Roof top & trailer

[froggy Steve]

Following our wee trip to Spain with the blow up tent, we have decided that although this set up is great for a more 'base' style of camping in a non wet or muddy place (3 Labradors sharing the tent!) a roof tent is the way to go.

We have just ordered the Kalahari "KINGS" model for a stupidly cheap price of €719 + 50 Delivery, including TVA!!!! This includes the awning part as well....(for the dogs!)

See here

There are a few reports on line, some good, some not so good.

The other thing we found is even with the roof rack pretty well loaded, 4 x storage boxes and a Fridge on the back seat, with 20l water, lap tops, coats and everything else, there was no spare room for cheap Scotch from Spain! Dont forget we had 3 Labs, a table, dog bedding and stuff in the rear load area.

Sooooooo, with the roof rack (going to be) full of roof tent, we think a smallish basic 'off - road' trailer would be the way to go. Not one of these all singing and dancing ' live like a king in the bush' ones, but just an ordinary built to take the rough stuff trailer.
Doing loads of research and the best thing I have found so far is this from our German nieghbours. We are forced into going for A Euro approved trailer as it will need its own reg number if its total weight will exceed 500kg and brakes if more than 750kg.

What do you think? Any one have any other idea's? We dont really need on board water or kitchen, and the tent will stay on the Truck - This way I will have the middle section of the truck for Illicit booze!

 

[Shayne]

Good find Steve , whether or not its the best trailer for you depends on what it weighs and what it costs , if its only to be used for stuff that did go on the roof rack i can't help thinking an ex military sankey might be worth looking at . Not sure about French rules but i did some reading on registering trailers etc while working on mine and in the UK ex military stuff removes much of the bureaucracy involved .

 

[froggy Steve]

There re a few 'Bantam' manufacturers around - prices from 4.5k€ new though. I think a Sanky may be a bit OTT for us - heavy - with the new ones, some you can tow at 100kmh. (legally!) although no good for me as I got another F'in ticket via a fixed camera at 0430 in the morning around Bordeaux ring road coming back from hols.......103 in a 90 = 45€ and 1 point off my permit barstewards - nothing around for miles.

 

[Shayne]

I do like the Chaser trailers and i'm sure i found a European supplier a while back . Don't get me wrong the one you have posted looks good i am just exploring options .

 

[froggy Steve]

There is this one or this
Very well made I think, and a good choice (apart from Sam in yellow!)

 

[Shayne]

If i am right with the roof rack thing for me the choice would be the lightest unladen weight (with brakes regardless) with the least painful price . However i am at odds with popular opinion (nothing new in that) inasmuch as i don't feel a trailer needs suspension on par with my truck , to my mind as long as it has suspension enough to absorb shock to stop it bouncing and/or rattling itself to bits its good enough for a decade at least .

 

[froggy Steve]

With you on that - 5k Seems to be the rate for basic trailer with off road capability. Could customise it myself i guess.

Sent from my GT-I9060I using Tapatalk

 

[froggy Steve]

Finally managed to get roof tent on - just in time as it started raining so no open pickkies, will have to wait when the suns out - not as easy as I thought to fit the cover as the awning gets in the way! We will also need a collapsable step or something when out and about....just to reach the bloddy zip!







Dont know why the uploader only uploads in Landscape view? never used to?????

Note the rear wheel mounting for the farm jack now (taken off roof rack to make way for tent) - all I need now is a winch to level her up again

 

[alfa]

mochte auch so etwas

 

[IRLGW]

i travel in pretty much the same config as you with 2 dogs etc. I found the best option is large roof box for personal gear, pull out awning for side shelter, a regular tent for sleeping and all other space for contraband.

I dont know what the obsession is with heavy weight sankys etc for camping trailers. What a waste of fuel. I recently thought about a brenderup single axle plated for 600kg. it was on gumtree for £175 but sold before I could reach it. Probably only weighs about 120kg unladen approx 6' x 3 1/2' I reckon these are sturdy enough. light enough & cheap enough to make a suitable camper trailer. not hard to cut and extend the axle if required..

