imgur.com/h0Spvz7h.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/Ka3Nyl4h.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/mrjco4th.jpeg

The fenders will eventually bolt to the frame, that will happen later in the build.

https://i.imgur.com/YedI9uSh.jpeg


https://i.imgur.com/e7Ld0aQh.jpeg

[TjMike]

Looks great. Are you worried about the weight at all? Aluminum comes to mind.

[a1gemmel]

Well since you asked I went out and weighed it...

The fenders weigh 9lbs each. Everything you've seen so far weighs 398lbs. Probably over half of that is the wheels/tires/axle/springs.
She's not going to be the lightest trailer, that's the truth. My TIG machine doesn't do AC so I didn't plan for using any aluminum in the construction. I suppose I could skin it in aluminum using glue+rivets, but the simplicity of all-steel construction is pretty appealing too.
Composites and aluminum are something I'd like to play more with, but probably not on this project.
I'll try to remember to weigh everything once it's ready for paint so I can report the weight breakdown by suspension/construction/components/etc

[TyTheJeepGuy]

Fun fact, the steel shelves also live on as the cowl on my J10 hood that a1gemmel made for me :D

[a1gemmel]

Let's build some levelling jacks. Why? Because I want my omelets to come out perfect no matter how rough the trail is.

First up, embiggen an rv stabilizing jack.

https://i.imgur.com/gjoMVooh.jpeg

Some bracing gets welded in, and two drilled and tapped plates.

https://i.imgur.com/Q3XOaOXh.jpeg

And... deployed! These use a bar through the holes to gain leverage for extending the legs and jacking the trailer up.

https://i.imgur.com/4jL2XGTh.jpeg

Next I decided to make a completely unnecessary recessed mount for a trailer plug. This uses a bit of exhaust tube crushed into an oval. I didn't put the plug in for a photo because I'm pretty sure once it's in it'll never come out again.

https://i.imgur.com/jwBcmxNh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/Brzy5hOh.jpeg

[TjMike]

Like how you're not only building a cool trailer but having fun with it with little details like that absolutely unnecessary plug mount :thumb:

[a1gemmel]

Gotta make all the other trailer guys jealous somehow!

I got these LED bars in an auction lot a few years ago, so they've marinated on a shelf long enough that by project math they were technically free. They get installed under the floor with rivnuts to serve as rock/camp lights.

https://i.imgur.com/fIvI7Ysh.jpeg

Next, I picked up an articulating hitch kit at Tractor Supply (some assembly required). Total cost about $40, all the dimensional steel and plastics are salvaged from my empire of dirt.

https://i.imgur.com/fHvLx8kh.jpeg

Made some parts:

https://i.imgur.com/kuKXof9h.jpeg

As is tradition, I broke the hole saw again.

https://i.imgur.com/ODwzP5uh.jpeg

Big thanks to forum lurker lyapunov for letting me use his big lathe to make some delrin bushings.

https://i.imgur.com/vVe1ys4h.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/ShkyBcwh.jpeg

The vehicle side gets assembled - the bolt clamps on the steel sleeve inside the bushing, so the bolt can be torqued down tight and all the swiveling happens with the bushings.

https://i.imgur.com/UZPSpR1h.jpeg

The longitudinal axis does rotate on the bolt, so the nut is welded on solid. That does make this part non-serviceable, but I can make another pretty quick if I need to replace it. There is a grease fitting to keep it lubricated. This uses the same 3" spacing as my ball hitch tongue, so it can be swapped in if needed.

https://i.imgur.com/6qZKhxPh.jpeg

The two assemblies are married with a removeable 7/8" pin. The vehicle side can be unbolted and placed on a different drop/rise hitch mount (or flipped upside down), and the trailer side can be flipped to ride under the tongue, with these options I can configure the trailer to tow level behind different vehicles.

https://i.imgur.com/DMOnhbth.jpeg

How strong is this? I can start with estimating each axis, since I'm using standard fasteners and can look up their properties.

