Looks sweet.

A side awning? Rooftop AC?

 

And a slid-out pool and pool-side bar too.

 

Two spare tires/rims? Might as well get ones that match from the get-go. I always carry two trailer spares. If nothing else, I don't feel the need to run to the nearest Walmart to buy a crappy tire while out of town if I happen to blow a tire.

 

I'm going to get one. My last trailer I had two. Those were ST bias tires. I'm hoping the 10-ply tires / 16" wheels will help with the flats this time.

 

RV side door. I thought it was unnecessary when I got my trailer but I like it. Screen door is nice for airflow on those hot muggy days while keeping the bugs out.

 

Yup. And it's 48" wide so I can get my quads through it.

 

I've had a 24' enclosed for 3 years that I haul my buggy, ATVs, and a few other things in. After learning from that experience, I'm having a new one built.

New one will be:
aluminum (instead of steel) WINNING
28' (instead of 24')
6K, 8 lug axles with 16" wheels and 10 ply radial tires (instead of 5.2K, 15" and ST bias tires) Why not 7k's? With 28' you are going to be HEAVY! Even with Alum
Spread axle Why?
6" shorter height (total 7' inside) since I don't have a 7' tall truck anymore
rounded top front edge to help with wind and mileage (maybe)
extruded aluminum floor (instead of plywood so oil can't soak into it)
white aluminum walls (instead of plywood so tire rub marks will come off and it looks way nicer)
cupboards and drawers in the front (instead of plywood shelves)
(possibly) a tire well in the floor for my 40 x 13.50 spare I personally wouldnt want something that big dangling under my trailer, and a box that big will sure compromise the stringers running side to side. Just a thought
(possibly) a fuel tank and pump in the floor so I don't need to keep 6 cans in back of my truck
LED interior lights Dont forget exterior lights on pit side
toolbox on the tongue with a deep cycle battery inside Why not a gooseneck? At 28' of deck, again you're going to be heavy, with a goose its easy to tow, and manuever, but also easier to overload the driveaxle
white exterior so it's not like a hot box inside (instead of black)
reinforced wheel wells so I can drive on them if necessary thinking about the width of the fender compared to the door its minimal, 3-4" each side usually, and if aluminum, you usually want to still build drive over ramps. I built a set of steel removable ones for my Featherlite to haul the Unicorn, guess I dont have pics. Will try to take some for ya

Anybody have any advice on anything else I should consider adding or changing? A/C, and the clear plastic dangly door things so you can keep the rear door open but not let all the a/c out. Exterior power outlets, Generator location, and aircompressor that has a start load below the generators max load.

New one will be similar to this:

-Rear rollers
-more tiedowns/or EZ-track (floor & sides)
-sidestep options
-Is a 26' to short? Once you get up to the +24' I get super leary of a tag in that length. because of tongue weigh and ease to overload even with 7k axles.

 

Fold down bench seats/bunks? An enclosed trailer is usually a good place for people to hang out. Having some seating available beats dragging around the camp chairs.

 

Folding bunks or toyhauler bench seats, for sure.

RV Trailer Wall Mount Folding Bunk Beds | eBay

Mounted are a lot more stable to sit on than a cot.

 

Not a bad idea. Thanks.

 

8 lug and 17.5's

we have them on our 3 axle 36' and theyre way overkill but blow outs no more

my dads trailer similar to what you are getting has tire problems and its just a empty box (no tanks or shelves but is steel) used for hauling cars 30's to 60's so nothing way heavy but his tires wear super fast and often separate due to being on the edge all the time

 

I'm from 6 lug, 15" wheels, and ST tires to 8 lug, 16" wheels, and E-rated tires. I'll pass on the 17.5s this time.

 

If you are going to be spending that much might as well add in TPMS if you can. Why the spread axle config? Everyone at the track who has that complains about tire scrub. You planning on parking anywhere that requires a bunch of tight turns?

 

Every manufacturer has their preferences. ATC uses a 12" spread as standard on a lot of their larger trailers. I guess it helps distribute the load better. Yes, I realize it will scrub the tires on tight turning.

 

Bigwoodywag and 79chevy got it right.

Go gooseneck 7k axles and 17.5s. At 28ft I might even go triple axle. Thats what I wish my 30ft flatbed goose had. Triple 7s and 17.5s

 

Go gooseneck 7k axles and 17.5s. At 28ft I might even go triple axle. Thats what I wish my 30ft flatbed goose had. Triple 7s and 17.5s

I'd atleast go 7k axles, maybe 8k's an 17.5's.


I've never once looked at a trailer and thought "I wish this was rated for less weight" At times you pay for the heavier trailer with fuel mileage or registration costs, but those times when you need to haul heavier then normal and know the trailer can handle it without a single worry is all worth it to me.

