Redneck Hunting Trailer - Update after season

[dlist777]

I got a MD hunting lease this past season.  I had bought an enclosed trailer to take my ATV down and ended out building it out so I could stay in it when I was down.  I posted this over the summer.  I probably spent about 20 nights in this trailer from Sept to Jan.  I had to make a few modifications / changes based on real world experience.  But all in all it worked out pretty good.  I got 2 bucks too; looking forward to doing it again....

It's a 6 x 10 x 7 foot high trailer.  I pulled out the walls and ceiling and put some hard board insulation in it (floor and back door are insulated). 

For Power: I put in a 15a input and wired 3 outlets.  I also bought a 100ah deep cycle battery to run lights and a fan when I'm not plugged in.  I ran two power stips: one to to the inverter and one to the outlet in the nose.  I mounted those and makred one AC and one DC.  So, that way I can just move the fan and lights over from DC to AC depending if I'm plugged in.   I hooked a charger up to the battery so whenever I'm plugged in (genny or house power) it re-charges.  Finally, I added one solar panel to the roof and ran to the battery to help it recharge when not plugged in.  This last step was probably overkill.  I could just use the genny to recharge the battery and I think that would have worked fine.  But, having the solar is nice.  I was out 4 days in one stretch and the battery held up fine running fan, lights, and re-charging my phone.  I also added a trickle charger for the ATV so when I'm home I just plug the trailer in and the 100ah battery recharges and the ATV is on trickle charge. 

For Heat:  I had bought a heat/ac unit that hooks up via hoses to the trailer.  I had planned to just run the electric heater on genny when it got cold.  I had thought most nights I could just rely on the sleeping bag and I wouldn't need the heat as much.  But, that proved out to be wrong.  It gets really cold.  I didn't want to run the genny every night to run the heater.  So, I ended out mounting two LP tanks on the tongue and using the MR. Buddy heater at night.  The MR Buddy worked great.  I could raise the temperature 50 degrees even on low in there.  This is one of the advantages of having a small space to heat I guess.  

For Cooling: Again, I had planned to use my heat/ac unit here.  But, I found I didn't need AC.  I was only in the trailer during the night and even in September it didn't get THAT hot at night.  I bought a shop fan and that can run all night on the battery.  That was enough to keep things bearable even during hot evenings.  

Shelving  I did a redneck special for shelving.  I mounted 3 milk crates on a board and then mounted the board into the frame of the trailer.  One one side, I use bungees to keep things in place.  On the other side, I just mounted wood 1x6's on the front to keep things.  I have utensils, bug spray, extension cords, toothbrush, toothpaste, electric bug swatter, etc. etc.  in there.  It's held up well.  

Cooking/Eating: I found a small microwave that runs fine on my honda genny (2k watts).  So, when I cook something I just have to run the genny.  This is really the only reason I ever have to run the genny.  I just bring easily microwaveable stuff in the yeti cooler.  I keep some water / bottled drinks on ice in the cooler.  

Bathroom:  You can see on the left side of the nose I have small portable toilet.  You just put this bag in there (like a double bag) and do your business.  It's kind of a zip-loc thing and it easily gets thrown away when you get back home.  No mess.  

Safety:  I have a CO detector and a low O2 detector you'll see on the right up near the nose.  I also have a small fire extinguisher mounted on the wall and one in one of those buckets up front.  

Shower:   Nothing.  I just go home when I can't stand my smell anymore.

Organization:  I use the etrack system on both walls to hang and secure all my gear.  When I put the propane tanks on the tongue, I had to find a place for my spare.  So, I mounted that on the wall inside.  I also have a table that flips up off the wall.  I would say having 7 feet really helped.  I think if I had gotten a 6 foot high trailer I would not have been able to cram as much stuff inside.  The buckets up front hold jack stands, some bungees, other misc crap.  The red bucket is mainly just a trash can. 

Sleeping;  Just a fold way cot stored on one wall.  I have a camping sleeping bag and 2 pillows in the milk crate / shelves.  

ATV:  ATV is tied down to the floor mounts.  I found that so long as I run it dry when i load (keep it running, shut off fuel valve and let it die), the trailer doesn't smell of gas when I get there.  

Hunting Gear:  I can basically bring everything I have.  You should see the following:  climber stand, hang on/w sticks, for sighting in guns i have a shooting table, shooting cradle, target stand and targets.  One of the backpacks has the targets and stapler.  I also have my hunting pack, harness, hunting clothes in the scent proof bag.  I originally created a removable hook on the ramp door on the outside to hang deer that I was skinning / quartering.  But, that really didn't work out.  So, I just brought a hoist that hooks into a 2 inch receiver.  I can use the ATV to retrieve the deer and then field dress it hanging and skin and quarter (throw quarters in the cooler)  or bring to a local butcher.  You'll see I have some shooting sticks, a hunting chair for when I use a ground blind and pad you can put right on the ground if you want to just hunt next to a tree.  One of the bags has all my field dressing stuff in it (knives, gloves, etc.).  The only thing that rides in the back of my truck are my weapons and my jet sled which I hook up the atv for recovery or for setting up stands, etc.  

Here are a bunch of pics loaded, unloaded, set up to sleep etc.  

 

[electric10162]

Very cool and clever set-up!

[rocky]

Looks great.

[Russ 11]

Awesome set up ! 

[yoda4x4]

That looks awesome.  The only thing I would have added is a way to shower.  I can't stand being stinky.

David

[rocky]

Just now, yoda4x4 said:

That looks awesome.  The only thing I would have added is a way to shower.  I can't stand being stinky.

David

That would not be that hard to do. They sell shower tents and he has a source to heat water.

[Buckeyes11]

 Very nice. Best of luck w it

[Bonefreak]

Hot steaming deal!!

Ballpark how much invested!!??

I can definitely see myself towing sumtin like that in 2.5 yrs after I pull the plug n retire!!

[Grassmans]

Looks great !!

[Live to Hunt]

Yea I remember your original post nice update 

[toxo]

Very nice! Ya got any pictures? lol

[Haskell_Hunter]

This is awesome!  Nice bug-out trailer!  

I too am interested in the cost.  I hunt NH all the time and am looking at property up there.  Undeveloped land is $50K for 5 acres, so this kind of set up would be ideal for me.  I'd just need to plan out the investments.

Great job, thanks for posting!

[Stewey]

That is awesome 777

[dlist777]

1 hour ago, Bonefreak said:

Hot steaming deal!!

Ballpark how much invested!!??

I can definitely see myself towing sumtin like that in 2.5 yrs after I pull the plug n retire!!

 

24 minutes ago, Haskell_Hunter said:

This is awesome!  Nice bug-out trailer!  

I too am interested in the cost.  I hunt NH all the time and am looking at property up there.  Undeveloped land is $50K for 5 acres, so this kind of set up would be ideal for me.  I'd just need to plan out the investments.

Great job, thanks for posting!

It's hard for me to say because alot of this stuff I already had around.  But here is my best guess:  

Trailer was $5,500.  You can go cheaper.  I got all aluminum and 7 foot ceiling which was extra.  Steel and 6 ft ceiling would be less.  You can probably get an enclosed 6x10 as low $3.5k.  

Honda 2k genny was $1k.  Yeti cooler was $300 or so.

The rest is hard to say, I bought it all piecemeal.... but my guess is another $1k for everything else: shop fan, Mr. Buddy, hoses, propane tanks, milk crates, insulation, electrical, e track and fittings, plywood for ceiling camping stuff, etc....

[rackemup]

That is Awesome!!!👍👍👍