Redeth005

HI Ed, i see you got back to it This trailer is gonna be really nice when it is finally finished. I would like some thing like this would come in handy for when my band plays shows. awesome man.

rustED

iTrader: (2)

Thanks guys! I really appreciate it, it's rewarding to hear that others are inspired by something I'm building, that's what helps motivate me to try an get this project finished! I look forward to seeing some pics of your trailer projects down the road!


Thanks Richard! Yeah I think I'll get a lot of use out of this trailer (besides just using it for camping) when it's finally finished... I had to make some compromises along the way to make it multifunctional (it's a little wider than I wanted it to be, there's also a few things I might go back and change, (like when the tailgate is in the down position it doesn't sit flush with the floor of the trailer it's sits up about an inch higher, to fix this I'll have to go back and cut out one of the floor crossmembers and move it back one inch, then I'll have to lengthen my tailgate by one inch, but by doing this when I haul something long like a sheet of plywood it will sit more flat. I will probably also relocate the tailgate T-handle from the inside to the outside, for the same reason. Doing these modifications is what's holding me up and preventing me from welding in the floor sheetmetal at the moment. But over all I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out so far.

bone collector

That thing is looking awesome. Wanna come to Indiana and build mine for me?? lol

twistedyota

iTrader: (1)

Anything new

rustED

iTrader: (2)

Thanks! That would be one heck of a sweet road trip, then we could do some wheelin too! LOL!

Nope, nothing new. I have kinda been holding out on some warmer weather before tearing back into the trailer. We get a couple days here and there that are in the fifties, then it snows, like yesterday!
I'm so ready for spring already!

Once I get going I'll pull the body off the frame and build some permanant mounts, then I can weld in the floor. I might also change the tailgate while I'm at it, as mentioned above in the reply to Redeth. After that I need to build one more link for the suspension, I'm probably going to build some bump stops, in case the air bags ever lose air they don't completely deflate and bottom out, I'll also be adding some limit straps so I don't over extend the air bags, then its just a matter of adding lights, wiring harness and finishing up the tongue and hitch. I still need to buy another 5'x10' sheet of 14 gauge sheet metal to build a hard tonneau cover, and some 1x1" square tube, i should have enough left over to build the fenders. Still not sure about the paint, I'd like to Monstaline the whole body/tub red to match my 4 runner, and do the trailer frame, fenders, and tonneau cover black, but that can get real expensive really quick, we'll see, thats a ways off yet.

**EDIT** need this plug in T-trailer harness for the 4 runner (Hopkins P# 43315 thanks Terry87)

rustED

iTrader: (2)

Small update. I scored this electrical control panel the other day from work. They had upgraded a bunch of equipment a couple months ago and were going to throw it in the scrap bin, my boss let me take it. I think after plugging the holes were the conduit came into it, I'll mount it to the trailer tongue and use it for lockable storage. It's got a pretty durable finish, I'll probably respray over it, just to pretty it up a bit. The way its sitting on my truck it measures 30' wide by 24" tall by 10" deep.

85sr5excab

That's a fantastic idea! Mite be a good idea to put some weatherstrip under the lid to make it waterproof.

rustED

iTrader: (2)

Thanks, I love scoring free stuff, lol. Its hard to tell in the pic, but the lid does have weather stripping in the small channel, its in perfect condition too! I lucked out the way the holes are placed, when I mount the box to the trailer tongue, that side will be up against the front body panel, so the holes won't even show.

schlotz fab707

Looks great! I'm currently in the middle of building one very similar to yours! Mine's a 4 link with jeep lift coils. I'm moving to the "camper" part of the trailer now! Also, it's gonna have 33's eventually.. Has pizza cutters on it right now for mock up.. Lol. Check out the pics and tell me what you think or if you have any suggestions!!

rustED

iTrader: (2)

Wow that's a cool trailer right there! Nice tube work! I'm jealous, I wish I had a tube bender, and tubing notcher.


Are those stock height TJ springs, or did you cut them down some? Looks like you should have a lot of suspension travel! I was going to use TJ coils, but then switch to firestone air bags, I still have to build one more link. I like your outer links, did you use dimple dies to get the holes like that?
Half my problem is my budget, either I use funds to buy tools to make the job easier, and have no money for steel, or I buy the steel and use the tools I have and do it the hard way, lol. I guess that's why it's taking me 2+ years to get this far, lol.


