Leroy's SIII/Defender Trailer STARTED!!

[Leroy_Riding]

its been a long time coming but my trailer has begun!

i put some drawing up of what I wanted a while ago, have been sourcing parts for a long time. and i nearly have all the bits I need.

:)
here is my original drawing. and link to original thread
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/trailers-vans-campers/164515-defender-trailer.html
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8887/defenderprofiletrailer3.jpg

Parts I ended up with

SWB SIII rear tub
rear half of s suzuki sierra chassy (nearly a perfect fit for the SIII tub)
2inch lifted sierra springs
1450mm wide SIII trailer axle
4x 15: sunnys with 31x105 tires (idea is to swap theese for 16's for the below tires)
2x land cruiser wheels with brand new 7.5 R16's (the idea is to get 16" defender wheels for theese)
second hand Tregg offroad hitch


The plan:

the plan, to graft some 100x50x3mm rhs to the sierra chassy to make the draw bar, mount the tregg hitch, get new U bolts to mount the axle to original sierra suspension (well 50mm lifted sierra suspension)
drain flush and clean the sierra 45ltr fuel tank and prep it to take diesel, plumb it to the SIII fuel filler neck.
get some defender tail lights and wheel arches to make the SIII tub look more 'defender like'
paint the Tub white
get it registered and finally be able to get the stuff off my roof when camping :)

what ive started doing.
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/5273/20uc.jpg
hopefully will get steel next week and make a big dent in the work :)

[weeds]

Good luck with the build.......will watch with interest

[Chops]

Will be watching to :D

Not a bad way to gain some extra fuel storage space.
Are you going to put a water tank at the front end?

[debruiser]

I like it! Can I ask what happened to the rest of the SIII? maybe the chassis is laying around.... and maybe you would be happy to sell it to help pay for the rest of the trailer?

[Leroy_Riding]

I like it! Can I ask what happened to the rest of the SIII? maybe the chassis is laying around.... and maybe you would be happy to sell it to help pay for the rest of the trailer?

I only purchased the tub, (well 3 tubs, 2 are gone now[too a friend]) a roof and some side panels, have a rear door also, I think most will end up being used.


Will be watching to :D

Not a bad way to gain some extra fuel storage space.
Are you going to put a water tank at the front end?

I would like to eventually, but water tanks seem to cost an arm and a leg, for now its just make a trailer that I can use to move stuff with and take camping, no fancy stuff for now. the fuel tank stays because it was already in the chassy :) (may even get a sierra long range tank eventually, they are 75ltrs)

Leroy

[Leroy_Riding]

some photos form before I cut the chassy down and removed the sierra diffs.
http://imageshack.us/a/img198/1800/v140.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img850/49/k66w.jpg

those are 29" tires so with the 31's I have it will sit a little higher, and when i can find some 16" land rover wheels the 7.5R16's at 32" will bring it up even more. I think ill need to take the 2" lifted sierra springs out and put stock ones in as its looking like it may sit a fair bit higher than the back of my 90.
time will tell I guess.

Leroy

[Sitec]

Hi there. Interesting build. If you're mounting the roof tent directly atop the tub, are you doing away with the annex, or would it be worth finding a hard top to mount it on? :)

[Leroy_Riding]

Hi there. Interesting build. If you're mounting the roof tent directly atop the tub, are you doing away with the annex, or would it be worth finding a hard top to mount it on? :)

Ive decided against the roof top tent, not sure yet, but I have an idea to make my own roof top tent built inside the roof (i have a roof already to cut down)
not sure if ill go that way though.

here are two photos showing the progress so far. wont have a chance to do much more for a while.
http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/4133/ytab.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/1558/lc3i.jpg

[AnD3rew]

I like the concept and think it will look great.

2 things, I hope those cut and shut welds on the draw bar are damn good, they are a potential weak point and could end up copping a fair amount of stress, might want to consider some bracing as well. Having said that I am no welding expert or structural engineer.

Also I know you are trying to keep it a consistent look, but the tub seems a bit small. All depends what you need to get in it I guess, but it is going to be quite a small trailer, is there any opportunity to extend it at all?

