So, I had this idea the other day and am wondering if it is even possible. The concept is an offroad trailer with its own driveline that would connect somehow to the vehicles driveline giving the trailer full 4x4 capability. Does anyone know if this would be possible or if it has already been done?

 

Are you saying like connecting another drive shaft from the diff to the trailer?? That wouldnt be possible unless you engineered a complete new system...i dont see how that would really work unless you used electric motors, and put a big enough amp to feed the motors

 

I was actually thinking if their was a way to add a second transfer case to the vehicle behind the rear axle and have the trailer's driveshaft run to the second transfer case and connect the two seperate components that way. It's just an idea...I think it would be pretty cool to have a trailer with independent 4x4 and 30" all terrains. You'd be able to haul an atv, or a kayak, or camping gear or whatever you wanted anywhere you wanted.

 

just look at the thread about swamp traxx it kind of relates to what your talking about

 

if some how you had a pto on your cherokee like a cj

 

oh got ya. that might be plausible, never heard of anything like that before tho. My question would be how would you connect the first t-case to the one behind the axle. One other problem i could for see is mating the drive shaft from the trailer to the jeep. I think the separate articulation of the jeep and trailer would destroy any u-joint known to man....

 

You could do it if you had rockwells in the jeep .

 

How?

 

Yes it has been done on milatary veichles,but I dont think anyone of us has the money to burn.

 

On mating the two driveshafts, like Scott said, a PTO (power take-off) might work to transfer the power from the engine to the trailer. They use PTOs on tractors to power secondary farm equipment and on Fire Trucks to power water pumps. A question I have regarding the PTO, is will something of the sort be able to transfer enough power to an independent trailer driveline in order to make it 4x4 capable? I think, if it can be done, that this whole concept would be a good idea and there would be a decent market for it. Maybe in 20 years I'll have developed something like it...or maybe someone reading this with more engineering and mechanical skills than I will make one in 3 years. Either way, It'd be cool to see a 4x4 trailer on the market. I don't think there is anything like it out there.

 

So the govt. is already ahead of me eh? Damn, at least it still was an original thought.

 

yep the duece and a 1/2 is 6 wheel drive. Not a trailer but along the same idea

 

what do you mean how?...why would you need a trailer with 4 wheel drive if you have a swamptrax!

 

I dont know why or how but he wants one?

 

Yes they have a few things I cant recall names of them they showed one on the tv show gears it was a small older one something like one of those small 6 wheelers that float and can go anywheres the miltary one was like 12 wheel drive, and another one went on the road it was like a jeep on roids with a 4 wheeldrive trailer behind it and all 8 wheels worked toghether.