New To Travel Trailering

Mark and Linda wrote:
You need to open up a trailer repair...great work from what I seen on the photos.

Thanks. I can't wait to go camping with the trailer. I fly fish western streams and rivers and this trailer will be setup at tent sites and campgrounds I've been going to for years. I guess I won't be called the tent people anymore by the rv'ers. lol.

You need to open up a trailer repair...great work from what I seen on the photos.

Steve,

Great start on that unit. I'm sure you're going to love the upgrade from tent camping.

Love the photography too, the cable-end shot looks like it belongs in an industrial catalog.

Best regards,
Chris

I have a 1 1/4" raised wheel well inside. lol. I'm thinking about modify it flat because with the soa I have the room underneath. I just don't know yet if I need to. I plugged the holes in the floor from the table and used pieces of flooring from under the board on the wheel well for fill. You can still see them but barely.



I towed my trailer home when I bought it with my 2004 F150 and maxed at 55mph and couldn't keep it in od. I am going to be in a lot of mountains. I kind of like having a full floating axle for towing, too.

I read a lot of info on the ford forums and started looking for a 6.8 with 4.10 or 4.30 gears. The F250's around here have been greatly abused. Air bags on all four, beat up rigs from every state in the country. I finally found that combo in an F350 that was a used forest fire truck from mountainair, nm. It was a supervisors vehicle so it's white. I got a great deal on a really nice truck with only 69k on it. I hope to get 10+mpg driving easily in od and 6 in the mtns. Of course I have no idea as of right now.

The battery setup is part of my plan for two 140w solar panels on the roof. I bought a eu2000 honda so I have to wait on cash for the solar plus I'm kind of experimenting right now.

Here's a pic of my trucks. My J20 3/4 ton jeep had a fifth wheel in it new. Just a trail rig now. My F150 has towed my utility trailer full of camping gear for years. I'm upgrading from my tent camp with the travel trailer. I love my F350 ex forest fire truck. The limited slip rear axle and the low gearing works very well in the sandy roads and washes I go hunting on. It has window tint now. I bought a used camper shell.

That's a great battery layout you have and the cabling is A+.

I had to deal with the wheel wells on mine. It looks like you have a flat floor. That would be nice, but your trailer is a lot higher than mine too, but since you go off road with it, your setup is perfect. I stay on the paved roads and like to have at least electric hookup. (I'm spoiled)



The D hooks were for the dinette table. In it's original config, you could drop it down to make a bunk. We never used it for that and it was too cramped to use as a dinette, so it went away! I mounted the benches to the floor, so it don't move. :) I can put it all back again to original, but I'd have to fix the new cutout the bench now has to clear the wheel well!

Mitch

Nice work. I love Fords, but... a lighter truck will cost you a LOT less in fuel to tow that! lol... My first tow vehicle was a '87 F350 dually, 460 w/ 4bbl carb, 4.10 rear, 4 speed creeper manual (actually, it is the truck in my sig picture). Doesn't matter whether it is empty, hauling, or towing whatever weight, it gets 7.5 mpg. My 2008 F250 is a lot nicer to tow with.

Anyways... nice battery setup. Do you need the 3 batteries for any particular need? Did you look into solar at all?

Thanks for the replies. I'm an off grid tent camper for many years but needed more comfort. I got a fair deal on this trailer and I think it's size will still fit in a few places I go.

I like the idea you did for the couch mitch. Those look like in the wall d rings above the couch. I was thinking of putting some along the walls. But right now I don't know what I want or need. I assume everything should be strapped down just like I always have.

I used weld on dexter spring seats to do the soa. The u-bolts and plates are from a local wheel equipment store. I bought new usa timken bearings there too and replaced all the seats and bearings.

I built all my electrical cables. I learned a few things working many years with electronic techs and always try to do a professional job. Thanks for noticing. I have three cheap group 27 batteries. 345ah. Later on I may go less once I learn a few things. I don't have enough charging power for these at the moment unless I want to run the gen eight hours a day.

Here's a few more pics. I like taking pics as you can tell.

You do nice work Steve.... Enjoy and welcome to the forum...

Are you kidding? A 22ft behind an F350??? You're gonna need a bigger truck!!! ;)Sorry just joking around a little bit. :)

I like the setup, did you home build the spring over kit or buy the a kit from someone like Dexter.

That's pretty much like my 2003 Prowler 722F. I did the same thing with the dinette myself. Here is what I ended up with. I just put the benches end to end and it worked out pretty good.




Nice work on the electric side too.

Mitch