# My BOV and BOT



## teotwaki

I'll start out with some more recent photos and then backfill with how it was when I bought it and how I modified it.

Here is the whole excuse for a roof top tent: slushy cold mud, ice and a thin layer of crunchy snow on the ground! 



Overall area


Here is an interior shot of the tub loaded up

3 large and 2 small Action Packers, 4 Scepters full of gas, PETT seat and tent, 2 folding chairs, folding table, tarp, shovel and other stuff.

Towing in Death Valley


Glamping (Glamor Camping) at a state beach


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## audioguru76

I like it! is that a prebuilt trailer or did you DIY?


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## teotwaki

audioguru76 said:


> I like it! is that a prebuilt trailer or did you DIY?


Most of it is prebuilt, a one off from a company that wanted to get into the business but never made it. I've added a lot of modifications that I'll detail with more photos.


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## teotwaki

this is what it looked like when I first bought it:

Giant tires, regular non-LED lighting, no gas cans, no backup lights, no awning, etc.




Slightly used demo, built in Oct 2009
Dexter axle, spring over, electric brakes, Rancho shocks
Tail gate, removeable
Camping Labs 8'x6' roof top tent
Lid, hinged and removeable
19 gallon stainless steel water tank
65 Watt Solar panel on retractable slides
dual Optima blue top deep cycle batteries in a lockable nose box
1500 watt inverter
Lock N Roll multi-axis offroad/onroad hitch
Powder coated paint almost everywhere
Jeep Springs of some sort with Poly bushings 
Integrated rear hitch receiver


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## RevWC

That is a nice rig! I have seen tents for the tops of trucks and the beds of trucks but nothing this trick!


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## PamsPride

That looks really cool!!


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## TheAnt

That is a very neat setup! I would like to have myself one of those!


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## ajsmith

Very Cool, I am thinking of building one similar to tow behind my Jeep, if work ever picks back up. I have been following a lot of those type builds on some other sites. Yours look to be modeled after the old military 416 or the 101. Anyway, You have one really cool expedition trailer. :2thumb:

What model of RTT is that? Looks to be about the perfect size........


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## teotwaki

ajsmith said:


> Very Cool, I am thinking of building one similar to tow behind my Jeep, if work ever picks back up. I have been following a lot of those type builds on some other sites. Yours look to be modeled after the old military 416 or the 101. Anyway, You have one really cool expedition trailer. :2thumb:
> 
> What model of RTT is that? Looks to be about the perfect size........


You are right that the military trailers of the 60's were the pattern for the tub. Adventure Trailers and Sierra 4x4 Trailers also use that general shape. Some people find old military trailers and then restore and modify them to suit their needs. The newer US M101-A series are very big and meant to be towed by Humvee's. They are cheap but heavy.

The tent is sold under the CampingLabs name and is a large. They are also sold under the Mombasa name. There are a few other brands out there.

Here are some pictures where I changed out the wheels and drums in order to have the same size tires and rims as my 4Runner. Sort of like two more emergency spares:

Changing out the drums, bearings, seals, adding Spidertrax spacers and an OEM Toyota rim with a BFG tire










Matching rims and tire size all the way around 


Trailer is still a bit nose down with the standard ball mount


So I bought this 6" drop mount and flipped it over.


Am thinking about shortening the shank up a few inches....


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## teotwaki

More pictures of what it was like when I first bought it. The biggest issue was the poor electrical wiring. Lots of potential for short circuits and no fuses or breakers.



19 gallon stainless water tank and spigot














Lid hinge pin


Suspension and electric brakes


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## power

Very nice. All the comforts of home. Can be set up and taken down very quickly. Couldn't ask for much else.


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## ajsmith

Man that thing is sweet, :2thumb:


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## teotwaki

A few pictures of the sturdy and roomy CampingLabs tent








For the first offroad trip I took the trailer out for 3 days to the Inyo mountains near Death Valley




Overall it towed well on and off road even though I've worried a little about the center of gravity being a bit high. I may still look into replacing those 2"+ lift leaf springs wih something else with less lift. Coming home on the freeway I had an unexpected chance to completely lock up the brakes at 55 MPH and I never knew the trailer was behind me because it behaved well and stopped in a straight line. Glad I installed the Tekonsha brake controller!