Horizontal axis: 1" Grade 8 bolt in single shear: 0.606in^2 * 150,000 psi * 60% = 54,450lbs

Vertical axis 7/8" SAE 1020 pin in double shear: 0.601in^2 * 55,100psi * 120% = 39,738lbs

Longitudinal Axis:1" Grade 8 bolt in tension: 0.606in^2 * 150,000 psi = 90,900lbs

In all reality, something else will fail before those numbers. I mean, a 2" hitch mount only uses a 5/8" pin so that's pretty much guaranteed to be the fuse before these fasteners. I suspect the weakest link is the trailer side of the vertical axis, with the tube welded to the bolt head. I did reinforce it with a second layer of steel and there's ~10" of blazing hot weld mating it all together so I'm pretty comfortable with it... I think it'll be fine unless I try to snatch a semi out a snowbank off the back of the trailer. Maybe I'll go hook it to a tree and see how much I can stretch my kinetic rope out as a proof test.

[Jim]

Those LED lights work out to project-free in my book. Or - you purchased them years ago with this exact project in mind.

Nice hitch.

[a1gemmel]

Part of the rear floor is welded in now. Towing and jack-knife testing, looking good. The hitch is dead silent, which is a welcome reprieve from the rattle of a standard ball setup.

https://i.imgur.com/qrxd2pah.jpeg

[TjMike]

looking good!

[a1gemmel]

Let's build the trailer box frame.

Pieces:

https://i.imgur.com/7u2tiUYh.jpeg

Parts:

https://i.imgur.com/adcYZe3h.jpeg

Welded up:

https://i.imgur.com/i3oNLWth.jpeg

Voila! Four rivnuts and M6 bolts hold the box to the frame. Punting on how the propane tank will be secured for now.

https://i.imgur.com/3tdTaS2h.jpeg

Then the whole trailer gets flipped over to stitch the floors to the braces and weld up the bottoms of all the pieces added on after the initial frame construction.

https://i.imgur.com/jv0JYmQh.jpeg

[TyTheJeepGuy]

Just gets flipped over eh, just like that?

[a1gemmel]

Just gets flipped over eh, just like that?

The lady holds in my hernia while I strain on the edge of a massive coronary event and nearly make the front of the local newspaper as "Man is crushed to Death under apparent Elaborate Suicide Contraption", it's pretty straightforward.

[TjMike]

The lady holds in my hernia while I strain on the edge of a massive coronary event and nearly make the front of the local newspaper as "Man is crushed to Death under apparent Elaborate Suicide Contraption", it's pretty straightforward.
Now that's an article I would read.

[a1gemmel]

We're back from a week haitus of replacing the heater core in the lady's truck - hot tip, if the heater core ever springs a leak in your GMT800 just scratch the VIN off and set it alight in a walmart parking lot, whatever the consequences end up being will be less trouble.

I had a hell of a time trying to get the uprights and the top of the box square in all directions. I own a welder, that doesn't mean I am one. The tubes just want to pull all over the place when tacking them in. Then I realized I could cut the sheet metal piece for the front of the box and use that to hold the frame square to weld it up, then it was smooth sailing. All parts of the box are within 0.2 degrees of the desired angles, so I'm going to call that good enough.

https://i.imgur.com/XFISZgsh.jpeg

I also finished welding in the last of the patchwork floor.

https://i.imgur.com/BzIDGKnh.jpeg

[a1gemmel]

I'll throw this out here to solicit opinions, since I'm not quite sure about what I want to do - I have a tankless propane water heater to put in the trailer for hot tap water and showering, but I'm not quite sure where to mount it. Haven't found a lot of info online about putting it in an enclosed space, venting requirements, etc. This isn't a person-carrying trailer so I'm not concerned about carbon monoxide, more just heat and moisture management.

Option 1 - Put it inside the front half of the trailer. There will be a steel bulkhead separating the front and rear half, where the floor seam is in the pic above. I'd mount it on that facing forward and fab a heat shield to keep things in the storage compartment from touching it. I think I'd need to put a vent on the top of the trailer, making that rainproof could be challenging. If this puts off a ton of moisture, it could make things in the storage compartment soggy.

