- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Will An Off-Road Trailer Work For Me? The Off-Road Trailer Conundrum
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Needles District of Canyonlands
Similar to my Roof Top Tent overview, I hope to explore the thought process and logic behind an off-road trailer and specifically help those on the fence decide if they really need a trailer. Let me preface this by saying my experience with off-road trailers doesn't hold a candle to many out there that have been hauling off-road trailers around in the wilds of this world for decades. I have been fortunate to venture over parts of Utah, Colorado and Nevada with my trailer in tow for the last five years, my opinions are based on those experiences.
First, lets define the type of trailer we are talking about. My reference relates to off-road trailers designed to be towed by your 4x4 to remote places not possible with a standard utility trailer. Because of that they will likely have tires at or near the size of your vehicle. They will have hitches that don't inhibit motion or articulation, and are generally built to make your camping and travel experience more comfortable by allowing you to haul more gear. I am not referring to a tent trailer, whereas they can be beefed up for towing into the back country, my dialogue is more aimed at home built or commercially built trailers similar to the popular military surplus M416 or the modern Adventure Trailers offerings. In my opinion if the trailer couldn't be cleanly pulled through a trail such as Mineral Basin or even something a tad more difficult like Rattlesnake with no damage and minimal added effort, it can't really be considered an off-road trailer. On the same note I don't think it warrants the definition of an off-road trailer under the broader terms of 'overland' or 'expedition' use if it isn't highway friendly and capable of being towed at speed limits and for long distances with little encumbrance on the tow rig. The specs and benefits of the numerous different options on the market range that I have no intention of covering the product selection with this article so much as the need and uses of such trailers.
My involvement in trailers started in 2000. I was building my second Land Cruiser and had stumbled across a pile of Australian 4x4 Magazines that the owner of the old Cruiser Outfitters had in the office. Keep in mind the Aussie's are and have been building vehicles similar to the current 'overland' & 'expedition' trends we are seeing here in the US since vehicles first came about in their country, to them its not a new trend and surely isn't the novelty we've seen it become in our market today. In those magazines were pictures and advertisements of dedicated off-road trailers. Amenities ranging from sinks and stoves to tents and fridges. I must admit my needs at the time surely didn't warrant such a device so I was as guilty of the 'novelty' train of thought as any other. What it did do was start me thinking about how I would want to build a trailer. We had an old FJ40 tub kicking around and all the frames and axles I could possible want, being a single college student pretty much dictated I would build my own and at the time I was beyond excited to do so. I fabricated the front tub enclosure and mounted it to the back half of an old FJ55 frame, still running the Land Cruiser axle underneath. I bent the frame in front to create a tongue and later towed it home where it would sit for several years while I collected parts and brainstormed build plans. I won't detail my build as many of you remember it as it really was inspired and documented here on RME. (Click here for a series of articles I wrote on my build up) What I will detail is how my needs made the use of the trailer a reality and my current thoughts on off-road trailers in general.
My FJ40 was finished and I was soon dating the gal that is now my wife. Camping for a day or two was easy enough out of the back of the Land Cruiser but after a few long weekend camp trips we were soon feeling beyond cramped with the space and amenities available. I was faced with simple choices, come up with a different rig or finish off my trailer that I had always envisioned solving this problem. Finish the trailer it was. As detailed by my build articles I tried to envision every scenario that was cumbersome or inconvenient on a trip and design it into the trailer. Lack of storage, power, water, spare fuel, etc... all the things you typically think of when you consider a trailer right? I built many of these factors into my trailer and it really has worked out great for me. At the time I was super busy with school and still trying to head to the hills as much as possible, it was nice to just 'hitch up and go', leave everything but food in the trailer so getting out of town is less of a production.
Fast forward 5 years and I've really bounced around with the trailer. First, I am a big fan of the multiple vehicle setup, that is to say I think that it is impossible to build one vehicle to adequately cover the different types of off-roading I like to enjoy, in fact I think it would take a half dozen different builds but my budget and space don't allow so I'll digress there. When building my FJ40 I wanted it to work for the majority of the off-road travel I enjoyed, be it a Pritchett Canyon trip or a several hundred mile trip around the Great Salt Lake. Given the varied needs, the trailer was a natural fit. In the more recent years I've built a couple of Tacomas to serve as my long range camping vehicles when the miles will exceed the difficult trail opportunities. So with my current vehicle situation its likely that I would have never built a trailer, not that I couldn't have put it to good use on occasion, just that it would not have been a priority. Likewise if my chosen platform were larger, say an 80 Series or an XJ Jeep I don't think I would need the trailer either, with discretionary packing and well thought out gear it could be done sans trailer. That said even behind my double cab Tacoma the trailer get used, add a couple of passengers or our 100 lb German Shepherd and the cab of the truck is stuffed, the bed full so along comes the trailer. In the case of the Tacoma do I use it because I really need it or use it because its just easier? Likely more of the latter.
