chadattack

So I've been thinking about building or buying a trailer to tow behind my XJ. Mainly just for camping and for hauling crap around. Then I thought!! I should build a trailer out of a JEEP COMANCHE truck bed!!! So I think I found a rig to buy it off of, but i need to know how to convert a truck bed into a trailer...

If any one has done this to a comanche or any truck bed I wuld greatly appreciate some pointers, pics, anything.

Ill post all the progress when i start the project.

tkdtim

Our farm store (Fleet Farm) sells alot of the stuff you need.

The jack stand thing that that you weld to the front of the trailer that screws down are about $35-100 depending on how big.

The little ball socket thingy that connects to your ball on your hitch is like $20

I imagine some 2x6 box steel welded to a Y with a brack and those is about all you would need.

Might want to check the laws, I'm not sure if you can have a trailer with a differential or if it has to have a solid axle.

chadattack

sweet, thank you.
I dont think i'll need the diff on it. and im starting to think i may want to just build a custom frame and just slap the actually body onto it. I at all possible.

chadattack

This is pretty much what I'm thinking, but made from a Comanche.
And i forgot to mention that i want this trailer lifted and rugged so i can drag it anywhere my jeep can go.

Laddie

you could use the front beam axle out of a 2wd cherokee, and then you would have the same bolt pattern, and spring availability.

prerunner1982

I have seen one made from the whole back half of a cherokee... but heck if I can find pics of it now.

chadattack

that would be real cool to see. doing that came across my mind but seemed like a whole lotta work.

caged

you can just cut a v notch out of the top of the comanche frame where you want to bend it towards the tongue, then just weld in a square tube to mount the ball cap thing, (personally, i'd use at least a fixed pintle hitch for more articulation) and cap and brace it all off with plate, add a box for straps, cover and tools and you'd have a cool trailer.

oh, and of course, don't forget to weld and gusset the frame where you cut the notches, obviousely.

or, you could build your own custom frame and put the box on it.

i'd throw in a cherokee rear end with matching sized tires, then it's automatically lifted as it would then be spring over. plus this way you have spares for any parts you would need.

xjrev10

Personally i would build a custom frame for the comanche box. The factory unibody rails would be hard to work with, welding wise.

chadattack

Found what i was looking for!!! Now i just need to find the right truck bed!

CHECK IT OUT.
http://sweptline.com/blog/2009/01/20...-pickup-truck/

xjrev10

buddy of mine just made one of these trailers with an old dodge pickup. Pretty easy project it seemed. Did not take him long at all. He even hooked up the truck's previous backup alarm to his wiring for the lights. So he has a cheap trailer with a backup alarm and he could not be happier

ktmracer419

and have to make struts to keep the knuckles from flopping around.

if i were to build a trailer that will go offroad with my xj, it will have to have a solid axle beam, same amount of clearance as my xj, be lightweight (incase it gets hung up or flops over) and be a couple feet narrower than my xj

89eliminator

been done quite a few times. here is one with a whole comanche in the bed.

huntingman2706217

i thought the comanche's were framed? guess not huh?

89eliminator

from the cab back they are