Hey Matt, so far so good! I have had no notable issues with the tent. The only thing that I did change/upgrade was to add an extra hoop in the center of the awning overhand that covers the ladder. When it rains decently, the original design was too loose and would allow water to pool in that area. There wasn't any way to tighten the rain fly enough to prevent this, and adding the extra bar solved the problem without needing to over tighten the cover which would've led to stitching failure and torn material eventually. Maybe I'll post a video of that mod next time I have the tent opened up!
Hi Bob, thanks! I work for a metal fabrication shop and I was allowed to purchase the materials at wholesale cost. I think for the steel, axle, wheel/tires, jacks, and lighting, I was right around $800. I also do all our 3d CAD modeling, so I have a full drawing packet for the trailer as built. If you're interested, I'd be happy to share my plans.
@@SpdTrp1050cc that’s a very generous offer! I’m currently going to try using a ground tent with no trailer. But if I change plans I might take you up on your offer. Again very nice work and thank you for sharing your project with us!
The roof of my JKU measures 84" long and 50" wide to the corners, +/-1". The tent when folded up is 80" long and 52" wide. I'm sure you could get away with putting it on top of a JKU, but it would definitely eat up the entire roof area and then a smidge, lol. I don't think I mentioned it in the video, but another reason I opted for the trailer mount is a lot of times when camping, l've got to make a quick trip into town for ice, "beverages", etc... and if the tent is bolted to your travel vehicle, that means you have to pack up camp essentially to go into town versus parking the trailer when you get on site and then having your Jeep free make errands or go explore trails, etc.
Thanks for the compliment! Yes I built everything myself, including the rack. Initially I was planning to make the height adjustable via telescopic square tube, but I found that setup was really tight and prone to binding, so I switched gears and went with a fixed height. The rack is made of 3 parts: a front and rear upright, and a center ladder section. All 3 can be removed, or you can take the center ladder section out and just have the front and rear headers in place. I believe I have a material list somewhere that I can post up when I find it, but everything was raw materials, like 1/4" steel plate, steel box tube, etc.
Great video!!
Just curious how this tent held up! Thanks !
Hey Matt, so far so good! I have had no notable issues with the tent. The only thing that I did change/upgrade was to add an extra hoop in the center of the awning overhand that covers the ladder. When it rains decently, the original design was too loose and would allow water to pool in that area. There wasn't any way to tighten the rain fly enough to prevent this, and adding the extra bar solved the problem without needing to over tighten the cover which would've led to stitching failure and torn material eventually. Maybe I'll post a video of that mod next time I have the tent opened up!
That’s a very nicely made trailer! How much did material cost? I’m thinking about doing something similar.
Hi Bob, thanks! I work for a metal fabrication shop and I was allowed to purchase the materials at wholesale cost. I think for the steel, axle, wheel/tires, jacks, and lighting, I was right around $800. I also do all our 3d CAD modeling, so I have a full drawing packet for the trailer as built. If you're interested, I'd be happy to share my plans.
@@SpdTrp1050cc that’s a very generous offer! I’m currently going to try using a ground tent with no trailer. But if I change plans I might take you up on your offer. Again very nice work and thank you for sharing your project with us!
I can see it not fitting on a 2 door wrangler but a 4 door. Are you sure?
The roof of my JKU measures 84" long and 50" wide to the corners, +/-1". The tent when folded up is 80" long and 52" wide. I'm sure you could get away with putting it on top of a JKU, but it would definitely eat up the entire roof area and then a smidge, lol.
I don't think I mentioned it in the video, but another reason I opted for the trailer mount is a lot of times when camping, l've got to make a quick trip into town for ice, "beverages", etc... and if the tent is bolted to your travel vehicle, that means you have to pack up camp essentially to go into town versus parking the trailer when you get on site and then having your Jeep free make errands or go explore trails, etc.
Where did you buy the trailer from
Hey there! I actually designed and built it myself. Got my inspiration from the Morris Mule and other M-100 based trailers.
Great video. Did you build the rack system too? Looks like the height may be adjustable. Can you share where you bought the components for it?
Thanks for the compliment! Yes I built everything myself, including the rack. Initially I was planning to make the height adjustable via telescopic square tube, but I found that setup was really tight and prone to binding, so I switched gears and went with a fixed height. The rack is made of 3 parts: a front and rear upright, and a center ladder section. All 3 can be removed, or you can take the center ladder section out and just have the front and rear headers in place. I believe I have a material list somewhere that I can post up when I find it, but everything was raw materials, like 1/4" steel plate, steel box tube, etc.
I'm looking for a trailer that size. BUT! I will be damned paying 8,000 for one.
And that my friend is precisely why I ended up building mine from scratch, lol!
utility trailers at Lowes are under $1000.00... Check them out...