 

[froggy Steve]

Bloody upside down world! I have been looking for ages in Germany, France, UK, Holland for a small (ish) trailer blah blah blah ...any road all work out at 6k + for new. So searching away and I came across one made in France - (made to measure) has got proper suspenders (coils and shockers) has a massive 2m x 1.5? x 700 (will check in morning)usable box, made of galvanised steel with HD uprated mud guards etc, 16" rims and to top it all a James Baroud roof tent on top of it
I drove 1300km to go fetch it today, left at 0300 and got back at 1800, including an hour loading, paying and chatting to a guy who told me the history of it.

Basically, this guy ran a charity, digging wells, building a hospital and a couple of small schools way down in Senegal. In 2011 he had this trailer made, at a cost of 6500€. He towed it home, stuck stickers on it became poorly, didnt tow it anywhere, and it sat in his barn for a year. The idea was to run up and down to Senegal with solar panels and supplies with the new trailer. This didnt happen as when his collegues went back to the hospital that was covered in solar panels, the villagers had cut the cable and given the chief the leccy supply, used the fridge to store and sell Gin, and as the pump didnt work (no leccy) they sold it and chopped the pipework off and sold that. The School had been turned into a pay as you go Cinema (with a TV they had bought with the proceeds of the pump) and the hospital was wrecked...........So after all the hard work of this guy and his chums they now have no school, no hospital and draw water from the well with buckets...............So the charity was passed on to the Catholic mission to sort out!
Any road, the trailer that had done 150 km (all the tyres have the pimples on them!)has been moved back and forth in his barn, getting in the way for the last 4 years. His wife gave the ultimatum to sell it, so he fitted his used for 3 trips to Africa (with a Nissan Patrol) JB tent to it and put the whole lot up for sale at 4k€ (JB tent new is 2k€) so, I couldnt resist that could I?

So, now what? I have a brand new roof tent on my truck, a blow up tent upstairs, but it looks like JB might be the winner on the trailer. But, her who must be obeyed wants a private area to pee and change, and to be fair, if we rock up to camp spot and its peeing down or cold and windy, we wont have anywhere to live (new RTT has full wrap round awning/tent thing that zips on. Sooooooo, thinking of an OZ tent? to go along with the JB tent. This means if anyone has an oztent they want to swap for a brand new Rtt with full lower room/awning that has never been used (its on the truck ready) never been used as in people got in it let alone slept in, and or a blow up tent then let me know!

I will pop some photo's up tomorrow when its not dark!

 

[stumog]

Me and Chris were talking today about the tent thing. O would use the JB before selling your other tent......
Little hint there.

 

[froggy Steve]

Still raining but here are some snaps. Its very well made but has heavy road tyres on, so I guess we will have to change them to 6 stud wheels (Shayne!) and matching Coopers one day but tyres dont make an off road trailer, ruggedness and suspension, ground clearance do well, they help anyway.

 

[Shayne]

Well done finding that mate did you have Sherlock searching for you !

To be blunt my trailer tyres are bling rather than anything else an overkill of huge proportions chosen for vanity rather than any practical reason .

Looking at pics the only curiosity i have with regards to modification is the leveling legs obviously they are removed for transit but i am willing to guess in use they adjust by way of pin and set holes which is not ideal ?

 

[froggy Steve]

There aint any leveling legs.......................yet! But would be easy to fit on the chassis in front of the rear lights. The ones on my other trailer have a screw lock affair. I will look into that. I think the breaks want a look as well - hand brake appears not to be working, not surprised if it hasnt been used in 4 years!

 

[froggy Steve]

shot of door s open and shed loads of room



suspension system - rides very well, came home all the way between 100 and 110 on motorways, and speed limits in between , Not in the cruiser though, took the van it does at least twice the mpg of the truck

 

[Chas]

Oooh! that trailer looks the dogs danglies.

If only I had space to park a trailer, when I win my millions and get a BIGGER house I will be getting so many bits and pieces I'll need a bigger house.

 

[Chris]

Well that's a blank canvas if ever there was one. It's like Thunderbird 2

 

[froggy Steve]

Stopped raining long enough to pop it up!


No you cant, not tonight!

 

[Shayne]

I recommend some wind down legs because a good nights sleep is much easier with a level bed . I searched high and low for folding wind adjust legs without success so ended up making 4 out of 8 to get both functions but i'm thinking if your trailer is to be used for storage while on the move removable wind downs would be quite easy to add .

I am struggling to work out how you will use the space would i be right in thinking the dogs will travel in the truck and sleep in the trailer ?