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Honest opinion...what do you think of this trailer?

Discussion in 'Jeep Trailer Tech' started by speedbuggy, May 22, 2006.

  1. May 22, 2006
    speedbuggy

    speedbuggy Looking for a Jeep now

    Living the Good...
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  2. May 22, 2006
    BlueFlu

    BlueFlu past owner of some ecj5's

    Hermitage, TN
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    Well built, our only issue was the cost. :oops:
     
  3. May 22, 2006
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    I think they're a neat design, but way to spendy for my Dutch blood.

    I've done alot of thinking about how to camp using the Bantam, and I keep coming back to the fact that if you can give up wanting to sleep on or in the trailer, you can do the whole thing for alot less money (and have a more flexible/usable trailer).

    A really nice traditional tent can be had a for a had for a couple hundred bucks, tops. Any of the car-top tents I've seen that could be mounted on a trailer run $1K and up.

    I guess if my lifestyle was such that I could use something like that a lot it might be worth it, but for the 3-4 times max we'll get out camping during a year, plus taking the kids with us, plus needing a general purpose utility trailer a few times every year.... I've scaled back my grand visions for a camping trailer. I plan to just add a tarp and bike/boat rack to the Bantam and call it good as a stuff hauler.

    Seems like one of those would be really hard to get your $$ back out of - very specialized market.
     
  4. May 22, 2006
    duke54

    duke54 Member

    JACKMAN MAINE
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    Kinda cute,I've seen them up here comming down from Canada :)
     
  5. May 22, 2006
    speedbuggy

    speedbuggy Looking for a Jeep now

    Living the Good...
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    I'm having the same thoughts, Mike. I need to find a nice Bantam or M416 and have a tarp made for it. Sad thing is, ALL of them I've seen need a great deal of work. This is something cool I found on the net while surfing yesterday. A lot of $$$ :rofl:
     
  6. May 22, 2006
    speedbuggy

    speedbuggy Looking for a Jeep now

    Living the Good...
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    Hey Duke, you don't happen to have a trailer for sale up there, do ya? R) R)
     
  7. May 22, 2006
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    Dennis build you a nice wooden trailer similar to the one you pictured and cover it in fiberglass epoxy. A guy I used to work with built several of them to pull behind jeeps. He said they weren't that hard to build, his were good enough that you wouldn't know they weren't production units.
     
  8. May 22, 2006
    panzer

    panzer Super Mod Staff Member

    Columbus, OH
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    Looks good Dennis, but big $$$$.
     
  9. May 22, 2006
    Old Bill

    Old Bill Aggressively passive....

    Really Southern...
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    I agree with Mike about getting a good tent and setting it up on the ground. You'll have a LOT more room that way. A trailer is a defined space, a tent can be as big as you can afford/want. Don't forget the air mattress and pump. Those are worth their weight in gold for the occassional outdoors adventures.
     
  10. May 22, 2006
    jeepfreak81

    jeepfreak81 When in Doubt, Pedal out!

    Owosso, MI
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    690
    I love it and wanted one for a long time, until I saw the price. they have 'Rough terrain" pop ups for about that same price IIRC or you could weld on some spring perches and SOA an older one for WAY less (I was going to do this before I inherited a motorhome)
     
  11. May 22, 2006
    vanguard

    vanguard

  12. May 22, 2006
    duke54

    duke54 Member

    JACKMAN MAINE
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    There is a couple of batam's up here we could look at my be they might let one go :)
     
  13. May 22, 2006
    mb82

    mb82 I feel great!

    Charlottesville Va
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    My thought, be cool but I would not buy one. Now if someone bought me one I would not mind :twisted:
     
  14. May 22, 2006
    twiggs

    twiggs Work in progress

    Blue Ridge, GA
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    X2 on what most everyone has said. Nice, but way too expensive. Not to mention, if you off-road it(or on-road for that matter), any damage would be costly.

    If it were me, I would look into buying/building a small utility trailer. I've got one my dad built years ago (built it out of a large generator/welding trailer) that I love to pull behind my Jeep. A lot more versatile than the trailer/tent combo.
     
  15. May 22, 2006
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Happy Valley, OR
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    Mike,
    There was a guy many, many years ago featured in a mag with a dove gray flatfender. He had taken a Bantam trailer and modified it for camping. He built a frame-work that went around the perimeter of the trailer (kind of like yer planning now for your bike/canoe rack) and on the sides of the trailer that would have been open on the rack he mounted some cots on hinges that folded down over the fenders with chains to hold them up. I think he used old navy cots. Then he enclosed it with canvas and had a neat little camp trailer with a place to sleep on the sides. for covers he had the canvas sides set up to cover the cots when folded out. He also mounted some stabilizers on the trailer to keep it from rocking when sleeping. As I recall he also mounted an auxiliary fuel tank on the tongue and had the inside all set up with all his camping gear, you know, the old camp box that has all the dishes, utensils, etc. plus room for coolers, lawn chairs, etc. Was a really cool set up and he said it didn't cost him that much to build. Said it towed real nice behind the flatty. I think he had a Chev 4 popper in it.
    Guess I'll have try and find that magazine. Nickmil.
     
  16. May 24, 2006
    Tiredcj6

    Tiredcj6 New Member

    Camrose Alberta...
    Joined:
    May 22, 2006
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    If your looking for a bantam or similar trailer there is a place near me that has five of them. he wants 800 bucks each. not sure of the shape of them i never stoped to look as i have a Dunbar sitting here. if you want i can dig up the number in the next few days..
     
  17. May 24, 2006
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    I've seen pics of that rig somewhere. It was a neat setup. The biggest issue I saw was the Bantam is 6' long, and Boyink is 6'3"...;)

    I had schemed up a drop-in platform with flush-mopunted sink, stove, cooler, slide out worksurfaces, etc all covered up with the covered wagon canvas.

    But then we go to places like Cabellas and I see all the portable camp kitchens etc. that are available and it looks easier to just buy some of that stuff and carry it in the trailer. Come winter I don't have a big platform do-hickey to store somewhere.
     
  18. May 24, 2006
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Happy Valley, OR
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    Ahhhhhh Yessssss. That could be a problem:)
    I'm only 5' 10" so I forget about you tall guys although I shouldn't, Dad was 6'4". Sometimes it's good to be short.R) Nickmil
     
  19. May 25, 2006
    atavuss

    atavuss New Member

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    I believe that trailer was called the "Chuckwalla". I have four pictures of it, and if I can get my photo hosting account straightened out I will post those pics.
    another great, but pricey off road trailer is adventure trailers. they have a new trailer, the "Chaser" that will be sold and shipped knocked down for the buyer to put together in a weekend or so. it also uses a radical new air bag and swing arm suspension that is height adjustable.
    http://www.adventuretrailers.com/
     
  20. May 25, 2006
    Uncle Jeep

    Uncle Jeep Snow in the desert??

    No longer in NM!!!
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    I found the article you guys are talking about. It is September 1988 Four Wheeler. The article name is Trail Buddies. I would post pics but I have no scanner :(
     
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