Basic Design Aspects of Trailer

[Elysian Ranch]

Hi, I'm fairly new in here and have been reading, looking and learning for a year now, primarily about trailers. Now, I think I'm about ready to make a trailer happen, one way or the other. I will probably build or commission portions of the trailer as my needs simply cannot justify and I cannot afford a commercially manufactured, deluxe trailer.

I have most of the camping gear that I currently need, so my biggest requirement for the trailer is to simply carry these things safely and securely. My main question is this, are there any specific reasons to have items stowed in areas on the outside of the trailer and inversely, are there specific reasons to have items stowed on the inside of the trailer? Certain security concerns make me wonder if most or all items could be stowed inside, out of sight, perhaps even locked up. Obviously, things like Jerry cans full of gasoline might be better off outside so that an unexpected leak wouldn't bother other items.

I have to wonder also, if there is any difference in the aerodynamics of one trailer which has most items inside a smooth skin versus a different trailer which has things like the spare tire, propane bottles, Jerry Cans, hand tools, RTT, generators, etc, stowed in mounts and brackets on the outside of the main box? I showed a good friend of mine, who is unfamiliar with this type of equipment, an issue of the Overland Journal today and his first reaction to some of the pictures of some expedition trailers is that they look like the "Beverly Hillbilly's" moving to the city, with Granny sitting up on top in her rocking chair.

My main goal here is to be efficient in my build, certainly not to be offensive, so I sincerely hope I haven't said this in a mean spirited manner. I honestly really need to learn more of the specific design details of trailers. I just want to create a cool, effective trailer that handles my gear safely and securely and I can't really afford to make major mistakes and then have to go back and redo things.

Also, what specific characteristics do you really like in any trailer that any of you have or have seen, things that any of you think are of extreme importance and should not be overlooked?

Is it appropriate to ever expect a concise, expedition trailer to be able to have a receiver hitch on the back to be able to pull a small trailer for a jet ski or a 4 wheeler? Is that possibly asking too much to be able to pull an additional trailer safely?

Thanks in advance for any opinions, suggestions and observations. They're all appreciated.

 

[Hill Bill E.]

Where you stow things is going to be basically your preference. I prefer most things to be inside my trailer (other than fuel cans and propane tanks, of course)

Some folks prefer to have some items readily accessible, like pioneer tools (shovel/axe/pick) and Hi-Lifts.

These are generally not going to be affected by weather, dirty/muddy roads, etc. And are nice to have easily handy, without digging through the trailer.

Of course, securing these items can be a concern.

Many people incorperate a 2" reciever into the back of the trailer, for bike racks, portable vices, recovery points, etc.

As far as towing double trailers, you'd have to check your state/provincial/country's laws.

Here in MN, you can tow 2 trailers, providing the 'main' trailer is of a fifth wheel design, and the combination of the tow rig and 2 trailers is under 53 ft.

Characteristics will depend largely on what you lan to use the trailer for.

I like mine to have good clearance for off road, light enough to unhook and turn around by hand if necessary, and the rear corners sturdy enough to handle some 'bumps' along the trail.

Doing a layout of the gear you plan to bring with, and making a 'mock up' or drawing of what you want where (water tanks, 12V fridge, etc.) will help in 'getting it right the first time'

My trailer is "A work in progress":wings: And I've redone a few things I didn't like. To me it's not a big deal, as a lot of the fun is fabbing stuff until it works for me.


Lots of great info in this section, for figuring out what you want to do, and what you waant your trailer to turn out like.

Good luck!

HB

 

[ntsqd]

Certainly having a smooth sided trailer will help with air flow over/around it. Whether that shows up as any real world fuel savings would be highly subjective. A trailer that lives it's life at a low average speed isn't going to reap any benefits. A trailer that averages several to many hundred miles on the highway before hitting dirt may see an advantage.

Bill E.'s state laws are very similar to Calif's laws on multiple trailers. I've been told that my state also requires a higher level drivers license to do this.

