Before & After

Trailer Completely Finished!!!!!!!!

Its completely finished and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out! Everything works great and it pulls perfectly. I'll update the blog after I take it offroading to see how it performs.

New Tow Rig!

I bought a 2009 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. I'm selling my 2000 TJ to pay for upgrades to this new jeep. The jeep towes the trailer perfectly with the extra towing capacity Jeep added to the JK.

Follow the build-up on my new "Project Blue Bruin" blog!

Finished Trailer with Bikes

We loaded our bikes up today to bring them to the bike shop and to give the bike-trailer combo a test run before our Moab trip in June. The bikes were rock solid when driving. The lid opens under its own power even with the extra bike weight.

Solar Charger

To keep my Xantrex battery topped off, I added a cheapo solar panel from Harbor Freight on top of the tounge box. The directions stated you could add a bead of silicone on the top of the solar panel where the glass meets the plastic housing in order to water proof it. I ran the wiring inside the box and it plugs into the 12V cigarette lighter outlet in the Xantrex unit.

I bought a blocking diode on ebay to keep the solar panel from working in reverse at night and discharging the battery.

Safety Chains

I opted for cable type safety chains rather than linked metal chain that will bounce around on the trail making annoying clinks. These recoil nicely to prevent dragging. I bolted them to the stock 3/4" bolt that passes through the tounge.

Lunette Lock

I ordered this on ebay for $30. It locks the lunette so you can't tow off the trailer when its parked. The box on the bottom helps keep someone from getting to the pad lock with bolt cutters.

LED Interior Light

A long time ago Lowes had a bunch of lighting on a sales rack and I picked up a bunch of LED undercabinet lights. They are 120V that plug into a regular outlet. I mounted one inside the lid and then ran the wire into the tounge electrical box where it will plug into my Xantrex power plant. Its not very bright, but it will be fine when you are out camping in the pitch blackness. The nice thing is it takes VERY low wattage, is shock proof, and will last virtually forever.

Here's a look at where the wire comes in the tounge box. You can see the weather stripping I added around the box lip to keep water out.

Bike Rack - Rocky Mounts

I bought some locking rocky mounts and bolted them to the top of the lid near the edge. This way the rear tire will be able to be strapped to the 3/4" square tube of the rack to keep it from bouncing around on the trail. You just take your front tire off and put the fork on the mount and tighten it down.

I added a 1" square tube cross member ahead of time when I built the lid so that I could mount the bike mount after painting. Here's a look under the lid where the mount bolts come through.

Weather Stripping - Lid Seal

To help keep water out when driving in the rain, I've added weather stripping around the lid where it meets the tub lip. In addition to the adhesive backing on the weather stripping, I applied a bead of Gorilla Glue and closed the lid tight over night. The result seems like it will hold well. Here is what the weather stip looks like from the outside:

Here is the rubber weather stipping I got a home depot, I got the thickest I could find:

Paint

Spring finally has come to the Rockies and it was warm enough this weekend to paint. The wind was too strong, so I tented the garage with plastic drop clothes, switched off the circuit breaker to the garage, and ran an extension cord into the house to run the compressor and a fan. I just left the garage door open and with a respirator, it worked no problems. I didn't have any lights set up so it was a little tough to see what I was doing so I missed a few spots. I'll have to go back and touch them up. Now its time for finally assembly and then wiring and lights, gas struts for the lid, and bike rack attachments. The end is in sight! I hope to finish soon since we have a trip to Moab planned in a few weeks.