Smittybilt Scout Trailer Reviews?

Catalanbull

Member
This is the new kitchen drawer from Smittybilt (part number 87400-14) and you can have the drawer wall on either side or no walls. It was around $110 if I remember correctly.

516549
 

honda250xtitan

Active member
How would you do it differently?

Run a fill tube up somewhere easy, actually mount my RV fill thingy i bought. Make the tank easier to remove, some sort of bracket with a hinge that is latched so it can swing down and away. Problem with my trailer is there really isn't a good spot to run the 1.25 fill line. I suppose i could do PVC and on the inside, up the side, then to the RV fill spout. also 10 gallons is great for dishes, not so great when you start rinsing yourself off lol. This next weekend i'm gonna bring a piece of hose so i can refill the tank with my 7 gallon spare tank. Water pump is so dang nice lol. Cant be bothered with a ball valve and letting gravity work its magic.
 

ebrabaek

Adventurer
Basically yes, if i could id do everything just like your setup lol. absolutely amazing. Mines the crude caveman version ?

But you see.... mine started like that as well.
I mounted the 12 gallon tank right in front of the box in the open space.
It worked great and it was easy to fill.
They make bigger tanks than the 12 gallon (valtera)
An all you have to make is a bracket to hold it in place.
 

misubisu

Active member
Made up the adaptor plate and fitted the articulating hitch today.
The setup is longer than the stock ball hitch, so now I can open the rear door on the Wrangler while the Scout Trailer is hooked up.
I had to fit longer safety chains. Can now go off-roading with the Scout Trailer!
517092517093517094
 

ebrabaek

Adventurer
Made up the adaptor plate and fitted the articulating hitch today.
The setup is longer than the stock ball hitch, so now I can open the rear door on the Wrangler while the Scout Trailer is hooked up.
I had to fit longer safety chains. Can now go off-roading with the Scout Trailer!
View attachment 517092View attachment 517093View attachment 517094
What was the math regarding arm and moment. That looks crazy long. Also I presume the single bolt in the front is at least an 8.8.
 
Made up the adaptor plate and fitted the articulating hitch today.
The setup is longer than the stock ball hitch, so now I can open the rear door on the Wrangler while the Scout Trailer is hooked up.
I had to fit longer safety chains. Can now go off-roading with the Scout Trailer!
View attachment 517092View attachment 517093View attachment 517094

I think I’d want to run the vertical pieces at least 3/4 of the way towards the front of the adaptor, there’s a lot of force concentrating at the rear-most bolts on the hitch. I’m not an engineer, but I would be worried about that plate breaking/bending.
 

Hoologan

Member

misubisu

Active member
I think I’d want to run the vertical pieces at least 3/4 of the way towards the front of the adaptor, there’s a lot of force concentrating at the rear-most bolts on the hitch. I’m not an engineer, but I would be worried about that plate breaking/bending.
This is a good suggestion, and I may do this. I'll be taking the trailer for some test expeditions and keeping an eye on the plate to see if it does bend.

The setup is based on a friend with the Scout Trailer who did a similar thing (with a different brand of articulating hitch that is actually slightly longer).
And he has taken his trailer off road quite a bit.

The bolt that was mentioned by someone else is 8.8 and is 25mm diameter so is definitely strong enough.

I have considered bolting it directly to an extended hitch tube rather than onto the tongue. It will shorten it by around 120mm but this I don't think, will make much difference.

The whole setup is approximately 400mm longer than the original setup. This includes the mount on the car side, that sticks out further than the original ball.

I will be running it through its paces gradually, to see how it holds up.

I'll post my results as I go along.
 

Tkhawk

Adventurer
What about unbolting it from the plate, bolting it to a piece of receiver tubing that will fit inside the trailer receiver tubing?

This. ?
I am a mechanical engineer and from first glance that scares me. There's way more moment on the drop hitch you have your adaptor bolted to than what it is designed for. It might hold but i wouldn't trust it.
 

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