[Landy Smurf]

A big chequer plate box on the front to the same height of the tub would look good.

[Leroy_Riding]

I like the concept and think it will look great.

2 things, I hope those cut and shut welds on the draw bar are damn good, they are a potential weak point and could end up copping a fair amount of stress, might want to consider some bracing as well. Having said that I am no welding expert or structural engineer.

Also I know you are trying to keep it a consistent look, but the tub seems a bit small. All depends what you need to get in it I guess, but it is going to be quite a small trailer, is there any opportunity to extend it at all?

Hi Andrew,
I have gusset plates that will be welded along the side of the joins, I have just not welded them on yet. as I too believe it will be a weak point.
It will have a plate each side that is 300mm longx75mm high and 3mm thick, so 2 plates for each side of the draw bar.

the tub is the exact size I want, I intentionally went for a small trailer as I do not need that much extra space, I believe it will serve my purpose well.


A big chequer plate box on the front to the same height of the tub would look good.

Exactly what I plan to do, a 1500x500x700high box will fit perfect on the draw bar and finish at the same height as the top of the tub. currently not in the budget, If I get a christmas bonus that might change :)

Leroy

[Leroy_Riding]

Id like to say I have made progress on this, but in reality It hasnt moved at all, have been too busy with other things.

planning to get stuck back into it on the christmas holidays, my concern is that I have made the draw bar too short though. I made it longer than origionaly planned jsut seems to short now.

should I extend the draw bar at the hitch with a single piece of RHS? or cut off the draw bar and build a new one that is longer? (not that worried if I have to do that, as long as its the better option)
or does it look long enough to people?

Still waiting for the wheels to become available till I can get an accurate idea as to how the trailer is going to sit, but it looks as though it will sit 50mm higher than the rear of the car, once loaded up it should sink down to the same height though.

anyone a good painter on here? not sure my own skills will be up to the task of spraying the tub white when the time comes.

Leroy

[numpty]

my concern is that I have made the draw bar too short though. I made it longer than origionaly planned jsut seems to short now.

should I extend the draw bar at the hitch with a single piece of RHS? or cut off the draw bar and build a new one that is longer? (not that worried if I have to do that, as long as its the better option)
or does it look long enough to people?


Leroy

Looks long enough to me.

The No 5 army trailer drawbar is only 1200 long and I never had any trouble with that length on my previous camper. The new one, being a smaller trailer, I cant see being a drama either.

Perry

[AnD3rew]

It also looks ok to me, looks roughly the same as my box trailer. Again no expert, but my understanding is that the main benefit of a longer drawbar is easier more predictable reversing.

As long as the body of the trailer isn't going to hit the tow vehicle on any reasonable side to side or up and down angle then it will be fine your only concern then will be how twitchy it will be reversing.

It's certainly easier reversing my bigger longer drawbar camper trailer than it is my low short draw bar box trailer but with a little practice and some patience it is perfectly fine.

[Leroy_Riding]

Andrew,
I did take the trailer for a quit spin (with 2 wheel nuts on each wheel and only one u bolt on each side of the axle)[in my back yard, not ont he road], and reversing it seemed like a mission compared to my 7x5 with extended drawbar. I guess its just going to be a matter of getting used to the shorter drawbar and lighter trailer. hopefully fully loaded this trailer wont even weigh as much as the 7x5 empty (which is 365kgs)

Ive got a rear cross member now that I will use for the rear mount of the tub, just need to figure out how to mount the tub at the front. cut down the roof I have, get some of those split hinges, and some gas strutt mounts (already have some struts I hope will work for what I need)
cut down the rear door and get a new locking mech with key for that, still waiting on my 16" wheels (not really in a big hurry for them though i have 15's with 31's on them for now) need to find the extra cash for the draw bar box. then after a paint and some creative fuel filler plumbing should be done. I think if I get all the parts I should be finished coming out the other side of the Christmas holidays ready for a test camp with the trailer in the new year :)

this is closest to what its going to end up looking like I suppose, just imagine black wheel arches and a white body.
http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/2535/ca3x.jpg

Leroy

[Sitec]

