My Expedition Trailer build has started. Ideas wanted.

[Alpine Warthog]

Here goes...
I'm starting my build now that I have the base trailer ready to start building on. Main use will be for those weekends its just me and the dog. (The wife won't camp without the RV) so this is for me when I'm out off-roading and she's not wanting to go.
The trailer is built from a '74 Chevy LUV frame and, for now I'm sticking with the stock axle, 35" tires and wheels matching the truck. Overall length is 12' hitch to bumper. The frame is 40" wide and counting the tires it is 69" wide. As it sits right now, the trailer is almost 55/45 weighted. lifting the tongue could be done by a baby. So I'm going to watch my build to ensure its heavier up front. I may remove the stock bumper but for the moment its staying. It will see some fire road and double track but I doubt it will see any real OFF road trail use. I'm 6'1" and I'd like to have the ability to have the tent above my head so I can also have a mounted overhang above my head while cooking and the sort. I'm thinking about a multilevel sliding drawer and I'm hoping to find a decked drawer system for the back to adapt for the back of the trailer, (but that will add weight to the rear so I got to be careful)
I already have:
CVT Pioneer gen 1
Two 5 gallon jerry cans
Full Spare tire
Trailer ready for box building

The questions I have are:
How big does it have to be? What did you use to decide it was big enough? My goal is enough space for 3 people for 3-4 days. (Boondock capable)
My goal is to have the rooftop tent's bottom sit at 6'3" ish. So people can stand under it comfortably but not make the tent sit insanely high above my Jeep's roof line and top heavy while under tow.
How big of a water tank do I want for a 3 to 4 day camp trip boondocking?
How much power (Battery size and solar panel size) do i need for a weekend so I don't need to worry if I leave a light and fan on constantly.
I'd like to build a kitchen slide (or two) with a cook stove and a sink and a food prep cutting board area. How small it too small and cramped? What size do you think is comfortable?

anything else I'm forgetting?

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[Free2roam]

Keep the tent lower, invest in a awning that can easily be raised or lowered I have an OVS 270LT. Works great although it's fixed position. Small solar what are you running? I have 15 gallons onboard. Doubt you'll need that much. I had thought about building something like the Patriot camper once. But basically a square box with drop down door on rear for the tent to slice in and out. Additional doors on sides for storage and cooking area. Kept everything much lower. Bike rack on top and or solar/ battery box and ports. That was just a start. Ended up buying an ovrlnd camper instead.

 

[VA6489]

Here goes...
I'm starting my build now that I have the base trailer ready to start building on. Main use will be for those weekends its just me and the dog. (The wife won't camp without the RV) so this is for me when I'm out off-roading and she's not wanting to go.
The trailer is built from a '74 Chevy LUV frame and, for now I'm sticking with the stock axle, 35" tires and wheels matching the truck. Overall length is 12' hitch to bumper. The frame is 40" wide and counting the tires it is 69" wide. As it sits right now, the trailer is almost 55/45 weighted. lifting the tongue could be done by a baby. So I'm going to watch my build to ensure its heavier up front. I may remove the stock bumper but for the moment its staying. It will see some fire road and double track but I doubt it will see any real OFF road trail use. I'm 6'1" and I'd like to have the ability to have the tent above my head so I can also have a mounted overhang above my head while cooking and the sort. I'm thinking about a multilevel sliding drawer and I'm hoping to find a decked drawer system for the back to adapt for the back of the trailer, (but that will add weight to the rear so I got to be careful)
I already have:
CVT Pioneer gen 1
Two 5 gallon jerry cans
Full Spare tire
Trailer ready for box building

