I just noticed the spot for the doors. Brilliant. I've been envisioning something like this too.
Is there a build thread or something for this camper? I've been looking at A LOT of setups to build something that's really simple, cheap and clever.
A TJ sized camper
- Thread starter whitrzac
- Start date
Is there a build thread or something for this camper? I've been looking at A LOT of setups to build something that's really simple, cheap and clever.
Mudguard2004
Member
Thinking of the Escopod. But says with typical add ons it’s around 1900lbs. Not much leeway for the 2000 lb capacity of a TJ. But they sure are nice. Anyone have experience with them on a TJ?
https://escapod.us/trailers/topo-se...mSBglKX9jNWvUk-c2QTay_GCTsJqB8tAaAm3YEALw_wcB
https://escapod.us/trailers/topo-se...mSBglKX9jNWvUk-c2QTay_GCTsJqB8tAaAm3YEALw_wcB
That thing is AWESOME. If I had the 20K for it, I'd do it honestly.
Mudguard2004
Member
They are sweet! Decked out with all the extras puts it just order 30k. That’s the other issue!
Nice but they are TINY inside. I paid half of its cost for my Fleetwood pop up tent trailer that weighs 1/3 less and has an even lower profile than a teardrop trailer while being towed. It's also sure nice being able to stand up inside.
Mudguard2004
Member
Oh I agree. Just don’t want something I have to set up and pack away. I do a lot of camping in the rain and snow. I like the hard side and, as I’m getting older, I like the idea of a little heat on those cold nights/mornings! Plus i want something that is off road capable.
Maybe you should rent it for an outing. Looks awesome though.
I've been happily using my tear "pop" for the last few years (first seen at post #12 and a few after in this thread). I've also got back at a my fibreglass "egg" project. It's currently sitting on a 2"x4" jig while I'm building an off road chassis for it. I'm trying to get the right axle & wheel combination for it before I cut the body and floor for the new wheel wells. I'll be using Ravine wheels and they'll protrude about 4 inches beyond the body. I'll probably use TJ rear fender flares to cover them. Oddly enough, if you flip them (right to left and left to right) they look surprisingly good. The TJ taillights are on and if you look closely you'll see the TJ door handle.
I got the roof to lift properly and it's nice to be able to fully stand up in it. I have lots of metal and fibreglass work to do and I'm kind of designing the interior along the way. Lots of fun!
Here's the current mock up ...
I got the roof to lift properly and it's nice to be able to fully stand up in it. I have lots of metal and fibreglass work to do and I'm kind of designing the interior along the way. Lots of fun!
Here's the current mock up ...
What’s the track width on that?I've been happily using my tear "pop" for the last few years (first seen at post #12 and a few after in this thread). I've also got back at a my fibreglass "egg" project. It's currently sitting on a 2"x4" jig while I'm building an off road chassis for it. I'm trying to get the right axle & wheel combination for it before I cut the body and floor for the new wheel wells. I'll be using Ravine wheels and they'll protrude about 4 inches beyond the body. I'll probably use TJ rear fender flares to cover them. Oddly enough, if you flip them (right to left and left to right) they look surprisingly good. The TJ taillights are on and if you look closely you'll see the TJ door handle.
I got the roof to lift properly and it's nice to be able to fully stand up in it. I have lots of metal and fibreglass work to do and I'm kind of designing the interior along the way. Lots of fun!
Here's the current mock up ...
View attachment 246042
It's going to be about 70" which is what my Clipper is (post #149) with the Jeep wheels I added. That's wider than my LJ & XJ tow vehicles and I'm fine with that.
I'm looking at my axle and brake options. I have a 3,500 lb. 4" drop axle which would keep the body at a similar height. I'll have to shorten the width but that's a pretty straight forward job. I would use 2,000 lb. springs with it. I also have a pr. of 2,000 lb. torsion axles that would work. The original weight of these is only 800 lbs. Mine will be a bit heavier and probably won't need brakes but they're never a bad thing to have. The axles on these were originally at about the 50/50 mark and look awkward with the 12" wheels. The mock up above shows the axle/wheels at a more traditional 60/40 placement ... and of course it has to have Jeep wheels!
The original frame for these is a basic 4'x8' + tongue for 13'. The body bolts straight to it with no outriggers. The goal is to tuck the wheels mostly inside the body width and then build the wheel wells to fit. As mentioned above, I'll either adapt TJ flares or make some flat metal flares. I don't have a lot of experience with fibreglass and I'm definitely gaining some new skills.
As much as I LOVE all the baby Jeep trailers, their price tags are just ridiculous. I'll be going the Jerry route with a '91 tent trailer I just snagged from my parents (for free). I'll just use it until the wheels fall off. I'd like to build a little cargo trailer with a RTT but even those can get expensive.
There have been some pretty neat off road builds based on pop up tent trailers. Older ones tend to be a bit heavier but they also have some "stuff" that you may not need. If you camp off grid you can get rid of things like the fridge, stove etc. and save some weight.