Having been looking at another thread in this section reminded me about this one. That last pic looks good, and your drawbar length looks great too. Your other option for the strength plates is to use 4 pieces of 40 x 10 flat bar at approx 500mm long and weld them above and below your join, keeping the side flat.... Just looking at the last pic, don't forget that the hardtop sides taper in, so the 'lid' won't be the same width as the top rails on the tub. Hope the Xmas bonus came as Im keen to see the next bit of the build! :)

[Leroy_Riding]

Having been looking at another thread in this section reminded me about this one. That last pic looks good, and your drawbar length looks great too. Your other option for the strength plates is to use 4 pieces of 40 x 10 flat bar at approx 500mm long and weld them above and below your join, keeping the side flat.... Just looking at the last pic, don't forget that the hardtop sides taper in, so the 'lid' won't be the same width as the top rails on the tub. Hope the Xmas bonus came as Im keen to see the next bit of the build! :)

Hi Sitec,
Ive measured the lid, and it will still give me about 10mm of contact on each side of the tub, initially I was trying to think of ways to widen it, but I think this will work, ill probably add some alloy angle to it that hangs over the edges so water will not get in.

not much progress unfortunately, managed a big stack on the mountain bike which has left my right arm a little useless for now haha, but have attached the rear cross member for the rear mounting on the tub, hopefully will get the front mounts done in the next few days if I can, but doenst look likely, but you never know.

here are a few photos, not the best but they show the rear cross member in.
http://imageshack.us/a/img534/4646/f7b9.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img839/6219/znxx.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img194/2253/uvta.jpg

[debruiser]

This is what I should have built.... keen to see what you get up to with your build

[Leroy_Riding]

This is what I should have built.... keen to see what you get up to with your build

to be honest, if I was to do it again, I would approach it a little different, I would have used a 110 ute tub, a long wheel base sierra chassy or a s3 chassy (the sierra chassy is just so perfect its not funny though) I would use stock height leafs not lifted ones. and Id have gone straight to electric drum brakes.

all in all though I am real happy with how its coming together, still not sure how im going to mount the front of the tub, ill eyeball it again soon and do a drawing and then some welding.

also now have a disco1 diesel tank too, so need to make mounts for that in place of the sierra tank I had in there.

Leroy

[Landy Smurf]

A 110 tub went for about $700 not long ago on ebay. It would be better but it is a lot of money.
Yours will look great when done

[VladTepes]

I presume you mean 130 tub?

[Leroy_Riding]

I presume you mean 130 tub?

nope, I mean like the back of a lwb 2 door s3 or something like that. :)

[VladTepes]

ah right.

[Leroy_Riding]

ah right.

I just find the wheel arch to be too far forward on the tub for its size on a 130Tub as far as making a trailer goes.

anyone have tips on painting alloy?

Leroy

[slug_burner]

I just find the wheel arch to be too far forward on the tub for its size on a 130Tub as far as making a trailer goes.

anyone have tips on painting alloy?

Leroy

Use an etch primer on raw ally. If you have a coat of paint that is still adhering (use the piece of tape test, place tape on paint if the paint comes off when you pull the tape off then the paint is not adhering) then just key the existing paint with sandpaper. Make sure you wash off all the fine dust that this will create and I would also use a degreaser or thinners to remove any oil from your hands that has been transferred onto the panel you are about to paint. I would use a 240 grit paper if the paint your using has good self leveling properties.

[Leroy_Riding]

Use an etch primer on raw ally. If you have a coat of paint that is still adhering (use the piece of tape test, place tape on paint if the paint comes off when you pull the tape off then the paint is not adhering) then just key the existing paint with sandpaper. Make sure you wash off all the fine dust that this will create and I would also use a degreaser or thinners to remove any oil from your hands that has been transferred onto the panel you are about to paint. I would use a 240 grit paper if the paint your using has good self leveling properties.

Cheers, ill give the Tape thing a go, the paint on the tub looks to be in good shape, just the wrong colour :D

will the same paint work fine over the GAL edges? (want to give it more of the defender look)

Thanks
Leroy

[Landy Smurf]

It is hard to get paint to stick to the gal.

