Adventure trailer

**rebel** · 10-30-2012, 10:04 AM

Off and on for about a year I've been thinking about making an adventure trailer. Kratshooter's trailer mishap has got me thinking again about it. From what I've seen and what I want the trailer to do, I would probably have to build my own or do some serious mods.

I'd like a trailer that was off road capable and that my 4wheeler could pull but also carry the 4wheeler when pulled by a vehicle at highway speeds.

It would also need to carry: a canoe, 2 bicycles, tent, sleeping bags, stove, pots/pans, groceries, 2 fuel and 2 water containers.

Does anyone else have any ideas on this subject?

**hunter63** · 10-30-2012, 12:21 PM

I have had many trailers over the years.....even the HF verity that I do haul 4 wheelers on....and with a receiver hitch on the 4 wheeler, haul the trailer with the 4 wheeler as you suggested.
Part of the problem of a combination is weight, as I found trying to use the 4 wheeled to move the covered trailer in the yard.....too much tongue weight....basically flipped the 4 wheeler up on two wheels.

Currently there are 8 trailers in the fleet..... two covered trailers,.... one here, one at the place, the H modded trailer with side boards, large 4 X12' flat bed, (built from old camper frame, heavy), a 2 yard dump trailer, and two boat trailers,....and a set up old A frame camper set up as a shed.

At one point, that HF trailer has been sue as a Rondy trailer with 48" sides and big canvas tarp, but now has short sideboards, for utility use, ( wood canoe, 4 wheeler, lumber runs etc.

Smaller covered trailer, is used the most as job trailer, Rondy trailer, and can hold the smaller, older 4 wheeler for hunting trips....newer style 4 wheelers are much higher and wider and won't fit.

Larger covered trailer holds much more gear, but doesn't fit into garage and is hard to move around, currently is just being stored as it belonged to the DIL that passed, and no one wants to make a decision as to use.....so in a rolling shed. (still needs to have bearing/ tires checked and kept up).

Keep in mind, if you have "room" everyone want you to store their stuff.

Big flat bed needs work,....and tires....

Dump trailer get used in hauling dirt, gravel and wood,....got tired of having to wait on contractors delivering this stuff when I wasn't there and having it to move a second time....

Boat trailers ....for the boats...

Non of these are truly an off road unit, ground clearance, and handling issued, turning around, backing side clearance etc.....

I have dragged the smaller 5 X 12' in some interesting places, and is my "go to" for camping/rondy....and with a roof rack could be a canoe/4 wheeler, gear and in bad weather, staying in trailer....the handiest.
Unloading the gear now, from the Jamboree, that we didn't make.................

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Intresting subject, as you see I'm a trailer guy, so would like to see what you come up with....Remembe,r one can never have too many trailers.

**rebel** · 10-30-2012, 12:38 PM

I appreciate the response and experience with the trailers.

**hunter63** · 10-30-2012, 12:55 PM

The red trailer has just had some interior racking added....was a way to increase floor space.......and several more tie downs, to secure contents as they do bounce around.....had a bad experirance with a new gal jug of chain oil that sorta went every where....including dripping out the back.....should have seen how the traffic stayed back....LOL....what a mess.

By far this has been the most used trailer I own...... followed by the 4X8' HF unit.......

**Echo2** · 10-30-2012, 12:58 PM

One day I'll finish it....

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You can just buy or build a trailer and put a camper shell on it....I've seen that work well for an adventure trailer.

This is set up for more of a mobile chuck wagon.

**hunter63** · 10-30-2012, 01:07 PM

That's a real nice set up.....had been thinking about a unit I saw,like that,.... when the OP's question came up, that I saw some where....can't find it now.

Jack it up a tad....and add some bigger tires.......Yeah....very nice unit.

Saw one set up as a mobile ham radio station with gen-set and solar as well.......can't fine that one either.

**hunter63** · 10-30-2012, 01:40 PM

Been looking, found this site.......
http://www.adventuretrailers.com/index.html

Has a home built section.

**rebel** · 10-30-2012, 02:04 PM

Nice rig echo. Thanks for the site H63. I've seen some vids with their trailers. Very cool.

**kyratshooter** · 10-30-2012, 04:25 PM

I do believe that my next trailer project, after I get the present trailer repair done, will be a tear drop camper.

I have a red trailer identical to the one you show behind the pickup Hunter, the little utility trailer I need to repair and two boat trailers.

Sometimes I think the garden cart I pull behind the yard tractor is the most used trailer on the place.

I once had a real nice pickup with matching pickup bed trailer and matching camper shells I used for Rondys. Doubt that will ever happen again.