I built a cargo, but not enclosed, style trailer and I don't have a lot of money into it. I'll be camping with it, but not in it, in 4 weeks. It's great to carry camp gear and with racks (not the one in this pic) kayaks and bikes or an ATV. My plan was to build a side entry RTT for it but I'm now on the look out for a pickup tent camper for it.
I use this for more than camping. It's great for trips to Home Depot and the dump. I've also hauled home a lot of used Jeep parts in it!
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I agree you @PC06, I'm still looking to upgrade to a roof top tent for myself once I get my TJ built but I did snatch this up in March off of Facebook Marketplace.
SUPER lightweight, I don't think it even weighs 400lbs with all the gear in it right now. I forgot what the company is called, but it was a kit you could buy and build the trailer. The couple I bought it from didn't trust the bolt together frame and got a frame custom welded together from a Texas Bragg Trailer.
What's interesting is it's not fiberglass, it's the rotomold plastic like coolers are made out off. It's just narrower than a TJ as well so when you are going down the road you don't have to worry about it hitting anything either.
It also came full of camping and cooking gear as well.
The couple I got it from had just upgraded to a teardrop trailer and weren't going to be using any of the gear anymore so included it all with the trailer as well. I do plan on upgrading the suspension and putting the same wheels/tires as my TJ so it will have the same ground clearance as my TJ when I'm done with it.
When I come out for TJ Fest next year I'll be pulling this for all my spare parts, food, and anything else I might need while I'm in Utah.
-Grant
Those are good trailers! Very solid and light. There's a company just north of here that sells them. I've talked with the owner at a few auto flea markets I go to very year and I had a good chance to look them over. He had all kinds of plans for various ad ons, racks, etc. when I saw him a few years ago. I'm surprised the previous owners would let all that equipment go!
I was surprised as well but they had just upgraded to a VERY nice Tear Drop trailer that had AC/Heat, a kitchen, and honestly my favorite part of it's design was it had a triple window system where you could see through the teardrop trailer from your review mirror while you were pulling it.
I should have taken a picture of it while I was there, it was a neat setup, very well designed, I think it also had solar on the back hatch as well. Both of their kids were going off to college next year so they only needed room for the two of them.
Honestly I'll be using the trailer for myself and maybe my kids if they decide to come with me but I don't have them full time, so most of the time I'll be by myself.
With that being said, if my wife wanted to start coming with me and sleeping in comfort, I'd spend the 20K ~ 30K for the above Escapod Topo trailer in a heartbeat to have my wife tag along with me. I'm beginning to think that is the market Escapod is going after honestly. They'd get my money that way as well.
-Grant
That sounds like it might have been a Vistabule which is a VERY nice trailer.
https://archive.curbed.com/2017/3/8/14847088/camper-trailer-for-sale-vistabule
My wife took up camping in her mid '50s. First time she'd been after about 30 yrs. of marriage. It definitely changed the way I camp (more stuff) ... but I still get away on my own too!
That sounds like it might have been a Vistabule which is a VERY nice trailer.
https://archive.curbed.com/2017/3/8/14847088/camper-trailer-for-sale-vistabule
My wife took up camping in her mid '50s. First time she'd been after about 30 yrs. of marriage. It definitely changed the way I camp (more stuff) ... but I still get away on my own too!
That might have been it! It looks very similar, I should have taken a picture, but I think that was the trailer. It's great to hear that your wife got into camping, gives me hope that my wife will one day get into it as well! Right now with preteen kids, jeez my son is going to be a teenager this year, and work we just don't have much time right now.
Also we somehow went from 2 huskies to 4 huskies in the last 18 months as well which makes traveling interesting as well. Our most recent two Huskies were rescues, we were going to find them new homes but were both house trained, extremely well mannered (for a Husky) and got along so well with our other huskies that we ended up keeping both. If I lived up north, or more ideally Alaska, I would bring my Huskies with me when I go camping but it's too hot here in Virginia for that, they would over heat WAY too easily.
Bonus picture, my wife blowing out the coats of our Huskies wearing one of my favorite shirts:
ANYWAY back to the point of this thread, that's a great design and if I ever build my own teardrop trailer I'm going to look into that triple window setup!
-Grant
Yeah that's the drawback to the tiny tires on mine. I have often wanted to do a spring-over conversion for more ground clearance for bigger offroad worthy wheels and tires but that got away from me and later became too big of a job for this guy who's well past retirement age.
One time, after taking a "shortcut" as suggested by my GPS at night to a big desert 4x4 event, I ended up rock crawling in 4Lo on a black moonless night in a desert canyon with my tiny tired tent trailer behind me. Too dark and narrow to back out and not knowing how much worse it was about to get I continued on. The Jeep & trailer got so cattywampus a few times it even bent my bumper upward when the Jeep was going up and the trailer was still going down. It tore the rear fiberglass panel mostly off too as it dragged over the rocks when transitioning from a downward to upward direction. Nothing serious but...