Needles District of Canyonlands
Similar to my Roof Top Tent overview, I hope to explore the thought process and logic behind an off-road trailer and specifically help those on the fence decide if they really need a trailer. Let me preface this by saying my experience with off-road trailers doesn't hold a candle to many out there that have been hauling off-road trailers around in the wilds of this world for decades. I have been fortunate to venture over parts of Utah, Colorado and Nevada with my trailer in tow for the last five years, my opinions are based on those experiences.
First, lets define the type of trailer we are talking about. My reference relates to off-road trailers designed to be towed by your 4x4 to remote places not possible with a standard utility trailer. Because of that they will likely have tires at or near the size of your vehicle. They will have hitches that don't inhibit motion or articulation, and are generally built to make your camping and travel experience more comfortable by allowing you to haul more gear. I am not referring to a tent trailer, whereas they can be beefed up for towing into the back country, my dialogue is more aimed at home built or commercially built trailers similar to the popular military surplus M416 or the modern Adventure Trailers offerings. In my opinion if the trailer couldn't be cleanly pulled through a trail such as Mineral Basin or even something a tad more difficult like Rattlesnake with no damage and minimal added effort, it can't really be considered an off-road trailer. On the same note I don't think it warrants the definition of an off-road trailer under the broader terms of 'overland' or 'expedition' use if it isn't highway friendly and capable of being towed at speed limits and for long distances with little encumbrance on the tow rig. The specs and benefits of the numerous different options on the market range that I have no intention of covering the product selection with this article so much as the need and uses of such trailers.
My involvement in trailers started in 2000. I was building my second Land Cruiser and had stumbled across a pile of Australian 4x4 Magazines that the owner of the old Cruiser Outfitters had in the office. Keep in mind the Aussie's are and have been building vehicles similar to the current 'overland' & 'expedition' trends we are seeing here in the US since vehicles first came about in their country, to them its not a new trend and surely isn't the novelty we've seen it become in our market today. In those magazines were pictures and advertisements of dedicated off-road trailers. Amenities ranging from sinks and stoves to tents and fridges. I must admit my needs at the time surely didn't warrant such a device so I was as guilty of the 'novelty' train of thought as any other. What it did do was start me thinking about how I would want to build a trailer. We had an old FJ40 tub kicking around and all the frames and axles I could possible want, being a single college student pretty much dictated I would build my own and at the time I was beyond excited to do so. I fabricated the front tub enclosure and mounted it to the back half of an old FJ55 frame, still running the Land Cruiser axle underneath. I bent the frame in front to create a tongue and later towed it home where it would sit for several years while I collected parts and brainstormed build plans. I won't detail my build as many of you remember it as it really was inspired and documented here on RME. (Click here for a series of articles I wrote on my build up) What I will detail is how my needs made the use of the trailer a reality and my current thoughts on off-road trailers in general.
My FJ40 was finished and I was soon dating the gal that is now my wife. Camping for a day or two was easy enough out of the back of the Land Cruiser but after a few long weekend camp trips we were soon feeling beyond cramped with the space and amenities available. I was faced with simple choices, come up with a different rig or finish off my trailer that I had always envisioned solving this problem. Finish the trailer it was. As detailed by my build articles I tried to envision every scenario that was cumbersome or inconvenient on a trip and design it into the trailer. Lack of storage, power, water, spare fuel, etc... all the things you typically think of when you consider a trailer right? I built many of these factors into my trailer and it really has worked out great for me. At the time I was super busy with school and still trying to head to the hills as much as possible, it was nice to just 'hitch up and go', leave everything but food in the trailer so getting out of town is less of a production.
Fast forward 5 years and I've really bounced around with the trailer. First, I am a big fan of the multiple vehicle setup, that is to say I think that it is impossible to build one vehicle to adequately cover the different types of off-roading I like to enjoy, in fact I think it would take a half dozen different builds but my budget and space don't allow so I'll digress there. When building my FJ40 I wanted it to work for the majority of the off-road travel I enjoyed, be it a Pritchett Canyon trip or a several hundred mile trip around the Great Salt Lake. Given the varied needs, the trailer was a natural fit. In the more recent years I've built a couple of Tacomas to serve as my long range camping vehicles when the miles will exceed the difficult trail opportunities. So with my current vehicle situation its likely that I would have never built a trailer, not that I couldn't have put it to good use on occasion, just that it would not have been a priority. Likewise if my chosen platform were larger, say an 80 Series or an XJ Jeep I don't think I would need the trailer either, with discretionary packing and well thought out gear it could be done sans trailer. That said even behind my double cab Tacoma the trailer get used, add a couple of passengers or our 100 lb German Shepherd and the cab of the truck is stuffed, the bed full so along comes the trailer. In the case of the Tacoma do I use it because I really need it or use it because its just easier? Likely more of the latter.
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