making a 2 door cherokee into a camper?

[AJTorris]

Ok what do you guys think about doing away with the windsheild and firewall and doing a "slide out" that will go along the tongue for another sleeping area? Im also thinking of doing a pop top on the top to give more space too.

 

[WrenchMonkey]

Ok what do you guys think about doing away with the windsheild and firewall and doing a "slide out" that will go along the tongue for another sleeping area? Im also thinking of doing a pop top on the top to give more space too.

I considered splicing another rear opening and hatch onto the front of a four-door. Open the front hatch, flip down a floor, and enclose it all in a canvas tent...

...but I do my camping in the real tow rig, so it wouldn't really be worth my time.

Robert

 

[MaxxXJ]

wrenchmonkey im pretty impressed with your detailed drawing =) i think if it was me thou, i'd build the trailer out of a 2dr and relocate the rear axle to give a better tongue weight. i would reinforce the frame with the TNT frame stiffener's then use the stiffener's mount the trailer type leafs inside the frame rails and mount the axle further forward, everyone knows too much tongue weight will effect the steering of the tow vehicle, even thou it would look funny it would be alot safer in the long run. you could even patch the original wheel wells up and use them for storage as well.

 

[WrenchMonkey]

...i'd build the trailer out of a 2dr and relocate the rear axle to give a better tongue weight...

Why?

Whole lot of work, what added benefit?

I understand that you need to get the tongue weight right, but why not start with the stock wheel wells and axle location, and balance around that?

Robert

 

[MaxxXJ]

Why?

Whole lot of work, what added benefit?

I understand that you need to get the tongue weight right, but why not start with the stock wheel wells and axle location, and balance around that?

Robert

idk, i just think once i started loading stuff into the trailer i'd have alot of weight towards the front where the doors are and the tongue would be really heavy. but in all actuality im the same as you, i sleep in my tow rig. i dont need a camper, i carry all my stuff inside the cab until i goto sleep then i'll either throw it under the jeep or on top of it... or if if its like my ladies purse or something i cant afford to be stolen i'll throw in the front seats. i've learned to pack light =) its all about the canned food and 1 burner propane stove lol

 

[AJTorris]

As long as you counter balance the trailer it will be fine. That is why i am building a cabinet of some type in the back of it. Along with water storage. It is all going to be in the very back behind the axle. Basically you want 1/3 of the weight on the tongue. Mike you have seen my father in laws trailer and that thing can be moved around like a wheel barrow. So i have no doubt i can figure out the proper tongue weight plus the longer the tongue the more it evens it out. I am planning on having it long enough where i can pivot the jeep at a 90 degree angle.

 

[AJTorris]

Also i dont see the point in stiffening the frame rails at all. The trailer is not going be be "flexing" like a jeep does. It is not going to be going through the entire 4wd trails. Also i need the space it is me, my wife, and our daughters. It is getting hectic trying to sleep in the jeep or even in a tent. I like to have a place to sleep that will keep my 3 year old and 1 year old warm.

 

[Xtreme XJ]

X10 on the drawings.... those are nice there Monkey...

Having the axle that far back will certainly call for some creative loading...
I like the extra hatch idea... on a 2 door.

You'd probabbly be ahead in time & $$$ by just getting a trailer already built.
I totally understand the desire to build something out of the ordinary.

You might contact the guy who did this in Austraila and see how it's working... draw from his experience... also sit down and define exactly what your goals are... will it be for sleeping... cargo... how MANY bodies do you want to sleep... stuff like that.

Good luck...
Curt

 

[Xtreme XJ]

Also i dont see the point in stiffening the frame rails at all. The trailer is not going be be "flexing" like a jeep does. It is not going to be going through the entire 4wd trails. Also i need the space it is me, my wife, and our daughters. It is getting hectic trying to sleep in the jeep or even in a tent. I like to have a place to sleep that will keep my 3 year old and 1 year old warm.

Well I guess we were typing at the same time... I don't see how 4 bodies will work... 2 in the trailer & 2 in the XJ I guess... kids GROW !!! space will disappear quickly... I too want to be able to sleep 4 adults AND stand up... but I'm using a platform without a roof.
I sleaved the frame on my MJ bed & it's very strong so the stiffeners probably wouldn't be needed.

I made my drawbar extendable so you might want to think about something like that... tune it to what works.