I have tandem duals with 16" tires on my gooseneck. Aside from being able to find tires anywhere and everywhere I can't think of an upside to them. I'm going to try and get dual 17.5's on my next trailer.

Also, I'm not sure if you can do it with enclosed trailers, but check into electric over hydraulic disc brakes. They can make all the difference from a panic stop to a nice, predictable stop.

 

Here's a few ideas.....

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/tow-...m/forum/tow-rigs-trailers/1514386-koh-bust-2014-sundowner-gn-trailer-build.html

 

Thank you.

 

Are you going with ATC, or is that just an example?

We pick up our 40' ATC this weekend, can't wait..

 

That's the plan. I hope to have the order in early next week. Just need to sort out some options. I'm going to the factory (20 minutes from me) next week to look at their interior options (cupboards, closets, drawers, lights, etc.).

 

I agree with all the comments everyone has made. The 6k axles you're getting are very possibly the same as 7k axles just missing 2 lug nuts. If that's the case going to 8 lug/7k should be minimal cost for the axles. Real cost change will be tires/rims, so if you can afford it definitely do the 17.5s. You will never worry about a blow out again at your weights, only way you'll loose a tire with those is road debri.

Sounds like a nice trailer, you doing it for 2 rigs or?

 

These 6K axles are 8 lug.

Buggy + spare tire + spare parts, two ATVs + paddles and smoothies for each, two 18' kayaks, 4 bicycles, all our gear for hiking / biking / camping / kayaking, a bunch of tools in tool bags, gas cans, coolers, etc. Not necessarily all at the same time. And if the weather is really shitty, we'll camp in the trailer.

 

I just had one built a few months ago. I went with 7k axles too, not much more money and same tires/wheels as the 6k axles.

Add all the extra interior and exterior lights from the factory, easier than adding later. At least have them wired.

I love the Deep cycle battery. Mine lasted all week of KOH to run the lights although we were not in it too much at night.

2nd the two spare tire option, I did.

fold down benches, tables look like a great idea but if you have a wide rig, mine is, You might hit them with the vehicle.

Look at the counter tops and see if you could use them as a work bench. Some I looked at did not look very sturdy.

Add extra in floor tie downs, front and rear.

E-tracking. I went back and added it to mine. Cost was about $4 per foot for me to install.

Rooftop vents, Mine only has one, should have gone with two, I will see how hot it gets.

Rubber floor gets eaten up by brake fluid and other chemicals, I was warned to stay away.

I upgraded the front jack. I wanted it to hold with my rig in it.

I added skid plates to the back corners to protect them from dragging.

I added 4" of height to the trailer frame/axle mounts to lower inside fender well height and keep from dragging the tail end when going "off-road"

I upgraded the rear door with more supports in the frame to support a heavy vehicle.

I added a 2' v-nose to help with aerodynamics, do not know if it helped but give me more room inside

Extend the tongue if going bumper pull, allows you to make tighter turns without hitting tow rig. Mine is 60".

I upraged from 6" to 8" I-beam for the main frame. With aluminum You may already have a larger frame.

My 2 cents,
Rob

 

Thanks for the insight!

 

Fold down bunk beds but just build the frames out of aluminum then put mattresses on top of them. They fold up flatter to the walls, ours only stand off an inch. We got some vinyl covered prison mattresses or something that are plenty comfy with a sleeping bag on top of them. They get thrown on top of the rig when everything's loaded and work great for sitting next to the campfire or having dirty desert guys sleep on them. Also, build the bunks so that you can sit comfortably on the bottom (enough room between the bottom and top to sit up straight.) They turn into hang out benches when it's crappy out.

 

We throw a rug down and sleep on Thermarest Dreamtime pads. Not the ultralight ones for hiking, theses are 8# pads that have memory foam inside and inflate around it. They are WAY more comfortable and warmer than any air mattress and more comfortable than a lot of normal mattresses I've slept on. I didn't believe it myself until I laid on one. Pricey, but worth it.

Therm-a-Rest DreamTime Review - OutdoorGearLab

And for getting dressed or relaxing, we keep our $10 fold-out camping chairs in the trailer.

 

My last flat nose bumper pull trailer had a vert receiver I welded to the tongue. I made a tire rack to pin in it that held my spare 40 for the crawler. would be ez to stack to trailer spares in frt of it too, would have to play with it to see how room works out. I iknow you said you were putting a box there, giving you options. A 40 and trailer spares can take up a lot of room.

I would spring for the 7k's myself. and see if they can be ordered w 9/16 studs.

