Sankey Wide Track "Expedition" Trailer Build

Thought some people might want to see our Sankey "expedition" trailer build for those considering doing it. We are not the type to make things fancy and we want to keep it on a low budget as possible so we are fabricating everything we can ourselves - soo perhaps it might help/inspire a few others! If it shows any interest, I will keep the thread updated as progress is made.

It's for the Range Rover, not the Series - a few reasons why they want to go for a trailer - of course to store all the equipment, jerry cans, camping stuff, spares, etc etc...but also they want a roof tent...but don't really want it on the Range Rover as for a start it means taking it on and off the rack when it's not in use...and actually getting a roof rack which doesn't flap about in the breeze is proving a little difficult. Also means that everything is in a contained unit - so when it comes to trip time (they also do quite a lot of camping in the UK), quick checkover, hitch up and off you go!

We actually swapped the trailer for a very tired Series 1 chassis and a few Series 1 bits - we were never going to build the Series 1 in reality so made sense to get rid of it. So the first job was to strip everrything apart and replace most of the mechanical bits - hitch, brakes, electrics, lights (NAS lamps) etc. Chassis was in very good fettle and that was mainly clean up, inspect and paint:





The plan is to put the jerry cans in the trailer. The annoying thing is that the body is not quite tall enough for the cans to sit upright, which is just not good enough, so cut the top off the trailer and created a lift for it. The gap you see will be filled in with metal sheet and stregthened where/if required.




On the Sankey, the rear tailgate opens out downwards, which will be annoying leaning over that to try to get stuff out (the
trailer will have a cover, and a roof tent on t, so you wont be able to get at stuff from above). So that has to be changed. So set about making our own tailgate:



Using standard LR Hinges which I think keeps in look with the trailer:



Obviously need a door hitch/lock so created a frame for a standard LR Series door lock:



And from the inside...you will see we welded a thin frame for the tailgate to butt up to, as well as acting as an edge for the seal and for the tailgate lock.



Thats pretty much it for now! Next job is to tidy up the frames etc, paint everything up and put a skin on the tailgate.

Nice work - I'm still pondering on a simialr sort of build so will be followign this closely

More pics too

Thanks

Pics of course will follow when more work is done...cubby boxes, the lid, roof tent, storage spaces and all sorts to come at some point

Looking good. Weren't tempted to go to for a 'half a Rangie' type trailer then? Still, this way you'll avoid rusty top/bottom tailgates.

Tom Mc wrote:

Looking good. Weren't tempted to go to for a 'half a Rangie' type trailer then? Still, this way you'll avoid rusty top/bottom tailgates.

Hehe

So the connecting bit on the Range Rover...

We have the Sankey trailers but we also tow regular ball hitch trailers. So we have made a removable Nato-style hitch so we can quickly swap between the two types of hitches - and also means that there wont be a hitch in the way dangling down for when it is not needed (green laning, regular road use, etc)

The hitch mount itself is made from 12mm plate using 16mm pins. Have not just bolted this to the bumper and hoped for the best...using a very strong home made bumper, which has spreader plates around the hitch mount and stronger mounts and extra plates connecting it to the chassis...it is likely that the chassis will pull off before the mount does! The same thing will be made up for the regular ball hitch.

Bumper mount...

Looking good!

In the earlier pics, is that a Set of Thompson Baja Claw tyres? They going on your Series?

TJ

Not sure if they are Thompson Bajas - might just be a copy, not sure tbh! They are not for the Series though, they are the mud tyres for the Rangie...I could fit them on the Series for a laugh I suppose - but I would not be able to steer or articulate hehe. The Series mud tyres are a set of Insa Turbo Saharas

rustyrhinos wrote:

The Series mud tyres are a set of Insa Turbo Saharas

Then you'll have set of these on board?

Hehe

TBH I don't think the noise is that bad, I just turn the stereo up a bit if the humming gets tiresome. Makes the steering slightly heavier though!

Just one thing - I might be wrong but I was told the wide tracks have to have a hitch on the vehicle that can rotate as the drawbar part of the traielr doesn't on the widetracks like it does on the narrow tracks if that makes sense?

rustyrhinos wrote:

Hehe

TBH I don't think the noise is that bad, I just turn the stereo up a bit if the humming gets tiresome. Makes the steering slightly heavier though!

