Thread: Design and build a camper trailer - novice

Some more options for you DB

camper jacks | Ripperdeals-au.com

Thanks guys, those are the type of thing I want.... BUT the budget has pretty much closed on this project (for now anyway) so think along the lines of $50 to complete..... ouch yea I know.

SO i already have the jockey wheels, scored them on sale for $10 each! (got 4 of them)

before I started building I did lots of searching the net to get ideas, and try to source something that was usable. The problem is like those cool electric ones, the price! ($3000 for 4 legs!!! you HAVE TO BE JOKING!) That's my WHOLE budget for the build... well maybe a little under but still.

The other problem I found with those premade legs was that:
a) they are too long, or
they are too short.

My trailer is a custom jobbie, made about 15-18yrs ago. Was originally designed to carry a small tractor but that has since gone and now the trailer remains.

I had an appifany this morning. Forget pivots, they are fiddly and weak. I though maybe plug together, so the extension from the camper to the leg plugs into the leg... so it's 2 peices, a little fiddly to build but easy, quick and strong.

Chops I actually thought that you meant that you could get the 'foot' of the leg when you said that you could buy 'feet'. sorry my bad....

Originally Posted by debruiser

Ahh yea Chops, got the wheel arch width under control The problem with just welding a RHS on the side of the Jockey is that I end up with a great big right angle 'thing' that will take up lots of room! I was hoping to carry them with me camping so that I can use them to stabilize and level as well. SO I was hoping to make the 'insertion tube' fold flat or close to flat against the jockey.

Gainwibrow - I can't open the file... Could you repost it without the zip?

Sorry, just a bit too big to post here without zip. PM me your email address and I'll forward it that way.

Or if you prefer, contact Ranga direct on this site - he's in Qld too and would be happy to help/comment.

Cheers Gavin

DB, if you've already got the legs, just lengthen them with a bit of pipe, and you could get a couple (4) square feet, either cut from a steel merchant, or get a length to suit and you cut them. That should keep the price down for you.
These are ones you can get from Camac.
Trail-A-Mate Hydraulic, Replacement Flat Base | Caravan Brackets & Parts | CaravansPlus

I couldn't believe how much those electric legs were. They'd be nice, but there's no way I'd be having them

Originally Posted by Chops

DB, if you've already got the legs, just lengthen them with a bit of pipe, and you could get a couple (4) square feet, either cut from a steel merchant, or get a length to suit and you cut them. That should keep the price down for you.
These are ones you can get from Camac.
Trail-A-Mate Hydraulic, Replacement Flat Base | Caravan Brackets & Parts | CaravansPlus

I couldn't believe how much those electric legs were. They'd be nice, but there's no way I'd be having them

Chops, I plan to cut the wheel bracket off and slide a tube inside the lower pipe then weld ti there.... do you know if they make 38OD pipe? I ahve to go to metaland and buy some. I can't believe that they want 40bucks for a flat piece of steel. stuff that I'll just get some from somewhere.

I think what i'll do is weld a 40mm rhs to the jockey then take a 32mm rhs slide that into the 40mm RHS in the camper and then use linch pins to connect it all together. If I do it right there should be only minimal slop. That way it's simple, quick to assemble/pull down, strong and packs reasonably small.

If you want cheap steel, try a welding shop and see if they want to get rid of some offcuts.
You could also try for the same thing at a small steel sales shop.

Got the lifting legs finished... forgot to take a photo. Anyway we went out camping this weekend; Eungella dam. Was pretty good, apart from the wind Friday night, there were storms out near Moranbah that got the wind going most of the night. Left after work on Friday, didn't get away from home till about 4:30, was raining here in Mackay, got further up the Valley and it cleared up but when we got up to Eungella it was super foggy! was driving at about 30km/hr just to see where we were going.

Anyway, the trailer worked great! Tows pretty good, is good and stable when sitting on the legs and is convenient! Saturday morning there was a family turned up, they took ALL MORNING to set up.... crazy! We were set up in 1/2hr including putting up a tent in gale force winds (and the dark) for the friends that came along. The one thing that I will be changing is the layout on the storage side, originally I was going to keep it mostly open for boxes etc, but I think it will work much better if it has a shelf in there so that you don't have to dig through the stuff on top to get to the lower things.

Worst part of the trip (other than the wind) was that the dog chewed one of the trailer leads this morning before we left!!! Luckily he only chose the power for the camper. So the battery didn't get charged on the way home, worst of all though was that it also activates the pressurised air system! So on the way home there was a small amount of dust got it... not as much as I would have thought though. After the Mrs washed the camper I put it in the shed, was looking at it and noticed all the stone damage! We only travelled about 45kms on dirt road and there are what i would consider a large number of stone chips and dints on the front of the camper. The D90 must throw a lot of rocks! Maybe some sort of stone guard is needed.

On a separate note. I have some rhino rack roof bars, they have served me well. Today with the rough road the rear one seems to have rattled loose, then ejected the kayak!!! Luckily I was only going 60-70km/hr at the time. The Kayak did survive to tell the tail (well I think it has, hasn't been tested yet) but it does have the battle scars to prove it. I was very surprised that it didn't' go under the wheel of the trailer or that the car behind didn't run over it and kill themselves.

Next on the agenda will be the new shelf. Then onto the trailer, it's getting new spring bushes, lights, paint.

Good to hear it all went well

For the stone chips, an angled frame at the front with mesh in it should solve that problem,, or maybe a long mud flap right across the rear of the car.