Off season project

Gday all.

I just bought myself a trade trailer, had some friends down in perth who were kind enough to pick it up and drive it back to hedland which worked out well. Anyway it rocked up yesterday and im pretty happy with it, i had only seen pictures on gumtree so wasnt real sure what was gonna rock up!! Plan is to convert it to an offroad camper over the next few months - hopefully i can get it bush ready by about easter time.

This is what ive got planned for it:
-Solar and electric fit out. Already got a 120w solar panel/regulator and some deep cycle batteries and have ordered internal and external LED lighting.
-Water tank and pump. Thinking about 80Litres or so for the tank.
-Rooftop tent, this will be down the track a bit, will just throw the swag or jet tent in the back for the first few expeditions.
-Pull out awning
-Thicker stronger draw bar, may also extend and make a section for a quad to be mounted on.
-Gas bottle and jerry can holders all round.
-Few extra inches of lift, which is the first job im gonna tackle.

Trailer is currently sitting on 195 R14's so sits pretty low, im going to throw some 6 stud (hilux) hubs on the axles, get some 16" rims and match tyre size to my car. Also want to upgrade the suspension, thinking i might chase up some second hand hilux leaf springs and throw them on.

Anyway this is what im working with.

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Internally already has some shelving that i plan on modifying and using.

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Forgot to mention ive got some heavy duty drawer slides and a 2 burner gas cooker that im going to mount on the shelf at the front of the trailer, have worked out that when its pulled out the wheel arch becomes a perfect seat (worked out well).

Anyway keen to get opinions/tips/experiences etc from everyone, so let me know what you think!

look's like ya gunna a busy man pilbarachad.
i find it funny and i do the same thing with my work traliers,
go buy a s/handy and do a virtually full rebuild, but is the way to go i guess.
save ya some buck's and ya get what you want that way.
good luck with it.
jase

Busy indeed PC but a very worthy project.
One tip - dust seals must be 100% spot on
Keep us up to date on the build mate

Pete

I see ya goin with extra length at the front with the draw bars. good idea these days with trailers. even if ya don't get room for a quad, ya can stick a big storage box on.
Be good to see the end result when ya finished with it.

nice one bud shold come up well

Lotta fun in that build pilbarachad!
I was thinking of building a trailer to tow WITH a quad,like on those vids.
only major drawback is ya gotta get the setup outa town, and the long distances we need ta travel.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the comments and input guys.

After speaking with a few people this week and doing a bit more research ive decided im going to do a bit more work to the trailer than I originally planned. Im basically building a whole new chasis that im going to sit the current “box” on, also ordered new axle, leafs, hangers, hubs ,bearings etc the whole she bang (should arrive next week). Decided id do it all properly first time around and save any potential issues whilst out bush (heard a few stories about a couple of iconic tracks being littered with campers that weren’t up to the task).

Anyway the new chasis sides and draw bar are gonna be made of 100x50 RHS, im throwing in a few 40x40 cross members aswell which may seem a bit underdone but the actual box already has a heap of angle cross members that I will weld to the new chasis. Plan now is to get the chasis/axles/wheels all done over next couple of weeks, before cutting that stuff of the old one (may even be able to sell it all aswell!). Once the box is off im gonna sit it up side down and give the bottom a good clean up and paint prior to sitting it on the new chasis, I was thinking a couple coats of cold gal and then some chasis black, I got a few weeks to look into that though.

Oh yeah got my hands on some second hand 16” rims and tyres this week aswell, so all in all good progress this week. Off now to start welding up the chasis, I might update some photos tonight depending on progress.

All right heres the latest pics of the trailer, chasis is now 99% complete, just got to attach the tow hitch and weld on some chain and shes done. I ended up making it pretty tough, I double gusseted where the draw bar and chassis meet and ran multiple welds all around the leaf hangers, this thing should be around for a long time.

I had a look at my existing trade trailer today to figure out my plan of attack, I was gonna chop the suspension and draw bar off and drop the box on my new chassis but decided im just gonna build a complete new box. It was gonna be quite tricky cutting some of the bits off without hacking into the box and there was gonna be a heap of preservation/surface rust removal aswell. Also the box is far from water/dust tight as the roof is slightly warped which doesn’t let the doors seal properly, I reckon I could fix it, but it would take a long time and probably look like crap in the end. I did a quick ring around to a few steel places and looks like I can do it for about 5 or 600 bucks which isnt too bad, so a new box it is. Should be able to get the majority of the framework for it done this weekend. Should also be able to sell the old trailer for a few hundred more up here than what i payed aswell

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Ticking along really well mate, cheers for the update man

mate thats one hell of a shed u have there--more switch boards than u can poke a stick at and delagation areas on the floor--cupboard space to kill for--

Hopefully I'll bring me caravan down to the workshop this week--still trying to figure how to move it..

then get one of the workers to spend a week cleaning it out for a refurb..know any good chippies?

have fun

regards
oneday

Gday Ray,

Not my shed unfortunately!! Theres a fair bit of extra room in the workshops at work from when we used to have a massive workforce, with all the downsizing over the years theres a heap of space that the boss doesnt mind me using-which works out well for me!

