CK5
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Camping Trailer Build
- Thread starter r3dd0g
- Start date
you've got nicer tires on your trailer than I have on my truck
Those are pretty much the cheapest 35x12.5R15 tires you can get. They're only $200 each. Plus they're the take-offs from my S-10, one is new and the other two are fairly new because they are from tires I cut when they were on the S-10 before.
It was stupid hot today, but I managed to get some work done anyways. I put the floor in for the fridge and built out the framework that will support the tent when it's lowered for travel. I also put some braces in for the water tank anD the fuel cell. It's all starting to come together. Here's where the fridge is going to sit:
When the bags are aired down Amber can get into it without even using a step which is awesome. The faucet and electronics panel will go in the space between the fridge and the passenger side of the trailer, the fuel cell will go on the drivers side of the fridge. I started building out some of the framework for it:
I have the partially finished water tank sitting in place. I need to make an extension for the trailer jack, the handle doesn't come up past the top of the spare:
I wanted to get a good picture of it at ride height, but it came out blurry and I think I have a bit too much air in the bags so it will probably sit an inch or so lower than this normally:
When the bags are aired down Amber can get into it without even using a step which is awesome. The faucet and electronics panel will go in the space between the fridge and the passenger side of the trailer, the fuel cell will go on the drivers side of the fridge. I started building out some of the framework for it:
I have the partially finished water tank sitting in place. I need to make an extension for the trailer jack, the handle doesn't come up past the top of the spare:
I wanted to get a good picture of it at ride height, but it came out blurry and I think I have a bit too much air in the bags so it will probably sit an inch or so lower than this normally:
Very nice work!
Wow this is coming along great!!!
Looking good! Thought I just had and I can't remember if you mentioned it or not. Are you going to use some sort of adjustable bump stop so if I bag does happen to get damaged you won't be riding out tire on fender yet still drop it fully for camping?
There is a bump stop under there so it won't be riding on steel. I will be carrying at least one spare bag though.
Looking good Brent, made good progress today and I'm visualizing what we talked about.
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Awesome work as usual!
Tonight I went back to working on the water tank. It's a bit easier for me to do jobs like that after a day at work than to get into the heavy fabrication stuff.
Honestly this is the first big TIG work I've done, so I'm still learning as I go. I got all the stainless fittings I needed to finish up the tank on Saturday, so all I had to do was put everything together tonight:
My welds aren't the prettiest, but I only had one small leak when I pressure tested it and I fixed that up already:
The tank has 4 pipe thread bungs I welded on, two vents, a supply line and a hose fitting for filling:
Only a million more things to finish up in the next 3 weeks.
Honestly this is the first big TIG work I've done, so I'm still learning as I go. I got all the stainless fittings I needed to finish up the tank on Saturday, so all I had to do was put everything together tonight:
My welds aren't the prettiest, but I only had one small leak when I pressure tested it and I fixed that up already:
The tank has 4 pipe thread bungs I welded on, two vents, a supply line and a hose fitting for filling:
Only a million more things to finish up in the next 3 weeks.
How heavy do you think this is going to weigh? Will it harm the s10?
When it's fully loaded it's going to be pretty heavy, 30 gallons of water and 25 gallons of fuel + the fridge, tent, spare tire etc. etc. I'll get it on the scale at some point, but that won't be until after Blazer Bash.
As far as harming the S-10... I'm not sure what you mean. It's not going to be fast going up hills on the highway for sure, but it should have plenty of power/traction/torque to get me where I'm going offroad.
As far as harming the S-10... I'm not sure what you mean. It's not going to be fast going up hills on the highway for sure, but it should have plenty of power/traction/torque to get me where I'm going offroad.
Will it have tongue weight and load the suspension down?
I was thinking that it may be tounge light actually.... 
That's why I asked about the water tank placement.... The spare tire and batteries are heavy too though, so it might balance out ok..... I'm curious too though. Love the way it's coming out
That's why I asked about the water tank placement.... The spare tire and batteries are heavy too though, so it might balance out ok..... I'm curious too though. Love the way it's coming out
The last trailer I built was too balanced, not enough tongue weight and it would occasionally get a little unstable on the highway. On this one I have the water tank and batteries mounted further forward, plus it has the spare. My old one had a 200qt ice chest in the back where this one has an 85qt fridge so that will be lighter too. I'm sure it will squat the truck a bit, but it shouldn't be too bad. I've actually thought about swapping out the rear shocks for air shocks when I'm loaded down like this, but that won't happen before this trip.
The bags each have their own set of solenoids so they are completely separate.
The bags each have their own set of solenoids so they are completely separate.
mount the rear air shocks along with your shocks and make the bottom shock mount a pin like a sway bar disconnect. then you can still have the suspension flex when you need it and the overloads when you need that.
Except I'd have to either fully droop out the suspension to switch shocks or depressurize them every time I did it. The air shocks wouldn't hurt my travel/flex any, they just won't be as good of shocks as a regular remote reservoir shock.
Tonight I spent some time making the walls for the storage in the back. Nothing fancy, just lots of stitch welding:
Today went well. We built the "roof" for the trailer which is where the CVT rooftop tent will mount.
This is the part I was most excited for on this build. I love my tent, but when you're driving, you want it low for stability and when you're camping you want it up high so you can walk under it. I did a lot of research and some trailer manufacturers have managed to design mechanisms to make this possible, but the only one I've seen left you with a shaky platform for the tent that would rattle around when you move. I figured out a way to do it with the push of a button and a very stable platform.
It utilizes 4 servo controlled linear actuators with a weight rating of over 700lbs. We've tested it with both Amber and myself on the rack and it raises and lowers with no issue. Obviously we won't normally be raising and lowering it with us in the tent, but with the rack all the way up it is very sturdy and shaking it moves the entire trailer.
This is the part I was most excited for on this build. I love my tent, but when you're driving, you want it low for stability and when you're camping you want it up high so you can walk under it. I did a lot of research and some trailer manufacturers have managed to design mechanisms to make this possible, but the only one I've seen left you with a shaky platform for the tent that would rattle around when you move. I figured out a way to do it with the push of a button and a very stable platform.
It utilizes 4 servo controlled linear actuators with a weight rating of over 700lbs. We've tested it with both Amber and myself on the rack and it raises and lowers with no issue. Obviously we won't normally be raising and lowering it with us in the tent, but with the rack all the way up it is very sturdy and shaking it moves the entire trailer.