Have you seen this thread?
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32330

 

[R_Lefebvre]

You should check out my trailer build. I elected to keep as much of my stuff inside as possible, for the reasons you mentioned. And not only that, but I made it a "fleetside" as well. Also in the name of aerodynamics. It all makes the trailer much less "expo sexy", but so much more logical. I think the Beverly Hillbilly trailers are done either in order to appeal to a certain aesthetic (not that there's anything wrong with that), or because the builder underestimated how much stuff they actually wanted to bring, and didn't build the main box big enough.

I find a that keeping everything inside is also more weight efficient than making all kinds of brackets and racks to hold things.

 

[Rexsname]

Some of the 'stuff' you see on the outside NEEDS to be there. Propane tanks need to be able to be filled, Gas cans need to be filled. Roof top tents........uh, go on the roof. I just did a quick flip thru of the OvEx coverage in OJ and I dont see anything that looks out of place, Can you give specifics?

REX

 

[The Swiss]

You should check out my trailer build. I elected to keep as much of my stuff inside as possible, for the reasons you mentioned. And not only that, but I made it a "fleetside" as well. Also in the name of aerodynamics. It all makes the trailer much less "expo sexy", but so much more logical. I think the Beverly Hillbilly trailers are done either in order to appeal to a certain aesthetic (not that there's anything wrong with that), or because the builder underestimated how much stuff they actually wanted to bring, and didn't build the main box big enough.

I find a that keeping everything inside is also more weight efficient than making all kinds of brackets and racks to hold things.

Mine is not a fleetside but I also prefer storing everything in the inside. Only thing outside is - for obvious reasons - the rooftop tent. For gas cans and propane I made a designated, well ventilated compartment in the inside.

 

[scarysharkface]

There is also a wealth of useful information here:

http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/

John

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Some of the 'stuff' you see on the outside NEEDS to be there. Propane tanks need to be able to be filled, Gas cans need to be filled. Roof top tents........uh, go on the roof. I just did a quick flip thru of the OvEx coverage in OJ and I dont see anything that looks out of place, Can you give specifics?

REX

I forgot to mention gas cans, propane, spare tire, and obviously RTT. Obviously belong on the outside.

I think one key thing that should be said, any extrernal "warts" should be on the front or back, not on the sides.

 

[Elysian Ranch]

Just for a little background, I am a fourth generation cattle rancher on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in south central South Dakota. We have lots of South Dakota gumbo mud here, both out in the pastures and on the roads. I don't think that a day goes by that I don't engage the 4 wheel drive in the pickups or 4 wheelers, just to get around, whether it's crossing a creek, crawling up a steep hill, digging through a snow drift, pulling something out or just some major 4 wheelin moving cows around. My life is the great out doors. I live it every day.

Also, for over 65 years, in addition to ranching, my family has also owned gas stations and fuel delivery businesses. The bulk fuel delivery trucks and the propane delivery trucks all have doors and panels to secure and conceal the hoses, pumps, meters and storage areas for security and safety purposes, so that somewhat frames my personal perspective of what a trailer might look like and how it might function. Also, I have accidentally lost things out of the back of the pickup when I have accidentally hit big bumps out in the pastures at different times before, whether it's a handi man jack, the spare tire, fence wire stretchers, fence posts, log chains, or what have you. This also frames my personal perspective of what a trailer might look like and how it might function. Most of the vehicles here have really high miles on them, up to 485,000 on one particularly wore out old Chevy pickup, the HARD way, so I know a little bit about hard driving over the long haul.

From my personal experience at the stations, I'm fairly familiar with the regulations concerning transporting propane bottles and how they are to be secured so they can't become dislodged. I very much respect the proper mounting brackets for them. I have also had quite a few things stolen from me from the back of the pickups through the years and this also frames my personal perspective of what a trailer might look like and how it might function.

