making a trailer out of a vw camper-couple of questions!

[catanddavo]

Hey all,

I have an old vw camper rolling chassis,its not worth putting back on the road because its an old panel van with holes cut in it and its got no interior at all,tried to think of how to get rid and suddenly came up with the idea of building a trailer out of it,to tow behind my camper,first of all has anyone done this before on here?secondly a couple of things Ive been playing around with and would like some opinions please!

1 can the body be taken off like a beetle?sorry for being ignorant! I was kind of thinking it might be easier to take the body off,if it does come off like beetle and putting it on to a trailer chassis-saving time fabricating an A frame etc

2 leave it on its wheels,which would require at least removal of gearbox and driveshafts,plus would be a bit of a bugger as far as attaching A frame and locking off front wheels etc

3 chop off front axle and wheels and fabricate A frame and then take out gearbox etc

Any ideas/suggestions would be much appreciated! Im sure this will be amazing if I can pull it off

 

[Araon]

see uber cools thread in the gallery

 

[catanddavo]

ah Excellent cheers,

I had picture of a longer one in my head but its prob a lot easier to do it like that! saves sorting out doors-chassis hasnt got any except the back.

Ill take some pics and put em up when im done :mrgreen:

 

[Loxy]

Are you sure the panel isnt worth something?
Easier to sell it & buy a westy trailer with the proceeds

 

[catanddavo]

Im pretty sure,
the cab floor is a no-go as is seatmounts big hole in the roof where somebody put a poptop,lots of rust at the front generally,although front panel has been replaced at some point,backend is fine apart from window holes,its got running gear which I guess Ill put on fleabay,

good frontbeam on it and a gearbox van ratio tho plus a load of spare steering bits etc, Plus I quite like the idea of painting it orange to match van and towing all the junk in the back!

 

[uber cool]

Believe me it isnt easy :mrgreen: The roof blending was a complete twat to do! Hours of cutting and welding, and still not finished. I've probably put more hours in this then restoring a full bus. Still I'm not giving up. will be there soon :roll: its still long enough to lie down in :mrgreen:

 

[USA Santa]

Well Now :bliss: Just so happens I to have had some of the same internist I have a collection of photos , I have found on line through the years :roll: For what ever reasion I can not up load here :?: Even though the size is what is specified :? :sign0023:
So not to be out done I did a web album Have a lookie 8)

http://picasaweb.google.com/garrydespains/TrailersMadeOfResicledVWBusesOtherVWs#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Hope they can give you ideas 8)


:character0032:

 

[Graham L]

Some cool trailers on that thread, you've now got me thinking about a winter project, just happen to have a back half of a bus that might work!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[lard]

wow - there are some nice ones there, particularly like the golf one behind a T25 .... I haven't thought about trailers but this has got me thinking....I can't weld or paint yet and a trailer project might be a good starting point to hone my skills :msn4:

EDIT:

Some more cool trailers - about half way down past the nice teardrop caravans!:

http://www.vwcampervanblog.com/25-c...ro-caravans-to-compliment-your-vw-camper-van/

 

[Araon]

That silver bug conversion is possibly the worst of its kind I've seen....

When I lived in Doncaster there was a cracking version (or seemed so at the time), a splity with colour coded 1/2 bug trailer if I remember right the split had a roof chop too (criminal I hear you say, yeah no way to treat a bug :lol: ), and not just a bug stuck atop a trailer :roll:

 

[BigG]

I like this one.

Looks to be made out of a couple of splitty sambas. Well you wouldn't want to ruin an Early bay now would you :roll:

 

[lard]

That silver bug conversion is possibly the worst of its kind I've seen....

You'd think after taking so much care on the bus....

Can't work out why he'd slap trailer lamps on it and not use the original rear light units?

 

[catanddavo]

theres some wicked trailers there,think Im goin to try and make it something like yours Uber I bet the roof was a bit of a bugger,got to clear all the crap out of the garage and then im getting the grinder out :mrgreen:

the roof had a poptop in it so im going to make the join fairly far back so I can use as much of the front roof as possible.

Cheers

 

[uber cool]

Yes, it was a major headache. I was tempted to flat panel where its cut in half, but it would have been the easy option and looked crap. You'd think a bay camper was fairy flat on the front. That is until you cut the front of one. :shock: From the top of the pillars to the bump on the nose, its about 24". So as not to make it too nose heavy I have had to cut into the C pillars to try to start the blend of the roof as far back as poss, if this makes sense?

Then the inside is completely gutted to take out the engine compartment etc.

Whilst my camper is in the paint shop off to the garage to do some more!