[jscherb]

I've spent the last couple of months working on a fiberglass Jeep-style trailer tub kit, and today I finished the proof-of-concept trailer using the first parts from the kit molds.

Without the tonneau:

I always wanted to try making a custom embossed logo tailgate, so I made one:

I matched the color of this one to my LJ:

 

[jscherb]

And here's a few photos of the "kit parts" and the assembly phase.

Two side panels with inner fenders, two end panels and a tailgate.

The parts are identical in dimension to Jeep tubs, so factory CJ or Wrangler tailgates could be used.

To make it economical, the floor is plywood.

The side panels bolt to the floor, and the floor bolts to the frame.

For this proof-of-concept build, I used a modified Harbor Freight trailer frame:

 

[FuzzyZ]

Looks good! Now get a yellow star!

 

[jscherb]

Looks good! Now get a yellow star!

Aren't yellow stars for vendors? I am not a vendor.

 

[EricsGreen98Tj]

I think he's trying to give you a HINT Jeff. Produce them and they will sell.....

 

[grnd93]

You've made me want one. I dig the top on your LJ too.

 

[jscherb]

I think he's trying to give you a HINT Jeff. Produce them and they will sell.....

Eric,
You know I don't want to ever be a vendor. I design and build this stuff as a hobby, and I have no interest in being in business to sell anything I design.

I do however sometimes license what I design to actual vendors so they can sell them, and I'm in discussions with a few who are interested in selling these tub kits.

But I am not, and never will be a vendor. I do these projects to amuse myself .

 

[jscherb]

You've made me want one. I dig the top on your LJ too.

Thanks. I've licensed the hardtop design to a company that's working on bringing them to market, so hopefully someday soon they'll be available.

 

[ghiradelli777]

Do you make the fiberglass molds yourself? (hard top)

 

[jscherb]

Do you make the fiberglass molds yourself? (hard top)

Yes, I made everything myself for both the hardtop and the trailer tub at home in my garage.

Here are the hardtop molds:

And these are the trailer tub molds:

BTW if you look at the trailer molds you can see that one mold is 8' long, that's the side panel mold - I made these molds so trailers of any length up to 8' 7" can be made. The black trailer is about 50" long, but a longer trailer like this could be made in the molds as well:

 

[B.A.R.K]

Quality work as usual :beer:
Any plans to drop these behind a Jeep half cab?

 

[jscherb]

Quality work as usual :beer:

Thanks!

Any plans to drop these behind a Jeep half cab?

Yes, absolutely, that's one of the reasons I built these molds - to be used in making "Budget Brute" pickups . These parts should make it very affordable to build a high-quality Jeep pickup.

Here's a couple of concept drawings I did at the beginning of the project.

Notice how the bed sides go down slightly further at the front and the bottoms taper up in the back? I made the molds tall enough so those heights and angles can be accommodated.

And not only will these beds work for pickups, the solid end panel is designed to be used as the cab closeout - so when you cut the back off the Jeep tub, you can bond one of these panels on the back to complete the pickup cab.

The concept below is actually TJ-based, it uses a 6' version of one of these tub kits, a Safari half cab, and my next project... a TJ/CJ transition hood and fenders.

 

[mntbkrguy]

Your stuff is always great, I can't wait to see them on the market!

Edit: Have you posted any of this on the trailer section of Expedition Portal?
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/42-Expedition-Trailers

 

[jscherb]

Your stuff is always great, I can't wait to see them on the market!

Edit: Have you posted any of this on the trailer section of Expedition Portal?
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/42-Expedition-Trailers

There are two build threads on this trailer project.

The most detailed on is on jeepforum: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/bolt-together-fiberglass-jeep-tub-trailer-kit-1274811/

There's also a less detailed build thread on Expo: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/68035-Bolt-together-fiberglass-Jeep-tub-trailer-kit

I would have done a build thread here too but it would have been hard to keep up with another thread.

 

[jscherb]

Latest phase of the build:

 

[Hickeyjones]

Really great idea on that trailer!

 

[CronusTRD]

That's pretty cool. I was just about to ask if that tub could support a roof-top tent.

 

[grnd93]

I want one!

 

[jscherb]

I want one!

In a few months you'll be able to buy one... I built this one just for myself as a hobby project, but when it was done I was contacted by a company that wants to market the kits. So I licensed the design to a company and delivered a set of parts to them, they're now in the process of building their molds for production, and next month they plan to make a short production run of kits available to people willing to build them and test them.

 

[rustywagoneersdotcom]

In a few months you'll be able to buy one... I built this one just for myself as a hobby project, but when it was done I was contacted by a company that wants to market the kits. So I licensed the design to a company and delivered a set of parts to them, they're now in the process of building their molds for production, and next month they plan to make a short production run of kits available to people willing to build them and test them.

I'd be in for testing or buying a set (several, actually) as soon as possible.