The questions I have are:
How big does it have to be? What did you use to decide it was big enough? My goal is enough space for 3 people for 3-4 days. (Boondock capable) 3 to 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 kids? they make 4 place RTTs, and annex. You can split the sleeping area between the RTT and the Annex.
My goal is to have the rooftop tent's bottom sit at 6'3" ish. So people can stand under it comfortably but not make the tent sit insanely high above my Jeep's roof line and top heavy while under tow. I am 6.4, I build my trailer to be light weight and compact. the top of my trailer (basic Box) is about 5 ft. Installed a RTT with an short annex. Plenty to room to stand outside the ladder under the tent, little short under the tent itself. This kept the height down and maximized space. I also installed 3 drop leg jacks and generally raise my trailer at camp. This give me a bit more height u=under the tent .
How big of a water tank do I want for a 3 to 4 day camp trip boondocking? depends on if showers are incorporated into the thought process. 15-20 Gal should be plenty for a long weekend for 4 folks scans showers. ( If you thinking a shower set up keep the showers to 2-3 min)
How much power (Battery size and solar panel size) do i need for a weekend so I don't need to worry if I leave a light and fan on constantly. I run a 120 watt solar with a battery (Goal Zero) Lots of power for my refrigerator and water pump.
I'd like to build a kitchen slide (or two) with a cook stove and a sink and a food prep cutting board area. How small it too small and cramped? What size do you think is comfortable? Take a minute the next time you do meal prep, see how much space you actualy use. This should give you some idea of what you need space wise. I have worked off a JKU drop down table, Gladiator tailgate and a fold up table. more space mean more stuff.

anything else I'm forgetting? Good quality off road hitch is you plan to take this on the trails, Keep weight down. Whatch the materials you use and look for ways to save weight in the build process. I used 0.80 wall tubing for the frame work and use fiberglass panels to weather tight the build. My over all weight came in at 950# with 40 inch tires and a RTT + 20 gal of water.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

The questions I have are:
How big does it have to be? What did you use to decide it was big enough? My goal is enough space for 3 people for 3-4 days. (Boondock capable) 3 to 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 kids? they make 4 place RTTs, and annex. You can split the sleeping area between the RTT and the Annex.
My goal is to have the rooftop tent's bottom sit at 6'3" ish. So people can stand under it comfortably but not make the tent sit insanely high above my Jeep's roof line and top heavy while under tow. I am 6.4, I build my trailer to be light weight and compact. the top of my trailer (basic Box) is about 5 ft. Installed a RTT with an short annex. Plenty to room to stand outside the ladder under the tent, little short under the tent itself. This kept the height down and maximized space. I also installed 3 drop leg jacks and generally raise my trailer at camp. This give me a bit more height u=under the tent .
How big of a water tank do I want for a 3 to 4 day camp trip boondocking? depends on if showers are incorporated into the thought process. 15-20 Gal should be plenty for a long weekend for 4 folks scans showers. ( If you thinking a shower set up keep the showers to 2-3 min)
How much power (Battery size and solar panel size) do i need for a weekend so I don't need to worry if I leave a light and fan on constantly. I run a 120 watt solar with a battery (Goal Zero) Lots of power for my refrigerator and water pump.
I'd like to build a kitchen slide (or two) with a cook stove and a sink and a food prep cutting board area. How small it too small and cramped? What size do you think is comfortable? Take a minute the next time you do meal prep, see how much space you actualy use. This should give you some idea of what you need space wise. I have worked off a JKU drop down table, Gladiator tailgate and a fold up table. more space mean more stuff.

anything else I'm forgetting? Good quality off road hitch is you plan to take this on the trails, Keep weight down. Whatch the materials you use and look for ways to save weight in the build process. I used 0.80 wall tubing for the frame work and use fiberglass panels to weather tight the build. My over all weight came in at 950# with 40 inch tires and a RTT + 20 gal of water.

Got any pics of the trailer? For sleeping space. I've got the biggest version of the CVT Pioneer (they say 2 adults and two kids) but I think I'm going to have a truck bed tent for times that I have a need for more than myself and the wife and German Shepard.

How many amp hours does your battery have? 120 amp solar panel, I'll start looking in that neighborhood.

Where did you get your fiberglass panels? I've been looking at aluminum sheeting and that's getting expensive! I really don't want to have exposed wood panel on the walls, I'd really like people to think this was a factory built unit and not homemade.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Speaking of fiberglass panels - maybe you'll find this slightly useful if the link works.



A sign company I do business with at work does a lot of stuff with this material 'Alupanel'. It's a thin aluminum skin over a 'plastic' core for a lack of better words.

It's fairly light, durable, comes in a lot of colors and if I recall - reasonably affordable. Our local sign company cuts it in whatever sizes are needed too, since well, they gotta make signs....

I saved the brochure as I was looking at it for a personal project once upon a time.

I don't have any input on the trailer otherwise- but watching curiously. We want to build *something* one day.

