Off-Roading With A Trailer: Planning Out A DIY Dinoot M416 Trailer

You might not have ever considered hauling a small trailer on and over off-road trails. For those with a family, or just wanting to haul more gear, then an off-road trailer is a useful solution. The bonus room allows you to extend your adventure for a longer period of time.

Off Road Xtreme is excited to introduce a new series we are titling Off-Roading With A Trailer. This series will entail everything one would need to know to venture down the path with an off-road trailer. In this piece, we will discuss several benefits of an off-road trailer and why a trailer may come in handy off-road. A brief planning overview is also included which helped us sort out our latest build. After that comes a detailed assembly of the Dinoot M416 Trailer Kit. Continuing in the series, we will address how we outfit the trailer and what gear is to be added.

We will also take a close look at various trailer hitch systems and which ones are preferred for off-road applications. So stay tuned for all of that and more as we bring all of this off-roading trailer content to life.

Weighing just under 500 pounds, a Dinoot M416 trailer should minimally affect mileage or performance.

Here in Part 1, we are exploring the DIY Dinoot M416 Trailer Build Kit from Compact Camping Concepts. This is an economical solution for crafty individuals with some tools, and a little bit of know-how to get it done.

The Benefits Of Using An Off-Road Trailer

With a trailer that is capable of traversing off-road, you can share your adventure with more folks, pack more gear, bring pets, and bolster your supplies. You can also have more fun on the less technical trails.

How is having more fun on those smoother trails possible? Well, it may not have occurred to you, but there are two ways to make an easy trail more technical: drive faster or tow a trailer! While many of us enjoy the challenge of driving faster, many of us do not, so let’s discuss how a trailer can enhance the technicality of a trail.

Off-Roading With A Trailer: Planning Out A DIY Dinoot M416 Trailer

If you’re an experienced off-roader, I’m sure you can pick the best line in your sleep, but if you’re pulling an additional pair of tires, you need to consider that the trailer will cut inside a corner, will hit different boulders than your vehicle, and that you may have to back up for a different approach line. All these new considerations are added to your mental computations as you approach an obstacle, even a small one. For many of us, this makes every trail more fun and more memorable.

My Earliest Experience With Off-Road Trailers

I’ve been pulling trailers off-pavement since the 1970s. We loved visiting and camping south of the border in the mountains and along the two coasts of the Baja California peninsula. My little 1974 CJ5 was not capable of carrying all our gear and supplies for a family of five. We began using a 4-foot by 6-foot cargo trailer coupled with a 2-inch ball on the Jeep’s bumper. This allowed us to haul more supplies and spend more time exploring Baja. It carried all our equipment while our three kids and our dog were strapped into the Jeep’s backseat.

Off-Roading With A Trailer: Planning Out A DIY Dinoot M416 Trailer

A few years later, as Tech Editor for Four Wheeler magazine, I made a few upgrades and set up the trailer to camp at the annual Mile High Jeep Club All-4-Fun Week in Fairplay, Colorado. Once again, we tossed our kids and dog into the Jeep’s backseat and headed out — this time to the northeast from our Southern California headquarters.

I mention these ancient adventures to illustrate how a trailer can enhance, expand, and extend your own adventures. Plus, for this re-incarnated muleskinner, it’s a lot of fun towing a loaded trailer over an off-pavement trail. But really, having an off-road trailer allowed me to share my Jeep adventures with my family and friends and extend our adventures. It is always sharing the experience ce and having more of them.

Compact Camping Concepts’ Dinoot M416 Trailer Kit

I’ve towed everything from a boat to a 40-foot fifth-wheel trailer, including dozens of various trailer test units as Trailer Life’s managing editor for nearly ten years. With a lot of help from my friends over the years, I also built a pair of camping trailers. We used one of these on a trip exploring 2,700 miles of the Continental Divide trail back in 2018.

All this experience was a great deal of help and led me to the decision to purchase the Compact Camping Concepts’ (CCC) Dinoot M416 Trailer Kit, and of course, heavily influenced how we configured the trailer and the equipment gear selection that will be installed.

Off-Roading With A Trailer: Planning Out A DIY Dinoot M416 Trailer

Once we identified CCC as the desired platform, the first task on my list was to call Scott Cheney (owner and chief designer at CCC) to discuss all the various options available for the M416 kit, which is just one of their trailer designs.

Planning Out The Build Using The Dinoot M416 Trailer Kit

While we don’t have the space to list all the options on an M416, I do want to mention a few. The main design considerations are trailer frame types, factory-welded frame (or DIY/WIY Kit), type of tailgate (or no tailgate), tongue length, electric trailer brakes, lug-bolt pattern (consider matching the tow vehicle’s lug pattern), and fender design (rounded or squared).

The majority of these CCC kits ordered are made by ATV/UTV owners looking for affordable trailers. CCC offers a trailer kit option that specs a lightweight base trailer from Home Depot or Harbor Feight. This is to be purchased separately by the customer, then assembled in combination with the Compact Camping Concepts supplied kit.

The alternate option, designed for full-size vehicles and heavy-duty use, is the CCC heavy-duty frame and soft ride suspension. This was the ideal platform for us, so we decided on the heavier-duty CCC frame. It is more rigid and much stronger, providing many more trouble-free miles while towing behind a Jeep. I also ordered the frame to be welded at the CCC shop rather than do the welding myself. To save money, you can order just the frame kit if you feel confident in your own welding skills.

Author’s note: With a factory-welded frame and soft ride suspension, you’ll need CCC’s supplemental instructions.

