Thought I'd make my own adventure trailer...

[Chris]

Then I thought f*** it. I'll buy one. I've spent the last 10 years on my knees hammering and banging. Time to ease up a bit and enjoy it




So now the fun begins. There's lots to do to get it read for this year's trip. No, not Morocco. Across a bit and up.

 

[Gary820]

Nice. Look forward to the build thread.

 

[MarkW]

wow and I thought your rig was already heavy enough

 

[Sag]

Looks well does that too nice to get dirty

 

[Shayne]

Cool i seen one of them at the overland show and my impression was it would be very light to tow .

 

[Ian Chuter]

Liking that! REALY looking forward to seeing what you do with it

 

[warrenpfo]

Very nice, some insperation might be found here http://4x4community.co.za/forum/showthread.php?t=170417&highlight=metallian

 

[mrdelmonti]

I like that. What are your plans for it?

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[Chris]

Thanks chaps. I have 3 4x4s including 2 80's and my interests are not just overlanding but shooting and camping, canoeing and so on. The main 80 on its own is great for one, perhaps 2 but when the family want to tag along, there's a need for a ground tent etc. So having a trailer with the extra storage and sleeping is great. When I go up to Scotland stalking red deer, the big truck is ace for sleeping and eating but if I shoot anything, there's no room for a stag in there. I can take the std 80 or the SUV with the trailer and still camp but have all the room I need to shove a carcass in. So this is both an 'as well as' or 'an instead of'. It's all about versatility.

It's pretty well set up, but there are things I want to pimp up a bit. It's rather basic and can as shown in that thread link, be made rather posh. I'm just working through getting it fettled at the moment, replacing fixings, sorting electrics and such. Some of the trailers that MA have produced have been super kitted, this by comparison is a bit of a shell with plywood shelves and so on. I think I can improve on that and make it a bit more swish. But need to bottom it first.

Towed it back from up North last night and frankly never knew it was there. And that was with the new Ezi Awn on the top as well.

We're doing a three week trip in August this year so plenty of time to get it ready.

It has: Fridge slide, gas hob, pumped cold water and 2 x65 litre tanks, LED task lighting, external floods, charge system, 2 deep cycle leisure batteries, 1500W pure sine inverter plus various slide out shelves. Going to hard wire / plumb the Kampa hot water unit in as soon as I can and get some more organisation in there for all the kit I want to carry.

 

[adrianr]

Nice. look forward to seeing what you do with this!

 

[mussy]

Looks great Chris, I am also on the hunt for a trailer, yours looks a cracker...

I am looking at getting SWMBO to agree this.... http://www.leboncoin.fr/equipement_caravaning/911761361.htm?ca=22_s

Not a patch on yours though...

 

[clivehorridge]

Watching with interest....

Seems a long way from home with a NZ sticker on the back

Cant imagine any half-measures on this build, should be very interesting Chris...

 

[stumog]

I got let down on one a couple of weakness ago then set Stan a email and Chris beat me to it. Well done mate can't wait to see where you go with it. I am looking at bringing something over from SA.
Stu

 

[Blown80]

It looks like it shrunk in the rain Chris, but at least it looks like it'll never get hung up wherever you go.
Some of the camper trailers here are the size of a caravan.
Looking forward to seeing it opened up.

 

[Chas]

No, not Morocco. Across a bit and up.

Could that be somewhere in Eastern Europe.

 

[froggy Steve]

Good buy! Looks like a great bit of kit - they have a good reputation. I have started the build on mine (well taken some stickers off!) but plan a water tank, solar panel, battery water pump etc - as it is at the mo, its just a box!

 

[Lund]

I brought 2 Metalians with me back from SA, a Mini and a Maxi... Great trailers.. And I know Heinz (the manufacturer) very well. Regnet selling them now, especially the Mini...

 

[AndyCook]

Looks smart Chris, I reckon Norway or Iceland is on the cards ?



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[Shayne]

Good buy! Looks like a great bit of kit - they have a good reputation. I have started the build on mine (well taken some stickers off!) but plan a water tank, solar panel, battery water pump etc - as it is at the mo, its just a box!

I'm looking forward to your additions to the trailer Steve so i hope you will post a well documented guide that i can copy because Chris will likely have flux capacitor and on board nuclear fusion by the time he's done all of which will be way beyond my comprehension i'm sure .

 

[Chris]

I'm not actually sure it's going to be very complicated. I did think about a small reactor then figured a fridge might be more useful. Lund, the Maxi is a wonderful thing. Possibly a bit too big for typical European use. Nice if you're doing the Big Lap.

Hey, Chris B. Here we actually have caravans the size of caravans. No really, we do.

Mussy that should do you pretty well. Nice thing is the tent is that bit higher.

In relation to a trip, I'm actually planning to do the Baltic Circle like the Hairy Bikers.

Been a stupidly busy day and I'm cream crackered.
First job was to sort the towing electrics. Spent hours yesterday trying to redo the truck. This morning I decided to open the plug and intermediate connections on the trailer. Ahh, right so blue to blue, black to black etc. Nah, why do that when you can connect black to brown, blue to yellow etc. So all working nicely now.



Next job was to make a new gas bottle holder. I used some channel and milled out the profile of the base of the bottle and made a little clamp thing that hooks under the rim nice and tight. Needs powder coating. Or a decent galv job on it. Then I put the new strap bracket on and Bob's your Aunty.





Then we hoofed the new roof tent up and got it fastened down for now so we could have a look inside. Very nice.



Then it was time for a gin and tonic. Batteries STILL charging. They are AGM 105 ah and have been sitting at 9.5 volts for a long time. Hope they're OK. I will see if the charge system works. If it doesn't I will put a CTEK in. IF the batteries don't work after this, I might put a row of optimas in all daisy chained. Plus a Victron monitor.