More pictures of the actual trip are on my blog... Sun To The North


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## teotwaki

power said:


> Very nice. All the comforts of home. Can be set up and taken down very quickly. Couldn't ask for much else.


Thanks! Besides camping, the trailer helps fill a gap in my preparedness plans. My primary choice is to hunker down. If a big quake leveled my house I'd have the trailer to povide backup living quarters


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## teotwaki

for the first offroad trip I took the trailer out for 3 days to the Inyo mountains near Death Valley




Overall it towed well on and off road even though I've worried a little about the center of gravity being a bit high. I may still look into replacing those 2"+ lift leaf springs wih something else with less lift. A vehicle similar to mine pulled his trailer up using his rear locker and made it fine. Coming home on the freeway I had an unexpected chance to completely lock up the brakes at 55 MPH and I never knew it was behind me because it behaved well and stopped in a straight line. Glad I bought the Tekonsha brake controller!

Some pix from a campout where I took the land navigation course mentioned at my blog







Lots more pictures of the trips and other dventures are on my blog... Sun To The North


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## ajsmith

I thought I recognized that trailer, you have a really cool thread over on IH8MUD. Lots of good ideas on this trailer!!! :2thumb:


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## Turtle

Very cool trailer! I have always been a bit sketchy on the concept of taking a trailer offroad, but it looks like yours is beefy enough to take the abuse! I like the mods you have made to it to better suit your needs, as well. 

Very cool project!:congrat:


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## Kursac

That is a real nice set up. I love trailers myself. I have some thoughts about what I want to do with my trailer. Nice job


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## teotwaki

A home-made video and some new photos from my recent offroad trips with my Bug Out Trailer and Bug Out Vehicle


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## teotwaki

Some new BOV & BOT pictures from my blog


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## TheAnt

Beautiful shot! I still love your trailer. I plan to get something similar one of these days.


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## teotwaki

TheAnt said:


> Beautiful shot! I still love your trailer. I plan to get something similar one of these days.


Thank you!! I just kept saving money over a number of years and kept watching for a local deal to snatch up.


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## oldvet

Well I have followed all of your posts about your BOT and all I can say is that is one slick set up and it should work well for you if you do have to BO. Job well done...:congrat::melikey:


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## CulexPipiens

Sweet trailer! Gives me lots of ideas! Your slide out solar panel also gave me another really good idea for another project I'm working on. Thanks!


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## teotwaki

oldvet said:


> Well I have followed all of your posts about your BOT and all I can say is that is one slick set up and it should work well for you if you do have to BO. Job well done...:congrat::melikey:


Thank you very much!! The trailer has worked very well offroad with good articulation and carries a fair amount of gear. I am planning to add mounts to be able to carry two more 5 gallon gas cans and als to install a VHF two way radio in the nose box.


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## AdmiralD7S

I'm curious to know if the solar panel can take the off-road beating. Have you noticed performance degradation on them? Would love to see some pictures of how that's stowed in the trailer if you have a moment to take a few.

Excellent setup...that's definitely a rig to be proud of!


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## teotwaki

AdmiralD7S said:


> I'm curious to know if the solar panel can take the off-road beating. Have you noticed performance degradation on them? Would love to see some pictures of how that's stowed in the trailer if you have a moment to take a few.
> 
> Excellent setup...that's definitely a rig to be proud of!


Thank you for the compliments!

If you look back at post #10 you can see the electronic rack equipment slides. Each slide has a release tab that allows the panel to be removed and positioned wherever sunlight is best.

http://www.directindustry.com/prod/accuride/telescopic-slides-for-19-rack-26400-543401.html

I have had the trailer over two years without any degradation of the panel. The trailer has great leaf springs and gas/oil shocks and rides pretty well.


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## oif_ghost_tod

That is definitely one slick setup!

If I were prepping solo (or maybe double) , it would be perfect but its much too small for my group.

Very cool though! Thanks for sharing.


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## Grimm

WOW! What company made this? Even if they didn't take off there have to be a few of these out there, right?!


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## teotwaki

oif_ghost_tod said:


> That is definitely one slick setup!
> 
> If I were prepping solo (or maybe double) , it would be perfect but its much too small for my group.
> 
> Very cool though! Thanks for sharing.


