Retro-Style Camping Gear Trailer

by seamster

41K20631

Intro: Retro-Style Camping Gear Trailer

This is a small enclosed trailer I built to haul my family's camping gear.

The outside is completed with materials pulled from a junked 1970 Starcraft tent trailer, which gives it a unique old look.

In this instructable I hope you'll find some ideas, techniques, or maybe just a little inspiration for your next project. Thanks for taking a look!

STEP 1: Design, Specs, Cost

My goal was to make a small, lightweight trailer that could be pulled safely behind a car or minivan at highway speeds.

A lot of this was worked out along the way; I didn't have a definite plan for any of this - other than the general size and function.

Here are some of the finished details:

  • From tongue to tail, the trailer is 9 feet long. The cargo box is 50" wide, 60" long and 24" tall.
  • The completed trailer weighs 580 pounds empty, with a tongue weight of 68 pounds (or 11.7%).
  • The roof lifts open with gas struts to aid in lifting and holding it open.
  • The two hinges located at the front can be easily disconnected, so the trailer can be used as an open-topped small utility trailer as well.

The trailer pulls beautifully. I load it with some of the heavier objects in front of the axle, which raises the tongue weight percentage a little, maybe to 13 or 14% - which is still right in the sweet spot for stability.

Where I live, trailers under 750 pounds do not require licensing.

I spent about $1300 on materials and built this over the course of about four months working nights and weekends.

STEP 2: Overview

While working on this, I did a lot of research for best design aspects from an engineering standpoint. One of the places I kept landing on for my engineering questions was https://mechanicalelements.com/.

I have no connection to this site - and didn't use any of their plans - but for almost all of my questions, this site was the one that had the answers I was looking for. Save time and just read all the articles there first. It's a fantastic resource - thank you mechanicalelements for sharing your knowledge!!

Special shout out also has to go to PliskinAJ, author of Making an Off Road Trailer. This trailer project is what initially got my gears turning about making my own camping gear trailer. Mine is an on-road version : )

This was a long and complex project requiring tools, money, and determination. It's definitely not a beginner project.

If you're able to tackle a project like this, the finer details are things you'll be able to work out on your own; if you're just curious to see the build process, the photos tell the story.

The build is presented in four parts:

  • Frame
  • Lower box
  • Upper box
  • Miscellaneous parts

The main build steps are LOADED with photos, and many details have been written in photo notes. Be sure to flip through the photos for specifics.

Enjoy.

STEP 3: Backstory

Feel free to skip this step, unless you're interested in the backstory of this project!

A few years ago I bought an old Flagstaff tent trailer, with good intentions to fix it up and go camping with my family in it.

It had a rotted roof and various other issues that I worked on over time until it was all fixed up. It sat unused for a year taking up space in my driveway, and we never used it once. I ended up selling it for $2600, but I learned a lot in the process.

I still wanted to a camping trailer, however, but realized I just needed a smaller gear hauler. We don't have the storage space for anything larger, and prefer tent camping anyway - we just needed more room for all our gear.

I initially bought a small motorcycle trailer, thinking I would used it as the base. But it proved to not be exactly what I wanted, so I resold it (after taking off the motorcycle rails and keeping those).

Then I bought a 1970 Starcraft tent trailer that was rotted beyond repair, but the metal was all in fine condition. I stripped it down to the frame, and kept all the metal and various pieces I thought would be useful, and then resold the frame.

Metal from the Starcraft trailer was used to complete the new trailer shown in this instructable, giving it its unique look.

STEP 4: Frame

The frame was made of 2" by 3" steel tubing, with a 2" square 3/16" tube for the tongue.

Various bits of scrap metal were used for support pieces and tie-down anchors.

The photos are full of notes with details and tips, if interested.

STEP 5: Lower Box

The lower box was made with baltic birch plywood, and sealed inside and out with several coats of spar urethane. The bottom piece is 18mm (15 ply) thick and the sides are 15mm (13 ply).

The siding from the old Starcraft trailer was used to cover the box exterior, and fastened with stainless steel pneumatic staples. The aluminum trim pieces were taken from the original trailer and modified to fit the new one as needed.

I went with almost all stainless steel fasteners throughout this project. It likely quadrupled (or more) my hardware costs but I love the look.

STEP 6: Upper Box

The upper box was built of baltic birch plywood, and cladded with the old trailer's roof and siding. Trim pieces were added to seal the edges with new vinyl insert material.