Curt

 

[WrenchMonkey]

Basically you want 1/3 of the weight on the tongue...

I've always heard (and aimed for) 1/10, not 1/3, and a quick google seems to confirm that: 10%.

Like I originally posted:

Cutting at the firewall will put way too much weight on the tongue.
Cutting at the B pillar (on a twodoor) won't be enough, plus it'd be way too short to be very useful.

In my sketch, the center of the body (and the approx COG) is about 10-12" in front of the axle. From there to the hitch is only about 84", so it'd be a little heavy at 12-14%.

But it's definitely in the ballpark of how it should look.

Robert

 

[WrenchMonkey]

By the way, more of those drawings here: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=984724

Robert

 

[AJTorris]

ya that was a mistake i looked back at what i was looking at and it was 10%.

My plans right now is to cut the firewall out and take the windsheild out and do a pull out for a sleeping area for the wife and I and then do a eating area that will fold out for another bed for my daughters. And then do a pop top for extra space to be able to stand up.

Another idea i had was to do a pop up with a sleeping platform up above the trailer for my wife and I but i am not going to do that because i would rather have standing room. I am building a cabinet for the back like i originally stated (like the tear drop trailers) Plus have my water tank inside the cabinet. That alone will add weight behind the axle to even it out a little. When I started thinking of this my father in law and i were thinking of axle placement and thinking we may have to move the axle forward too.

I was talking to a guy that has a two door stipped down to just the unibody and he was telling me when it is stripped down to just the rear axle on it, he can lift the front easily, and that is with the fenders and frame on it still. I am doing away with all of that and building my tongue off of it.

Another thing to add about my water storage. A gallon of water weighs about 8LBS. If i get a 25 gallon tank that is 200LBS. Then plus the cabinetry thats more weight to balance it out.

We are thinking after the cabinet and water is in there i may have to put more weight on the front to balance it out.

We are still in the process of thinking up ideas, drawing them out and discussing it. I still have the front axle on it so i am not even ready to do it yet. Another thing is the longer the tongue the less tongue weight there is. I plan on starting it with in the next week.

Depending on how much i want to get into it i may just do the cabinet and then do a sleeping area like the tear drops. It all depends on how much i feel like doing to it all together.

 

[AJTorris]

So i stole some of the things you made to mess around with my idea of my cabinet and here it is

 

[WrenchMonkey]

As much as you're trying to accomplish, you might be better off with a small popup camper. The floor of a totally gutted XJ, firewall to tailgate, is less than 48x96. That's barely enough to sleep two, cozily.

You're right about tongue length-vs-load. Build what you want, then adjust tongue length to get the weight distribution right.

Lot easier than moving the axle and wheelwells back an forth!

Good luck with it, and post pics!

Robert

 

[WrenchMonkey]

So i stole some of the things you made to mess around with my idea of my cabinet and here it is...

That looks great, but now draw the side view.

Just a 12-16" deep cabinet will run most of the way to the rear axle.

Not a lot of room left for sleeping...

Robert

 

[AJTorris]

I was working on it lmao. The brown that looks like it is just on the wall will fold down for a table and the one on the firewall is a shelf for storage. The blue cushion will fold out for a bed. Then the pop up will have a platform that will fold over and slide for a bed up on top. That way i can fold it over and have head room

 

[AJTorris]

or do another seat that lifts up for storage on the firewall side.

 

[scottmcneal]

you will need a tent to sleep in still..I would get a pop up to tow..This way you have some more room an other stuff the wife will love..Bathroom for one..Frig, water heater, just small things that make it more of a enjoyment for the ladys..Plus when you have another kid you will still have room

 

[AJTorris]

Well she doesnt care about bathroom and all that good stuff lol shell rough it! We wont have another for at least 5 years so were good on that. This is basically to get us by for at the most 5 or 6 years. I plan on putting a water heater on it and a small space heater too. In the cabinet i was thinking of doing a ice box. I have one sitting in my shed out of an Alaskan Camper.

 

[WrenchMonkey]

It does look good, but I think you're lsing perspective on the scale we're dealing with.

The filp-down table you drew is about 12x24", barely big enough for one to eat at.

The pop-up looks cool, like an old vee-dub, but really only adds about 18" to the 36" interior height, and that's just at the peak. 4'6" total.

I just think the XJ is too small to make kuch of a family camper.

Robert