Camper/bike/box trailer

**Rat1314** · 14th April 2013, 05:02 PM

After our most recent camping trip I have decided to build a camper trailer. I've got a few 'must haves' and I'm scratching my head trying to figure it out/decide on a idea, and make a start.
Now I want this to be a multi function trailer, it will be used as a standard box trailer when at home, be able to have a camper trailer tent added to the top for when It's just me and the wife and last but not least be able to have the camper on top AND carry 4 full sized dirt bikes for when it's the boys weekends (we try and go once a month so it'll get used a bit).
Now for some of the 'must haves' (I'm still debating a few and I'm open to ideas).
I'm going to get a 'rear fold' camper, Most likely this one Thommo's Camper Trailer Sales and Hire : 7' Tent Rear Fold The rear fold tent is a must.
I want to keep it single axle, I might go dual but I want to keep it as light to tow as possible. I've never owned a dual axle trailer before so I don't know what the difference in fuel economy would be???(when we go away it's normally a 6-8 hour return trip)
I want to be able to set the camper up with out having to unload all the bikes. Again this is a must
I'd like the trailer to have the same 'track width' as my ute, 2wd '07 Hilux. The tray on my ute is 1850mm wide. I'm willing to budge on this.

Now I've seen a camper trailer on ebay DIRTBIKE CAMPER TRAILER | eBay
The problem with this is he said with the 3 bikes across the front the tow ball load is around 200kg. If I made a trailer similar but added a detachable rack across the back for the fourth bike(I'd be ok with having to unload one bike to set up the tent) and maybe made the draw bar a bit longer would this help reduce the download enough?

The other option I've thought of is to make the trailer 2100mm wide on the inside. Mount 2 bikes on the draw bar. Put the camper tent sideways at the front of the trailer tray and then two bikes sideways in the rear of the trailer.

I'd like to go with the first trailer option but the tow ball weight seems like a bit of a problem.

**jatt** · 14th April 2013, 09:55 PM

4 dirt bikes plus a camper. I would go a tandem.

**Rat1314** · 14th April 2013, 10:40 PM

Yea I'm still not convinced to go with a tandem set up yet. I should also mention that we don't always take 4 bikes away, most of the time it's 3 bikes.

**Rat1314** · 15th April 2013, 05:29 PM

It seems even with a tandem axle and 3 bikes across the draw bar the towball download is still around 190kg.
http://www.australiandirtbikecampers.com.au/index.php?page=specs

Edit: so I'm still left with the question of would the towball download be reduced enough with a bike across the back of the trailer as well?

**notenoughtoys** · 15th April 2013, 09:57 PM

Trying to get everything you want out of one trailer is tough., I've been through it as have several mates. I guess it depends on how elaborate a campsite you want. A mate of mine used a box trailer big enough to take his bikes (3). It had a frame for the bikes which he could remove when he just wanted to use it as a trailer. And a frame on legs went over the bikes with a roof top tent up top. Seemed to work really well for him. I prefer a hard floor camper (still own one) so I went for a little cub kamparoo and extended the drawer bar to fit 2 bikes and moved the axle forward slightly to reduce the ball weight and put a slide out draw in the rear to balance a bit without making it too heavy but it was a tad unbalanced when I didn't want to take the bikes. Another mate had an old caravan he gutted the back and put a rear fold down ramp/door, the front still had the kitchen, the back became an enclosed bike trailer, when we got there, the bikes came out and the bunks folded down and it became his camper. A bit bulkier though obviously, other mates had proper enclosed bike trailers and simply camped out of them, a bit rough and ready but worked when there was just the blokes.

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