Pookapotapalace

[Pookapotamus]

Im not sure if this is the right spot for this, it is a build, but it's not a jeep, it's my off-road trailer. If this is not a good spot, please feel free to move it.


Since getting into the jeep world I have wanted an off-road expedition trailer, my first plan was to convert an old Canadian military m101 trailer with a roof top tent, like many have done before, but before long I realized this just would not work with the way my plan was heading.

Thankfully I was a 3D designer, so I fired up the computer and got to work. My design had to meet quite a few requirements, heater, on board water, hot water tank, toilet, good bed, room to change, stable, compact, rugged etc... As you can see it was a tough order to fill. I have been designing for around a year now and am pretty much done, still have lots of little details to finish but getting real close and I figured I would share this with everyone and get some ideas and advice.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/18/a883f9579959f7143eb7c9babc892f9e.jpg
Here is a very early pic (only one of a few that I actually have)

And this one is early stages of planing the interiorhttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/18/12c9850c208fd9fef0091c338c1f2132.jpg

Here you can see the full size queen slide outhttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/18/468765a566bd3efea4835c30dd639ce8.jpg

These ones are more up to date, here it is folded up minus the side windowshttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/18/c799f6360ab884daebb259b2fc480786.jpg

And here it is completely open with its canvas roofhttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/18/20abca73a02e57f6f6ae2ebc6a1157d5.jpg

So that it pretty much as it sits now, recently I have switched from steel construction, weighing 2225 lbs, to 6061 aluminum, weighing in at 999 lbs. I am planing on running 31" tires on it, it has a lock n roll hitch huge fridge and lots of other goodies! And the best part is I think I can build it for around $5000!

So please tell me what you think, or ask questions.

[4.3LXJ]

Looks intriguing

[xj-jake]

Intriguing indeed. I like the idea but the engineering involved is making my head hurt already

[abebehrmann]

Uhhh.... That thing is.... AWESOME!!!! Can't wait to see the finished product!

[NW99XJ]

Nice Design Pook!
Looks like some solidworks action.
Maybe with a little help from 3D Content Central?
The canvas work is gonna be costly, and sourcing the necessary extruded aluminum for the framing is going to be some footwork, let alone the labor involved in the finish work.
The actual subframe wouldn't be too hard i imagine, but getting everything to seal up and more importantly SEAL up when your done is going to be a challenge too.
There;s a guy in my NAXJA Chapter that built his own tow-with-an-XJ-camping trailer... nowhere NEAR as feature-packed as your design, but it turned out well. I think your biggest challenge is going to be how to make it rugged enough to withstand the rigors of offroading, all while keeping it lightweight enough to tow with ease with a Cherokee.
In any case, it;s an ambitious project, and I would LOVE to see it come to fruition.
If you need any design help, let me know. I'd be happy to lend a hand with some stuff.

[Pookapotamus]

Thanks everyone!

It's actually all inventor, all the parts are done by me too no 3d content central, once upon a time I had the guys from Autodesk up here to see how we were using their product, they could not believe the way we were doing our skeleton models and the quality we achieved, taught them a lot about their own software, they just never thought of doing stuff the way we were. Fun experience!

Anyway that's off track!

Yes the canvas work will be expensive, but I will be providing them with professional drawings of what I require, hopefully that helps!

Aluminum is easy, all available at my local metal supplier! One of the perks of living in a huge oil driven city like Calgary.

But I have to learn to weld aluminum and get a spool gun for my welder.

Hoping fabrication will start before spring!

[4.3LXJ]

I am liking this Dana. Welding aluminum with a MIG is easier than steel I think. Mine will do it in all positions.

[Pookapotamus]

Mine is just a mig pak 180, need to run a spool gun but I will make it work, my tig unfortunately does not have the proper setting for aluminum. Can't wait to start building.

[autotech98]

Love it! And if all goes well...side business to fund the wheeling addiction

[4.3LXJ]

Mine is just a mig pak 180, need to run a spool gun but I will make it work, my tig unfortunately does not have the proper setting for aluminum. Can't wait to start building.

Mine doesn't have the "proper setting" either. However I run it in low range and set wire speed accordingly. The trick is that you need a gun that uses a nylon sleeve to push the aluminum through and you are limited on length. *' maximum vs the 12" I use for steel. Different gas too. Straight argon

[Pookapotamus]

Love it! And if all goes well...side business to fund the wheeling addiction


You read my mind!!!

[denverd1]

Very cool!! Nice layout and concept. Looking forward to seeing it come together

[TSquared42]

Uhhh.... That thing is.... AWESOME!!!! Can't wait to see the finished product!

Totally agree!

[Pookapotamus]

update!!

Ok I lied, I have done nothing!!! been spending too much time working on other projects like Rinsler. I need to get back to this!!

I did however get my spool gun hooked up to the welder yesterdayand played around with that a bit, need argon though!

[81scramblermike]

NICE.............. I wanted to build something like that but i just dont have the time, so instead i just got this.....

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i49/mike_bfdr/20140304_204437_zpsc7a84ae7.jpg (http://s69.photobucket.com/user/mike_bfdr/media/20140304_204437_zpsc7a84ae7.jpg.html)
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i49/mike_bfdr/20140304_194219_zps8d892404.jpg (http://s69.photobucket.com/user/mike_bfdr/media/20140304_194219_zps8d892404.jpg.html)

its a 2010 Coleman Cobalt it tows beautifully behind the wife's 4runner and it matched lol

[abebehrmann]

One year later: SO DID YOU BUILD IT YET?!?!?!

[Pookapotamus]

No! I'm broke!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

[abebehrmann]

No! I'm broke!