 

I just picked up my ATC raven a week ago. I stayed with a quality manufacturer and I see you did your homework also. The only reason I didn't go with the quest was because of the extra weight. This unit weighs in at 2900lbs. Also do the screw less exterior and extra height. It makes resale easier if you were ever to sell it again. Do the front bevel though definitely. I'm going to epoxy my floor though as the coin flooring was just way too expensive . You can really go wild with these trailers.

 

having had a 28ft bumperpull heres my 2 cents.

extended tongue is a must.makes backing and turing so much easier. plus a little more storage room as well

the boxes in the floor--mine had two. the one in the back dragged on everything, but never was damaged. there was another closer to the axles and that one was perfect.

Widest entry door you can get. makes it easier to carry things in when there are rigs in the back

a/c with heat coil. why not?

Generator box? the one on mine wasn't quite in the best spot, but was handy as hell to always have a devoted space for the generator.

wouldn't be a bad idea to have some outlets rigged up as well if you are thinking about a generator.

 

Getting closer to finalizing. For the sake of discussion, here's some thoughts....

For me, this isn't the “be all end all of trailers.” This one is going to be $25K by the time everything is done (including tax), and we were hoping to keep it under $20K, so I do need to be particular on what we "need" versus what we "want" or "would be nice to have." It’s too easy to turn this into a $40K trailer that needs a dually to tow.

I talked to my sales guy about this and he said a lot of guys come in wanting 8K axles and 19.5" tires under their 24' trailer. He said that's the best way to wreck your trailer, especially with aluminum frames that can fatigue crack over time. It will shake everything to pieces because the suspension and tires will never move. He's had the most warranty claims on trailers with grossly oversized axles on small trailers. It's $1200 more to upgrade from 6K to 7K and I didn't even ask about the 17.5" tires. I'm going to stick with the 6K 8 lug axles, 16" wheels, and 10 ply tires and hope for the best. It’s already a huge upgrade from what we had before.

6K axles gives me 12,000#
(Estimating heavy)
*Trailer weight 4500#
*Buggy 4500#
*Two quads @ 400 each = 800#
That gives me 2200# for everything else, which I know we won't exceed with what we normally carry in there. There’s always the back of my truck to offload if necessary.

• Gooseneck, I don't want one.
• They want $2000 for a 24 gallon fuel tank in the floor... nope
• They won't make a tire well large enough to fit a 40x13.50. Structural problem and I agree it hangs too low. I guess the spare stays on the floor.
• They won't just reinforce the fenders. They will only do ramp-overs for $1600. Too much money and they waste too much floor space. I think this time I'll have some steel covers made with ramped ends, have them powdercoated, then mechanically fasten them in place.
• Floor will have 8 flush-mount tie-downs appropriately placed for the buggy and quads. Flush-mounted e-track for 22 feet would be $800 more.
• I need to ask about step options.
• Don’t want fold-down chairs or beds. Camping chairs and an air mattress work fine for that. And there is no good place to put them with the current layout.
• Interior lights will be abundant. We just need to see what they have to offer.
• I’m going to ask them to wire it for exterior lights at the back door and side door. I’ll mount some LED floor lights inside facing outside through the door.
• Cabinets are going to be expensive, like $3K+. Doing a factory tour on Wednesday and we’ll decide for sure what to get.
• Two roof vents
• Extra large bumpers on the ramp door (my last trailer skin got punctured by a rock at Moab – oops.
• I have a Yamaha 2000 generator, but we’ve never had to use it. I’m not going to do a wired generator door ($1000) or AC power package ($700 for basic or $1400 for deluxe).
• AC/heat is something we wouldn’t use much. If it’s that cold, we’ll probably be in a motel. A propane tank with a radiant heater would be all we need. AC I might regret not getting, but that’s $1800 (for a 13,500 BTU unit) we’ll save.
• I'm on the fence about the rear rollers (bogey wheels they call them). They do put a skidplate back there if you don't have them. If you add rollers, you lose about 3" of ground clearance, which I think will hit all the time. $252 for those.

Here's the quick layout I did:

 

[*]Cabinets are going to be expensive, like $3K+. Doing a factory tour on Wednesday and we’ll decide for sure what to get.

Here is a company that sells those trailer cabinets incase you dont get them now you can add them later. Garage Modular Aluminum Storage Cabinets | ModulineCabinets.com

 

We plan on adding e-track ourselves for bulk cargo. With the extruded floor option it will be easy and cheaper.

We went with the slide out step that has the coarse grate. You lose a few inches of ground clearance but it is right at the front of our trailer, no biggie. The flip down step seemed annoying, you have to flip it down even if you just want to open the door to check inside.

Consider a 3 way switch for the interior lights - one up front, one by the ramp door.

Any reason why you wouldn't stand the 40" spare up on the tongue against the front of the trailer? Especially if you extend the tongue.

Yeah I was looking hard at the fuel station options too.. Decided I'd be better off with a refueling tank in my pickup. More mobile and cheaper.