[Leroy_Riding]

It is hard to get paint to stick to the gal.

maybe a special GAL primer? as half the draw bar is GAL also. . . .

Chassy/drawbar once welding is finished will be wire brushed (for suface rust spots) and painted in thick chassy black paint.

the tub is to be whatever white paint is going to work for the alloy and the Gal.

was considering painting the inside of the tub with that spray on heavy duty ute liner stuff. . but not sure how much it is.

[slug_burner]

I am pretty sure that once gal has been weathered it can be painted over. Read up the application notes for the paint you are going to use, it should say how to deal with different surfaces.

[numpty]

Etch primer should work ok on the gal surfaces. It's what I used on mine before painting with chassis black.

[Leroy_Riding]

Well as always, I didn't get any where near as much done as I had hoped over the weekend, things got a bit hectic and in reality nothing got done. bit of a family crisis. so looks like the trailer wont be done in time for my camping trip but not really a big deal as I no longer have to lug everyone gear anyway :)

gives me some more time to clean things up and be a bit more professional about the whole job.

what I did get done was to straighten the trigg hitch that was no were near straight, trimmed the back door down and mount the hinges and latches, still need to do some rust repair and creative cutting on the door to fit with the lid/roof.

I did a rough trim down of the roof/lid need to be tidyd up and riveted together (going for rivets as it seems like the Land rover thing to do!, I have a solution for the width difference also, just need to trim a few bits of GAL i have and attach them and will work a treat to disperse water from the top over the edges of the trailer.

front mounting points are designed(well in my head) just need to trim the steel I have and weld them in place.

have decided I need to add some more supports to the center of the tub also, going to do this by way of some body lift blocks or the alike (those 50-60mm nylon blocks)

progress is slow and new deadline is Easter (which is a bit more reasonable haha!) as it will be the next 'big' camping trip after Australia day.

oh yeah, and was given a set of disco 1 16" steelies which i fitted my 7.5 R16's onto, so the trailer now has practically brand new tires :) (came off a cruiser to have alloys and mud tires fitted straight after purchase)

[VladTepes]

Bugger ya ! Does that mean you won't be buying my wheels now?

[Leroy_Riding]

Bugger ya ! Does that mean you won't be buying my wheels now?

how long till they will be off your 130?
I'm still interested in them (more so for a spare set for my 90 now though)

[VladTepes]

Mate they'll be off teh Defender as soon as the rims turn up and I can get up to the Sunny Coast to get the Maxxis tyres done. So.... ASAP but unsure when that will actually be !

[Leroy_Riding]

Thought It may be time for a update, havent been on AULRO in a long time, things havent been going to well for me personaly or employment. but things are looking up so I may be able to get back to work on this little project soon!

Trailer is still in the same condition as the alst posted photo, ony differences I think are that the Rear door is trimmed to nearly fit with the roof, the roof front anc back halfes need to be joined (likely to be riveted together with sikaflex inbetween or something, dont know welcome to ideas)

I have edging that will attach under the sides of the roof to 'widen' it so it clips over the edges of the tub to keep the water out, still no toolbox for the draw bar, keeping an eye out for a cheap one still or may just build a ply one and waterproof it.

If I can get some time over the next few weeks I may be able to get it ready for registration.

Leroy.

[Leroy_Riding]

getting ever so closer,

I have decided I will ditch the land rover roof idea in favour of a flat top, this is for a few reasons.
1. the roof is being a pest to put together
2. i am getting lazy and this build is dragging on too long
3. the land rover roof realy wasnt going to give me more usable space
4. it would make building the rear door harder, and when your metal skills are as limited as mine simple is best.

So left to do now:
1. source another rear door (the one I have been using for mock up is rusted to hell and no where near straight)
2. weld up the front mounts for the tub which are just sitting there curerntly
3. wire brush the chassis and give it a coat of primer and chassis black
4. prep,prime and paint the tub and new rear door (once sourced and trimmed to size)
5. register the damn thing!

to do after its registerd:
1. fit flat top roof (sheet of ply or sheet alloy on steel frame, undecided)
2. add front toolbox (need the money elsewhere right now)
3. plumb in diesel and water tanks (Uncle to make these for me out of alloy with left over sheets from the boat he built :) )
4. fit out the tub with a kitchen/draw system (likely ply wood)
5. upgrade to include brakes.