 

[VA6489]

Need to dig up pictures from my other computer. Will post some tonight or tomorrow.

Power I have one of these units.

https://goalzero.com/collections/portable-power-stations/products/yeti-1000x-open-box

Fiberglas panels, I made them from home foam insulation panels and glass mat. 12 inch foam and a layer of glass mat on each side.

Trailer frame. .120 wall 2.5 square tube frame with 0.080 wall skeleton frame.
Suspension is a custom made 4 link on air bags with gas shocks.

Hitch:
https://www.sylvansport.com/shop/ma...h2wd17nbuGmRtA-399mZZRZanyEdkjdB-5GPHJV8wbE0w

Wheels and Tires standard Jeep JK wheels with Milestar 40 inch rubber.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Chevy LUV frame trailer? Neat!

My only suggestion on dimensions: The proportions of the old M416 are almost perfect- except the tongue needs to be longer to track straight unloaded and back up easier (mine was a PITA because it was so short). The least amount of overhang beyond the axles you can legitimately get away with even if you’re not hard core wheeling it will make it much easier to store and maneuver.

 

[VA6489]

Some pictures before the suspension upgrade

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Chevy LUV frame trailer? Neat!

My only suggestion on dimensions: The proportions of the old M416 are almost perfect- except the tongue needs to be longer to track straight unloaded and back up easier (mine was a PITA because it was so short). The least amount of overhang beyond the axles you can legitimately get away with even if you’re not hard core wheeling it will make it much easier to store and maneuver.

Do you remember the overall length of the M416? This trailer is currently 140" The tongue is 40".

(By the way GROK 4.5 did an amazing job converting the photo to this line drawing!)

 

[Killer]

@Alpine Warthog You had me at "Chevy LUV".. My first car. Have fun with the build.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

@Alpine Warthog You had me at "Chevy LUV".. My first car. Have fun with the build.

It was my dad's truck. He had a heavily worked over and bored out 307 V-8 with side pipes in it. Complete with the heart shaped cut outs in the 14" rims. I still have two of them. (The other two are supposedly kicking around my grandfather's barn but no one has seen them in decades.)

It got hit in the front on while parked on the street when we lived in Cali. He converted the back half into a trailer and used it to move us from LA to Northwest PA back in '85. It's been sitting around ever since. Now it's time for a new lease on life lol.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Do you remember the overall length of the M416? This trailer is currently 140" The tongue is 40".

(By the way GROK 4.5 did an amazing job converting the photo to this line drawing!)

Grok keeps getting better and better. Even 6 months ago it wasn't anywhere near what it can do now with graphics especially.

Below is an M416 data plate. I sold mine to someone with a JLUR to convert into an off road tent trailer. It was just too nice for me to cut it up but it got a TON of use while I had it. They were super lightweight but could hold literal tons of cargo. Mine was circa 1966 or so and virtually indestructible.

 

[JTdiRtyD]

My assumption is this will be a RTT trailer?

How big does it have to be? What did you use to decide it was big enough? My goal is enough space for 3 people for 3-4 days. (Boondock capable)

When I built mine (it was enclosed, not an RTT trailer), I was of the mindset we don't need much space since we have been fine with almost nothing already, so we went with 4x8. It was enough room for us to lay down and have a small galley in the back. We quickly learned that we wanted more interior room to move around more comfortably. We wanted more storage space, and better thought out storage space so we didn't have to unpack everything to get to one item. We wanted a better kitchen setup with a bigger fridge because cooking on a folding table wasn't always ideal and the one BougeRV fridge we had wasn't enough.

All that said, whatever you think you'll be fine with, go just a little more. An RTT trailer is less about living space and more about storage. Your living space is outside.

My goal is to have the rooftop tent's bottom sit at 6'3" ish. So people can stand under it comfortably but not make the tent sit insanely high above my Jeep's roof line and top heavy while under tow.

Weight up high is probably the biggest concern when talking a trailer. If I were me, I'd opt for an awning over using the tent as overhead shelter. Might have to fabricate some adjustable height mounts for it, but theres plenty of examples out there.

How big of a water tank do I want for a 3 to 4 day camp trip boondocking?