Prep for future a/c is about $150 or so. Then you can just toss one on there if you ever want it.

 

3-way switch is a good idea. Planning to put a wedge toolbox on the tongue. Would prefer not to leave a $1000+ tire outside. Even the best locks are easy to cut with a battery-powered angle grinder.

 

I forgot about the 3-way switch option, I did that too.

As for drive over fenders. I used 2x6's. Started at 8' and cut each one ~6" shorter at a 45 deg angle till I had enough height to clear the fenders. I screwed the bottom one to the floor and then each one on top of the other. I can drive over them without crushing the fenders.

As for spare tires, leave them on the floor between the wheel wells. When you drive over them you will be plenty high enough to clear them and then they get trapped between the front and rear axles when the rig is parked. You only have to move them if you want to use the floor space once at camp. Good thing is you can unscrew the boards if needed.

I will be getting my ready in the morning, I will try to take a few pics.

I would push toward the generator/breaker box option. This way you can plug it in to "shore power" or a generator and keep the doors closed, rain out, noise etc. I have a simple 30 amp package in mine.

If you do not want to upgrade the interior wall panels, paint yours a high gloss white, it will brighten it up quite a bit.

 

I love my ATC.
Mines a 24' with the full electrical package and factory cabinets etc...

Ive had several trailers and I always went cheap and then added my own cabinets, wiring, A/C etc... myself later.

All of my past trailers also looked pretty hack compared to this one. I always used good stuff and the install was good but its not the same.

I finally caved in and bought this one ready to go. No mods needed and I am so happy I did.

I know it sounds cheesy but every time we take it out I get at least 1 guy checking it out and complimenting on the construction and overall look and function.

My advice is just nut up and get every option you think you want right now.
The good feeling you will get about saving the $$ will wear off quickly especially when you see another trailer with all the stuff you wanted on yours.

 

I understand that completely. My last trailer was only about $8,000. We cut corners everywhere and I always wanted "more." Unfortunately, with these things, you can really run the bill up quickly. We really want to keep this one under $25K total.

 

Heavy rated axles! You only get one shot at this part! When you figure out you should have ordered the 17.5 tires/wheels, you can change that.
In floor/under floor winch!
I would get the V nose. It WILL pull easier, it gains you some space inside.
Roof a/c with heat strip!

 

I lucked into my trailer (all BigWoodyWag's fault...) and it wasnt cheap but it kicks ass.

Older Featherlite STL with an aluminum body and a steel frame, its actually a pretty slick combo. I have 7k axles and I would not mind more. Nice thing about the STL series trailers is you get all the benefits of a Featherlite aluminum body on all the benefits of a tough ass easy to fix steel frame :flipoff2: Heavy axles arnt going to crack shit on this old tank.

I think this has mostly been covered, but...

A curb door with a latch that opens it from the inside is tits. It is bigger and wider than most RV screen doors. An RV door with a screen would be moderately better or worse, but a cargo door that only opens from the outside would suck.

Mine has an integrated genset cabinet with RV plug in for backup. Featherlite does a great job of integrating the wiring, fuel tank and everything else into the cabinets, can barely tell it is there. Having 110 for bright ass florescent lights is great. It also has big halogen scene lights and a 110 air compressor. I even have a genset on the Pete and I would hate to get rid of the one in the trailer.

Because it has a generator and all the wiring it came with an AC too, which I thought was dumb on a trailer, till I turned it on after a hard day of wheeling. Drinking a beer in the AC after a hard day of wheeling is awesome. My dad borrows the trailer for bike stuff, he says the same thing. Great place to relax and take off the riding gear with a cool breeze.

Aluminum floor is awesome. So are aluminum walls. My trailer has big thick steel inner fenders, no problems at all driving over them.

I have a HUGE awning on the side, it too is awesome.

My trailer has been through a bunch of owners, so it has a BUNCH of tie downs, and I think I have used every one of them. And I am still looking into running e-track down the entire floor. I would just bolt it down though, I see no need for flush mount.

Cabinets are really expensive, but they are really nice too. You can do almost the same on your own, but built in ones are worth it if you can swing it.

xwhatever on 2 spare tires. We don't travel more than 5 hours anymore without at least 2 spares per trailer. I have been on 2 trips recently where 3 relatively good looking 2 year old tires have failed on the same trailer. These were both 7k axles with 8 lug 16s. I usually carry 2 mounted ones and an unmounted one as a last resort. Most 24 hour big rig tire places can change tires, but they dont stock 16 inch stuff.

 

Check out fantastic fans. Most guys in the RV world are replacing their standard crank up vents with these. They move a ton of air and you can get them with variable speed, t-stats, etc. At the very least you should see about getting power run to the vents so you can add them later.