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Camping trailer project


mat_the_cat

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I've been wanting to build a trailer for a while - I currently have a 5' x 3' jobby

 

post-5223-0-11573900-1454968032_thumb.jpg

 

but I like the idea of something a bit bigger, which I could potentially sleep in. I was given this:

 

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which is an old canoe trailer, and I thought it would be a good, lightweight base from which to work. I'm going to be making up plans as I go along, but the first job was to remove anything which I won't need:

 

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Cut out the cross pieces as I'm going to extend it lengthways, and removed the wheels as they're tiny things with integral (shagged) bearings. To ve replaced with proper suspension units with hubs for bolt-on wheels.

 

Not sure whether I'm going for a camping pod, or just a wooden box with some kind of lid. Watch this space!

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My dad built a couple of camping trailers when I was much younger.  He isn't here any more to lend his expertise, but IMHO you might want to look at a heavier-duty chassis as a base.  I remember one he built which was very successful, on wooden rails fitted to the leaf springs of a mk1 Cortina.  That incarnation had hardboard sides and a tilt of yellow oilcloth.  Many years later I rebuilt it with plywood sides, and later again on new rails, though in neither case did I bother making a roof, I just wanted a load lugger.  A friend has recently built a pod, using all new materials IIRC.

Good luck :)

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Mat, I'm sure you're aware of "George Clarke's Amazing Spaces" ont' telly. (Books available too.) There's some great ideas in there. This project springs to mind, made by a bloke in Aberystwyth:

 

Revamped-caravan-by-Carwyn-Lloyd-Jones_1

 

Revamped-caravan-by-Carwyn-Lloyd-Jones_2

 

http://www.mycoolbin.com/2015/10/02/old-cds-and-vinyl-records-are-used-to-revamp-this-deluxe-caravan/

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I once spent a lot of time designing a plastic trailer, using roadside gritbox technology. It runs on wheels with 100pcd so a millionty to choose from to match your car, came in any colour you like and it would have been all but indestructible, but...

...the regulations for trailers are all centred on them being square boxes, so I would have had all manner of jutty out bits to support lamps & reflectors.

 

Screen%20Shot%202015-12-10%20at%2013.11.

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George Clarke's programme is one of the best things to have ever been on telly.

 

Looking forward to seeing how you get on with this, Mat. If it's owt like your camper it's going to be ace,

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DEFINITIONS (correct for speakers of British English):

 

That's a camping trailer behind my Pleasure Wagon, though they often have a hard lid or tarp stretched over:

 

post-1381-0-82560400-1433717975.jpg

 

DW's old trailer tent behind his XM, which converts to this:

 

upload_-1.jpg

 

(Above the BX's bonnet, soz, the best pic I could find!)

 

Teardrop Caravans are like this, or more pointed at the back:

 

Revamped-caravan-by-Carwyn-Lloyd-Jones_1

 

Folding caravan:

 

post-5367-0-27879900-1419182048.jpg

 

...which converts to this:

 

post-5367-0-52850600-1419182083.jpg

 

(That's Mercrocker's.)

 

Spud's got a real caravan:

 

post-3736-0-57319900-1419183562.jpg

 

Roof tent:

 

post-17318-0-46007100-1396369937.jpg

 

Then you're into camper-vans etc:

 

6887320388_9f6a3a32e1_z.jpg

 

5305894117_e9c44ea5bb_z.jpg

 

Sorry, I can't remember what these things are called:

 

post-17414-0-81561800-1378922068.jpg

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Mat, I'm sure you're aware of "George Clarke's Amazing Spaces" ont' telly.

 

 

I'm not as it happens - I don't watch that much TV! But will investigate...

 

DEFINITIONS (correct for speakers of British English):

 

 

What I mean by camping trailer is pretty much like the first definition, but with the facility to have a bed inside and a roof (probably a hinged lid) on top. Although the idea of something like this appeals...

 

image-duo-10.jpg

 

...I'm more likely to go for at most a halfway house between the two. I have a few ideas in my head but I find it easier to build things than get them down on paper.

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That George Clark caravan build, wonder if he ever weighed it? Considering it was a trailer tent chassis the weight added to it was mental. There's a reason why caravans are made of cheap lightweight materials and his contained builders planks, records and good knows how many cd's scewed to the outside. If that isn't overweight empty then to quote my late grandad my pricks a bloater!

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  • 1 month later...

This had taken a back seat for a while, until today (waiting for dry weather!) This is what I'd cut the old canoe trailer back to:

 

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And after a few hours cutting and tacking, I've got the chassis sorted. It really is nice to crank the welder up and work on thick steel.

 

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I ran out of time so haven't finished seam welding yet. The old suspension units are shot, so will get some with a heavier duty rating.

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Watching with interest.  While I have no experience of camping in a teardrop/pod, many of those that I've seen have had inadequate ventilation.  Some owners, concerned about the increasingly fuggy atmosphere at night, had fitted little fans to stir up the CO2.  Sort of missing the point.  I sometimes use a small double skin pop-up tent.  Even with just me inside, the lack of oxygen makes for an unpleasant night and I have to partially open the outer tent to get some ventilation going.   Perhaps a point to consider whilst you are at the design phase? :-)

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I'm thinking do I really want to spend a lot of time on something I'm only going to be using 3-4 times a year? All I really need is somewhere watertight I can put an airbed and sleeping bag in. So my current thinking is along the lines of a standard camping trailer, with something like a pickup hardtop on top.

 

That way if I need to use it to carry anything bulky, I can, which justifies it a bit more and also keeps the cost down (I hope!) It does also mean that my old trailer is surplus to requirements - anybody interested in this for £120?

 

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All new tyres (including spare) 3 years ago, bearings and electrics OK, and even comes with wheels on the back so you can stand it upright and move it around. Can bring to Bromyard next weekend!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I got a few goodies through the post this week:

 

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I know I haven't even got a rolling chassis, let along a floor and sides but I like LEDs, so I've bought some rear lights. Sold as truck lights but I think they look neat! Also a pair of Avonride suspension units, as the old ones were knackered.

 

As they're a higher weight rating than the previous ones, they have a 6 bolt fixing to the chassis, so I extended the original mounting plates as I figured this would be the easiest way to keep the alignment correct.

 

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And this evening I've taken the whole chassis back to shiny steel, ready for coating with Zinga.

 

post-5223-0-78488200-1460147739_thumb.jpg

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A little more progress on this over the weekend - now protected against flash rusting although the upper faces need another coat.

 

post-5223-0-80088200-1460318256_thumb.jpg

 

I've now assembled the hubs and bolted on the suspension units. These are galvanised so should last a while - the old ones had started to corrode through!

 

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And I've found a set of wheels :-)

 

post-5223-0-42766700-1460318522_thumb.jpg

 

Not sure what they were originally for, but they're 4 x 4" PCD so perfect for the trailer - and look ace in my eyes at least! I'm guessing Mini most probably. Unfortunately I'm 3 nuts short, and they look quite specialised as they have a threaded sleeve which the wheel relies on for centralisation.

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