M416 Trailer Build

[slosurfer]

I will try to find the info on the Las Vegas store with the bearings, races, seals, and washers later tonight.

My next step was to get some kind of cover. I knew that the m416 is very close to the canadian m101. I saw old used canvas tarps for the m416 on ebay and then I saw that you could buy NOS vinyl tarps for the m101. The new vinyl tarps were only a few bucks more and since I wasn't doing a historical resto, I sprung for the vinyl tarps and hoped that the loops would match up to the loops on the trailer. I thing I paid about 80 bucks for the tarp on ebay. Last time I looked they were still selling them but I am nut sure if it was the same seller I used or not.

I received the tarp and it was NOS just like stated, it was still sealed in the original bag. It is a super thick vinyl with reinforcement for the corners, it also has a really nice rubber bungy like cord that is used to hold it on the loops on the trailer. I fits perfectly and works wonderfully. I looked through my pics and I don't have any good detailed pics of the tarp and how it attaches. I will go take some now.

Pics:
Sorry, it is kind of dirty right now



closeup of how it hooks on the trailer


closeup of how it attaches at the back and how you can adjust them tighter by pulling them through the end hooks farther


And one cool function of the tiedowns on the trailer

perfect bottle opener no matter what side of the trailer you are on.

[slosurfer]

NOw I had a road worthy trailer that could keep my stuff dry. One of the things I didn't like was that there was nothing to keep thiefs from taking what they want. I had at the time a Mazda B2300 truck that had a weatherguard truck box in it. After measureing, it was too long to fit width wise in the trailer but it fit lengthwise and after playing around with it and with my ice chest, I determined that it could work going lengthwise. Also, it was just barely taller than the sides of the trailer, pretty much just the lid was above the height of the trailer sides just like how it sat in my truck. That way I could lock some of the more valuable camping gear and not worry as much.

After searching, this is pretty much the only pic that somewhat shows the box. I recently sold the truck and the box.



The box worked out great I was able to lock some of the more valuable stuff in it plus it acted as an insulator to some of the food and kept it from getting too hot (i.e. fruit and bread).

[slosurfer]

As was stated earlier, these trailers dont' have a tailgate. Not a big deal, but I really missed a tailgate to use as a table. I set out to make something to use as a "kitchen" to hold a stove, lantern, and some real estate for prepping meals. I had in mind that I could make something that would hang off the sides and or back of the trailer. I had little $$$ at this time so it was going to get interesting. The criteria was that it's width was no greater than the height of the trailer sides, that way it could be stored on its side for ease of removeing and not takeing up much room. The other criteria were weight and the ability for adjustment as if it was used on the sides it would need to hang higher and sit on the fender, but on the rear it needed to hang lower for stability and the perfect height.

As I always do when I want to try to make something from scratch, I headed over to my grandfather's storage shed. He has collected all sorts of stuff over the years and with some imagination you can build some cool stuff, plus he likes seeing it used. I knew I could build the table out of wood but that would be pretty heavy, I was thinking I might be able to find some sheet metal or something and just build the frame out of wood. I ended up finding an old highway sign (grandpa used to work for Caltrans and was part of building PCH from here up to Big Sur), it was very close to the right length and the aluminum would be easy to cut down to width. To top it off, the frame was u channel aluminum. I removed the frame, and cut the actual sign down to the dimensions I needed. Next I chopped up the frame and was able to reuse it. Now I had a super light sturdy table! I painted it with my left over wheel paint.

I put some eyebolts through the table and frame and ran some chain through them and attached back to the chain with some clips. The other side of the chain is attached to some ubolts I had that I bent into a hook like shape that hooks onto the rail of the trailer. By moving the clips I can control the length of the chain and this gave me my ability to adjust it for the rear of side of the trailer. After useing it, I really don't see why I will use it on the sides, it sits perfect off the back and leaves the sides free to reach everything.



it is a little crooked in this pic




here is how it is stored, stood on its side right next to the truck box that I no longer have.


I also found a wire shelf that I cut down to the width of the trailer. You can barely see it in the pics, but the hooks actually loop through it and pin it to the rail of the trailer. It works perfect. The lantern, utensils, towels, etc.. can sit up on the shelf while the stove and cutting board, etc.. are on the main table. It looks kind of hokey, but it has worked out very well and I have used it many times. There have even been times where I was wrenching on the 4runner and set this table up to set stuff on and work on. Next time I am camping, I will take pics with the "kitchen" all set up.

[neliconcept]

I like that little table idea, you have a gestimation on how much weight can be put on this without it bowing or something similar?

also I noticed that you still have the thule on top of your runner, I was thinkin about this but i dont know if it would be that great of an idea. since you do have a soft cover on the trailer instead of a hard shell, i was wondering about how you could go about throwing on some thule towers to support crossbars and the basket.

Only real idea I had was the wheel wells by welding tabs onto it and doing it that way but I dont know if that would be safe or sturdy, im sure you could do something similar to the sides of the trailer itself, that could save you space and gas mileage since those things kill ya down the highway

[slosurfer]

I don't have a guess on the weight so next time I have it out I will throw some grout bags on it and see what it can do. If the weight is balanced, I would imagine it would hold 100 lbs. I know I have had my coleman 3 burner stove, dishes, lantern, and lots of food on it all at once, generally I would run out of room before weight became an issue.

Once I get a hardtop made, if I don't have a RTT, the thule rack will go on the hardtop. The reason for not having it on right now is that for it to really work, a frame needs to be built to get the rack up high enough to make it feasable to use the trailer (i.e. loading and unloading, enough room for the ice chest to open, etc...) With a hardtop mounted thule rack and gas shocks you can just open the top to access the trailer. Right now the 4runner doesn't see much highway miles, mainly just around town, and offroad so the rack isn't affecting my mpg too bad. Mainly it is the 33's, automatic, and the fact that I haven't regeared yet that hurts.

[slosurfer]

Maiden voyage: Los Osos, CA to Cass Lake, MN on return trip spent a week in the Silverton/Ouray, CO area and then back to CA through Flagstaff, AZ. Over 6,000 miles (changed oil before I left, changed oil in MN, and changed oil when I got home), trailer did great! Only problem was that the dark vinyl cover soaked up the sun and if it was sitting on the ice chest it melted the ice quicker. I solved it for the most part by putting our rolled up beach towels on top of the ice chest to give it a barrier from the hot cover.

Just a recap:
first pic


At the top of one of the passes near Vail


Closer pic


Still rough looking but perfectly functional. There is a little bit of welding that needs to be done still on the body so that is why I haven't worried too much about paint.

[slosurfer]

1st offroad test now I'm on 33's



Unfortunately it started raining right after this pic so there aren't any pics of the tough 4wheeling parts that really showed how the trailer worked. Once it started raining the club was worried about all the vehicles that didn't have lockers. LOL, no lockers plus I pulled a trailer.

[slosurfer]

Recently, I found a rock to try to show some of the articulation of the trailer, but the rock was kind of but you can tell that it isn't even phasing the trailer.

[ecchamberlin]

Looks great Chris. I am also looking forward to what you end up doing to her.

[freejake3]

Do you have enough room for some gas cans in the front? Not a bad idea for those long road trips. I fabbed mine out of some spare angle I had lying around.


I need to up-grade my hitch system to either the pintle-hook set-up or this http://www.locknroll.com/.

Looks good.