Posted: 9/22/2013 3:33:50 PM EDT
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A customer of mine makes cargo trailers. Last week I joked he should build a 5 by 8 foot cargo trailer with extra ground clearance and a better suspension. He emailed back and said what else should this trailer have. He wants to make it for the next RV convention.
What ideas or parts should I share with him. |
| Four corner leveling jacks, drag style rear crossmember, quiet generators (Honda or Yamaha inverter), possibly air suspension to allow up and down adjustment for street or off road height, Ham radio with crank up antenna mast, solar panel on roof, flip up top, slide out cooking, outside mount for shower curtain and access panel for shower head, make the tires and rims match the pulling vehicle, two mounted spares. Just the little things.................... |
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Quoted:
Four corner leveling jacks, drag style rear crossmember, quiet generators (Honda or Yamaha inverter), possibly air suspension to allow up and down adjustment for street or off road height, Ham radio with crank up antenna mast, solar panel on roof, flip up top, slide out cooking, outside mount for shower curtain and access panel for shower head, make the tires and rims match the pulling vehicle, two mounted spares. Just the little things.................... Good ideas! He is just building the trailer, but those items could be in the display. My ideas: rear skid plates or corner tires like on a lawn mover to prevent scalping hitch mount with more rotation for uneven ground. inside and outside hooks and slots for shelves and tie downs |
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Quoted:
A customer of mine makes cargo trailers. Last week I joked he should build a 5 by 8 foot cargo trailer with extra ground clearance and a better suspension. He emailed back and said what else should this trailer have. He wants to make it for the next RV convention. What ideas or parts should I share with him. Pix of our Stealth Trailer. But that is impossible... 
But  he can read all my descriptive posts abt it here!
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Pintle hitch link
locking storage box on tongue (if boxed in part of trailer doesn't go all way to front of tongue) roof rack or roof tent outside LED lights attached to deep cycle battery attached to solar charger frames attached to exterior that would hold jerry cans like this long travel suspension air bags trailer brakes skid plates ETA: locking attachment points for shovel, ax, high lift jack, etc. |
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On a small trailer like you mentioned in the OP I like:
The trailer tires to track in the same track as the tow vehicle The trailer to use the same wheels as the tow vehicle. The trailer to have the same ground clearance as the tow vehicle The trailer to have similar departure and break-over angles as the tow vehicle. Oops I just described a pickup bed trailer for full size rigs, or a jeep trailer for FJCruiser, XTerra, H3, and jeeps. I like a fleetside pickup bed trailer because it has more capacity inside for stuff instead of hanging the fuel cans on the outside to invite thieves. If he does a stepside type trailer a-la jeep trailer with the fenders outside the cargo box then a high-top option. A top to match the roofline of the tow vehicle. |
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the Max Coupler is kind of cool:
http://www.adventuretrailers.com/coupler.html |
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Some type of water storage. Maybe a flat tank under the cargo part of the trailer? Quoted:
Some type of water storage. Maybe a flat tank under the cargo part of the trailer? Fuel storage and some sort of fuel transfer scheme would also be nice. If you can carry 30 gallons in a trailer-mounted tank - and easily pump it into your tow vehicle as needed - then that's 6 Jerry Cans you don't need. Quoted:
The trailer tires to track in the same track as the tow vehicle Would be slick if they had some way of adjusting the track, so the same trailer could be sold for use with different tow vehicles. Quoted:
outside LED lights attached to deep cycle battery attached to solar charger Most modern tow vehicles have an alternator capable of putting out 150+ amps. With a decent electrical connection between the tow vehicle and trailer, it could recharge your average deep-cycle battery in very little time. |
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my fingers are too messed up to type much but definite requirements: pintle/lunette style hitch, ideally with anQD mount twin axle runflats same tires/wheels as tow vehicle dropside for easy conversion to flatbed E-track modular cargo system hydraulic brakes, not electric and a bunch of other things i;ll type up later |
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Ring mount?  Quoted:
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great ideas, keep them coming. Ring mount? I think a place to hang your, nose ring, tongue ring, ear ring, lip ring, belly button ring, finger ring, p-ring, a-ring, c-ring, toe ring, scalp ring, etc. So many rings ---so few places to put them, when bugging out... |
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It would be cool if he could build one with independent suspension. Maybe go with some stub axles like car dollies use. Torsion axle would also accomplish this.
I am not a big fan of air suspension in an off road application. Too many things to go wrong in the boonies. A 5x8 is going to have good approach and departure angles especially with 2 or 3 inches of lift. Run the trailer tongue all the way back to the axle. Better yet make it the frame and build the cargo platform on top of that. Run all wiring through conduit and use a junction box instead of splicing. Brush guards around all lights and go with quality LED lights. Angled skid plate in front and back of axle to protect against that rock that looked small enough to straddle. |
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Quoted:
Fuel storage and some sort of fuel transfer scheme would also be nice. If you can carry 30 gallons in a trailer-mounted tank - and easily pump it into your tow vehicle as needed - then that's 6 Jerry Cans you don't need. Quoted:
Quoted:
Some type of water storage. Maybe a flat tank under the cargo part of the trailer? Fuel storage and some sort of fuel transfer scheme would also be nice. If you can carry 30 gallons in a trailer-mounted tank - and easily pump it into your tow vehicle as needed - then that's 6 Jerry Cans you don't need. Ooooh Niiice Quoted:
The trailer tires to track in the same track as the tow vehicle Would be slick if they had some way of adjusting the track, so the same trailer could be sold for use with different tow vehicles. Challenge accepted I considered that there should be two or three trailers sizes offered. Mini for smaller tow vehicles; FJ Cruiser, XTerra, H3, jeep. Full for half ton tow vehicles; Suburban, Tahoe, Avalanche, and whatever ford offers Heavy for tow vehicles that have 8 lug nuts The Mini and Full size trailers could be offered with different hub and bolt patterns to match different brands of tow vehicles. |
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For 4 grand, I'd expect something a little more elegant than half a dozen Jerry Cans and a Super Siphon... 
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When it comes to trying to make a trailer fit every vehicle I think it would be better to simply source axles and bolt patterns on the hubs as needed. Lots of people add spacers and do all sorts of stuff to run this size tire or that size tire. I am not adding spacers to my tj but I also don't want monster tires on it either. I plan to just order an axle with electric brakes on it with the same bolt pattern the jeep uses when I get around to figuring out exactly what I need to order. For fuel tanks like people are talking about you can source a racing tank sometimes or a lot of folks simply hit the junkyard and pull a tank and an electric fuel pump out from under something and once you figure out what the various wires and hoses all accomplish you have your fuel tank. |
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Wow! That thang sticks out like a sore, uh, thumb. Some Zoombies are gonna wind up with a lot of hippy trailers... 
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