Having 4WD means getting stuck in more inaccessible places!

Damn! Me too!

[Pookapotamus]

Ok back to the drawing board, all your ideas and feed back on my trailer prompted me to sit back and take a good look at my design. I did like this design, but in the end it turned out to be kinda complicated and some aspects, ie: setup time, cost, and trying to heat a canvas area, left a bad taste in my mouth. So I started boiling the idea down, refining it, and stripping out the really unnecessary. Tried to keep my favourite quote in mind, "An engineer knows when his design is complete, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove". So I threw the first design into the bin and started from square one.

I made a list of absolute things to have:
1. Lightweight, well made and simple
2. Comfortable full size bed
3. Heater
4. Hard sided
5. Ample storage
6. Spare tire


Also a list of "would be really nice"
1. Fridge
2. On board water
3. Solar panel
4. Dual propane tanks and expansion port
5. Dual battery

Once I had a basic idea of what I really needed I started designing again and the ideas just started flowing. Because I wanted a full size bed, that really got me thinking on what an adventure trailer really is, and came up with the idea that it's really just a bedroom on wheels. I wanted hard sided, not just for heat conservation and strength but also people just feel safer and more comfortable with hard sides. So these two ideas came together and grew into a very simple design of a trailer that lifts up to give just enough room to crawl into a heated, hard sided, bedroom.

I would forgo having tables, or a kitchen in the trailer and instead, have a screened room outside the trailer to do cooking in, or other everyday things, therefore keeping the "bedroom" clean and heated for sleeping. This would also simplify the design and at an added bonus seal the trailer in its closed form, so that it is virtually air and water tight for traveling. Plus the trailer can now be lifted or opened with a simple air actuated scissor lift, which means air can be used to pressurize a water tank for on board water, or fill tires or whatever, and it is less complicated, lighter and "greener" than hydraulic or electric and it opens at the touch of a button!

This new design also allows me to have tons of storage therefore letting me carry a camp table, large camp stove, and kitchen to be used in the screened room, oh and carry the screened room as well, and because it's hard sided there is now a cargo basket on top for even more storage!!!! The new design still incorporates dual propane and battery as well as better side protection but also decreases the amount of support needed internally for all the kitchen and other bits inside so it's even lighter than before.

I have also took a good look at the tires. I know a lot of people decide to put 33's on their trailers or the same size of tire as the tow rig, but I really can't see a need for this. Yes I agree the ground clearance is great, but really that seems to be the only plus to larger tires, and I think can be compensated with proper armour on the axel or an independent trailer axel, still researching this. The tires don't need massive grip, just lateral grip really, and larger tires are harder to tow, so I'm am thinking of staying with a standard 27" trailer tire, making the trailer easy to tow, lighter and saving space for the spare. The trailer itself will still have tones of ground clearance but won't sit as high as something with super large tires, oh wait... it has on board air! I am working to make the axel independent with air bags, so that when off roading the trailer can be in a lifted state, also allowing it to drop down for highway towing, and drop even further for setting up at camp to have an incredibly stable base! Even making it easier to get into!!!

As mentioned before there is a screened room for a kitchen, I am planing on this being connected to the back of the trailer and having all the polls stored in special compartments in the trailer. It will also have insulated "zipper on" sides and be able to be heated from the heater in the trailer.

As for the fridge, this one I am undecided on, yes it would be nice, but there really is no good option, they are not really energy or space efficient, I do have the room for it in the trailer but can't help thinking that a powered cooler might be a better option.

This new design has really come together and allowed for better features, like a built in closet, good proper led lighting inside and other refinements and I think a much more functional adventure trailer.

I know it's hard to visualize and I will post pics as soon as I have something that is presentable but what do you guys think? Do you think I am missing anything from the "must have" list?


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[4.3LXJ]

Dana, you are right the usual fridge takes a lot of power, especially off an inverter. I have fairly well solved this problem with the use of those plastic ice things that are filled with some type of alcohol. The fridge needs to have one of those open type freezer compartments inside the fridge space. You freeze those things while driving or whatever during the day and then they keep the fridge cool, as well as having it in cooler night time temps. Works fairly well. Stuff stays cold. But we keep it in the Jeep and do a lot of driving during the day

[Pookapotamus]

Thanks Steve, the only reason I am still considering the fridge is having it run off 3 diff states, plug in, batt and propane. I'm sure there is a better solution.


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[Pookapotamus]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170112/1cdee3335b653fc6f8adda586850c70c.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170112/f567872c29f378c5f8f18fecc9edd455.jpg

Open and closed teaser pics!!!


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[jonb8]

I decided to run the same wheel and tire as the Tow Pig because I only wanted to carry one spare, and I couldn't find a fridge that could keep stuff any colder then 50 degree's below ambient temp. So if it's 90 degrees outside my food is spoiling, and it's expensive and uses alot of power...So I just went with a good cooler and keeping it simple. Good luck on your build.

[Pookapotamus]

Check out timbren axeless suspension.

http://timbren.com

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[4.3LXJ]

Link?

[Pookapotamus]

Thanks Steve! Not what I am going to be using but pretty slick!


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[4.3LXJ]

Yeah, I can dream on about that. My car hauler could us that. I was afraid to look at prices

[Pookapotamus]

Prices were very good, at least I thought so.


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[4.3LXJ]

I wonder how they would hold up to my hopefully overloaded trailer. Good thing I never go across scales :D

[Pookapotamus]

They look good, but just not beefy enough for my eyes.


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[4.3LXJ]

Mine either. I can be hard on things. I used to load the trailer with 2 cords of green wood and weigh in at 12000 gross