Loud music makes the steering heavier????

LOL you know what I mean....the Saharas make the steering heavier :p

Quote :

Just one thing - I might be wrong but I was told the wide tracks have to have a hitch on the vehicle that can rotate as the drawbar part of the traielr doesn't on the widetracks like it does on the narrow tracks if that makes sense?

Good observation The hitch that is on there is not staying...we also happen to have a narrow track, which that hitch was for really...the actual hitch for the wide track will be:

Pretty much finished off the tailgate (needs painting of course):





Will probably mount a fold down table or something on it to make it a little more useful.

Then to work on the storage side of things again....where the jerry cans are in this pic is where they are staying...if you could image the trailer will have a lid covering the whole top, but where the jerry cans are there will be hinged lids. So started work on a "bulkhead" to split between the cans and the rest of the trailer...overkill on the 2" angle but thats because other bits will end up coming off that...



Giving an idea of the spaces that will be created...eventually! The wheel will stay pretty much where it is, strapped down somehow.



That's about it really! Not a lot of progress, but progress nontheless

Its been way too windy lately to get much welding time in...but got a few bits done, mainly some of the bits that the roof tent is bolted to...the roof tent will be bolted onto these 2 bars:





Some of the supports to stop the thing from bouncing about (there will be more when the other bits of the "design" come together As it is, it supports a full grown man jumping on it without much flex at all

Looking good

Fianlly got my nato hitch mounted today so I can go and collect the Sankey I bought about three years ago

Chances are it'll just end up being used for work but I do still really wan tto do a travelling trailer whether it be to sleep in or on top of.

3 years! Probably how long this build will take at this rate hehe.

I noticed there were some expedition trailers for sale at the land rover show last weekend...15 grand...crikey I know they are fancy looking but would anyone really pay that for a trailer?!

rustyrhinos wrote:

3 years! Probably how long this build will take at this rate hehe.

I noticed there were some expedition trailers for sale at the land rover show last weekend...15 grand...crikey I know they are fancy looking but would anyone really pay that for a trailer?!

Yep, I bought it because it was cheap and then just never got round to going for it, despite it only being 5 min up the road (it was off a mate so it's not as bad as it sounds!)

£15 grand I've yet to spend even a third of that on a vehicle with it's own engine and twice as many wheels

You could have walked it back in the last three years hehe.

A bit of progress on the trailer...strapped the spare in place (dont worry health and safety worriers, there will be something else to stop it bouncing up as well





And started filling in the gaps from the lift:

In our minds a dencent amount of progress has now been made...

Filled in all the gaps now and painted in anti-rust stuff:



Then made up the mounts for the roof tent. We did not want them to be bolted directly to the rails, as we wanted airflow between the top of the trailer lid and the botton of the roof tent:





Then made up a frame for one of the hinged lids at the front of the trailer:

Not sure anyone is watching or is interested but oh well I am posting anyway!

Progressing nicely now...

All hinges now made up for the front compartements. Have made this section unboltable...the reason being is that the "bulkhead" between these compartments will be ply...which no doubt will need replacing in years to come...with this section removable it makes that process much easier:



Trial fit of the main lid...



The underside was in very good nick...but thought it would be a good idea to whip it off and underseal it:



Hinged compartment taken out so the inside can be fully painted...wow thats clean...it hurts my eyes!:



Sneak preview of paint colour (we had to paint this bit before putting the body back on so that we didn't have to remove the body again before getting the bit behind the triangle painted ):

Quick coat or paint on the outside...

[quote Not sure anyone is watching or is interested but oh well I am posting anyway! quote]

Just found this post so following with interest. I have a Sankey, well 2 actually, but only 1 suitable for the road.
I could make 1 of them as a tent trailer as you are doing and keep the other for hauling dirt, wood etc.
Keep up the good work and great pictures.

Bruce

Just put it away for winter as other projects to deal with...but its pretty much there now Need to sort out the compartements at the front (finishing off the lids) and deal with the electrics, mount the waffle boards and trivial things like that

Very practical and inexpensive, who could ask for more? Good effort.