My game plan and my buget tells me that i should be able to be registerd in around a months time, and then the 'after registration' bits will come in drips and drabs as I need them/when the budget permits.

and to finish off two photos from when I was doing a little work on it the other weekend, the spare tire wll get mounted higher on the new door than it is in these photos, and the land rover roof will go (at least untill I can be stuffed to have somone else with more skill finish it for me)

[numpty]

Keep it up Leroy.

I was looking at using an LR roof as well, but cutting it down and re welding the gal didn't appeal to me, so I will be making a raised roof similar to the proper hardtop roof, but not as tall.

I intend to use a standard tailgate, but hinge it from the side utilising 2 of the standard catches and a custom hinge setup.

It's in my head, but not physically happening :p

[Leroy_Riding]

Keep it up Leroy.

I was looking at using an LR roof as well, but cutting it down and re welding the gal didn't appeal to me, so I will be making a raised roof similar to the proper hardtop roof, but not as tall.

I intend to use a standard tailgate, but hinge it from the side utilising 2 of the standard catches and a custom hinge setup.

It's in my head, but not physically happening :p

RE the tailgat:
I ended up cutting down the door and riveting and welding a bit of steel rhs across the top so it now hinges like a door but is level with the tub. I plan to add GAL edges to the door like the rest of the Tub has and then mvoe the spare wheel carrier up higher on the door as currently with a spare on it the tire is the lowest point on the rear!

RE the roof:
Im not 100% sure i understand what you mean about how you are going to do your roof, Im still deciding as to if I use a sheet of ply, or make a steel frame and sheet it, I have a few ideas, one of which is to turn my double dome swag into a sort of roof top tent that folds inhalf ontop of the roof, dont know yet. for now its a utility trailer though.

Trailer update (sorry no photos, will get them soon)
Trailer is registerd, chassis welding all finished up and the trailer chassis painted black, the tub is still the horid mustard colour for now, i used supercheap auto round LED trailer lights which seem to do the job and dont look too out of place, I need to source some cheap round LED reversing lights that will look okay in the factory spot on the SIII tub, but for now there is no reversing lights on it.

took it for a test drive up the road with a load of tires in it. tows well, so light I cant even feel it with 4 tires and steel wheels in it (off a D1) it tracks about 50mm off to one side though :( which is a result of my poor metal skils and bad measuring. . the axel is dead center to the springs and rear of the chassis, its the draw bar is off a tiny bit and then the hitch is mounted on an poposite angle to that to try and corect the misalignment best I can. . I will just have to live with it for now, ive run out of money long ago, once i have spare money maybe ill cut the drawbar off and re-do it and probably lengthan it at the same time but thats not any time soon (probably 2 years before ill waste my time doing it)

it seems fine under hard braking doesnt shoot otu sideways or anything.
its top heavy currently as i have not mounted the tanks underneath, but a hard swerve test and it wasn't too bad.

ive already loaded it with about 500kg or so of firewood ready for camping nextweekend, will see how well it tows fully loaded.

Leroy

[numpty]

RE the tailgat:
I ended up cutting down the door and riveting and welding a bit of steel rhs across the top so it now hinges like a door but is level with the tub. I plan to add GAL edges to the door like the rest of the Tub has and then mvoe the spare wheel carrier up higher on the door as currently with a spare on it the tire is the lowest point on the rear!

RE the roof:
Im not 100% sure i understand what you mean about how you are going to do your roof,
Leroy

What I mean is, I'll make 3 bows (25mm shs) with associated longitudinal bars which will be bolted on top of tub and then sheeted in 1mm aluminium. It will have a flat roof so therefore not being as tall as a standard LR rear.

Then I will fashion a top for the tailgate, replicating a rear door.

[Leroy_Riding]

Ahh, I think I understand what you mean now.
Will be good to see how it turns out, chances are you will have a roof done before me.

