Sometimes you have to take...
Sometimes you have to take the torch and do things yourself. Building this off-road trailer has been one of those events. We had an idea and we ran with it. What you see here are the results as of yet. Though we watch metal fabrication occur with frequency we often forget to participate, so we relish in the times that we find the welder in our hand with a clean slate of possibilities ahead of us.
Anyone can do it, really. You just need the right tools, the time, the aptitude to determine right angles, and ability to read a measuring tape. There's also the welding skill part but even that can be learned with practice.
What we're talking about is building things out of metal. For this installment of our off-road trailer build, we'll break out the welder, the grinder, the levels, and the squares, and tackle a home fabrication project creating an upper deck atop our Harbor Freight utility trailer.
A few things we were considering altering on the Harbor Freight trailer were the trailer axle width, leaf-spring size, and tire height. We also planned to build the aforementioned upper deck that would support a rooftop tent and occupants while allowing gear to be stowed beneath.
Follow along as we break out the fabrication tools and tackle this project. Next month we'll finalize the modifications to our off-road trailer and get it in the dirt to see how it turned out.
We set the trailer on jack...
We set the trailer on jack stands and leveled it to an acceptable degree. This also made it much more stable to work on. The axle, leaf springs, and spring mounts will be removed, as well.
We ordered the necessary amount...
We ordered the necessary amount of material from Industrial Metal Supply. The main structure would be constructed from 1-inch-by-2-inch-by-11-gauge rectangular tube, but we also got some 1x1-inch square tube and some flat steel bar. We ordered the metal in 5-foot lengths for easier transport. The cut scraps will be used for gussets.
It’s always nice to start...
It’s always nice to start out a new project with a new pair of gloves. This set of Mechanix Wear Fabricator Gloves proved to be very useful and kept our paws well protected through the entire process.
The ARB Simpson III Rooftop...
The ARB Simpson III Rooftop Tent will be a great addition to the trailer and it also offers the versatility to be mounted atop our Jeep if we want to leave the trailer home.
We set the ARB Simpson III...
We set the ARB Simpson III Rooftop Tent on top of the partially-completed upper trailer deck for a test fit.
To give the trailer some more...
To give the trailer some more height we’ll install early Jeep CJ springs, hangers, and shackles from Omix-Ada. The springs are front 10-leaf-spring packs from Omix-Ada and will provide ample load carrying capability and flex for the application. The 1955-to-1975 CJ-5 front leaf springs are 36 by 1.75 inches, which will be a good fit to the trailer frame width and length.
The Omix-Ada CJ shackles are...
The Omix-Ada CJ shackles are greasable.
A set of wheel spacers from...
A set of wheel spacers from Omix-Ada will hopefully provide the necessary spacing to fit a set of 15x8 Rugged Ridge wheels with 3.75 inches backspacing. If not we’ll likely order some new spindles and make a wider tube axle. The trailer uses a 5-on-4.5 wheel bolt pattern, which is the same used on Cherokees, YJs, and TJs. Omix-Ada also provided CJ U-bolt plates with lower shock mounts and upper frame shock mounts.
The SWAG Off-Road Baja Bins...
The SWAG Off-Road Baja Bins are cool. They’re offered in two sizes to fit either the 8- or 24-gallon Rubbermaid Action Packer storage containers. The aluminum cage completely encases one ActionPacker holding it securely wherever you mount it. A second ActionPacker or other gear can be situated atop the Baja Bin and secured using ratchet straps or bungies.
The SWAG Off-Road Baja Bins...
The SWAG Off-Road Baja Bins are offered with dual clasps on each side for tight fitting mounting locations or with a hinge on one side and clasp on the other.
We used stacked Action Packer...
We used stacked Action Packer crates to determine the deck height and cut the tube accordingly. The Action Packers will be secured in a SWAG Baja Bin. That’s a Harbor Freight chop saw being used. Our cuts would certainly be straighter if it was secured to a table but we don’t have a fab shop at home – just a garage full of tools, spare parts, unfinished projects, un-started projects, motorcycles, bicycles, folding tables and chairs, many boxes of holiday decorations, and too much other stuff taking up space.
After some measuring we decided...
After some measuring we decided on a 42-inch height from the bottom of the trailer frame. We used clamps to secure the tubes in places before leveling and tack welding.
With the forward uprights...
With the forward uprights still held in place with clamps we set a front cross bar on top and located it with magnets.
We then determined the correct...
We then determined the correct length and cut the cross bar accordingly.
With the front uprights and...
With the front uprights and cross bar squared and tack welded to keep them in place the rear uprights were positioned with clamps.
After the uprights were leveled...
After the uprights were leveled a rear stringer bar was positioned above them.
The corner magnets work great...
The corner magnets work great in helping square everything up...
...and are strong enough to...
...and are strong enough to hold the bars in place for tack welding.
Before applying any final...
Before applying any final welds, we measured multiple times to make sure everything was true.
We actually ended up needing...
We actually ended up needing to break some tacks and grind one of the rear uprights that was slightly less than perfectly placed.
When we were happy with the...
When we were happy with the placement of everything we applied final weld beads to all of the seams.
In next month’s issue we’ll finalize the modifications to the upper deck, install and set up the ARB tent, hang the axle and new CJ springs, and mount up the wheels and tires. Oh, we’ll also go camping.