General rule of thumb is 1 gal per person per day. Thats for drinking, hygiene, cooking, etc., but not for showering. Thats also really going to depend on where you're going. If its hot out, maybe bring 1.5 gal per person.

Showering really depends on the person. I can combat shower using almost nothing, the Mrs wouldn't even get her hair done with what I can shower with. I recommend testing taking showers using as little water as you can and see how much each of you use. Set up a 5 gal jug in the back yard and see how long it lasts.

Remember you can always resupply water when on the road.

Also, elec water pumps can be had for cheap these days. If you have the room and the know-how, pressurized water is always better than gravity fed.

How much power (Battery size and solar panel size) do i need for a weekend so I don't need to worry if I leave a light and fan on constantly.

People always ask this, and everyone is always going to say what works for them, but everyones power needs are different. My recommendation is to sit down and do the math for your gear and your needs. I don't have kids, so I don't have a bunch of devices that will need to be charged. I don't have anyone leaving lights on ,etc., so my power needs are lower than most.

Lets talk about 12v systems. When I planned out mine, I totaled up an hours worth of use between my fan and fridge. Those were the items that would likely be on the most during an hour. Then I added in some extra stuff, charging a phone from dead, charging an accessory, fan, lights, etc., and took that total and divided it in half because they won't be using power all the time.

12v fridge, most are around 3-5 amps when running, and they dont run constantly.
12v roof fans - mine runs around 2 amps on low-med fan speeds
Phones - depends on fast charging adapter, but most use about 2-5 amps
LED lights - typically pretty low, lets just say 1.5 amps

Lets just throw a ballpark out of 20 amps per hour.

100ah battery can provide 100 amp hours of power. So if you draw 20 amps consistently, it will last 5 hours. Now the kicker is, you won't always be drawing 20 amps, but it gives you a high use case scenario that you can start planning off of.

Now lets add solar. General rule of thumb is size your solar about 20-25% more than your usage. If you use 20 amps, your solar should give you 25 amps. That doesn't always work out because you really only get about 75-80% efficiency out of solar. A 100w panel will output about 5-6 amps during ideal conditions.

We currently have 315ah of battery in our trailer, and in comfortable temps we use maybe 30 amps overnight from when solar stops charging at night and starts in the morning. Thats running the fan, watching a movie before bed, making coffee in the morning, charging a phone or two, etc.. We have 400w of solar which is actually a little lower than we use, but it's been sufficient so far. I get a complete charge after a couple hours or so of good, direct sun, and I still get enough charge during a day of cloudy weather. But we don't use any power except fridge and fan during the day.

I'd like to build a kitchen slide (or two) with a cook stove and a sink and a food prep cutting board area. How small it too small and cramped? What size do you think is comfortable?

One thing I learned after building my first trailer, flat space is a premium. We had almost no flat space for prep, storage, etc. You can increase flat space in limited conditions by placing cutting boards over the sink or stove when not in use, using slide out surfaces, or setting up tables. Just remember that you'll want something covering this space for when the weather sucks. Nothing worse than trying to cook in wind and rain. Also, think about wind deflection for your stove.

anything else I'm forgetting?

- Make sure everything seals up good. Dust will get into the smallest openings and cracks.
- Even if the weight is light, trailer brakes are real handy when off road.
- 4ft of 4in PVC pipe nets about 2.5 gallons of water. Can make tanks that fit in weird places using PVC pipe.
- Dont shy away from pop-up canopies for more rain shelter. Awnings can only go so far. Canopies can be put up pretty much anywhere as long as you have the room.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Grok keeps getting better and better. Even 6 months ago it wasn't anywhere near what it can do now with graphics especially.

Below is an M416 data plate. I sold mine to someone with a JLUR to convert into an off road tent trailer. It was just too nice for me to cut it up but it got a TON of use while I had it. They were super lightweight but could hold literal tons of cargo. Mine was circa 1966 or so and virtually indestructible.

That's helpful, Looks like I'm going to have about 20 more inches of tongue, albeit an A frame versus the M416's straight arm.

My assumption is this will be a RTT trailer? yep!