Leroy

[Eggyegberts]

Going to look pretty trick once done :)

[Leroy_Riding]

just two quick shots of the chassis while it was drying from its 6 odd coats of paint and primer.

ill get a photo some time soon of the tub bolted on (which is is now, its even registerd!!!)

took it camping last weekend and Id say it was nearing its 750kg limit *cough*was certainly over*cough* and it went fine up to booloumba creek for the weekend full of firewood.

Leroy.

[Leroy_Riding]

I get lazy and don't get on here much.
here is a photo of the trailer hooked up after just being unloaded of firewood at a friends place.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/09/680.jpg

lots of things happening for me recently including the completion of my rear draws (will upload photos of that one day too)

next step for the trailer is to fix the rear door, I have three options here.
I have a fold down tailgate, I ahve the bent and rusted door that I cut down to fit, or i can get a new door.

now I dont want a fold down tailgate, but it fits so nice that Id contemplate using it and hinging it on the side, then I need to make a swing away spare wheel carrier also. or I can repair the door I have. and or get a new door in good condition, cut it down and modify it. I think the easiest options is to mod the drop down tail gate I have. Opinions?

also I am going to start the fit-out on this soon too. I am not sure if I should cut the fuel neck out of the other pretty bad condition tub I have to fit a second one to this for filling the Water tank(also to be fitted) or mount a filling point somewhere else for this. the factory filler will plumb to the fuel tank under the trailer (currently a suzuki sierra one, though will be upgraded with a custom one for more volume in the future) also any advice on cleaning the sierra tank for diesel use?

then the next step is the draw system, this is the easiest part and i knwo what i am doing for this.

and finaly the 'lid' I scrapped the idea of the land rover roof as a top and am going to go for a flat top with a roof top tent. RTT's are expensive so was wondering if anyone had any ideas for modifying a roo systems swag into a fold inhalf roof top tent? seeing as i already have that? or am i being silly and should just buy a cheapy RTT? and part of this is then to fit the side awning to the trailer, this needs to be on some kind of telescopic poles so I can lift it up before roling out and use. . any ideas on how to mount/make such a system?

thanks
Leroy.

[debruiser]

G'day Leroy,

personally I like the idea of a drop down tailgate, it give you a bench to make coffee on/at.

Telescopic poles, I did that on my camper, but they don't have to move as far as you are talking about, although there is definitely room to make mine go lots further than they do. I have a thread on here, but apparently there are no photos working.... weird. Anyway I just used 20mm RHS sliding inside a 25mm RHS, drilled some appropriate holes and a couple of linch pins! because I have a 2.5m awning it's easier to lift it up with 2 people but not impossible for one.

Here you can see the 25mm RHS sticking up:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/09/678.jpg (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/debruiser/media/Camper%20Trailer/Wk10RearLeft_zps407e2bce.jpg.html)

Ahh look what I found... this explains it pretty good. :D
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/09/679.jpg (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/debruiser/media/Camper%20Trailer/Day7AwningMountup_zpsf379ea0a.jpg.html)

How it looks up:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/11/151.jpg (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/debruiser/media/Camper%20Trailer/Wk14kitchenrear_zps8e620a66.jpg.html)

[Leroy_Riding]

Cheers,

I will have a set of draws I have designed with a full Kitchen inside, so will not need the tailgate for coffee etc :) the draw system consists fo three draws, one big tall draw containing gas cooker and sink(sink takes a cutting board on top for extra bench space) and under the cooker a small draw that open out the side of the long draw for utensils and small pots.
beside this big draw are two shallow draws to house all the remaining camping gear. ill try and put what i mean into an image of some kind and upload to explain.

I like your idea, though Im not sure where Id mount something like this on my tub once a RTT also goes on, and whether I could get enough height out of it from the tub (tub is the same height at the top as my 90 puma below the windows, maybe 50mm higher) I suppose once the RTT goes on I can mount the awning 300mm higher (hight of a RTT closed) without it looking silly, that would give me about 550mm of travel down into the tub so say 450up. . . might get close to where It needs to be. . . the series tub has round tube holes already so I could probably do the same as you jsut using round tube instead.

Leroy.