Option 2 - I've seen (but can't find again) a pic of someone using a pelican case mounted on the outside side of their trailer with the heater inside it. You just open the case to use the heater. I would mount it behind the driver side tire. This seems like a safer option, but it does take space I was planning on using for a jerry can. I like the thought of having a safety switch that only powers it when the case is opened.

Option 3 - ???

Typing this out, I think I know which option I'm leaning towards but I'd be interested in hearing other opinions too. Never done this before.


https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcREeFDfeuHONu2SWJhlSIBDbW_Omyc I-iOKYZyFt8sUVJ3Uw5ELahX84e1mbjPhWgTIdeoAcutw9ae485w Ui6wwd-sp1hncoGY8OSCtNxFxaMyym6VpNSNdvp9s

[Jeffcon]

I'll throw this out here to solicit opinions, since I'm not quite sure about what I want to do - I have a tankless propane water heater to put in the trailer for hot tap water and showering, but I'm not quite sure where to mount it. Haven't found a lot of info online about putting it in an enclosed space, venting requirements, etc. This isn't a person-carrying trailer so I'm not concerned about carbon monoxide, more just heat and moisture management.
...
Option 3 - ???

Typing this out, I think I know which option I'm leaning towards but I'd be interested in hearing other opinions too. Never done this before.




I once installed a tankless inside in a truck camper I had been remodeling and building. The key and trick was getting the vent fully enclosed to allow venting outside of course. I ended up using some floor-drop 90 degree HVAC sheet-metal tubing to capture the entirety of the top vent and since the usage of oxygen for consumption was slightly minimal inside (and it we often had windows open) I wasn't worried about using all available oxygen entirely.

I then used black pipe 90 degree adapters and fittings to mount the gas line on the outside through the wall after that.

For water line runs I used pex due to it's supreme flexibility and ease of attachments.

Unfortunately one winter I neglected to completely winterize it and the entire inner core burst from freezing, then I sold that entire project and moved on.

All this to say, never really experience issues with moisture, condensation, or otherwise for the short times on-demand tankless would run.

[a1gemmel]

That's great info for the venting and winterization, thanks Jefferson! Do you have any insight on the ambient heat that the heater creates in the space?

[a1gemmel]

I've been eyeing some vevor pipe-heating cable, it looks like people have had success with wrapping water lines with that to avoid freezing in winter. At 5w-ft it's seems like my solar system should be able to supply it easily, but of course actual testing will be required.

[Getaklu]

Just be mindful of the inrush current for self-regulating cable. Short duration, but quite a load. Once on, it is good as it pulls only what it needs power wise.

[Jeffcon]

That's great info for the venting and winterization, thanks Jefferson! Do you have any insight on the ambient heat that the heater creates in the space?

You know, it didn't seem at the time like it really created much ambient or wasted heat to be honest, then again, we were using it mostly camping in June in Yellowstone and Tetons at the time, so around maybe.. idk... mid 60s to low 70s ambient outside temperature and slightly warmer inside? I would say, however, that if run for any length of time (like a short shower or filling up a wash basin for example) we did get some extra bonus heating from it, but in a 5'x8'x6' box of "air" (our hard sided truck camper), maybe raised the temperature half a degree to a degree or so?


This was failed iteration #1 of the vent (mind the mess, I was a messier worker 6+ years ago), hated it..
54669

Iteration #2 and final (before selling):
54670
54671

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Av4qq-503VJWz2RO1iTCq2pg3xPB?e=CfOzQ2

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Av4qq-503VJWz2RO1iTCq2pg3xPB?e=CfOzQ2
https://1drv.ms/i/s!Av4qq-503VJWz2RO1iTCq2pg3xPB?e=CfOzQ2
https://1drv.ms/i/s!Av4qq-503VJWz2RO1iTCq2pg3xPB?e=CfOzQ2
Majority of the heat exited well through the vent system I rigged up as well, and if I had spent more time insulating or even shielding that vent, much of the heat would have exited even better as well

[a1gemmel]

Got tired of dragging around a jackstand every time I move this thing, so I finished the tongue jack part of the program. Just a harbor freight swivel jack with an extra foot of tube lazily welded on.