When I built mine (it was enclosed, not an RTT trailer), I was of the mindset we don't need much space since we have been fine with almost nothing already, so we went with 4x8. It was enough room for us to lay down and have a small galley in the back. We quickly learned that we wanted more interior room to move around more comfortably. We wanted more storage space, and better thought out storage space so we didn't have to unpack everything to get to one item. We wanted a better kitchen setup with a bigger fridge because cooking on a folding table wasn't always ideal and the one BougeRV fridge we had wasn't enough.
Great minds think alike
All that said, whatever you think you'll be fine with, go just a little more. An RTT trailer is less about living space and more about storage. Your living space is outside. Good point

Weight up high is probably the biggest concern when talking a trailer. If I were me, I'd opt for an awning over using the tent as overhead shelter. Might have to fabricate some adjustable height mounts for it, but there's plenty of examples out there. My thought is to use the tent AND a 270 awning, I'm planning on adding an annex since standing up to change is easier and I want a place my girls can change with some privacy (on the rare times they come with me and aren't in the RV) The current frame is narrow (40") Track width is only 69" so top heavy is a very real concern. Adjustable height for the tent and awning would be Gucci.

General rule of thumb is 1 gal per person per day. Thats for drinking, hygiene, cooking, etc., but not for showering. Thats also really going to depend on where you're going. If its hot out, maybe bring 1.5 gal per person.
Showering really depends on the person. I can combat shower using almost nothing, the Mrs wouldn't even get her hair done with what I can shower with. I recommend testing taking showers using as little water as you can and see how much each of you use. Set up a 5 gal jug in the back yard and see how long it lasts. 15 should be adequate then. Primitive camping is not something the wife will do for more than 24 hours, if ever. IF things get wild, adding a way to heat water can be added later.
Also, elec water pumps can be had for cheap these days. If you have the room and the know-how, pressurized water is always better than gravity fed. This I can do.
12v fridge, most are around 3-5 amps when running, and they dont run constantly.
12v roof fans - mine runs around 2 amps on low-med fan speeds
Phones - depends on fast charging adapter, but most use about 2-5 amps
LED lights - typically pretty low, lets just say 1.5 amps
Lets just throw a ballpark out of 20 amps per hour.
100ah battery can provide 100 amp hours of power. So if you draw 20 amps consistently, it will last 5 hours. Now the kicker is, you won't always be drawing 20 amps, but it gives you a high use case scenario that you can start planning off of.
Now lets add solar. General rule of thumb is size your solar about 20-25% more than your usage. If you use 20 amps, your solar should give you 25 amps. That doesn't always work out because you really only get about 75-80% efficiency out of solar. A 100w panel will output about 5-6 amps during ideal conditions.
Really good points. I'll use the 400w solar and 300ah batteries as a starting point and see what I can afford. There's got to be an inverter in use somewhere, right?
One thing I learned after building my first trailer, flat space is a premium. We had almost no flat space for prep, storage, etc. You can increase flat space in limited conditions by placing cutting boards over the sink or stove when not in use, using slide out surfaces, or setting up tables. Just remember that you'll want something covering this space for when the weather sucks. Nothing worse than trying to cook in wind and rain. Also, think about wind deflection for your stove.
What's the thought for a stove? I was considering a Coleman 1900 Collection 3-in-1 Propane Camping Stove since I could use it elsewhere and not permanently stuck in the trailer. I'm almost tempted to go with an old school Coleman 2 burner because I like not having to keep tossing the little propane tanks.

- Make sure everything seals up good. Dust will get into the smallest openings and cracks.
- Even if the weight is light, trailer brakes are real handy when off road.
I've kept the factory axle so I'll still have dual hand brakes for parking.
- 4ft of 4in PVC pipe nets about 2.5 gallons of water. Can make tanks that fit in weird places using PVC pipe. Good info!
- Dont shy away from pop-up canopies for more rain shelter. Awnings can only go so far. Canopies can be put up pretty much anywhere as long as you have the room.

 

[BourbonRunner]

That's helpful, Looks like I'm going to have about 20 more inches of tongue, albeit an A frame versus the M416's straight arm.

Solid. Are you planning on installing a rock-and-roll or similar articulating hitch?

My M416 was modified by a previous owner to take the lunette off and insert a 2" hitch on the A-frame behind it. I lost about 18-20" overall from the data plate. Pic below is after I stripped the rust and rattle canned the outside and Herculined the interior. I threw a HF jack on it. I really miss this thing, it was super lightweight and ultra-strong.

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