Dinoot M416 Trailer Kit Tailgate And Tongue Length Options

The M416 tailgate options allow for several different configurations. Or, there can be no tailgate at all. You can also opt for a solid bolted-in end panel to contain the cargo bed. Functional tailgate options include a Dinoot-made tailgate or a Jeep CJ tailgate. I chose the CJ tailgate to tie the look of the trailer to our Jeep.

Off-Roading With A Trailer: Planning Out A DIY Dinoot M416 Trailer

Speaking of tailgates, the trailer’s tongue length is dependent on several factors, one of which is the tow vehicle’s tailgate design. To identify and determine a trailer’s required tongue length, you’ll want to measure what clearances you’ll need for your tow vehicle tailgate and swing-away tire carrier (if equipped). Additionally, you will have to plan ahead to accommodate whatever you intend to mount on the tongue. Items like a spare tire, toolbox, fridge, and cargo tray are commonly found on a trailer tongue. However, you want to keep in mind that tongue length also determines the tow vehicle and trailer duo’s turning radius.

In my case, Scott and I worked this out over the phone and determined any necessary options as well. Scott and Compact Camping Concepts were great to work with in helping us sort all of this out.

Off-Roading With A Trailer: We Started With A M416 Trailer Kit

Off-Road Trailer Wheels And Tires

Let us now consider the controversy over off-road trailer wheels, tires, and lug-bolt patterns for the axles’ hubs. For consistency, some folks prefer having the same wheels and tires on the trailer as on their tow vehicle. Others don’t think it matters. A third group prefers wheels that match the tow vehicle’s lug-bolt pattern but don’t agree on matching tires.

While there’s a lot to be said for matching both wheels and tires, I’ve seen what happens when the trailer’s tires are heavy-lug off-pavement tires. When in mud or snow, the heavy tire lugs collect and will grow into huge “donuts”. At that point, they can lock up against the trailer’s fenders.

Off-Roading With A Trailer: Planning Out A DIY Dinoot M416 Trailer

I prefer matching just the lug-bolt pattern — so either spare can be used on either vehicle — with a reasonably sized tire. For our off-road trailer, I’m using Yokohama Geolandar A/T 17×265 tires with a highway tread pattern. This tire tread doesn’t collect snow or mud. They’re tough as heck, including the side walls, and will roll over almost any obstacle. The A/Ts will also slide off large rocks instead of gripping them. This could potentially tip the trailer up on its side.

Off-Road Trailer Brakes

There’s another slight controversy, which is about electric trailer brakes. Should they be used on a lightweight trailer such as this one, or not? Brakes are not required on a trailer as light as the 500-pound M416. However, in my experience, it is a much safer arrangement when towing with a small vehicle like a Jeep. Through the onboard electric brake control, they can be adjusted to brake as hard as the tow vehicle or less. They can be adjusted to come on just before the tow vehicle’s brakes or at the same time. If the trailer brakes operate after the towing vehicle’s brakes, an emergency stop could cause the two vehicles to jackknife and is not a recommended setting.

Off-Roading With A Trailer: Planning Out A DIY Dinoot M416 Trailer

There may be times when using the trailer brakes alone will avoid a condition of upset. Normally, descending a steep muddy hill the vehicle’s brakes are used to maintain a safe speed. When towing a trailer, a steep hill could cause the trailer to roll faster and overtake the vehicle in front. To avoid this, you can manually lock down the trailer brakes and pull it downhill. This assures you that the trailer and tow vehicle won’t switch positions.

Dinoot M416 Trailer Wheel Well Fenders

Again, considering that I’d be towing this trailer with a Jeep, to me the fender design was a no-brainer. I wanted the trailer’s fenders to match the Jeep’s squared-off fenders. With the Dinoot squared fenders and the triangle-shaped frame supports, each fender is rated to carry up to 50 pounds. That sounds like the ideal weight capacity for say a 5-gallon jerry can of fuel or water. When traveling off the road, items like firewood, sleeping bags, toolboxes, or whatever else can be stored on the fenders. Of course, proper restraints like bungee cords, or ratchet straps would be needed to secure items.

Off-Roading With A Trailer: We Started With A M416 Trailer Kit

By mounting the taillights (which were part of the CCC kit) on the fenders, they are protected. Mounting them at the trailer’s rear corners leaves the tail lights exposed to be snagged and ripped off by trail obstacles. Also, when the lights are on the fenders, they can’t be broken by backing up into a rock or tree.

With some judicious thought, you can also use the triangle-shaped frame supports on each side of the fenders to carry even more gear if needed (i.e., water containers, gas cans, battery). This additional nook makes all the difference and is something we utilize almost every trip.

Off-Roading With A Trailer: Planning Out A DIY Dinoot M416 Trailer

What Else Is There When Planning Out An Off-Road Trailer?

This was a brief plan that came together based on our experience, wants, and specific needs. The main purpose to build a custom off-road trailer is the opportunity to personalize the platform to fit one’s needs. When planning out a trailer build, you need to consider what you will use the trailer for, where you will use it, what kind of weather it will see, what kind of gear and equipment will be hauled, and any other variables important to you.

We hope you found this off-road trailer planning guide useful. Stay tuned for more in our Off Road Xtreme Off-Roading With A Trailer Series.

Off-Roading With A Trailer: Planning Out A DIY Dinoot M416 Trailer

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About the author

Jim Brightly

Jim was the first full-time tech editor on staff at Four Wheeler Magazine. He has also spent time at Petersen Publishing and assisted in the birth of Petersen's 4Wheel Drive and Off-Road magazine as its feature editor.
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