The inside top was insulated with pieces of scrap pink foam and expanding spray foam, and covered with a thin sheet of finished plywood. This way gear will stay a little cooler, and the smooth interior roof seems better for stuffing last minute items in.

STEP 7: Miscellaneous Parts

Here's a look at various other parts being completed for the trailer.

The spare tire needed a custom mount so it would sit in front of the box, with enough clearance to still open the roof. The spare tire and mount also serve as ballast because this specific placement gives the trailer the right tongue weight.

The fenders were painted and mounted to the box with new brackets.

A pair of hasps were slightly modified (bent as needed for correct fit), painted, and then mounted to the trailer so it can be locked shut.

Phase 2: Maybe . . ?

Someday there might be a Phase 2 of this build. I tried to build it in such a way that it could be modified or adapted to use as a sleeper camper - basically turn it into a collapsible tent trailer/no-frills mini camper of sorts.

The design of the tailgate and hinges was done specifically to allow the gate to be level with the bed when opened, to increase the usable floor space. I would have to make an apparatus to support it in the open position, ideally that would act as steps for climbing inside as well.

I would also need to sew a tent structure that could be erected within the open trailer (attached to the roof, sides, and back of tailgate) with a rear door, windows, and so on. That would be an interesting challenge to figure out, make it water proof and bug proof, and easy to set up.

It would be a tight fit, but adequate for an average-sized pair of humans that do not dislike each other. So maybe that'll happen at some point!

STEP 8: Get Outta Town

Our maiden camping trip was great, and the trailer was a treat to use.

Thanks for checking this out!

31 Comments

AnghoverA 2 years ago

Congrats and thanks for sharing!

METALWERX 3 years ago

What a stellar idea, this looks awesome and very well done!!

seamster 3 years ago

Thank you! It held up well sitting outside through a snowy winter and we're ready to take it out camping again soon. We've really enjoyed it so far. Thanks for your comment : )

michalmjankowski 4 years ago

That is pretty cool. I have been looking for temp solution for moving my camping gear and not-having-to buy big trailer. The tip is: I have spotted a few of similar trailers with bicycle racks on top. I guess you need to have stronger gas lifts to compensate higher weight of a top, but rest seems to be pretty easy for you to do :-)

john pedersen 4 years ago

Looks great and quite well done and presented.

GeorgianBay Scott 4 years ago

Wow.. Love it. This reminded me of building my gypsy wagon using an old utility trailer. My kinda project.

seamster 4 years ago

It was a lot of work, but we've really enjoyed it! Thanks for your thoughtful comment : )

CaroleeU 4 years ago

I'm taking this to Africa to help people do lots. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

AMbros Custom 4 years ago

Incredible Sam, brilliantly executed. I really like its curvy design.

seamster 4 years ago

Thank you for the compliment! It was a fun project and I learned a lot along the way. : )

AllanE9 4 years ago

Speaking of retro, I spy a Springbar canvas tent. Not sure if it is/was yours, but it matches the aesthetic of the trailer. Very nice build and excellent documentation.

seamster 4 years ago

Hi there, thank you! Yep, that's our tent. We love it! : )

Yard Sale Dale 4 years ago

That looks nicely done. Have you seen the popular tear drop type campers?

A cheaper way to get a camper trailer is to buy a dead Ford ranger pickup from scrap , cut the frame and weld a tongue, add a bed lid or used camper shell.

seamster 4 years ago

Thank you. Yes, I'm familiar with teardrop trailers. Someday I might build one : )

At one point I was considering building a trailer from an old truck bed just as you describe, or even just buying an old one as a starting point. But ultimately I decided to go the route I did, for a variety of reasons : )

seamster 4 years ago

Thanks! We've really enjoyed having it so far. Very useful! : )

ferrotype 4 years ago

In love with this project! While I know my way around my shop and my step-dad's, I have never heard of spar urethane.
What is it and how is it different from say, Thompson's Water Seal?

seamster 4 years ago

Awesome, glad you enjoyed seeing this! : )

From a quick google search, here's something I found on spar urethane: https://www.hunker.com/12152804/what-is-spar-urethane

It's basically an outdoor, weatherproof urethane finish you can put on wood things that will be outside. It's notably thick, and when you put on several coats of it, you end up with a yellowy, plasticky finish on the wood.

It's very different than Water Seal, but I'm not familiar enough with either to get into the specifics. I've used both on different things, and never been terribly impressed with Water Seal - it's not long lasting, and doesn't create a plasticky barrier the way urethane does. Hope that helps, at least a little!
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