Mulholland’s trailer

A custom off-road carrier

Richard Mulholland kicked off NZ4WD’s My 4WD series this time last year. Not content with making his Isuzu D-Max and dad’s Land Cruiser into outdoor adventure machines, he’s also got busy with some more cargo capacity. Richard takes up the story:

Five days before COVID-19 Level 4 lockdown my ute was involved in an incident on the road where the fitting of the rear MCC bull bar prevented it being written off with chassis damage. The crash wrote off the other car involved in the incident, smashing the engine off its mounts.

With lockdown in full swing, my 4WD South Island holiday now cancelled and my ute looking worse for wear, I had plenty of time between shifts at work to come up with a concept for a 4x4 camping trailer.

I wanted an off-road trailer that could take the same weight load as my Ute, was able to be unhitched and be self-sufficient with solar. It had to be robust enough to take anywhere the ute can go.

The idea started when I was offered a second-hand well-side for free in Napier. Knowing well that my insurance would replace and repair the ute damages, this would mean I would have a spare well-side at the end of the repairs. I researched current off-road camping trailers and found the most common problem was the interchangeability of trailer parts to the ute that was towing them.

After lockdown I found myself towing the free second-hand well-side up from Napier and my mind fizzing with more ideas on the drive back. I found a place for the well-side to live on my father’s farm in the meantime.

I found a fabricator on the North Shore (close to home) whom I met with, pushing ideas back-and-forth with each other and measuring parts from my ute to assist in the brain storming. We walked away with a ‘napkin scribble’ of everything and let the engineering begin.

A few days had passed and I was able to see the framework set out and the last small measurements taken before the welding began. It was now my job to bring the well-side from the farm to the

Fabricator.

I sourced the same set of mags and tyres and another MCC rear bar (same as my ute) and dropped them off for fitment. Once everything was fitted and towable, I couldn’t wait to take it to get a WOF and new plates.

Now living on the farm, I have added a matching flare kit and installed a lockable hard lid (temporary until I get an ARB Canopy). I have made a prefab of the toolbox at the front out of plywood and am now going through the final designs with the fabricator.

Specifications

• Frame made from 75x50x3mm gal-coat steel.

• Multi-fit 3500kg tow coupling Timbren Axle-Less Trailer Suspension System

3.5 tonne (each side).

• MCC 022-03 Jack Rear Bar for Isuzu D-Max.

• 16x8 FUEL ANZA 6/139.7 wheels.

• GLADIATOR Xcomp MT 265/70R16 tyres (same as ute).