mikeprince
Member
I've been looking for a tent trailer that's more off-road capable than the 1967 Apache I already have.
The Apache sets a pretty high bar, providing two large beds, almost 7' of standing room, and in a package that weighs ~400 lbs. A solid wood floor means we can use a Mr. Buddy heater and the thick canvas tent keeps us toasty through the coldest nights. When folded up there's a very large storage area.
There are plenty of off-road trailers on the market but they generally suffer in two dimensions: they are heavy, and most use roof top tents. Oh, and they are usually very expensive.
The weight problem is usually from overbuilding/over-engineering, and is frequently compounded from over optioning. For me, I've been very happy coming back to a camp that has two super-comfy beds, a heater, cooler, and a old coleman stove for cooking. I don't need slide out kitchens, 14 gauge trailer walls to contain my sleeping bags, or struts to gain access to my stuff through a heavy trailer lid.
Roof top tents are awesome - but they don't provide enough space to safely run my heater, or enough space for the kids to have their friends over to play (happens all the time), or enough height to stand up to change, or enough space in a pinch to cook on a cold rainy day (extended camping seasons). The Apache has really nailed the space/weight trade-off game.
So what am I to do?
I've already done a Dexter axle swap to an M101A1 so I'm familiar with how strong these trailers are and the weight savings that could be had. I had purchased another M101A1 to switch to an even lighter 3500 lb axle and section down the bed to see how much lighter I could get it when I ran across an old Sears David Bradley trailer for $400. It looked super clean, same owner for 60(!) years and at 550 pounds with truck sized tires and tons of clearance looked like a great foundation.
However, upon closer inspection a long-term flaw in the original design had allowed mud to collect in the box frame and the two side sections were deeply pitted on the inside. I have a choice of simply removing the two frame channels and replacing with either channel or box again, or... Maybe I should drop the Bradley box on the M101A1 frame? Hmmm...
While I'm exploring the body tub transplant I decided to remove the old M101A1 body and do a forensic study of the component weights.
Here are my findings:
M101A1 Body:
- Floor: 144.4 lbs
- Front clip: 49.6 lbs
- Tailgate: 40.8 lbs
- Left wall + fender: 73 lbs
- Right wall + fender: 70.4 lbs
Total: 378.2 lbs
Tongue/A-Arms:
- Lunette receiver casting + landing leg: 28.4 lbs
- (2) Safety chains and hooks: 11.2 lbs
- Lunette + nut: 17.6 lbs
Total: 57.2 lbs
Axle, Brakes, and Tires:
Removed:
(NOTE: For this new trailer I'm going to use a 3500 lb axle which will be lighter, but I'll add drum brakes for the parking brake feature)
Total axle/brake/tire/wheel weight savings was 227 lbs.
From the above math, I'm estimating to lose ~662 lbs from a 1340 lb trailer for the first round of this diet, resulting in a 678 lb frame + suspension + tires/wheels. Of course it's missing the front coupler and a landing leg, and I'd like to restore the two parking brakes. I'm also unsure if the 1340 weight includes the trailer cover/tarp and the upper wood walls, which are another 100 lbs or so.
This is going to be a winter project so progress will be slow, but I'll post updates as they happen.
The Apache sets a pretty high bar, providing two large beds, almost 7' of standing room, and in a package that weighs ~400 lbs. A solid wood floor means we can use a Mr. Buddy heater and the thick canvas tent keeps us toasty through the coldest nights. When folded up there's a very large storage area.
There are plenty of off-road trailers on the market but they generally suffer in two dimensions: they are heavy, and most use roof top tents. Oh, and they are usually very expensive.
The weight problem is usually from overbuilding/over-engineering, and is frequently compounded from over optioning. For me, I've been very happy coming back to a camp that has two super-comfy beds, a heater, cooler, and a old coleman stove for cooking. I don't need slide out kitchens, 14 gauge trailer walls to contain my sleeping bags, or struts to gain access to my stuff through a heavy trailer lid.
Roof top tents are awesome - but they don't provide enough space to safely run my heater, or enough space for the kids to have their friends over to play (happens all the time), or enough height to stand up to change, or enough space in a pinch to cook on a cold rainy day (extended camping seasons). The Apache has really nailed the space/weight trade-off game.
So what am I to do?
I've already done a Dexter axle swap to an M101A1 so I'm familiar with how strong these trailers are and the weight savings that could be had. I had purchased another M101A1 to switch to an even lighter 3500 lb axle and section down the bed to see how much lighter I could get it when I ran across an old Sears David Bradley trailer for $400. It looked super clean, same owner for 60(!) years and at 550 pounds with truck sized tires and tons of clearance looked like a great foundation.
However, upon closer inspection a long-term flaw in the original design had allowed mud to collect in the box frame and the two side sections were deeply pitted on the inside. I have a choice of simply removing the two frame channels and replacing with either channel or box again, or... Maybe I should drop the Bradley box on the M101A1 frame? Hmmm...
While I'm exploring the body tub transplant I decided to remove the old M101A1 body and do a forensic study of the component weights.
Here are my findings:
M101A1 Body:
- Floor: 144.4 lbs
- Front clip: 49.6 lbs
- Tailgate: 40.8 lbs
- Left wall + fender: 73 lbs
- Right wall + fender: 70.4 lbs
Total: 378.2 lbs
Tongue/A-Arms:
- Lunette receiver casting + landing leg: 28.4 lbs
- (2) Safety chains and hooks: 11.2 lbs
- Lunette + nut: 17.6 lbs
Total: 57.2 lbs
Axle, Brakes, and Tires:
Removed:
- 112 lbs each for 9.00x16 military tire and Budd split ring wheel
- 208 lbs for the axle with drum brakes
- 69.6 lbs for each 33x10.50 BFG tire (well worn) and steel 15" rims
- 65.8 lbs for the axle WITHOUT drum brakes
(NOTE: For this new trailer I'm going to use a 3500 lb axle which will be lighter, but I'll add drum brakes for the parking brake feature)
Total axle/brake/tire/wheel weight savings was 227 lbs.
From the above math, I'm estimating to lose ~662 lbs from a 1340 lb trailer for the first round of this diet, resulting in a 678 lb frame + suspension + tires/wheels. Of course it's missing the front coupler and a landing leg, and I'd like to restore the two parking brakes. I'm also unsure if the 1340 weight includes the trailer cover/tarp and the upper wood walls, which are another 100 lbs or so.
This is going to be a winter project so progress will be slow, but I'll post updates as they happen.
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