EDIT:
please excuse my lack of ability to draw, but this is what i mean about the draws I will be putting into the trailer. the lid will be hinged on the side and the space either side of the draw system used for storage of rarely used items as they will be accessed by lifting the RTT up.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/09/677.jpg

[debruiser]

you could check this out

The Award Winning Patriot Camper X1 Off Road Camper Trailer. (http://www.patriotcampers.com.au/camper-trailers/patriot-x1-road-camper-trailer/)

or google image search offroad camper trailer with awning

I guess there's heaps of ways you could do it.

I like your plan for the kitchen! simple and quick to set up. :D

[Leroy_Riding]

I've looked at those patriot campers heaps if I had the money. . .. .
My trailer is still well under $1000 so far :) the biggest Costs will be the tool box, RTT and awning the rest will me pretty cheap to finish :)

[debruiser]

o yea sure, if we had money! I was more just meaning steal, sorry, I mean borrow ideas....

[Leroy_Riding]

haha, yeah Ive taken ideas from a lot of campers and tried to 'budget-ify' them all. I think I will be happy once its all finished, if I ever get a 'mrs' it may prove a little small/not luxury enough but while its just me and the puppies it should be fine :)

i have a 110 rear end I can use if I need to build a bigger one ;) haha!

Leroy.

[Leroy_Riding]

haha, yeah Ive taken ideas from a lot of campers and tried to 'budget-ify' them all. I think I will be happy once its all finished, if I ever get a 'mrs' it may prove a little small/not luxury enough but while its just me and the puppies it should be fine :)

i have a 110 rear end I can use if I need to build a bigger one ;) haha!

Leroy.

I shouldn't have said that (above) more or less have myself one of these SWMBO's . . . shes already trying to get the Motorbike removed 0_0. . . I think that will be a battle for the ages though!.

So now that the defender is gone, and I've stepped into the Latte sipping(Eww, keep your milk out of my coffee please Ill stick with my Long blacks!) world of the Discovery. . The trailer may need some slight 'tweaks' in the way of creature comforts. the Trailer has been a big investment for me(in time not money, hell the thing hasn't cost me much at all in money!) I cant see myself selling it to get a more conventional camper or offroad van (yet at least, Id kill for a Tvan though!)

Ive already made a few changes to the Trailer, one of which was fitting the drop down tailgate and removing the swinging door, It makes the trailer look more like a trailer than the back of another car too.
the draw system design has to be tossed aside also, as I kept the draws from the defender so they will form the Basis of the draw system for the trailer, I will need to remove the Woofer and amp from them however. not sure if i should leave the ARB compressor in the Trailer or move this to the D3 or not yet though? given its an older one that has had a hard life Im tempted to leave it in the trailer and get a new one in due time for the D3.

what this means though is that my previous draw system ideas for the trailer need adjusting from 3 draws, being one tall for kitchen and two shallower ones for storage will be replaced with either the one large one I have plus an additional one the same size ontop, to contain the Kitchen and storage all in one, or to have two narrower draws ontop of the single large draw one being a 'slim' kitchen and the other storage.

somehow need to setup a hot water system for the Shower (not for me, but I am told its a necessity. . . ) I'm thinking a Small Gas unit? anyone have experience with these kind of things?
something like this
Aqua Cube Digital (http://www.anaconda.com.au/Product/Camp-and-Hike/Toilet-Shower-and-Laundry/Aqua-Cube-Digital)
are they safe to be mounted 'inside' the trailer or toolbox, or do they need to be taken out and in the open to be used?

this will likely mean I will need more water storage than previously planned, but given the larger tank in the D3 I don't think I will need the extra diesel tank on the trailer so can go with dual Water tanks to overcome this issue.

any ideas on how i can turn this little 5x4 back end of a SIII of a trailer into a luxury home away from home for said Female? seems this is paramount to if i plan to continue camping!

Leroy.

Oh dear! i almost forgot, what colour will i paint it now!!! Army green Perhaps?

[VladTepes]

If you need me to give your trailer a proper shake down -I'm going hunting in Feb........
Could make the carry out easy for the deer......


As for T-Van's - yeah those a great ! $$$ though.

The suspension setup is brilliant. I know a guy who has one of the trailers they made (pre T-Van, and much cheaper) and I'd love to get my hands on one. I think it was called a Trakka trailer ?