Thanks! How big a group do you have?


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## teotwaki

Grimm said:


> WOW! What company made this? Even if they didn't take off there have to be a few of these out there, right?!


The company is gone and I have the only one that they built. However, there are a number of other companies that make them with prices from mild to OMG! 

My trailer and others are based on the US military M416 jeep trailer from the 1960's

http://rugertrailers.com/

http://www.sierra4x4trailers.com/

http://www.adventuretrailers.com/

http://www.xoverland.com/vehicles/xventure.html

http://www.vmioffroad.com/products/xtender-adventure-offroad-trailers.html


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## invision

That sir, is pretty badass! Very nice! Congrats!


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## teotwaki

Here are some adventure pictures from my latest trip that I posted in my blog. I went offroading in a rugged and remote offroad area in Utah called The Maze District. You have to be especially well prepared to not only have enough food, fuel and water but to also deal with issues on the trail.

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http://suntothenorth.blogspot.com/2013/08/utahs-maze-district-with-my-expedition.html
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The Adventure Team!








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The vehicles:
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Chris' awesome 2010 Taco








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Norm's newly lifted 2005 Sequoia 








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My 2005 4Runner & Trailer








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Our original trip schedule:

*3/29/2013 Fri*
Leave Friday afternoon to get ahead of Los Angeles traffic to get to Primm and stay overnight
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*3/30/2013 Sat*
Drive to Hanksville, stay at Whispering Sands Motel (435-542-3238) 
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*3/31/2013 Sun*
Enter via Hans Flat. Ranger #435-259-2652. Camp at Maze Overlook Site #1
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*4/1/2013 Mon*
Camp at Maze Overlook Site #1
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*4/2/2013 Tue*
Go to Land of Standing Rocks, Camp Dollhouse #2 
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*4/3/2013 Wed*
Camp Dollhouse #2 
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*4/4/2013 Thu*
Camp Dollhouse #2 
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*4/5/2013 Fri*
Drive to Hite 30 miles & 3 hours then 6+ hours & 365 miles to Mesquite and stay 1 night
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*4/6/2013 Sat*
drive home
.
.


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## teotwaki

http://suntothenorth.blogspot.com/2013/08/utahs-maze-district-with-my-expedition.html
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The Flint Trail switchbacks were in good shape having been recently bladed. It saved us the extra miles incurred driving down to Hite and then all the way back up to the Maze Overlook








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Can you imagine trying to deal with this trail when muddy or icy? No thanks!








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Children belong here instead of in front of a TV set or video game


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## teotwaki

More expedition trailer pictures from the Maze trip


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## rf197

Awesomness...especially the kids comment


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## teotwaki

rf197 said:


> Awesomness...especially the kids comment


Thanks!! The kids had a great time too!


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## Provider

teotwaki said:


> More expedition trailer pictures from the Maze trip


Very, very nice. Great experience.


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## teotwaki

Since completing the expedition through Utah's Maze district I've had the BOV & BOT out a few more times. 









One trip was a combination of hiking, mine exploration, radio communications gear tests and firearms practice.

A few more photos from the blog

Desert hiking









Comms fun with a super Elecraft KX3 HF rig









Drone fun









BOV & BOT deployed









Exploring old mines









"Mall ninja" tomfoolery with a trusty Ruger 10/22 









Lots more pictures and narrative at the blog. As soon as I can I will have my most recent adventure from April where I took the BOV & BOT to Southeastern Utah's amazing terrain around Moab including a 100 mile offroad traverse of Canyonland's White Rim Trail.


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## Geek999

Could you elaborate on your comms, particularly the antennas. I am restoring a Suburban and want to add a significant comms capability when it is complete and am looking for ideas.


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## LincTex

Geek999 said:


> Could you elaborate on your comms, particularly the antennas. I want to add a significant comms capability... looking for ideas.


