Casper's "I did a bad thing" micro off road camper build

Also remember I lifted my trailer 2.5” and put larger tires on it so it matches up with the truck better

 

Cool thanks I will do that. I had no complaints with the stove other than that

 

The most hopeful remedy I have found is to conver to the Timbren axelless suspension but your looking around $1200

 

Appreciate the link. Those are still way outside of my budget. What my trailer use would be is carry a rtt, spare parts and camping gear. Really a 4x8 utility trailer that has a rack for the rtt is about all I need. Its essentially just to go to off-road parks set camp up quickly and wheel. It would also be nice having a utility trailer so I can use it for other things if the need arises. Multipurpose kinda.

 

I saw that Taxa is going to that on the 2020 trailers I am not a big fan, Andrew St Pierre White of 4xoverland put it best that they are no good for anything off highway as they just tear themselves apart. I have been sketching out a new frame design and if I go that route trailing arm suspension will be on the list but that project is way off in the future.

I understand 100%, I'm still paying my trailer off for the next year or two.

 

Well crap perhaps I’ll look into a leaf spring suspension with shocks most likely cheaper anyway and keeping it simple

 

The thing most folks don’t factor in is all the different variables to changing the suspension. Ride height, how it matches to the tow vehicle, flexibility, load bearing, and in my case also just how high is it going to make my outdoor cooking area. I thought I had a serviceable solution figured out this spring but just could not bring myself to trust the hub adapters and my intuition was right

 

true true the tires on this are 31s i belive they are close to the size of mine just trying to get an idea on what i should go with for my trailer

 

I think Andrew SPW was confusing Timbrens with Torsion trailer axles which use a rubber mount in a twisting fashion versus the timbren which is more of a compression style spring system. I would use the Timbren off road but not the dexter torsion axle.

Of course I have leaf springs under my trailer. Lol

 

Mine came with the Dexter torsion axel. You have seen it works but will it last? Idk

 

Hmm

 

Our trailers have the Dexter axle which is the design Andrew was referring to but a quick Google search shows Timbren are no better off-road. The flaw with these trailers is the suspension as it does not have enough travel (measured mine at 1/3" droop 1/4" of compression) to be used on any surface other than pavement.

This is why I'm dating an mechanical engineer let here figure it out.

 

A trailer doesn't need the flex that a truck has to have. The suspension only needs to soak up bumps and washboards and be high enough to not drag the frame everywhere. In slow off road situations the flex is at the hitch. A well balanced trailer can lean at a seriously scary looking angle and travel right along behind the truck, of course if your trailer is top heavy with gear and an rtt it might be a different beast. Vehicles need flex to maintain tire contact to transfer power to the ground. The trailer can just sway back and forth as you go. As long ling as your hitch swivels enough to let the trailer follow the road without binding your good to go.

Of course my trailer is a driveway queen so what do i know

 

More than most of us ever will. And, I thought you were the queen?

 

Im not pretty enough

 

Pochahontas State park:


Late fall later than we have ever gone out. We were determined to get out at least one more time this year. It has been a pretty rough year for us so far many life changes and a close death in the family. We decided on a new adventure, somewhere we heard was really nice and we had never been to before. We settled on Pochahontas State Park. It's not a long way away just over 2 hours from home but it's not the length of the trip that defines the adventure for us.
The park is just South of Richmond. It has 2 circuits of camping areas each equiped with electric and water. Sites varied from grassy to completely wooded. We chose wooded and the park did not dissappoint. The drive down was beautiful with all the Fall foliage'




The park itself is beautiful, clean, well laid out, and has a lake for our friends who enjoy the water. It was a lot of fun, cold yes, but fun never the less we kwpt a fire going all the time. We have no heat in the camper but it is so tiny and well insulated we stayed nice and warm.

Just pics from around the camp mainly of our site.













the auxillary lighting I added really paid off



new stove worked flawlessly


Our little camp buddy was with us. She wines and barks at every vehicle we pass on the way to and from but stays quiet at camp



Everything cleaned and repacked ready for another adventure most likely next year

 

Nice! Glad you got out! Glad you had a good time!

 

Looks like a fun weekend getaway ya'll needed it!!

 

Yes we did and I hope it did somebody some real good