Dirtco’s Camping Trailer - Version 1.2

gunkl said:
hey, my wallet is feeling really thick these days, want to sell me that one so you can build version 2?

:)
Click to expand...

I guess it depends how thick that poor wallet is feeling? :D

I wasn't even planning on Version 2.0 for another season or two. But, if your serious PM me.
 
your trailer is sooooo nice

Ive been thinking about some kind of camp trailer and a neighbor has an old light boat trailer that I thought I could modify.
I have hardly any metal fab experience. Mine will prob end up being plywood, zip ties and duct tape :)
 
Dirtco,

This is fantastic. I don't have a 4Runner yet but working on my trailer plans. I have been thinking that a truck chassis would make an excellent trailer. Especially using the tank for gas or diesel surplus.

I am a senior machinery engineer for a major oil company and I work a lot with our instrumentation technicians and one of the rulers of measure is their ability to wire, bend tubing and make it look neat and easy to work on...let me say, you pass with flying colors. Your work looks great. I have added this thread to my home screen as I want to follow you and ask questions down the road.

My trailer will be more for hauling guns to the range, day camping and for bringing supplies to the state parks for BBQs. May get into camping later.

I am planning the 12v system for lights, converter and also an on board tank for potable water for cleaning and washing. So my set up will have some pumps and plumbing.

I would like to see a wiring diagram of the system. What I am curious about is the interaction of the truck battery and trailer battery. I assume the shore power is there for charging the trailer battery and running the converter from AC to DC. Grounding is something to really consider. I am around 4160v and 13.8Kv a lot, electricity is something to respect.

Great work...

Richard
 
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77Bronc said:
Dirtco,

This is fantastic. I don't have a 4Runner yet but working on my trailer plans. I have been thinking that a truck chassis would make an excellent trailer. Especially using the tank for gas or diesel surplus.

I am a senior machinery engineer for a major oil company and I work a lot with our instrumentation technicians and one of the rulers of measure is their ability to wire, bend tubing and make it look neat and easy to work on...let me say, you pass with flying colors. Your work looks great. I have added this thread to my home screen as I want to follow you and ask questions down the road.

My trailer will be more for hauling guns to the range, day camping and for bringing supplies to the state parks for BBQs. May get into camping later.

I am planning the 12v system for lights, converter and also an on board tank for potable water for cleaning and washing. So my set up will have some pumps and plumbing.

I would like to see a wiring diagram of the system. What I am curious about is the interaction of the truck battery and trailer battery. I assume the shore power is there for charging the trailer battery and running the converter from AC to DC. Grounding is something to really consider. I am around 4160v and 13.8Kv a lot, electricity is something to respect.

Great work...

Richard
Click to expand...

Thank you Richard, I really appreciate the kind words! It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what you want, and what your going to be using it for.

I don't have an actual wiring diagram of the system, I took notes and sketches of different area's while I was wiring it but I have not sat down and traced it all out yet. All the fuses and relays are labeled, so that's not an issue and if I do run into a major wiring issue I can revisit my old notes.

Most of the wiring questions have been addressed in these and the surrounding posts, but if you have specific questions feel free to ask.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/gener...ping-trailer-version-1-2-a-2.html#post1270829

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/gener...ping-trailer-version-1-2-a-8.html#post1451833
 
It's been a while since I have updated this thread; I was too busy this last year with the new house and a major overhaul of the 4Runner to focus much time on the trailer. I did take it out to the Colorado Toyota Jamboree in the revamped 4Runner though!









 
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The goal for this winter is to get some work on the trailer! I really want to wrap up some of the small details that have been lingering for a while, and work on reducing the set-up/take-down time. The rear cargo area is great, but I have to load and unload it several times a times a trip to get to what I need. So I ordered up some 48" 500 pound drawer slides to convert the entire cargo area into one large slide out drawer, this will allow me to have a built in "kitchen" and access to all of my gear without constantly shuffling stuff around.
 
Fishwerks said:
When is the trailer getting Iroks??

