Jeep Camp Trailer

[Cook5]

I'm trying to get this project knocked out so I spent some time this afternoon working on the doghouse.  First we had to take off all the temporary stuff I'd put on the front of the trailer for camping this fall.  The box, battery & propane bottle.  Only the propane will go back inside the box. 

Here's the trailer stripped back down.



And a couple of shots of the treadplate set in place.   It will be screwed to the box and frame with butyl tape to seal it.  The doors will be treadplate also.  I'm trying to work out the gasket/seal setup now.  I ordered some latches today that will latch the doors closed.  The passenger side door will be attached to the kitchen and serve as the fold-up table.  At least that's the plan.

[Cook5]

Okay, I haven't posted anything to this for awhile.  I have finished most everything that I was working on and I'll put up some pictures and information on what I've done.  I did build a fold-down shelf on the end of the camp kitchen.  It works pretty slick.  My original plan was for that to be the "door" for the end of the box so I wouldn't have to have another door.  I don't think that's going to work because getting it to seal good was going to be unworkable.  So, I built the shelf and I'm going to add 2 doors to either end to enclose the entire thing.  I also bought an awning/screen room for the front of the tent.  I had been planning this for awhile and it's part of the reason I changed my mind on having the kitchen slide out.  If I couldn't move the kitchen, it would have been right against the screen.  I set up a propane hose that I can roll up into the enclosure when the kitchen is stored and roll out to use the kitchen.  It's got a quick-connect fitting and a shut-off valve.  Seems to work pretty slick.  It's long enough that I can move the kitchen around to find a good spot.  I'm going to do the same thing with the water except it won't have a long hose, just enough to have a valve at the edge of the camper.  I've gotten it out a couple of times this year already, I've been to the Buffalo River in Arkansas and camped this past week up at Pomme lake, just below the dam.  We hauled kayaks along and did some fishing.  The camper is working out exactly as I'd hoped.

The fold-down shelf, it provides more work space, or space to put another stove if need-be.  I'm considering adding a burner right into the shelf and piping it to the existing stove.



And folded down.


All set up and ready for cooking.


Slid into the Dog-house.  It's a very close fit, I probably should have allowed a little more wiggle room.


Set up for camping at Pomme DeTerre Lake dam.



My son paddling up by the discharge of the dam.  The water rushing out of the dam there is awesome to see.

[Cook5]

A couple more pictures and notes.  I had been pondering for awhile how I wanted to set up the electrical system for protection.  I've looked at some RV breaker panels and some fuse panels but really they're all overkill.  I've only got 2 circuits in my camper, one AC and one DC and I didn't want to set up some big thing for this.  I finally solved it by buying 2 in-line breakers and wiring them into the circuit, right where my power comes into the camper.  I just mounted a small one-gang box, brought both wires (one from the battery and one from the power cord) into the box and put the breakers in series.  I put a 20Amp on the DC circuit and a 30Amp on the AC circuit since that's what my wiring is rated for.  I also mounted the battery to the tongue, I will build a small tray for it later when I've got some time, but for now it's in a boat battery box and strapped down. 

What I've got left is to finish the 2 doors for the dog-house, I've got them cut, I just need to get them broke and put hinges on them.  And last but not least, I've got the small RV pump I need to put under the seat so my fresh water tank can be of some use.  I'll get both of those things done in the next week or so while I'm getting some use out of the camper.





2 Kayaks fit on the top of the trailer almost perfectly. 

[Cook5]

Guys,
I'm considering building another trailer.  I'm looking for input from anyone that has read through my build thread.  If there's anything you would do differently or thought could have been better, sound off.  There are at least a few things that I want to do differently.

• I want to get the weight for the entire unit down under 1,000 lbs
• I want to get it balanced better.  Given the location of the door, the axle location is too far back, giving me quite a bit of tongue weight.  It pulls great, but it's tough to maneuver by hand.
• The weight of the lid is too heavy.  It works fine for me, but I don't believe my wife or a small person could swing it open by themselves.

These are the major items I want to correct in the next version. (2.0)
Otherwise, I've been very happy with the finished product, I've camped in it probably 20-30 nights now and it works great. Set-up is about 15mins.  Same for take-down.  It seals up tight, I've not had any dirt, bugs or moisture get into the unit while it is closed up. 

So, any suggestions?  Also, if you've seen any cool ideas on other trailers, I'm always looking at them but would welcome any ideas.  I like the teardrops, but don't like that you can't stand up in them or take off your dirty boots without getting into your bed, unless you do it outside.