Botto's Expedition Trailer

bottobro

I'm a pretty girl!
Supporting Member
Location
Long Island NY
Welcome.

Updated 4/16/16

So I came across a deal I couldn't refuse. I got this bad boy for 800 bucks. Couldn't beat it!

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How she is currently sitting

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So welcome to the Build!
 
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metzican

Suspension Lift
Location
Lafaytte, la
Well I just typed a real long post but it did not work and got deleted.

Recap:
Sounds like an awesome trip, Sorry to hear about your Grandmother. This trip will help you be closer to her.

That looks like a great start. Look sturdy and reliable. Old stuff is better then new stuff a lot of the times.

I'm sure the frame will be plenty strong, since you will be adding a tub it will increase the strength even more. Some things to consider. Keep the axle or upgrade it? depending on the type of roads the trip will require. You can always upgrade it later. Take a long look at the tongue and decide if it will need to be reinforced. The two most things that fail on offroad trailers are, axles bending, and tongues bending. Besides this it looks like you have a handle on everything. Just try to think of everything you want in it and ensure you design around being able to access the necessary things. Do you want any side access points? Top? or Rear? also one thing to look at for a galley/kitchen is some people are using what they call a pelican case kitchen. These are the best simplest galleys I've seen for tubs. anything nicer becomes a lot more work with slide outs and such. Keep up the design process. Just ask any questions you have. I've done a ton of research and have stores a lot of info in this head of mine. It is finally half full of stuff.


https://www.pinterest.com/pin/359021401518519280/
 

TheFauxFox

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Huntsville, AL
LA is overrated. :angel:

Really looking forward to this project and seeing what you do on a budget. I'd like to build one of these.
 

Timrich

Super Duper Moderator
Founding Member
Location
Central FL
Good luck on the build! Looking forward to seeing this thing shape up. Sorry to hear about your grandmother.
 

bottobro

I'm a pretty girl!
Supporting Member
Location
Long Island NY
What my plan of attack is this.

Right now I know the hubs, tires, and axel are all in good shape. That's going to be last to be replaced. I will how ever be swapping from axel over to axel under to level it out with my truck for the time being

The first thing is to get the main body built. I'm going to build it out of 12ga steel and reinforce it.
Then the top will built and so on and so forth.

The hitch is a pintle so I'm prob going to leave that untouched. I've hauled alot of heavy dirt and rocks with the trailer. I beleive after doing some research and looking at all these military grade. I wouldn't be surprised once I tore it apart that it originally was one.
 
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metzican

Suspension Lift
Location
Lafaytte, la
I can't wait to see what this trailer looks like stripped down. Also see if you can find a serial number or something on it. If it is a old military trailer. There are companies that make tubs for them that might be cheaper.
 

bottobro

I'm a pretty girl!
Supporting Member
Location
Long Island NY
Well guess whos home for spring break.

I got some time when I got home to pull out the trailer. I havent towed it since the X got lifted so I have to adjust the hitch a little bit

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Tomorrow I'm planning on ripping off all the wood. Its a SUA so im going to flop the axle to make it sit higher
 

metzican

Suspension Lift
Location
Lafaytte, la
just looking at the photo's it does not look like a old military trailer. But it does look like a great start. Did you search it over for any old serial plates or numbers anywhere? Also take a look at the axle and see if it is straight do this from behind or in front of the trailer. Most axles some shaped like ^ this is so when weight is added the tires ride flat on the ground. If you do switch it to SUA vs SOA are you going to cut of and remount the leaf perchs? or just flip the axle? if you do the second and your axle was like ^ then it will be like v and once you add weight it will get only worst. Just food for thought.
 

granitex

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
Columbus OH
until you pull the coffin off the deck you never know what you really have to start working with. Take a good pic of the hubs on the trailer and it will let us know if it is an old mil trailer, or a civ version.
 

bottobro

I'm a pretty girl!
Supporting Member
Location
Long Island NY
Well I learned the story of this trailer today. So it is a homemade trailer that my grandfather hat built to hold a 275 gal oil tank I want to say around the 70's, my dad got it in roughly 1991-1992 and built the wood coffin on it for his snowmobile. With this knowledge I know it was built to hold weight around 2k lbs (with oil weighting 7lbs per gal)

Well I got the wood off today talk about water logged.
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While working on the axle flip, I realized one of the leafs was broken then it just fell apart. So after talking it over with my dad hes going to help get the frame road worthy again and nothing else (due to this not being in the budget) New springs and new perches will be put on.

But after much aggravation and a lot of heat and elbow grease everything was cleaned up and removed.
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I need to add a few cross supports in the back to help support the tub but other than that it is built very well for being 50 something years old
 

metzican

Suspension Lift
Location
Lafaytte, la
It is built very well because it is 50 something years old!!! Ask any of the old people around here that will be there answer.

Besides that looks like a perfect starting frame for this project.
 
