This project is going to start pretty slow as I do some planning, but figured I'd start up a thread now to keep my thoughts in one place (my mind is a bad place to keep my thoughts....). I'll probably cc some of the work in the Raider build thread as well, since this is related to that, but I'll document everything here.
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Always on the hunt for a new build of something I don't have and that fulfills certain automotive needs. I have my 4x4 offroad/adventure rig, my tow vehicle, my sportscar, my racecar, and my daily driver (and a car hauler 16' trailer). So most of the boxes are checked. But since selling my 5x8 utility trailer when I bought the car hauler, I've found myself missing it, since the big trailer is a pain in the ass to pull out to do regular utility stuff, and the Sequoia is good for certain big things but not for bulk items (mulch, for instance).
While browsing around Marketplace, out of the blue I see a guy pretty much giving away an entire 1992 Mitsubishi Mighty Max, in parts (he apparently chopped it up into sections. However, he had a decent-condition bed box there, so I got to thinking. As you probably know, I built a Dodge Raider (aka Gen1 Mitsubishi Montero) and the Mighty Max is essentially the pickup truck version of that. More specifically, it has pretty much the same cosmetic lines to it (body lines, wheel well shape, etc). So what the heck, a trailer seems like a reasonably inexpensive project that won't involve building engines or doing interiors or paying for insurance, etc.
GOALS: So I have some ideas, but not sure exactly what direction this will go. Here's some requirements and/or thoughts:
1. Obviously, general utility. Hauling mulch, picking up furniture, whatever. Suburbia stuff.
2. Adventure? IDK, adventure trailers seem to be the hot thing these days with the offroad crowd, but I have little interest in hauling a trailer offroad, and honestly don't see a reason to since I can fit all my gear in the Raider, and sleep in it. The thought of pulling a trailer offroad just doesn't appeal to me at all. But, let's say I'm going a long way and want to bring extra gear or whatever, I guess it could be useful in certain instances. So this trailer will *be able to* survive being dragged around on offroad trails, etc, but won't be built as an expedition trailer or anything. I likely will set it up to use the same wheels as the Raider (standard Toyota/Mitsu 6-on 5.5 bolt pattern) so I don't have to carry a spare for it, perhaps. And it would look cool.
3. Motorcycle. Ok, so I don't have one and likely won't have one. But I have friends who have offroad bikes and let's say we want to go someplace far away to do some Raider-bike adventure trip stuff (Kentucky Adventure Tour, or up to New England, or something), it would be useful to be able to throw a bike in the trailer so the friend doesn't have to ride hundreds of miles on an offroad bike.
4. Rally! Of course. So if you do rally, you know that you usually can't bring the car-hauler to the service locations, which means transloading the toolchest and other gear into the tow rig (which is usually already full) or putting it on a hitch-mount basket (what we've been doing). It's logistically kind of a pain in the ass and requires a lot of loading, unloading, and organizing stuff during a 3-4 day rally event. So I've been thinking if we had a smaller trailer that could be towed behind either the service rig or the recce rig, that could just be a dedicated service trailer. Something the Raider can tow, or that Jim's Tacoma can tow, or Stephen's 4Runner, and that's small enough to fit into our service spot at rally.
So, those are the ideas, and the goal is to make something that can do all of them well with minimal reconfiguration. So why use a pickup bed and not just build (or buy) a full trailer? First, it already has good structure on both the floor and sides, rather than me having to fab up sidewalls, etc in wood or metal. Second, it already has fenders. Most offroad and utility trailers have fenders outside the bed, so the bed is narrower than the entire trailer. WIth a pickup bed you get full-width capacity. Third, I can buy off-the shelf stuff made for it (like a tonneau cover, or cap, or gearboxes, etc). Not that I necessarily will, but it's nice to have that option.
So let's get to it...
As it happens, Thomas Helgesen needed to get his Volvo up to Nonack's place in Quakertown PA, about 200 miles from me. And the Mighty Max stuff was about 25 miles from there. So worked out a deal with Thomas and towed his Volvo up there in exchange for gas money.
After I left I headed out to a house in a very wooded area with a 1/4 mile driveway that looked like a rally stage and hauled the trailer into an extremely slick and muddy culvert area behind the guy's house (after walking it to make sure I'd actually be able to get back up the steep hill on the way out.
Loaded up the pickup bed, as well as the rear half of the Mighty Max frame and the rear axle (since it has crossover parts with the Raider and will give me spares). Handed him a few bucks, and locked in 4WD climbed back up to the driveway
Today I unloaded the stuff (some effort, by myself, since it's all quite heavy) and took a look
Stuck the frame on it just to see what the lines looked like. However, I likely won't use any of the original frame, other than maybe a few of the mount brackets that I can cut off. It's heavier than I need and I don't want the drop-down at the front (for the cab, etc). Plus a few parts of it were already chopped off so I think It'll be easier to just scratch-build a frame.
So the bed overall is an old bed that has definitely gotten utility use. Plenty of dents on the inner wheel wells but overall almost entirely rust-free
Other than one small area, which shouldn't be too hard to fix.
There is some damage to both lower rear corners (one side is pretty mild, the other side pretty mashed), but I may or may not cut off those lower areas anyhow (and/or repair them). We'll see, at some later time.
It's also nice that all the wiring is still in place, which should make lighting, etc pretty easy to do
And he had the original taillights which are in pretty nice shape, so I can re-use them
Unfortunately he didn't have the tailgate, so I'll be keeping an eye open for one of those (the ones from the Mighty Max or Dodge D50 will both fit, since they're the same), or I'll just build something.
So something like this is kind of the idea, though it won't be exactly like it.