https://i.imgur.com/glLt1syh.jpeg

Next the sides got clamped in place and tack welded on. Then I plasma cut out the door, thus making the door panel skin without having to measure anything. This turned out to be messier than the labor it saved, so for the other side I traced it with a sharpie, and took the panel off to cut it out with the portable dry cut saw.

https://i.imgur.com/ysrJDGhh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/0A6ElwNh.jpeg

[a1gemmel]

Ty earns his lift time helping hide my terrible welding from the world

https://i.imgur.com/15uWVgZh.jpeg

[TjMike]

Coming along nicely. Think it will be ready before the end of the summer?
Ty just helping so he can borrow it :cool:

[a1gemmel]

I'm going to have to really jam on it to get it "done" before the trip I want to use it for in August. Well, it's for sure going to be usable as a trailer for that, just maybe not with all the bells and whistles.

I just picked up a new (old) Fray 10R mill, so I had to use it entirely unnecessarily to make some miter cuts.

https://i.imgur.com/nLr4iYjh.jpeg

The doors get fit up using some paint stir sticks to provide spacing, then welded up in place.

https://i.imgur.com/MyKE340h.jpeg

Tacked to the cutouts from the previous step, which holds their shape for finish welding.

https://i.imgur.com/IqaQTDfh.jpeg

Now there's two of them!

https://i.imgur.com/kyJyEBgh.jpeg

Then I welded the front half of the roof on.

https://i.imgur.com/MVQKgkCh.jpeg

The underside gets stitched onto the frame.

https://i.imgur.com/pPtTA2Lh.jpeg

[a1gemmel]

The side doors got riveted on with piano hinges. Frankly I don't really like how this looks so I might revisit it with the same style hinges I'm using for the heavier panels.

https://i.imgur.com/G6a3oheh.jpeg

In a bad design flaw, there's nothing triangulating the sides of the trailer at the rear. They warped about 3/16" outwards from all the welding, but a come-along worked for tweaking it back closer to square.

https://i.imgur.com/XdpgwyFh.jpeg

I got these heavy duty hinges on eBay, I think they're meant for trailer ramps but I realized that using them as-is requires mounting them opposing and the panel cannot be removed. I chucked them in the lathe and drilled and tapped for an M6 bolt, such that they can be mounted in the same direction and the panel can be removed, but retained by the bolt and a washer.

https://i.imgur.com/56LqRfzh.jpeg

The "lid" is fabricated in place and then has hinges added. The flat bar will be drilled and tapped for the solar panel mounts.

https://i.imgur.com/gyTZRFMh.jpeg

Same news for the tailgate.

https://i.imgur.com/YPe07xxh.jpeg

[a1gemmel]

Fenders are now attached with 3 M8 rivnuts per side, and a 5 gallon gas can is mounted on each rear corner.

https://i.imgur.com/nRc9fmch.jpeg

Gas cans mount via 4 M6 bolts tapped through these steel straps. I hope this is going to be enough strength to not bend outwards when bombing down washboard road, time will tell.

https://i.imgur.com/uuCaC0dh.jpeg


And I've been wanting to do this for a while!

https://i.imgur.com/kHqvRnoh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/x9Ob5lOh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/5TAQ5iUh.jpeg

[TyTheJeepGuy]

Don't get duped into those timeshares from the lift salesmen its never worth it ;)

I think we need to see the lil snowmobile trailer on the RTI ramp for a good comparison.

[a1gemmel]

The lid now has the holes for the solar panel mounts drilled and tapped, and a pair of gas struts. Toggle clamps hold the tailgate shut.

https://i.imgur.com/u544S8lh.jpeg

I decided I am going to replace the piano hinges on the front doors, so I turned up some hinge pins on the lathe.

https://i.imgur.com/lnyLUn0h.jpeg

[a1gemmel]

I bent and welded a strip of 1/4" steel around the inside of the front door holes. This will get a gasket on the outer surface that will be squeezed by the door when it's closed.

https://i.imgur.com/EGK5tVeh.jpeg

The doors themselves are welded back on using the hinges I machined. They can be removed by just lifting them upwards.

https://i.imgur.com/ampNoROh.jpeg

Test fitting the contents to help visualize the fit-out of the internals.

https://i.imgur.com/lqQKQiDh.jpeg

[TjMike]

I like how the doors can be removed. Bet will come in handy more than once.
Fresh water tank anywhere?

