RandomAbstract
Adventurer
Okay, it's maybe not what you expected and it's probably not a typical tow vehicle, but it is a gear hauler for a convertible!
I have had enough of sitting at a desk and need to head for the mountains. Planning on traveling from Minneapolis area to the Great Northwest (Seattle, Portland, Olympics) via Yellowstone and the Tetons during the month of September. Told my boss that I would be leaving in September and would be back when I got it out of my system!
My first passion is outdoor photography - spending time and the outdoors and having the opportunity for up-close-and-person encounters with this gentleman and other like him.
Moments In Nature
That being said, I decided it would be a lot of fun to travel in our convertible instead of a minivan - all practicalities aside. However, all of my camping gear won't fit in the trunk.
I started with the idea of a motorcycle trailer. Then realized that I already had a Thule car-top box sitting in the garage. Putting the car-top box on one of the little Harbor Freight 40x48 trailers would be inexpensive and quick.
I suddenly realized that the ice chest and chuck box won't fit into the car-top box and the car-top carrier is not the least bit bear resistant. (I am fully aware that nothing I am going to build is going to be bear proof.)
NOTE TO SELF: Keep all food items in the gear hauler and not in the car. It's easier to repair/replace the gear hauler!
I found one of these at our local camping store http://spacetrailers.com/. However, $3,000 didn't fit my current definition of an Affordable Lightweight Sports Trailer.
So I said to myself, "Self, why don't you just built one."
After much pondering and reading many posts on this forum, I have tentatively settled on building a 4' x 4' gear box on 1/2 of the bolt-together trailer from Northern Tool. I like the tongue design a little better than the Harbor Freight version. Plus, they are in stock down the street at $329.
My plan is to use just the front half of the trailer for a gear box trailer, moving the wheels forward to the appropriate spot. I can always take the gear box off the trailer, assemble both halves and have a 4x8 utility trailer.
I can always put rails on top of the gear box for hauling the car-top carrier for more room, bikes, kayaks, etc.
I plan for this to be more like a throw-away prototype built quickly out of 3/4" plywood and simply painted. (I have built a 4x8x4 trailer this way in a previous life for hauling music equipment and it lasted many years.) I will learn from this first trip and likely make modification before next summer.
If I had more time, money, ambition and a place to store it, I might be tempted to build something like a teardrop camper or a sleep-in expedition camper that are quit popular on this forum.
I have had enough of sitting at a desk and need to head for the mountains. Planning on traveling from Minneapolis area to the Great Northwest (Seattle, Portland, Olympics) via Yellowstone and the Tetons during the month of September. Told my boss that I would be leaving in September and would be back when I got it out of my system!
My first passion is outdoor photography - spending time and the outdoors and having the opportunity for up-close-and-person encounters with this gentleman and other like him.
Moments In Nature
That being said, I decided it would be a lot of fun to travel in our convertible instead of a minivan - all practicalities aside. However, all of my camping gear won't fit in the trunk.
I started with the idea of a motorcycle trailer. Then realized that I already had a Thule car-top box sitting in the garage. Putting the car-top box on one of the little Harbor Freight 40x48 trailers would be inexpensive and quick.
I suddenly realized that the ice chest and chuck box won't fit into the car-top box and the car-top carrier is not the least bit bear resistant. (I am fully aware that nothing I am going to build is going to be bear proof.)
NOTE TO SELF: Keep all food items in the gear hauler and not in the car. It's easier to repair/replace the gear hauler!
I found one of these at our local camping store http://spacetrailers.com/. However, $3,000 didn't fit my current definition of an Affordable Lightweight Sports Trailer.
So I said to myself, "Self, why don't you just built one."
After much pondering and reading many posts on this forum, I have tentatively settled on building a 4' x 4' gear box on 1/2 of the bolt-together trailer from Northern Tool. I like the tongue design a little better than the Harbor Freight version. Plus, they are in stock down the street at $329.
My plan is to use just the front half of the trailer for a gear box trailer, moving the wheels forward to the appropriate spot. I can always take the gear box off the trailer, assemble both halves and have a 4x8 utility trailer.
I can always put rails on top of the gear box for hauling the car-top carrier for more room, bikes, kayaks, etc.
I plan for this to be more like a throw-away prototype built quickly out of 3/4" plywood and simply painted. (I have built a 4x8x4 trailer this way in a previous life for hauling music equipment and it lasted many years.) I will learn from this first trip and likely make modification before next summer.
If I had more time, money, ambition and a place to store it, I might be tempted to build something like a teardrop camper or a sleep-in expedition camper that are quit popular on this forum.