Look into:

MFJ 2299 Multi-Band Telescopic Dipole Antennas
http://www.dxengineering.com/search...autoview=SKU&sortby=Default&sortorder=Default










Portable Antenna Band
10 meters
12 meters
15 meters
17 meters
20 meters
6 meters


> MFJ 2299 Multi-Band Telescopic Dipole Antennas are rugged, continuously adjustable stainless steel dipoles that cover from the FM broadcast band through 20 Meters. They set up quickly and make great temporary antennas for apartments, motel balconies, RVs, mountain topping, and even boating. How about this... they're also great for Field Day!
> 
> Their full size, half-wave element delivers the high efficiency you need to work QRP DX or monitor distant shortwave broadcasts from virtually any location. Frequency coverage is continuous from 108 MHz through 14 MHz. You simply adjust for the lowest SWR!
> 
> The MFJ 2299s include the MFJ-347 dipole mount and two 17 ft. MFJ-1979 stainless steel telescopic whips with 3/8 x 24 studs. The whips are collapsible to a mere 27 in. long--perfect for travel! These multi-band dipoles are so easy to put together. Just tighten the bracket onto your mast or pole, attach the whips, and add your coax! Done!
> 
> For your choice of bands utilizing a full half-wave dipole in portable, stealth, or limited-space mode, contact DX Engineering for one of these MFJ 2299 Multi-Band Telescopic Dipole Antennas!


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## LincTex

Good write up:

http://www.mfjenterprises.com/antennatalk5.php

Ultimate Portable HF Vertical Antenna
Phil Salas - AD5X ( [email protected] )

*Introduction*



> Due to the tremendous response to my portable vertical antenna (July 2002 QST), I've continued to evolve the design. Now, I've come up with a longer, lighter and more compact (when disassembled) antenna that is easier to build, and easier to find parts for. And band coverage is now 60 through 10 meters.


Read the rest here: 
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/antennatalk5.php


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## Geek999

That doesn't look like something to be mounted to the roof of the vehicle. Though it looks great for when you park.

When I get to the point where the Suburban is almost done but still has the headliner out, I intend to run antennas to the roof, so I am looking for ideas for antennas, mounts, wiring and even the radios so I have a plan for a very clean installation when I get to that point.


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## LincTex

Geek999 said:


> That doesn't look like something to be mounted to the roof of the vehicle. Though it looks great for when you park.


Yes, that is correct.

An antenna to be used while driving has to be relatively small and compact in order to prevent it from being damaged.

Do not expect stellar performance from an HF antenna that is "relatively small and compact".

You can do it with 2 meter, sure... 
but with HF you can't have your cake and eat it, too. Go find a hilltop to park on and set up a decent antenna if you plan to TX on HF.


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## teotwaki

Geek999 said:


> Could you elaborate on your comms, particularly the antennas. I am restoring a Suburban and want to add a significant comms capability when it is complete and am looking for ideas.


In my vehicle I have a Yeasu FT-857D because it can be easily set up for the non-ham frequencies that I need to operate on. It covers HF, VHF and UHF frequencies with plenty of RF power on each band. This radio has two output connectors for antennas: one for HF and the other for VHF/UHF. For HF a decent compromise antenna is a type of whip called a "screwdriver" antenna. It has a motorized tuning element that matches the antenna to the operating frequency. The Yeasu ATAS-120 works well with the radio and semi-automates the tuning. Another good brand is the Tarheel series. When you are camping in one spot you can run a coaxial cable from the radio to a better antenna such as the one that LincTex suggested or many other portable antenna designs that offer good performance.

For VHF/UHF you can buy antennas that handle both bands and mount them on the vehicle. You can also run a coaxial cable from the radio to a higher performance antenna at your campsite.

The FT-857 allows you to separate the body of the radio from the control panel so I mounted the controls up front and the electronics in the back of the truck, closer to the antenna cables.









Bracket installed


Install of radio body complete




Tucked in by the fridge


Do you have a thread on your restoration work? I can take a look at the photos to give you ideas about car antenna mounting options.


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## Geek999

Nice set up.


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## teotwaki

Geek999 said:


> Nice set up.


Thank you! I wanted it to be truly solid because I go offroading so often. I don't drive crazy but it is a rougher environment than pure pavement driving.


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## teotwaki

I finally updated my blog with my recent offroad adventure near Moab, Utah. In the same manner that you will practice with your firearms or go on mock bugouts, I like to get my rig out there and see what works and what doesn't.

Here are some BOV/BOT porn shots





































Dealing withe a broken lower shock mount.


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## Geek999

Great photos!


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## Wellrounded

Beautiful pics.
Amazing country.


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