What's the annual rego on a trailer in Qld these days?

[VladTepes]

As or paint colour - white please. To match my Defender, for when you sell it to me for (as you say) "bugger all money" :lol2:


P.S. NEVER give up the bike. Never.

[Leroy_Riding]

As or paint colour - white please. To match my Defender, for when you sell it to me for (as you say) "bugger all money" :lol2:


P.S. NEVER give up the bike. Never.

Haha, Ill keep that in mind.

though I am about to pull the Axle out and put a new one in with commodore studd pattern to match the D3 so will have the Axle from this for sale soon at the least.

Leroy.

[Leroy_Riding]

Yikes, I haven't checked this out in a while,
to be honest not a lot has happened to the trailer though, Ive fitted a big allow box that opens on the sides, that is about it.
though Given that Ive agreed to head up the Cape in july, I better get my finger out.

So Ive purchased a Hard shell style alloy roof top tent, going to order the parts to build the new axel with comodore hubs and Land rover Studs, going to build a water tight lid for the Tub, mount the fuel tank, mount the jerry can and gas bottle racks, and if Time permits built the kitchen (though i think ill be runnign out of time)

anyway, new updated photo with the allow box, and also showcasing an issue with drawbar/towbar height i now have -_-

[Leroy_Riding]

I really should get my act into gear!

So ive pulled out of the cape trip now, (work wont give me the leave!!!)

this gives me a little more time on this thing (as if the nearly 2 years hasnt been enough haha!)

New axel is on order, along with comodore hubs to match the Disco stud patter, will knock the studs out and pit bigger ones to fit the wheels better, I have aquired a set of 4 stock 17" disco3 rims to match the car (at great cost! -_- )

the new axel raises an issue though. . . wheel track, in order to match tow vehicle wheel track the axel now needs to be rather wide, my my calculations my tires are going to stick out nearly 120mm each side of the series 3 tub. . . which means I need to fit 4" flares!!
anyone reading this know of any flares that fit a series 3 tub big enough?

other things now in the pipeline are a dual rear wheel carrier for the trailer, Im thinking a single swing arm for both Wheels, Ive never seen it done before, probably for good reason, but with the design of hwo my kitchen will work having a wheel swing off each side will get in the way, so one long arm with both spares (trailer will carry cars spare too) will have a support leg for when it is open, and a full weight bearing mount at the 'open' end for when it is closed, bother spares will mount to full spare hubs for the trailer also as a means of carrying spares that i'm sure ill need at some point

I have the steel at home under the house the house now, along with almost all the required parts, I just need to get my finger out and start working on the damn thing!

Im starting to worry about weight though, this thing is getting heavier by the day, the original goal was 500KG loaded, im thinking ill be closer to 700KG at this rate.
id drop back to a single spare, but i need some weight out the back as the draw bar is getting a bit to heavy. i mean, that big alloy box holds two Engle fridges (MT45F and MT35F) and two batterys, infront of it will be mounted 2x 20L jerry cans and a 4kg gas bottle.

behind the Axle under the tub is a 40L fuel tank to carry diesel also giving me an extra 80L for touring, or on short trips the jerry holders will carry water cans and the rear tank empty.
still contemplating an under tub 60L water tank in front of the Axel, or taking the fuel tank out and putting the Water tank behind the axle and just having the 2 Jerry's for spare diesel.

the internal storage in the tub (yet to be made) will be 12mm ply and alloy. im starting to think alloy sheet in place of the ply to try and save a little more weight too though. . .

why do my projects always run away from me like this?
even the trailer has grown in size, its getting a lift to match the height of the new tow vehicle and with the spares out the back and new monster draw bar box its gone from 4ft long to 7ft long! im now staring at a 7x5 camper trailer. . . sheesh!

ill shut up now.
Leroy.

[slug_burner]

I am sure that people who have stuck bigger tyres on a series or Defender will have a few other clues on getting some flares. You can look at flatdog flares but they are for +50mm.

[Leroy_Riding]

Cheers,
its a series Tub, so +50mm defender flares should be about +100 anyway which should work fine :)