My Bug-Out Trailer and Vehicle

[teotwaki]

That is a pretty serious machine. I'd be so down to be saved by that thing.

Thanks! I go out into the boonies alone pretty often so I try to make sure that everything is capable and reliable. Exactly what we all want for SHTF or Zombie attacks!

[Thirsty]

I must say that this is one of the coolest things Ive ever seen and plan to create my own soon(next 5 years). You're awesome and thanks for the inspiration.

[MaconCJ7]

Inspired me too. That is a kick ass trailer you built up. Good job and thanks for sharing!

[xLionx]

It's so pretty. . . I love that set up on the trailer

[ZombieSoldier01]

Dude I am so envious of your trailer. It is perfect in my eyes.

i have an F250 that i have a bed tent for me and the misses. The kids use a dome ground tent, but would prefer to get them off of the ground.

Once i get back from deployment, and PCS to my next duty station I want to build one using a military M101A2.

[jamoni]

Just so you know, adding a couple pictures would help us understand what you are talking about.
Seriously awesome rig.

[basm]

Bookmarking because this is one of the seriously most fantastic things I've ever seen. I mean, I can do mod on my car, it's not too hard, but WOW... I don't know half the stuff you did but I love it. I have always wanted a truck of this type and this one's a stunner.

Pretty inspiring, man. I also went and looked at your blog. Most excellent photos. Looks like your rig performed extremely well.

[ZombieSoldier01]

Bookmarking because this is one of the seriously most fantastic things I've ever seen. I mean, I can do mod on my car, it's not too hard, but WOW... I don't know half the stuff you did but I love it. I have always wanted a truck of this type and this one's a stunner.

Pretty inspiring, man. I also went and looked at your blog. Most excellent photos. Looks like your rig performed extremely well.

I agree.

now to the OP if you dont mind me asking, how much do you have into that trailer so far?

[ais4122]

Incredible amount of attention to detail, outstanding trailer!

[teotwaki]

Dude I am so envious of your trailer. It is perfect in my eyes.

i have an F250 that i have a bed tent for me and the misses. The kids use a dome ground tent, but would prefer to get them off of the ground.

Once i get back from deployment, and PCS to my next duty station I want to build one using a military M101A2.

Thanks!

The M101A2 would tow well behind an F-250. Here are some links to peruse:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/s ... ght=M101A2
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/s ... ght=M101A2
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/s ... ght=M101A2
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/s ... ght=M101A2
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/s ... ght=M101A2
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/s ... ght=M101A2
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/s ... ght=M101A2
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/s ... ght=M101A2

Another option might be a FlipPac if they make one for the F-250

[teotwaki]

now to the OP if you dont mind me asking, how much do you have into that trailer so far?

I had a lot of materials in the garage for the electric panel and wiring mods. A decent guess might be a max of $6K because I wheeled and dealed on so many things. For instance I bought 5 lightly used tires for $200 and I sold two extra ones for $125.

A good trailer from Sierra4x4 or Adventure Trailers will run $10k to $15k so I've saved a lot of dough.

[teotwaki]

I must say that this is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen and plan to create my own soon(next 5 years). You're awesome and thanks for the inspiration.

Thanks! Lots of folks with fab skills and a welder have built some incredibly nice versions. Other folks start with a surplus U.S. Mil M416 or a Canadian M101 trailer (NOT the bigger U.S. M101A series)

Inspired me too. That is a kick ass trailer you built up. Good job and thanks for sharing!

Thanks! I‘ve been a lurker here for a while so it was time to start sharing how my preparations are going.

It's so pretty. . . I love that set up on the trailer

I am so spoiled having a tent up off the ground! I also like the extra capability it gives me for cargo and bugging out.

Just so you know, adding a couple pictures would help us understand what you are talking about.
Seriously awesome rig.

Well, gee…. Maybe I might post just a few more! LOL! I’m thinking about leaf springs with less lift so that the trailer’s center of gravity will be lower. Thanks for the compliments!

Bookmarking because this is one of the seriously most fantastic things I've ever seen. I mean, I can do mod on my car, it's not too hard, but WOW... I don't know half the stuff you did but I love it. I have always wanted a truck of this type and this one's a stunner.

Pretty inspiring, man. I also went and looked at your blog. Most excellent photos. Looks like your rig performed extremely well.

It does tow well and the hitch is very quiet. I love the electric brakes, both for downhills so it won’t push me or for panic stops because it stops in a straight line. A lot of things I learned by researching on the Internet and talking to folks.