The full slide-out should be really nice, basically a home-made CargoGlide?
Click to expand...

No Iroks for the trailer, at least for now. Maybe when I wear the ones on the truck down, but in all honesty I don't see an advantage except looks. If anything I would like to go to a narrower tire for less rolling resistance.

Yeah pretty much, except more organized. There will be dividers and cubbies for all my gear, and there will also be a built in basic kitchen.
 
Like I mentioned above...

I wanted to organize the storage area better, and make preparing meals easier in the process. For this I planed to convert the entire rear cargo area into one large sliding platform. At first I was thinking about building a very elaborate kitchen set up with multiple drawers and slides out, but I decided to take a very basic approach to keep the weight down.

I had some nice plywood left over from a home improvement project, so I started playing around with a basic layout.





I needed to take care of a few things before i started the slide (once the slide was installed I would not be able to access the inside of the cargo area). I relocated the rear 12 volt outlet to the outside of the trailer to make some more room and get it out of the way. I also replaced the crappy plastic wire loom holders with some nice metal ones.







After that was complete I removed the old foam flooring/tie downs, and started the process of installing the full extension 48”, 500 lb. drawer slides. It was a complicated process since I never designed or intended for a drawer slide to be installed there.



I finished the cargo area by installing some light weight indoor/outdoor carpet on the floor



 
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Next was the actual sliding platform…





…And figuring out how to organize everything. I knew from the beginning that I would lose room with the slide out, but the added convenance and reduced set-up time would make up for that. I spent hours moving stuff around until I felt I had the best combination of both worlds, storage and functionality. There is still a lot to do, but I feel have the major pieces of the puzzle in place.





















 
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Dirtco said:
Next was the actual sliding platform…





…And figuring out how to organize everything. I knew from the beginning that I would lose room with the slide out, but the added convenance and reduced set-up time would make up for that. I spent hours moving stuff around until I felt I had the best combination of both worlds, storage and functionality. There is still a lot to do, but I feel have the major pieces of the puzzle in place.





















Click to expand...

^ Ingenious ^
 
I am getting ready to start my trailer. I found a local welding shop that will work with me in phases.

I keep looking to your build for ideas. Planning to add a fresh water tank, lighting, possibly a roll out tray. My build will not have a tent on top but will be used for hauling camping equipment and cooking supplies. I plan to use aluminum tool boxes in lieu of building an enclosure with 1" tubing.

Thanks and imitation is the highest form of flattery...

77
 
Love your trailer and your rig DIRTCO! :thumb:
I was looking for details on the drawer sliders you have used for your various sliding shelve projects- thought I had seen the details in one of your threads but can't find it now. It's difficult/impossible to find the longer heavy duty slides reasonably prices- wondering if you found any affordable solution? Thanks!

Those are some beefy looking ones you have as well Deuskid....any info on those?
 
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77Bronc said:
I am getting ready to start my trailer. I found a local welding shop that will work with me in phases.

I keep looking to your build for ideas. Planning to add a fresh water tank, lighting, possibly a roll out tray. My build will not have a tent on top but will be used for hauling camping equipment and cooking supplies. I plan to use aluminum tool boxes in lieu of building an enclosure with 1" tubing.

Thanks and imitation is the highest form of flattery...

77
Click to expand...

Nice! Trailers are fun projects, you can really step out side the box and make it your own. Good luck with the build, I'm looking forward to what you come up with.

Armair1 said:
Love your trailer and your rig DIRTCO! :thumb:
I was looking for details on the drawer sliders you have used for your various sliding shelve projects- thought I had seen the details in one of your threads but can't find it now. It's difficult/impossible to find the longer heavy duty slides reasonably prices- wondering if you found any affordable solution? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Thank you! I bought the slides off Amazon, they are 48" full extension rated and at 500 lbs. They weren't cheap ($240 with shipping), but like you said they are all pretty expensive. I had the plywood and lumber left over from some home improvement projects, so I justify spending the money on the slides.
 
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