Parts and pieces

I already had a small trailer. It was 4' x 6' and had the ability to tilt so you could drive a lawn mower up on it. I got it in a barter for some work I had done. I have used it a fair amount. One time I remodeled a house and loaded it full of debris. The scale at the dump said I had over 1 1/2 ton of debris on it! I do believe I stretched the towing capacity of my little Nissan pickup and the capacity of the trailer that day but..it held up!

We always use this little trailer when we go camping. I crafted some plywood sides for it and we load up all our supplies; tents, bikes, totes of equipment etc. And I rigged a table support off of one side. It's in the background here:

So our little trailer will be getting an "up-fit". I will try to document this build as best as I can but honestly will pay more attention to completing than stopping to take pictures. My plan is to show the completed project and how we load and use it more than the build. There are a ton of build pages and videos already on the interwebs.

As for parts and pieces...I have a bunch of tools and am mechanically inclined. I am also "restoring" my 1994 Jeep Cherokee as I do this tiny trailer. The Jeep is my daily driver/ mid-life crisis. I have already done a backyard motor overhaul and added a 3-4" lift with larger tires as well as a bunch of interior modifications (using junkyard pieces). I have had to weld the door hinges back on and replace some floor boards too. I have also been involved in the construction and remodeling of house over the last 25 years, so I may be ahead of the game with tools and skill.

I started by chopping of the top rail of the trailer and removing the expanded metal floor. I moved the axle back 17" and purchased some 15" wheels and tires to put on. I moved the tongue rail from it's pivot position and extended it as far as it would allow me..the final measurement should be around 12" from hitch point to rear of the trailer. I am using a $10.00 angle grinder from Harbor Freight and the $100.00 flux core welder from HF as well. Here are some pictures of a couple of  the welds.

So yes with some practice and adjustments a $100 welder will produce quality welds that penetrate and hold. Here is a shot of the trailer with the extended tongue and new axle position and wheels.

The plan is to swap the axle to go under the leaf springs and to extend the axle about 6"-7". This will give a better ride height and give the width we need to have a 56" interior cabin space.

I was also able to get about 6 sheets of plywood for free! So hopefully this will keep costs down.

So far we have $135.00 in wheels and tires, $25.00 in the rolling jack, and $75.00 in the camper top that I scavenged windows out of.