[a1gemmel]

Fresh water tank anywhere?

Yep - the big white box in the background of the last pic. 13 gallon capacity.

[a1gemmel]

A $50 dining room table off marketplace serves as an excellent butcher block slab for making the counter/cabinet out of. Plus the 6 chairs it came with are now in my kitchen. I own woodworking tools, I am definitely not a woodworker.

https://i.imgur.com/Tt3Rh8Mh.jpeg

All of the fixtures in place. The front is one big drawer, of very odd inside shape to fit around the sink and burner. For some reason I didn't take a photo of the inside...

https://i.imgur.com/tOWI52Qh.jpeg

The trailer is now disassembled and starting the paint process. I've primed the whole trailer with corroseal, just brushed/rolled on. Smells like rotten eggs, delicious. Tomorrow I spray the base coats.

https://i.imgur.com/yuzPBQch.jpeg

After that, all that's left is "just" wiring and plumbing the trailer.


https://forimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/HowToDrawOwl.jpg

[a1gemmel]

We're all painted up (I did the underside first). Just Rustoleum applied with a roller and a brush, 3 coats. I used caulking between coats on any seams that weren't fully welded. The look is kinda drab, I think I'll use some of the leftover vinyl from my truck's graphic package to do a bit of flair once this is reassembled.

https://i.imgur.com/AuOqghNh.jpeg

[a1gemmel]

We have a livery (very important)

https://i.imgur.com/owmmHcth.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/0apnwDhh.jpeg

[TjMike]

That looks great! Love the decals.

[a1gemmel]

Most satisfying moment of the build - it's been hard to gauge progress chipping away at a big hunk of bare steel in the garage for months, having it painted and assembled feels great. Still lots to do.

https://i.imgur.com/WfwsoW9h.jpeg

[Jim]

Fantastic! Congrats!

[a1gemmel]

Getting down to it now - all of the "fixtures" are in place.

Propane tank mount - first time I actually needed to use the ring roller I bought for pretty much no reason.

https://i.imgur.com/xzwu9axh.jpeg

The plumbing components - 13 gallon water tank, water pump with an internal pressure switch, pressure accumulator tank, tankless propane water heater.

https://i.imgur.com/bnTc6ZAh.jpeg


Two AGM batteries, battery monitor, solar charge controller, bus bars, sine wave inverter.

https://i.imgur.com/BfYWg1vh.jpeg

I think I have the full list of all the fittings I need to go buy tomorrow to plumb all of the water and propane lines. With my luck, I'll get to the store and find out that one of my components uses an Ecuadorian pipe thread standard that's been obsolete since the military junta coup of 1972.
The stretch goal - there is a lovely empty spot in the electronics box to mount a Viair compressor that I scored at a swap meet a while back...

[Jim]

Ah, the fun-stuff assembly!

Bonus - FedUp has same day delivery from Ecuador!

[a1gemmel]

Plumbing is done*

Never used Pex before, pretty straightforward (I think)

https://i.imgur.com/t16IxwQh.jpeg

The burner came with jets for natural gas and LPG - maybe it's the altitude, but the LPG jets are too anemic and the natural gas jets are too violent. I think I'll throw the LPG jets in the lathe and ream them out just a tiny bit.

https://i.imgur.com/3m6Z5soh.jpeg

The trailer trailer wiring is now done too. Don't look under the trailer, it's not great.

https://i.imgur.com/tjdCuAlh.jpeg

[Jim]

Might I put in a request...

A backed away photo showing the stove / sink and how and where it's at in the trailer? Back door swing-out?