My purpose in starting this particular thread was, again, not to offend, but instead, to gather specific characteristics that might be included in a trailer design. I thank Hill, Bill E. (lol I love that username, by the way) for his observations, particularly the point of his trailer being a work in progress. I appreciate ntsqd's point about fuel use at low driving speeds. I probably intend to use my trailer for traditional camping as much as anything, so I will be pulling it hundreds of miles to get to where I'm going, so for my particular purpose, aerodynamics is a little bit of an issue. R Lefebvre makes a very important point that many of these design decisions are personal preferences and I'm going to add, that for many decisions, there are not just "right" and "wrong" answers. I firmly believe in respecting each others opinions. I'm reassured to hear that The Swiss has designed interior storage for his bottles and cans.

So, thanks for each of you for taking the time to offer your observations. Again, do any of you have any specific design characteristics in your trailers that you particularly like, if so, what? Thanks again.

David (Elysian Ranch)

 

[Titanpat57]

Hi David, welcome aboard!!

Everyone, suffice to say, has developed their own "style" when it comes to design. That's the beauty of lurking here...you never run out of creative minds and ingenuity, from backyard mechanic/hacker (like myself) to full blown shop owner with every concievable tool known to man.

I think the best place to start is a budget number, and a list of "must haves" and then a list of "wanna haves". Figure your cost of of must haves against your budget, and the remainder (usually negitive at that point) is for bling and glitz. I wanted rims to match my truck on my current build, would the money have been suited better put into other stuff....why hell yea!, but that was MY criteria for the this one. There are a few other things like that...undermount water tank, 2-10lbers' instead of a 20lber propane tank...and on and on the list goes.

Is the whole family involved, will you take others with you? Do you plan to stay locally or extend travel to other states? Do you want to boondook for periods longer than a few days? So you see, some of the things you're up against.

Once you have a better idea of what your "real" needs are going to be, I think it will be easier for you to tailor and shape your trailer into, well, your trailer.

Best of luck, there's an unending pool of talent waiting to help.

Pat

 

[Hill Bill E.]

I have to agree, security is a big concern, especially since I usually use my trailer as a 'basecamp', more than dragging it down the trail. (although I hope to do that some day:wings

Whatever I can't fit inside, I find a way to secure it, so it 'doesn't take a hike' while I'm out exploring.

I have a 12V battery and small propane tank mounted on the tongue, and have them chained/locked up.

On the back of my CJ, I have the spare tire, Hi-Lift, 5 Gallon Gerry can, axe and shovel.

For these, I use the Master lock "Python" cable

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...hl=en&sa=N&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&tbs=isch:1

These are nice becuase you can fit the cable through small holes, like in the Hi-Lift jack beam.

Here's how I secured my battery and propane tank:
(Oops, thought I had a 'finished' pic)

A chain is welded to the battery rack on each side, and they come up and over the box, securing it. The back one is longer, and padlocks to the propane tank.

I would like to have everything inside, but starting with the M416 as a platform, I didn't have much space. I also (so far) have kept any modifications to the trailer 'reversible', in case I ever decide to restore it to pull behind my Flatty.

 

[SAR Jeepster]

Fuel and Propane Storage

I have most items stored in lockable compartments. Including fuel and propane both compartments have expanded metal bottoms. Both areas do get a lot of dust having open bottoms but worth the extra clean up not to have an area for fumes to build up.

Both fuel and propane were unaffected by a hard rollover last year.

 

[The Swiss]

I have most items stored in lockable compartments. Including fuel and propane both compartments have expanded metal bottoms. Both areas do get a lot of dust having open bottoms but worth the extra clean up not to have an area for fumes to build up.

Both fuel and propane were unaffected by a hard rollover last year.

I really like this. Do you have a link to more pics of your trailer?

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Tom, that's a great idea. Sure, you might get dirt in there, but it's easy to hose out!

 

[Hill Bill E.]

That is slick! I may try and do something similar when I redo the tongue on mine.