Smittybilt Scout Trailer Reviews?

[fd6axc4]

After three trips to harbor freight, I finally got a box in decent shape. The first one I got, they gave me the wrong (cheaper) one. Second trip I got the right one but the lid didn't stay shut. Third one was a charm.

It went together fairly well. I used some washers as spacers so it wouldn't sit against the Scout box and scratch it up. Also so water would drain. I also drilled a hole through the top of the fender and added a washer on there too, again, just to leave a space to drain water.

I used RTV instead of a gasket or rubber washer. That was a mistake. The RTV got everywhere and it just made things messy. For the next person that does this, I would look into a rubber washer. I also removed the upper eye hooks so the box would fit. I put a little solid rubber grommet in the missing hole and back-filled it with RTV on the inside.

 

[fd6axc4]

Smitty told me they are of structural nature. Mine went on the inside as well.

Just wondering, when you flipped yours around and mount it to the inside, did it sit flush on the cargo box? When I torqued the bolts down, there's about a 1/8" gap now. This would be the area that would had been surrounded by the caulk when it was mounted on the outside.

Something makes me think it should sit flush. I'm 99% sure I cleaned up all the existing caulk. On the other hand, maybe there's a gap there so the caulk could get injected and seal better?

 

[jacobsmg139]

I have been used the adapter and it has worked fine. I also have a Bronco on order and lucky me the Bronco and Tacoma bolt patterns are the same. I also have a swing out tire carrier on order. He is making mine just wide enough to clear the rear door as opposed to the full width shown.

Smittybilt Scout Trailer Rear Bumper Tire Carrier | TheDirtworx

Rear Bumper w/hitch & D-Ring mounts & swing away rear tire carrier. Mounts to trailer frame at 6 points. Includes grease fitting and stop to prevent over-extension. Minor drilling required. Grade 8 mounting hardware included. Can make alterations upon requests. Trail basket sold separately.

www.thedirtworx.com

Did you ever get your Dirtworx spare tire carrier installed? I am interested in buying one for my Scout trailer and spoke with Robert at Dirtworx yesterday.

 

[jacobsmg139]

Hi Guys, I hope not to bore you with all of this pictures coming right up...Part 3

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Wolf 1, did the metal shims you placed between the swing away tire carrier and the underside of the frame come with with the tire carrier hardware kit, or did you have to add them?

 

[ebrabaek]

Just wondering, when you flipped yours around and mount it to the inside, did it sit flush on the cargo box? When I torqued the bolts down, there's about a 1/8" gap now. This would be the area that would had been surrounded by the caulk when it was mounted on the outside.

Something makes me think it should sit flush. I'm 99% sure I cleaned up all the existing caulk. On the other hand, maybe there's a gap there so the caulk could get injected and seal better?

Mine sat 100% flush on the inside as well. I used 890 or also called pro-seal, which is an aviation grade 2 component seal, and it never moved.

 

[jojackc]

Just wondering, when you flipped yours around and mount it to the inside, did it sit flush on the cargo box? When I torqued the bolts down, there's about a 1/8" gap now. This would be the area that would had been surrounded by the caulk when it was mounted on the outside.

Something makes me think it should sit flush. I'm 99% sure I cleaned up all the existing caulk. On the other hand, maybe there's a gap there so the caulk could get injected and seal better?

Mine also sat 100% flush. I would say you have something in the way or not tight enough.

 

[MOD3RNFJ]

Hi All! It’s been awhile… have a question for you.

Has anyone figured out how to align the tires? My tires are cambered and I’m not sure how to fix. Called a handful of alignment shops in Phoenix and none of them do this type of trailer.

Thanks in advance!

 

[jojackc]

there was a guide in the back of the assembly book if I remember correctly.

 

[jojackc]

there was a guide in the back of the assembly book if I remember correctly.

Actually I doubled checked and it does give you a basic guide but tells you to bring it to an alignment shop. I would check with 4wheel parts if you have one locally. They put my trailer together for me..... I hope they aligned it lol.