**Old Professor** · 10-31-2012, 10:41 AM

I have a custom built 5' by 12' flat bed trailer that I added two ft high sides to, for hauling my Honda Rubicon ATV. I can easily tow it with the ATV, even over rough trails as it has car tires. I have used it to haul goose decoys out into fields, haul away logs from a big pine tree I had cut down (before the wind did it for me) and to haul deer out of the woods. I don't remember how I got by before I got this trailer!! My SIL and I have built several trailers out of the remains of camping trailers. We know of a junk yard that has a lot of old travel /camping trailers. The owner will knock of the old camper and sell just the frame and wheels. We take it from there and customize the trailer as we see fit.

**hunter63** · 10-31-2012, 11:11 AM

Recycling of old camper frames is a popular way to go, have done several myself, including flipping the axles to the other side of the springs to get rid of the tire hump.

The 8 X12' flat bed is one, and is really heavy, built with 3/4 treated plywood, and at one point had 4 ft side boards.

Have carried a small car, on it,,,,as well as all sorts of tractors, 4 wheelers, snow machines, construction equipment...and even rescued the small trailer when the tire and axle blew up.....just winched it up the ramp and tied it down.

Echo2, really like yours, but for me it it too specialized, I still need something I can reload for the occasion....or for sure I would have more the 7 or 8 trailers that are around now.......

I wish i had a picture of the DD/SIL set up in the old days.....You would have laughed....a real red-neck camper.

One of my campers rescues, (did a lot of them)...I rebuilt a pop-up gave it to the kids.....he had a roof rack on it with 17 ft canoe,, (that I found for them)....and a ratty 4 wheeler in the back of a short bed Dodge 4X4, cab piled high and down the road we go.......ready for anything......Just needed a bike rack on the front.

**Echo2** · 10-31-2012, 11:26 AM

The utility bed camper tops can be had for under a couple hundred....

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I found this one for $100.....new they are over $1000.

**hunter63** · 10-31-2012, 11:43 AM

Great idea, just looking at that starts the head going with ideas.

I'm still looking for a deal on a 20 ft flat bed (or maybe bigger) for the tractor.....or what ever......
On can never have too many trailers....trick is to not park them all in one place....

Krat's idea of a tear drop camper is also something that is do-able, could have used one for duck hunting....
http://www.google.com/search?q=teard...w=1017&bih=455

Had a 16 ft Shasta ham can trailer set up at "The Place", for a lot of years.....gave it away to a homeless or sort of a homeless guy....well wasn't actually homeless but lived in a straw covered Yurt-ish thing, year round, and I needed the room for the Boat shed.....so I gave it away........He is still living in it.

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**rebel** · 10-31-2012, 12:24 PM

I'm diggin these ideas!

There's so many ways to go.

A designated ready-to-go disaster trailer wouldn't be bad either. Something that the common person could put together without specialized skills.

**crashdive123** · 10-31-2012, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by rebel

A designated ready-to-go disaster trailer wouldn't be bad either. Something that the common person could put together without specialized skills.

That's how my retired bug truck is set up.

**kyratshooter** · 11-01-2012, 11:52 AM

My big cargo trailer sits full of gear most of the time. I dare say that I do not have a vehicle capable of pulling it down the road. In turn, my utility trailer sits empty most of the time awaiting the selected contents of the big trailer for each seperate camp. At the jamboree I had three full camps in my rig and probably could have built two more tarp camps if needed. Crash had more in his truck than I did, being a submariner he packs better than I do!

A weekend camp would require the rear 3 feet of the cargo trailer's load. A week long camp might require half the trailer and a selection process based on who and where. A "dedicated trailer" has never been a posibility due to each trip being different.

Then there is the RV, which holds much of the accumilated gear that is used once a decade. I forgot I had put the moose head in there and scared myself while packing for the Jamboree! The old ticker ain't what it used to be.

I now have two boat trailers, one cargo trailer, one 27' RV, one utility trailer, tractor and cart, three drivable vehicles, chicken coop and a house on my lot. Another "dedicated trailer" is more than I can park. It already looks like KY redneck heaven around here.

**rebel** · 11-01-2012, 03:54 PM

Labeled pack-up boxes in the vicinity of the trailer would allow the trailer to be used for other occasions. It wouldn't take much to throw in what was needed.

**hunter63** · 11-01-2012, 08:24 PM

I have a problem with the "dedicated" part as well....even the trucks, with their dedicated gear....then you need to drag home a yard sale find.....and end up un-loading, any way.

Large cargo trailers tend to be a mobile shed....my large one has a riding mower, and garden shreader in it, as well as some lumber....so would have to un-load and store if I wanted to use it.

So, for me its load/unload, load/unload.........

The other part is , stuff that stays stored, gets forgot and stuff goes bad, batteries, water froze, fuel bad, mice eat stuff.....or I just forget what I have packed where?.....So maybe the load/un-load is a good thing?