[a1gemmel]

WE'RE GONNA LOSE THE SHOP!

https://i.imgur.com/xIJ0eeH.jpeg

Here's the shot of the back of the trailer:

https://i.imgur.com/YQvOw8zh.jpeg

I knocked the wiring out today, one circuit left for the rock lights but that's just gravy. Unfortunately with the pump running I found one leak in the water system. I have the fitting to fix it, but ran out of pex crimps so I'll have to fix it tomorrow. The sink works great with the pump and pressure accumulator, did not test the heater out.
Once I fix the water leak, the only item that remains is drilling a hole and mounting a fill cap for the water tank. I have to get it done tomorrow, for it's the last day I have for working on it before the 7 day shakedown run to Moab and back :2thumbup: Nothing like a hard deadline to get the project moving...

[Jim]

Here's the shot of the back of the trailer:

:thumb:

Now I understand - thanks!



Nothing like a hard deadline to get the project moving...

:)

[a1gemmel]

Final numbers are in - Ty came over to hang out (read: chronicle my slow descent into madness) and I worked out a few more leaks in the plumbing. I had bought the wrong fitting for the fill neck (I think someone put the wrong part back in a bin at Home Depot and I didn't verify the thread size) so we ran back there and I got what I needed. Unfortunately - the tankless water heater just straight up doesn't work. I don't have time to troubleshoot it, so lukewarm showers and sink water it will be.

[TyTheJeepGuy]

Hey I did more than hang out, I helped. I brought Andrew one of his own beers.

[a1gemmel]

Roughly 1000 miles both paved road and on trails, a full week of camping and adventures, and the trailer served its purpose quite well. Got home with 85% reading on the battery monitor, solar power was flawless for running the fridge and charging 10 people worth of electronics all week. Had to clear plastic junk out of the water filter twice, likely crap left from the manufacturing of the components. I learned that you can't seal nato jerry cans in hot sun when they're empty, one of the 5 gallons now only holds 3 after crushing down overnight. I have some ideas on how to fix that...

The hitch is pretty hard to reconnect when the trailer is loaded down, I think I'll swap the urethane bushing the pins slides through for delrin with a slight clearance fit. I also need to redo how some of the weather seals mount, opening the lid when the top is wet pours water into the trailer.


A water crossing on Jacob's Bottom in Moab:

https://i.imgur.com/NCitbjmh.png

Just after reentering Colorado on Triangle Road on the way back from Moab.

https://i.imgur.com/eOViKnph.jpeg

Saw a helicopter at Dotsero crater:

https://i.imgur.com/GPbXW11h.jpeg

My three Toyotas and Ty's J10 forming base camp with the trailer at Gray's and Torrey's:

https://i.imgur.com/1Z2pGQHh.jpeg

The '86 belaying the '81 and the trailer down Steven's Gulch after I tore a brake line leaving the campsite:

https://i.imgur.com/dzuL2rwh.jpeg

More on this photo in a later post...

https://i.imgur.com/9xitfkjh.jpeg

Some raggedy dude at base camp on Chinn's Lake

https://i.imgur.com/33CYitTh.jpeg


Damage report:
318k mile TRD supercharged '98, zero issues.
98k mile '81 - torn brake line, broken topper strut.
260k mile '86 - fuel pump fell out of the sender, broke a valve stem airing up.
1k mile trailer - hub assemby fell off

"That's not very typical, I'd like to make that point"

https://i.imgur.com/1HQyUdEh.png

[Jim]

That's a trip!

How did the brake line get pulled?

What failed for the hub to depart the trailer? I see the "dug up" mud on the road where the spindle was turning the soil.

The water crossing was DEEP. What was the bottom like - rocky or sketchy muddy?

[TyTheJeepGuy]

Adding to the damage report:
Jeep truck:
- exhaust leak from header bolts backing out but they resealed after a retighten (that's why my hood's up in the basecamp pic)
- unknown chattering, thunking, clunking, under high load in a straight line from Quadratrac t case. Could be belt slip again in which case the truck just plain overpowers its t case which is a bummer. Will treat as a built-in torque limiter until I can get it figured out but that means no dyno run in the near future.

