The latest project, removable camper project, OZ Trail 8.

[losh1971]

Placed a deposit on this today. Just the tent, not the trailer. We've decided that we are over tent camping and want something that can withstand rain and wind, so decided to do a $500 redraw and and start working on something, which will make life a lot easier.

Meet the OZ Trail 8. Pick it up on Friday. It needs two minor repairs, a short run of stitching and a new zip closer on the cover.

Plan is to drop it off Friday week to have the repairs done. Then I will give it a really good clean. Plan is to use my current 6x4 work trailer as the carrier and have it so I can remove the tent part as needed, by rigging up a chain sling for the gantry.

Tonight most of the equipment frame and the side trailer box was removed from the trailer and placed into storage on top of some tall shelves in the shed. I figure it will be unlikely I go back to working for myself as I couldn't make enough money other than enough to pay for more tools, equipment and equipment maintenance. So now the trailer will become multi use and able to cart gear for the garden and in summer an easy way to pack and get away for a week.

Longer term is to put back what I've borrowed and in the meantime see what I can find in the way of plans to make user friendly storage underneath in the trailer tub.

 

[losh1971]

So after work today I've been roughing in some of the timber I'll use to make the under floor storage. There will be room for two HD plastic tubs. They will just slide in and out on the trailer floor as it will be too exi for sliders, plus I'll lose height.

I bought two tubs from Mitre 10 today but they were too tall. So hoping I can take them back to a different store as I bought these up tbe coast today.

Plan is to box them in using timber and securing the timber to the floor with either pins and R clips or cup head bolts and wing nuts. Just going to depend on what I can buy locally, with pins and clips being the preferred.

Once I get the right tubs I will be able to drill the holes and position everything. The trailer has front and rear gates so I can access a tub from each side.

ATM I'm hoping I can leave the front rack on, but that will depend on whether the tent needs to fold out at the front. The trailer is 1835 long so I may get away with not needing to have front overhang. Reason I'd like to keep the front frame is I can carry poles in the pipes.

I have my eye on a camp kitchen on FB that I want to come down a bit before I hopefully go buy it. I worked out I should be able to get a 4.5kg gas bottle mount and use that to have it close to the camp kitchen that I can run the hose straight to the stove.

I've booked the tent in for repairs next week. I need to figure out a way of securing the tent base to the trailer and at this stage I'm leaning towards chain. But I'll figure that out some more over this coming weekend hopefully.

 

[losh1971]

Ok, so slowly getting there. I have spent probably a sold 20hrs but you wouldn't think so. It takes a lot of thinking about how it will all work. I reckon just mocking things up and looking and thinking I have spent 5 or more hours. Done a fair bit of ripping timber to help save room and to also help save weight.

I was going to go to Mitre 10 on my way from picking the tent up but I needed to get it home and suss it right out and take measurements and decide on something and then figure out that may not work, so change plans of timber sizes. Nutting it out is really hard when you have no design plan to work from, at least as a starting point.

 

[losh1971]

I have a spot on the left front corner that I have checked out the timber divider about 10-12mm so the battery box will fit. I need to go to an upholsterer and see if I can score a 20mm thick piece of hi density foam to lay in the bottom of the battery box so I don't vibrate the plates to pieces. It's either that or I fork out for a marine battery, but foam will be a lot cheaper.

The two tubs will be accessed from the rear only now I have decided as I want the battery to stay in place when camped out as the camp kitchen and fridge will all be on that side. The front gate will be kept lowered when camping so I can vent the battery without building up gas under the tent. Plus that will give access to charging ports for phones, and an inverter if I decide to buy one at some point. I have 300w one but it's not pure sine wave, and is only good for a few things like charging a laptop or some other basic need. I'd like a 500w pure sine wave one but they are $100 and I don't want to spend anything more than I have to right now. Things are starting to add up so, just trying to only buy what I really need for the next three weeks at least, as I have managed to blow my budget already.

 

[losh1971]

Sub frame is now finished apart from four 200mm bugle screws to go in the end rail, which I will do tomorrow as I need to buy them. Next step is the stitching and replace the zip closer. Then I need to wait until SCA have a 20% off and grab a botte of Mould Rid and treat a patch on one of the window awnings. At the same time I will rangle the wife in to help clean it.

