Lets talk trail trailers!

Lets talk trail trailers!

mylittlecj5

RIP Mike, we'll all miss you
Posts
4,939
Thanks
2
Location
OKC area
Vehicle(s)
'74 CJ-5,
360 AMC Engine.
35x12.50x15 TSL Super Swamper tires.

In a frame off rebuild for a long time...
anyone have any ideas floating around for a small trailer to carry all the 'stuff' that won't fit into the back area of a CJ (CJ6 and CJ8 owners, no wisecracks please! :D)

this is my little back-of-the-brain design I came up with and drew out (thanks to Google Sketchup!)
 

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why dont you keep it a JEEP trailer
find a CJ8 tub and hack the back end off
take what ever front axel you are using and get a spare
figure out a way to secure the tie rods to the trailer so the tires dont turn
Now you have spare parts for your rig and a good size trailer!

I was going to do this up here but im going to wait until i get back south
 
I built a yard trailer out of a DJ5 (2wd postal Jeep) front axle a few years ago. I found that a 4"x12"x3/16" steel plate would fit exactly between the tie rod and the axle tube and tie the knuckles straight. Just weld it in.

I can't find decent prices on a parts Jeep for my current (common) Jeep, much less trying to find a rare vintage CJ8 and cutting it up. I do know where a CJ7 tub is thats been cut down to make a trailer out of, Dana 60 axle, 36" mud tires, pintle hitch, and ugly as SIN! I want a good looking trailer to tow behind the Jeep, not something hacked together, with the associated headaches. Not to mention the weight factor in using a front drive axle as the axle base.
 
Whatever design you go with, put shocks on it. Good idea using a pintle. Here is one I like. Off Road Trailer Build
 
:laugh: did you notice any similarities to that one? I stole a lot of ideas off that one and many others to come up with mine.
I am still refining what mine will turn out to be, depending on how long it takes to get into a real shop that I can run my welders in.

Oh yea, it will have shocks, I just couldn't model them with my Limited skills in 3-D modeling.
 
I have been looking into the small trailers and I think that I will build one one of these days. I guess that I will have to learn how to back one up.:):) I can do it as long as I have a couple of days! I bought my truck so I wouldn't have to do that. Now that I have the Jeep and plan on taking it out to not much room for things.
 
LOL - If I can teach my old ex to backup, anyone can do it!

Best piece of advice I can give you, when learning always keep your hands on the bottom of the wheel. Then when you want the trailer to go in a certain direction, just move you hand in the direction you want it to go! You don't have to try and think backwards for the turn...
 
Forklifts work good I have no problem when I am pushing a trailer. Move them around in the shop yard like that. I know the more you do it the better and I try to do the bottom of the steering wheel. Just don't do it that often.
 
Pic up an old army trailer remove the tub panels and replace them with aluminum to save weight, that or pick up the dimensions off the net and build your own.
You get the cool factor and it looks good, works good. I do recommend a pintle, they will give you more flex in ruff terrain.

I had been thinking of buying one of those squareish trailers from lowes or TS and skinning the sides and rounding the corners to look like the back of a jeep and adding a removable top. The top would be from a wrangler or 2 from the junk yard. That way I'd have the lights and hatch and stuff.

That or use the front of a jeep, chop it at the dash/firewall, skin the chopped area to look like the rear of a jeep. Then close in the engine bay to use as a closed trailer, the hood would open to allow you to put :dung: in. Tow it with the grill facing backwards, LOL.
 
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Wisperz, Fishingfool, and I were talking about a trailer that the tongue would slip in and out and that could be locked to the bumper. This Idea came from the area we are from, Getting off the Island we take a ferry and get charged for how long the vehicle and trailer are together.
I know it could be done but would the tongue be strong enough and not bend? Locking the trailer with two extra bars that attach to the trailer with pins, and attache to the D-ring mounts on the Jeep. Can anyone see any issues with this??
 
Pic up an old army trailer remove the tub panels and replace them with aluminum to save weight, that or pick up the dimensions off the net and build your own.
You get the cool factor and it looks good, works good. I do recommend a pintle, they will give you more flex in ruff terrain..




Are you talking about one of these trailers? If so, is $500 too much for it?
Military Trailer
 

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thats not a bad price, as long as you have a 3/4 or 1 ton truck to pull it...Those are too big for a CJ to haul around.

this is what he means, and what my design is loosely modeled after
id_m100_700_01.jpg
 
Ok, I am going to try to make this make sense.

My sister has a Ford Explorer and when she comes home from OK (Tinker AFB) she has this tray like thing that attaches to the back and that is where they carry the luggage. Dont ask me to look for it because I just dont have the brain power today. Someone will understand this though.

ANYWAY, would that not work? You can take it off at your 'picnic' area or whatever you want to call it... ok, now I am confusing myself.
 
I know what your talking about. They just slide into the receiver hitch. Hes looking for something that he can actually get through some obstacles with it still being behind the Jeep. Picture what would happen to that rack hanging of your bumper going up your first obstacle. :eek:
 
thats not a bad price, as long as you have a 3/4 or 1 ton truck to pull it...Those are too big for a CJ to haul around.



Cool, I didn't realize that there were different sizes. Good info, thanks. BTW, I liked your design, are you still thinking about building it from scratch?
 
Not thinking, planning! I used to build a lot of trailers, and I think this is a real good design. maybe this summer I can get power out to the slab I work on, and get the welders fired up again...


I may change up the design a little if my contact can get me the rocket cans I want. THen the trailer will be a little bit longer to fit them. they are about 4" tall and completely sealed tight.
 
Any progress on this? After I pick up the CJ8 this very well could be the next thing on my list.
 
:laugh: In the last 2 weeks I've been on the road for all but 3 days....Last week and 1/2 was in Maryland, then this week we are doing a 3200 mile, 4 1/2 day run. All done in semi trucks (55 MPH in most of the states we are running :grr: ) Gotta be home by Saturday morning to race the CJ in its first race this year. And I haven't even had time to see if it will still start and run after its recent carb troubles.


Anyways, I'm still gathering parts and getting ready to set up a "shop" so I can work on the trailer this summer. Ask me again this fall :laugh:...or PM me and I can give you some ideas.
 

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