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granitex

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
Columbus OH
Take the time now to run a piece of square tube from the back of the hitch through the rear cross member, that way you will have a structural member that you can pull on without fear of racking the frame. Even if it goes under the existing framework it adds an amazing amount of structure without counting on the tub to fill that roll. At the least a couple sticks of 1/8 x 1.24 angle back to back to act as a spine and could be bolted and or welded in place for the same purpose.

excited to see what you do with it.


Also what is the weight rating on the hubs? and are you planning on different tires.
 

bottobro

I'm a pretty girl!
Supporting Member
Location
Long Island NY
Take the time now to run a piece of square tube from the back of the hitch through the rear cross member, that way you will have a structural member that you can pull on without fear of racking the frame. Even if it goes under the existing framework it adds an amazing amount of structure without counting on the tub to fill that roll. At the least a couple sticks of 1/8 x 1.24 angle back to back to act as a spine and could be bolted and or welded in place for the same purpose.

excited to see what you do with it.


Also what is the weight rating on the hubs? and are you planning on different tires.
That's the plan, I'm going to reinforce it a but more just to be safe.

Now with the hubs no I have no idea the rating on that and the axle. All I know is what it used to haul.

My plan right now is to use the existing setup because the bearings are still in good shape and the tires are relatively new so that will be one of the last things replaced.

Eventually I want to run hubs that match the X and same with the tires but until then the current setup works
 

bottobro

I'm a pretty girl!
Supporting Member
Location
Long Island NY
Turns out the springs are not normal springs lol.

They are 35" 5 leaf springs, very unusual for a trailer. I went to my trailer guy and no one makes trailer springs that big. And he was unsure about the hubs and axle how much weight those could hold.

Checking out tomorrow how much custom springs will be and if that doesnt work I'll be buying springs out of a booklet as big as I can and rewelding the rear mounting points
 

metzican

Suspension Lift
Location
Lafaytte, la
35" spring sounds like a old car or truck. Plus for smoother rides down the dirt roads you want longer springs. trailer springs are not built to flex much and are very cheap.

Also if your going to have welding done on it. Get some shock mounts on it will help with the dirt roads down the road. Just get some real short cheap shocks.

Cost on custom trailer springs will run you around $175 plus shipping, ask me how I know...
 

bottobro

I'm a pretty girl!
Supporting Member
Location
Long Island NY
Yes metz it was possible that the springs were from an old VW. And you were right on the money 180 per spring.

Frame is going into the shop for new springs tomorrow. Going with 30" i think. Im going over details tomorrow with the guy. I'll be doing research on the axle when I get home in may.

As of right now though I'm going through the redesign phase. Now that I know what was under the wood. I'm rethinking my design. I'm thinking of doing a basic square now all made from square steel and sheet to cover. My thoughts were that I'm designing this for my use and if I bend and get that set up made I would never cut into it to make holes for mounts and stuff. So once I get back to school I'll have a scale drawing of my plans
 

granitex

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
Columbus OH
Not being critical, but you want the axle pushed back 6-8 inches. the spot that they have places it will throw the loaded weight bias further back than you want. If you were closer to me I would say drag it over and we would do it in my driveway. The way that it is now is going to wag it's way down the road because it will not have enough tongue weight.

On second thought bring it on over if you want and we can do it, you are not that far away from me.
 

metzican

Suspension Lift
Location
Lafaytte, la
Unless you can load that tongue with batteries, fuel, and water. Which fuel and water get used so there not the most dependable tongue weight. That might get interesting. That trailer probably weighs 200 lbs. You should have 30lb tongue weight at least at this point. Once you mount the tube 2/3rd o it will be behind the axle making that less....
 

bottobro

I'm a pretty girl!
Supporting Member
Location
Long Island NY
A little update. Well the trailer is still sitting on the side yard until I get the X running again. I havent forgotten about it it stares at me everytime I'm on my computer now lol

I showed my dad Metz Teardrop, and hes like thats what you should build on that frame its perfect for it. We will see once the X is running again what direction I decide to take.
 

bottobro

I'm a pretty girl!
Supporting Member
Location
Long Island NY
So the plan has changed. I was in deep though since the xterra has been down on what to do. Thinking about my skills sets and the tools/materials I have. I work in the trades and after doing a bunch of research I think with the money I would be spending getting metal fabricated I could do something better in wood.

So I'm redesigning it to become a teardrop. I can frame a house much better than i can weld. With the money I would have spent bending metal here in NY was kinda ridiculous. Plus a month on the road in a tent had me thinking how comfy I would be lol.

Hopefully I can drop the frame of the trailer off at the welders this week or next to extend the front about 2 feet.

Sketches and plans will follow later this week
 

bottobro

I'm a pretty girl!
Supporting Member
Location
Long Island NY
Sweet! I can't wait to see it all. You think it will be ready by WENT?
All I need is a mattress and it's good to go (threw out the past owners it was nasty)

She's water tight it poured here last night. Let's see how she holds the 350 mile drive home and through the city

Sent from Nov. 5 1955
 
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