Sleep 4+dog: Beef up a pop-up?

[zimm17]

I'm in the brain storming phase for our next camper. I tow with a JKU. Need to sleep up to 4 (2 kids) and a dog. I just sold my Casita which was great, but not off-road capable. I'm not going to take a trailer on the trails, but needs to be overland/forest road capable and be an off-grid basecamp in the parking lots of a OHV park or state/national park. I did the Georgia Traverse a few months ago and a small trailer would be have awesome. Granted most of my trips, I'm solo, but the wife specified they need to be able to tag along.

Teardrops are too small. A military trailer with RTT could be good, but I don't need much "cargo" room, just sleeping space. What I'm thinking is a small (like 8' box) pop up and put a beefy axle and 35's on it. A roof top A/C would be nice if it's ever needed and there is power or I bring the Honda 2000. Not sure if Timbren axles, or a leaf spring dexter with shocks.

I don't need a kitchen- I have a ARB fridge in the jeep and can set up an outdoor kitchen. Or even better, some type of pull out slide in the camper for the stove and propane to be outside.

Will it just shake apart? Am I on the right path? Other ideas?

 

[OverlandNA]

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[Teardropper]

Will it just shake apart? Am I on the right path?

I assume you are talking about building it yourself.

It won't shake apart if you build it correctly (like an airplane, not like a tank) and put the right axle under it.

At teardrop gatherings –and I realize you aren't doing a teardrop– the 'drops that come in with pans rattling have traditional steel-spring axles. The ones that don't rattle have torsion axles built for the weight of the trailer.

Tony

 

[old_CWO]

You're on the right track. It's real easy to sturdy up the cabinets in a pop-up. You need some poplar 1x1 and 1x2, a bottle of Titebond II glue and some quality wood screws. It takes a weekend or less to make them much stronger.

I love the idea of a pull out galley, cooking inside is not my favorite. There were some models made in the 70s that came with one that looked sort of like a lazy Susan. You could use in indoors or out, pretty neat idea.

I bought this one about 20 years ago and it was already 20 years old at the time. The previous owners had towed it to Alaska from Washington at least half a dozen times. Aside from a few repaired rips in the canvas, that little Jayco was in really good condition.

By the time this photo was taken I had done a spring over lift, rebuilt the original springs with two additional leafs and ran 5.30-12 bias trailer tires. The XJ towing it was on 32x11.50 tires for ground clearance comparison.

 

[Tifun]

Depending on the child sizes you could fit the kids and pups in something like I built. Bunks for them and a queen for us. Measure 5lx8wx4h.





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