XJ Expedition Trailer

[XJ&CHZ4ME]

very cool...I like to see builds like this that take some thinking and creativity. Cant wait to see the finished product!

 

[FlexdXJ]

Very Nice Matt, looking forward to seeing it in person!




Also, what size is that castle nut on the lunette?

 

[RAM-ROD]

Matt: Great work.....See you in Moab buddy.....

 

[DrMoab]

Can I make a suggestion? This comes from years and years of hauling cars for a living. Get a set of mud flaps for your jeep. That back window is not made to be hit with rocks. Unlike your windshield the tiniest pebble at speed will shatter that glass. I bought a few mini can windows because I backed them on over the cab of my semi and they got tagged by rocks.

 

[OutkastBoss]

Thanks guys, I am loving how this thing is turning out.
I can't wait to get it on a trail for a test run and some camping!

what size is that castle nut on the lunette?

You may have to google that one Aaron It doesn't say anywhere on the site or my receipt, and all I did was make sure it fit !

Can I make a suggestion? This comes from years and years of hauling cars for a living. Get a set of mud flaps for your jeep. That back window is not made to be hit with rocks. .

Thanks for the advice, I think I will get some set up to be removable because I doubt I will find any I don't think are hideous.

I wanted my Jeep to be street legal in as many places as possible originally so they were on the someday list right after wider fenders
(tube fenders ftw) .

Here in Missouri I have never been bothered about not having flaps or my tires sticking out past fender a touch, but I hear it is not like that everywhere.

Also after Using a tow rig the past 2 years for Winterfest I like towing the Jeep to go wheel better, I wonder If both fit on our car hauler.
I am sure it will get towed by the XJ for camping only and close range trips.

 

[DrMoab]

Probably not legal where you live but a dude here pulls his jeep on the flatbed trailer and then leaves his expo trailer hooked to the jeep but wheels on the ground. Looks goofy as hell but he says it tows great.

 

[OutkastBoss]

Here is Some more progress.

Angry Corey Spraying some Ps5 Silverstone grey metallic !

And Here are Pictures of it painted and Cleaned up with the Rooftop tent mounted.

I also added 31" tires with the stock Rims that have the same center caps as the ones I mounted to my Cragar D-windows on my XJ and painted to match.

I have a pipe mount tongue jack and 2 Stabilizer legs that are waiting to be installed for when I need to detach and have the trailer remain solid as a base Camp.

I am also running 12v to It for some L.e.d.'s and fans For inside the tent and trailer.
A CB would be cool too if you left people back at camp.

gas and water storage would be the next priority but that will come later and after looking around some of these sites like Expedition trailers.com I know this is just the base to build on.

The real icing on the cake comes after this thing works and I have a few years to acquire some of the cushy perks like hot showers, fridge freezers etc.

 

[OutkastBoss]

Probably not legal where you live but a dude here pulls his jeep on the flatbed trailer and then leaves his expo trailer hooked to the jeep but wheels on the ground. Looks goofy as hell but he says it tows great.

Holy crap !?

I am sure it sounds sketchier than it is, but I don' think the local L.e.o.'s would approve of that one.

On a Side note this backs up nicely, my brother and I have been running a landscaping business for 9 years so I have backed up quite a few trailers and this thing is surprisingly easy for being kind of small.

 

[RAM-ROD]

Matt: Check Front runner and Adventure Trailers for ideas and parts. I have the front runner two can holder on my roof rack and am keeping that for our trailer.

Ram" That Trailer is awesome" Rod

 

[DrMoab]

The set up I was talking about.

 

[Fore Wheeler]

Re: Re: XJ Expedition Trailer

The set up I was talking about.

That's nuts.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

Good Job! Subscribing for ideas!

 

[X E Ryder]

That's nuts.

Yea that's a first on me hehe!

The CHP here in Calif would ticket you.... just because.

Heck if it tows great who cares though.

Great thread - some great ideas! Didi anyone ever try this hitch setup?

 

[OutkastBoss]

.

Great thread - some great ideas! Didi anyone ever try this hitch setup?

I saw that and another homemade setup on another site.

For me the pictures all over the internet of the rolled trailers with articulating hitches or them bent from jack knifing made me want a pintle.
Specifically something along the lines of the M416 with the ability to articulate but with resistance so it takes some force for it to tip and causes it to use the trailer suspension.

Also I am shocked at how nice this thing tows and backs up, It does not clank and rattle all over like I figured a basic looking hook and loop setup would.
The only damage I saw to a pintle style one was someone jack knifed it hard enough to rip the bumper the pintle was mounted into.

 

[DrMoab]

I've seen pointless hitches roll over and have you had it on a road filled with cobble stone type rocks yet?

Mine is fairly quiet until I get on a road like that, then it gets noisy.

 

[OutkastBoss]

I've seen pointless hitches roll over and have you had it on a road filled with cobble stone type rocks yet?

Mine is fairly quiet until I get on a road like that, then it gets noisy.

Yea there are a lot of situations I haven't been in with it yet so time will tell.

I hope to get it out on the trail this weekend and that's where I will start grinning if it does well, and then again if it tows nice loaded to bear.

 

[Fore Wheeler]

Are you leaving your rear sway bar on?

 

[DrMoab]

I've seen pointless hitches roll over and have you had it on a road filled with cobble stone type rocks yet?

Mine is fairly quiet until I get on a road like that, then it gets noisy.

That was supposed to say pintle not pointless. Thanks apple.

 

[OutkastBoss]

And the build marches on !

This trailer is pretty easy to move at least before the RTT I could pick it up and turn it around or whatever .
Also when we sat 2 MWC sized people in the gate you could lift the front if you weren't careful.

So stability when Detached was the next project so I could feel Secure Up in the rooftop tent knowing the trailer wasn't going to get tipped back on me .
I started with the front and added a Pipe mount Tongue Jack that can be flipped up and left on while on road towing or completely removed for off road travel.

here you can see the tongue jack and my Lunette lock I got for extra security.

And for the rear I got the extra long trailer stabilizing jacks that flip down and extend.

Here you can see how I mounted them to fold up and lock into place up in between the gas tank (future fuel storage) and the Leaf springs.

And Finally here they are flipped down and locked into place.

 

[OutkastBoss]

That was supposed to say pintle not pointless. Thanks apple.

I was wondering about that, I kind of thought maybe you were trashing the non pintles.
But yea I figured if it rotates it can roll, mine seems really tight though so maybe not as easy as something with no resistance ?

Are you leaving your rear sway bar on?

As of right now it is off the trailer, however I kept it because I was unsure of how wise that decision was.

I have had it up to 80 on a long curve with bumps on one of our highways here that we use to trigger DW in jeeps while trying to cure DW.
I have also swerved it pretty good a few times, I did have once pulling out of my neighborhood where it swayed left to right a couple of times .

I live on 2 lane hilly curvy roads with no shoulders that everyone speeds on so It handles that pretty well so far .. (unloaded)

I figured it would flex better and my XJ doesn't have one in the rear either .:dunno:
Tbh I don't know much about trailers, I am Winging it here.