 

[MOD3RNFJ]

Actually I doubled checked and it does give you a basic guide but tells you to bring it to an alignment shop. I would check with 4wheel parts if you have one locally. They put my trailer together for me..... I hope they aligned it lol.

Great feedback, thank you. I see the instructions, attached, but I don’t see how you actually adjust the camber on the hub. Any guidance on how?

 

[thardin68]

Great feedback, thank you. I see the instructions, attached, but I don’t see how you actually adjust the camber on the hub. Any guidance on how?

It has been a while since I have done this, so use your judgement and double check what I'm telling you here...

The camber and toe are adjusted at the front of the trailing arm. There are "cam bolts" on the inside and the outside of the trailing arm where they pivot on the frame. These are basically bolts with washers welded offset so you can position them differently depending on the orientation of the bolt head. I recall the outside bolt was what I used to adjust the camber (or try to anyway) and the inside bolt adjusts the toe in / out.

I have not been able to fully adjust the camber out of this trailer. I would like to have it closer to neutral, but there is still a significant camber on my trailer, causing uneven wear on the tires. I hear some camber is good, but I have no idea what is preferred. Has to be less than I have.

I think the adjustment can easily be thrown off by a couple of good hits off road, so I suggest maybe putting some weld on the washers to the frame to keep it put if you feel confident you have things set the way you want. Keep in mind, this will need to be cut later to properly service things.

As far as having a shop set your alignmnet? Its a camp trailer (I have about 12,000 miles on since I set mine). I connect the trailer to the tow vehicle and string lines from the front tire across the rear tires and straight back across the rear of the trailer tires at hub height. An adjustment can be made with blocks if your vehicle has a different track width. Lines should be parallel with one another and trailer should be centered within lines (Check your tow hitch is actually centered - use corrected measurements if not). I bungee a long straight edge to the trailer tire at hub height on each side. You can measure the distance across the front and rear of the trailer tires as well as correlation to the strings pulled to see if your tires are towed in or out, and if the tires are aligned with the vehicle. I'm not going to fully explain this, but if you cant figure it out, you should probably bring it to a shop.

Camber you can get fairly close with a 4' level and a measuring tape. At least to get one side consistent with the other. Before you start, check the heights of the trailer from one side to the other from the ground surface, Mine is sensitive to weight distribution. I actually run 2 pairs of monroe air shocks to be able to load level with air pressure when traveling.

Hope this helps.

 

[thardin68]

We are getting ready to head out next week on a cross country trip. We are in Maine in Acadia and headed west toward Vegas. Going to take 4 months to bang around heading through UP and Badlands, then south before the rockies toward NM & AZ & Utah. Leaving the Heep in Vegas with Motech for a new LT-1 / 10 speed / Atlas transplant, then picking it up in June of 2023 to do high elevation stuff and BC, then down Pacific NW for 7 or 8 months. We will see how it fares. We put 12,000 miles on it last year on the East Coast....

 

[jacobsmg139]

We are getting ready to head out next week on a cross country trip. We are in Maine in Acadia and headed west toward Vegas. Going to take 4 months to bang around heading through UP and Badlands, then south before the rockies toward NM & AZ & Utah. Leaving the Heep in Vegas with Motech for a new LT-1 / 10 speed / Atlas transplant, then picking it up in June of 2023 to do high elevation stuff and BC, then down Pacific NW for 7 or 8 months. We will see how it fares. We put 12,000 miles on it last year on the East Coast....

Sounds amazing! Have a great trip!

 

[mfcoffroad]

I’m looking for some help. I ordered and received my Dirtworx rear bumper for the Scout but have no clue how it installs. Can anyone shed some light on this? Waiting to hear back from the company still and no instructions came with it.

 

[Catalanbull]

I’m looking for some help. I ordered and received my Dirtworx rear bumper for the Scout but have no clue how it installs. Can anyone shed some light on this? Waiting to hear back from the company still and no instructions came with it.

You have to drill the holes in the trailer, it’s very easy. I’m sure Robert will reply or call him. He was really responsive and helpful when working on mine.

if you go a few pages back in the forum you’ll find lots of pictures of how it installs.