I actually need to post up the latest pics of the build, got most of the frame for the box tacked into position now, so its getting there-but very slowly. I was gonna go in today and do some work on it and get some pics, decided im gonna go fishing instead.

So you got that caravan-good stuff. Sorry dont know any chippies up here, id have a crack myself if i was you though. What are you doing with it? Completely gutting it and starting from scratch??? Whats the drawer bar, chassis, suspension/clearance like??? Do you need to beef it up to get it where you want? You should get some before and after pics of what you do.

Oh by the way, good to see you posting over here again and congrats on becoming part owner of the forum.

Looking Sweet mate coming along well like all good projects get final investment decision approved by the misis for the cheep option then go from there nice

Recon you will have her up and running by april for a feild trial?

Hi Chad
I think it weighs 2.5t--not real sure but it would be close..
the draw bar would withstand a truck drivin over it--real solid--i reckon the van will fall apart befor the chassis takes a dive.
Hopefully organised a truck to bring it to the workshop this arvo-just waitin for a phone call--
then will take some happy project snaps---
I'm too scared to show the mrs though..its a bit rough but bloody dirty coz no one has lived in it for a couple of years..

mate we dont do anything in half measures,,,the same guy has a 12h grader he wants to sell me--

stuff me I havent found that much gold I told him..actually he would be a good bloke to know coz he has a yard in Hedland full of all sorts of bits and pieces--and sounds like a really nice bloke.

regards
oneday

oneday monday wrote:Hi Chad
I think it weighs 2.5t--not real sure but it would be close..
the draw bar would withstand a truck drivin over it--real solid--i reckon the van will fall apart befor the chassis takes a dive.
Hopefully organised a truck to bring it to the workshop this arvo-just waitin for a phone call--
then will take some happy project snaps---
I'm too scared to show the mrs though..its a bit rough but bloody dirty coz no one has lived in it for a couple of years..

mate we dont do anything in half measures,,,the same guy has a 12h grader he wants to sell me--

stuff me I havent found that much gold I told him..actually he would be a good bloke to know coz he has a yard in Hedland full of all sorts of bits and pieces--and sounds like a really nice bloke.

regards
oneday

Its not Lenny your getting to tow it is it???

heres one angle but note the air cons on the roof--also the 2 pipes up the side in the middle of the van are for an external shower
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regards
oneday

Hi Chad
cant say too much otherwise might get them in the shite..
done me a big favour though..
I reckon the tojo will pull the old girl--well gona give it a go anyway in a couple of weeks..
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another shot of the business side--3 doors. Beds either end with kitchen in middle.
Just got to work out the power comsumption to suit the diesel genny that I need to buy..

regards
oneday

Wow, that is one big rig Ray! I had prospecting rig envy untill i remembered how my missus told me one time that size isnt everything

Anyway this is where i got up to on the weekend with mine.

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mate dont forget to allow for a couple of led lights both inside and on the doors that fold up--also another one on the front to light up the spare wheel area..
Notice u have the axle onto of the spring u may want to reverse it to get a bit more height--just an idea--.

regards
oneday

oneday monday wrote:mate dont forget to allow for a couple of led lights both inside and on the doors that fold up--also another one on the front to light up the spare wheel area..
Notice u have the axle onto of the spring u may want to reverse it to get a bit more height--just an idea--.

regards
oneday

Thanks mate, Ive already got some LED light strips for inside and a couple of LED floodlights for outside, along with my 12v waterpump, fuse box and a 12v few outlets-I went a bit crazy on ebay!

As for the clearance, theres already planty of height i reckon, it sits about 2 foot off the ground, ill definately switch it around though if i decide i want a bit more height.

Flying kiwi wrote:Looking Sweet mate coming along well like all good projects get final investment decision approved by the misis for the cheep option then go from there nice

Recon you will have her up and running by april for a feild trial?

Gday Flying Kiwi-sorry mate, i somehow missed your post before now??? Yeah its taking a bit longer to build than i first thought, just hoping to have it fully enclosed, painted and street legal by easter, dont think ill get enough time to deck out the inside before then-but you never know.

How you been anyway? Been out bush lately?

Here's a question for you guys in the pilbara, is the land dragon still in Hedland ?

Youve lost me bignuggs-whats the land dragon

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There's my 2 grand special, has 2 DC batt's in the front but will have to replace the solar panel, it's in a pretty stupid spot. Has draws in the back as well as heaps of storage, 60ltr water tank, 2 x spares same size and pattern as my car which means 4 x spares for my trips bush.