Incredible amount of attention to detail, outstanding trailer!

Thanks! When offroading things get banged and shook up so details like nyloc nuts and other things make a positive difference for not shaking the thing apart.

[American_Infidel]

I didn't see any, but does the trailer have any outriggers so you don't have to leave it attached to the vehicle?

[teotwaki]

I didn't see any, but does the trailer have any outriggers so you don't have to leave it attached to the vehicle?

Yes, there is one fold down leg on the front and it is adjustable for height. It shows in this picture from the post about the tent and can also be spotted in a couple of others.

There is enough weight bias towards the front of the trailer that I've not worried about tipping things backwards.

[ZombieSoldier01]

thanks bud, and i am already a member over at the expo

[JDeMent]

Saw this on the Expo forum... Just picked up mine and pulled it home today. Where did you get the adapter to match the Toyota bolt pattern?

[Tonto]

What a awesome thread, makes me envious seeing how that is set up.

How does the tent handle the cold weather? Do you add a axillary heater to it to stay warm? I saw in a few pics in areas with snow so I'm guessing it was well into the 30's or so, I've always thought a setup like yours would make a good temporary bugout camp but being in a area that has 6 months of winter the basic tent would just be too cold especially being elevated.

Thanks for the writeup.

[ZombieSoldier01]

What a awesome thread, makes me envious seeing how that is set up.

How does the tent handle the cold weather? Do you add a axillary heater to it to stay warm? I saw in a few pics in areas with snow so I'm guessing it was well into the 30's or so, I've always thought a setup like yours would make a good temporary bugout camp but being in a area that has 6 months of winter the basic tent would just be too cold especially being elevated.

Thanks for the writeup.

good question, i was wondering how it would fare with snow, with me living currently in colorado. its not unusual to get snow in september.

we went camping on the first weekend of september 2 years ago and awoke to it being 14* outside and frost eveywhere. as we packed up and left, we drove back up the trail to the start of snow (they werent calling for it in the weather report either.)

[teotwaki]

Saw this on the Expo forum... Just picked up mine and pulled it home today. Where did you get the adapter to match the Toyota bolt pattern?

There are two things to consider: the actual Toyota bolt pattern and if your rims are "lug centric" or "rim centric". By swapping out the drums for the brakes I went from a 5 bolt Jeep pattern to a 6 bolt Toyota pattern. Then the Spidertrax spacers took care of the fact that the rims are hub centric, exactly the same as my 4Runner.

If you look at this picture you can see a machined ridge or lip on the spacer that matches exactly the machined inner opening of the rims.


The original builder had the giant alloy rims and tires and the rims had a lot of offset. The Toyota rims have less offset so the extra width of the spacers actually helps to keep the track width of the trailer close to the width of the 4Runner.


PS: what sort of trailer did you buy? Start a thread with photos!

[teotwaki]

What a awesome thread, makes me envious seeing how that is set up.

How does the tent handle the cold weather? Do you add a axillary heater to it to stay warm? I saw in a few pics in areas with snow so I'm guessing it was well into the 30's or so, I've always thought a setup like yours would make a good temporary bugout camp but being in a area that has 6 months of winter the basic tent would just be too cold especially being elevated.

Thanks for the writeup.

I'm pretty used to cold weather camping (-40F) but my family isn't so I bought a Mr. Heater "Little Buddy" small propane heater. It is good for prewarming the tent before going to sleep and before getting up in the morning. I do know all about proper venting, the heater's low oxygen sensor and the fact that propane heaters generate water vapor as a combustion product. Having said that I do not let it run while anyone is sleeping.

The tent being elevated is both good and bad: higher up in the wind but well away from the snow and wet ground.

I would rate the tent itself as three and a half season because a tent with a main body and a rainfly can retain heat better in very cold weather. Otherwise these tents do quite well in rain and light snow because of the internal frame that holds it up. Some folks throw a tarp over it for snow protection if the tent will be in it for long periods of time. I've not been through a snowstorm yet.

[teotwaki]

These folks used their RTTs all the way up past Canada

http://www.expeditionswest.com/arctic_o ... dates.html

[ZombieSoldier01]

very nice blogg there!

[teotwaki]

very nice blogg there!

Thanks! I'm a couple of posts behind. I still need to get a Mojave desert trip and a week long Utah trip written up. Eventually I need to build a front page with an index.

[hdandb]

I'm going to sound like the broken record here, yeah it's pretty sweet and has been added to my lottery list.

I still have my favorite though, once a redneck always a redneck yeehaw