So when you say your moving on to the "camper" part of the build, does that mean your building a totally enclosed custom camp trailer? You should start a build thread on yours, that thing is sweet!

schlotz fab707

Thanks! I work in a fab shop for a living every day so I get the privilege to use all the equipment and get the materials for a cheaper cost. I'm kind of spoiled.. Lol. I'm not sure exactly what kind of springs they are.. I found them on the riverbar one day while wheelin!!lol the outer links are just 1 1/2" x3" tube cut to a taper and capped. Then I cut holes in them and welded pieces of pipe in the holes. And ya its going to be an enclosed trailer when it's all done. Thanks for the reply by the way!! I'm new to YT and not a whole lot of people respond to me.. Lol

85sr5excab

go ahead and start a thread. We'll respond. Especially to something as cool as this.

schlotz fab707

Alright, will do! Thanks for the encouragement!! Lol

87-SR5

Make's me want to build a trailer! But I think I should finish my truck first!

rustED

iTrader: (2)

Ha, ha. Thanks man. Have you started a build thread on your truck? I'd like to check it out!

Hopefully with the weather warming up I'll start making progress on this build again! My goal is to have it finished and usable for THIS summer!

rustED

iTrader: (2)

I'm going to be selling my 83' Toyota in the next week or so to my uncle, so I should have some money to put into the trailer project. I pulled the 33's off my 83' Toyota to put on the trailer, and as I thought, not enough clearance between the tire and the trailer bedside... this is what happens when you change your plans half way through a build.





So the options I'm considering.


1. buy some wheel spacers and call it a day- (problem: the axel is already 63" flange to flange, if I went with 3" wheel spacers that would put me at 69" ...11" wider than my 4 runner ifs axel, this thing would look wider than it is long!


2. for the cost of wheel spacers I could buy square spindles and some square tubing (reuse my existing wheel hubs on my current axle) and build a custom width axel- (problems: more fabwork, I'd have to make new airbag and link mounts, more time consuming and again the width would be way wider than I originally wanted like mentioned above)


3. mini tub the box bedsides and make wheel wells and keep the existing width axel as is- (problems: more time and labor, I'd have to notch and plate the trailer frame, cut out the bedsides and some of the floor support crossmembers and build a mini tub, but my suspension wouldn't change.


my original thought was wheel spacers, because it would be quick and easy, but I don't really like the idea of running them, that's when I started thinking of building another axel, but with all the fab work and time involved and id have to buy or build new mounts, plus im not liking the extra width of the axels, im now leaning towards option #3. It would cut into my space a little, but if I wanted to haul a sheet of plywood I could slide it above the wheel tubs, not that big of a deal. What do you guys think, Id really appreciate some opinions or maybe a complete fresh idea from someone elses prospective!

85sr5excab

Why not just get wheels with a different offset and sell the wheels u have now? It would be an easy enuf fix and wouldn't break the bank. That is of course if that would allow u the clearance necessary for the axle to articulate adequately. Not sure how much ur axle articulates bur surely it's not that much.

rustED

iTrader: (2)

Lol, yeah that's what I was thinking on my way to work today. The wheels and tires currently on my trailer were going to be temporary, I eventually want to match the trailer to my 4 runner's Black steel rims and 35's . But my 4 runner has 15x10's with 3-1/2" backspacing the same as the wheels currently on the trailer, so I'm thinking I probably need to go to a 15x8 with 2" backspacing.

twistedyota

iTrader: (1)

I say you get matching rims and just tub it.

JBurt

I'm just spitballing but if whether you're using spacers, or a longer axle, or wheels with less backspacing isn't the distance from the outside of one tire to the outside of the other tire the same, with all the stresses, strains, and difficulties that come with it? I think it would be better to get spacers and then get the same tires as on your rig, then you've got good spares.

Tubbing it I think would look the best but storing gear and dealing with wheel wells sucks. I know you mentioned getting plywood. If you do that a lot it might be easier to have a wider trailer, but each decision has it's pro's and con's.