All the Toyotas:
- severe damage to ego getting out hill-climbed by the Jeep truck ;)

[a1gemmel]

So the brake line - I was backing out of the camping spot and I think I snagged it on some brush. With the offset of my wheels (and spacer) the back of the brake caliper is pretty exposed. I actually did the same thing 2 years ago and thought to myself "I should weld a guard on the caliper to prevent this" but just never did it. D'oh...
The water crossing I think was sketchy mud the whole way, based on the banks and the wheel-spin I noted getting up the other side. Pretty spicy in the '98 4runner, literally my friend's first offroading experience and I just gave him a few pointers on how to navigate it.


Ok - onto the trailer failure. We're driving down Triangle Road in the pouring rain on our way to Grand Junction. My friend is driving this leg, he's familiar driving stick but not this kind of vehicle. The truck is covered in mud, can hardly see out the windshield let alone any of the mirrors. We're heading up a grade, we both feel the truck start to bog and I tell him "downshift" as I think in the back of my head that something feels off. A few seconds later over the radio "Hey guys you lost a wheel" :oops:


I hope that someone can learn some lessons from what happened here. I've had some time to do a bit of failure analysis and I believe the main point is this: The parts I received were incorrect, and I thusly installed them incorrectly.
The hubs and related hardware were sourced from eTrailer. I now believe that they include the wrong spindle nut retainer with this kit. I've emailed them, haven't gotten a response. I remember having some thoughts when I put it together that the setup seemed poorly designed, but I didn't listen to my intuition as I should have.
I didn't take any photos during install, but here's a photo nabbed from their website from another customer who assembled it as I did:

https://i.imgur.com/olrpPczh.png

In any other application I've assembled, the stamped steel retainer goes under the spindle nut, and the "legs" are bent outwards to capture the nut. The spindle is a D shape and the retainer cannot rotate, so it stops the nut from rotating. However on this hub, the bore is too small in diameter to do that. The legs have to be prebent to the point that the nut cannot be tightened. So like this guy (in fact, I probably referenced this photo during installation) I prebent the legs inwards and installed the retainer after the spindle nut. This isn't a great setup, as the retainer could walk off the nut given enough vibration (say, a washboard dirt road?). You kind of have to peen the edge of the leg under the rounded edge of the nut to give it some holding power.

Now, it's not a coincidence that the left side of the trailer axle failed. On this side, once the retainer starts to get loose it will catch the inside of the hub bore and actively loosen the spindle nut. I believe this is what happened. All of the pieces were found within about 5 feet on the road.
Well, we gathered up all of the parts and I did some inspecting. Unfortunately the inner wheel bearing had completely failed and I didn't have a spare. We unhooked the trailer, drove into Grand Junction and found an RV shop that had all of the pieces I needed. The parts associate got a little wide-eyed when I slapped a hub down on his desk and said I needed a bearing set for a 3500lb axle - I guess most of what they sell is just lights and air fresheners. I assured him that the parts are pretty standard and please just let me have a look at your stock.

I cannonballed back to where the trailer was and installed the new parts without much fuss - I just had to work the spindle a bit with a file to repair the damage from dragging it a hundred yards on gravel.
The new retainer I installed was this style:

https://i.imgur.com/E3VVYvkh.png

Note how it uses a castle nut and bends from the inside of the spindle, so it doesn't have problems with the small diameter of the hub. I also checked the other side and it was tight as the day it was installed. I elected not to mess with it, and just checked it each day at the campsite out of my own curiosity.
Someone assembling their axle this way might never have a single problem if they only drive on paved roads - it's not a coincidence that we did nearly 400 miles on interstate to Moab and this only happened a few miles into our "overlanding route" return. I bet that it was only a matter of seconds after the retainer rattled loose that the whole thing failed.

So there's my story - trust your intuition, check and double-check your builds. Just because someone on the internet did it, doesn't mean it's right. It's a good thing that nobody got hurt and the fix only cost us a few hours and $50.

[Jim]

Thanks for the detail. Bummer for the issues. They're behind you now.

[a1gemmel]

Some clips from the water crossing - for scale, the pickup is on 37s, the trailer 31s, and the 4runner on 32s:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P78B7ynMB0