So far everything has worked out fine. It all fits as I had hoped. I think I may need to lower the number plate just so it's a little more visible. I've found out the camper tent base does protrude past the guards each side by about 30-40mm. I'm hoping it doesn't become an issue. Although it shouldn't as I'm allowed 150mm past the edge of the guards.

 

[hademall]

View attachment 259529

Sub frame is now finished apart from four 200mm bugle screws to go in the end rail, which I will do tomorrow as I need to buy them. Next step is the stitching and replace the zip closer. Then I need to wait until SCA have a 20% off and grab a botte of Mould Rid and treat a patch on one of the window awnings. At the same time I will rangle the wife in to help clean it.

So far everything has worked out fine. It all fits as I had hoped. I think I may need to lower the number plate just so it's a little more visible. I've found out the camper tent base does protrude past the guards each side by about 30-40mm. I'm hoping it doesn't become an issue. Although it shouldn't as I'm allowed 150mm past the edge of the guards.

Losh, hopefully you've used treated timber. If putting some kind of sliding in and out floor, use Marine ply.
Also, you need to treat your trailer with a coat of ‘Kill Rust’. And be mindful of the extra weight you are adding to the trailer.

 

[losh1971]

Losh, hopefully you've used treated timber. If putting some kind of sliding in and out floor, use Marine ply.
Also, you need to treat your trailer with a coat of ‘Kill Rust’. And be mindful of the extra weight you are adding to the trailer.

Mixture of treated and white pine. The divider is just white pine. No plan for sliders as you lose too much height and my trailer sides are not very high plus they are really exi. The tubs slide out no problem. Plus I don't want to make anything that won't be quick to remove and install if I need to use the trailer to pick up garden materials.

The trailer will handle the weight no problem. It's rated to 1300kg gross. I do want to keep the weight down best I can though as I want to occasionally tow it with the wife's Outlander. Plan is to pop it on the weigh bridge once I'm done and can load a few basics in the tray.

Camper is another budget build so trying to keep costs around $1000 all up.

 

[chrisp]

Also, check your weight distribution. You might need stabiliser legs at the rear of the trailer as it will probably want to tip backwards when set up. Actually, thinking about it you will probably (almost certainly) need them unless the trailer is very front heavy. A set of caravan stabilisers will work okay, but built-in stabilisers are better. The front jockey wheel can work as the front stabiliser.

Also, (and I assume that you have already checked?), once the tent is opened, it will probably restrict access to either the back or the front of the trailer. So, access to the storage needs to be via the other end (whichever is not blocked). Or the trailer needs to be unloaded before the tent is setup.

I had a look at the same idea may years ago. The first thing that needs to be right is the trailer height. If it’s too high, it won’t work (as it’ll pull down on the tent and damage it). If it’s a little too low, you can get away with it. I ended up buy a purpose built trailer and camper combo instead.

 

[losh1971]

Yeah I checked the trailer height requirements and am now about 880mm with the timber sub frame where as requirements is 850mm approx.

Yeah I plan to unload things that need to come through the rear access before the tent goes up.

Yep will need stabilisers. I don't weld so looking at screw jack frames that I can pop underneath. I've seen them at SCA but I will look around and see if someone has them cheaper. I will probably need four as the jockey wheel is not ideal at stabilising corners.

 

[losh1971]

The camper won't actually carry a lot that requires unpacking as it will become too heavy to comfortably tow with a four cylinder Outlander. Basically it will carry a few smalls in the two tubs, the camp kitchen and the solar panel and maybe an ice box if it fits. I believe the tent is about 100kg, IIRC the trailer unloaded is in the vicinity of 350kg. Probably aim for around 600-650kg gross. If towing it with BT then I can load it more, if there's room.
We want to take the boat so most of the time it will be a two car trip anyway as the step daughter will likely be with us.
It will all be a bit experimental when we take it out after Christmas this year. Over time I will be able to figure out what works and what doesn't and figure out what we actually need and what we can live without.