trailer design

[Gary Sweat]

Thought about using square tube. I was concerned that any water that got inside would just cause it to rust. It seems a lot of the equipment trailers Ive seen are build out of C-channel.
!

Weld the open ends of the square tubing shut and they won't rust inside. There is not enough oxygen in the tubing to allow rust to form. I cut a piece off my trailer tubing after about 6 years to make a change to it and it was not rusted inside. It takes continuous exposure to oxygen and moisture for rust to take place. That's why they like to store airplanes and big equipment in Arizona, very little moisture to cause corrosion. You can also drill a small drain hole in any piece that you think will be likely to get water in it so it can drain and dry out. The two uprights at the end of my trailer have been on the trailer since it was built 10 years ago and they have not shown signs of rusting out. They are open at the top with a drain hole at the bottom.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

...Now I just need time and steel!

The steel will be the easy part.

 

[Gary Sweat]

Just curious, but what kind of tires would be needed on a single axle for 6,000lb capacity?

 

[pat32rf]

I agree, a trailer balanced like I mentioned is a bear to tow when empty...I've got one. I just seldom tow it empty.
I'm tempted to mount a 45gallon drum on the front of it so I can pump in 450lb of water for when I do have to haul it empty. Its still easier to hook up than one that needs to be held on a jack and the truck backed in to exactly the right spot when you are all alone....

 

[adjusterr]

I just purchased a 6x10 dump trailer, tandem axle, all 10 gauge steel mostly powder coated, with front canopy, heavy ramps included, two hydraulic lift cylinders, combination dump/barndoor tailgate, all lamps rubber mounted, rated at 9800 lbs. This is a quality trailer. Purchased from Romney Cycle, Romney , WV. romneycycles.com. Great folks to deal with. Purchase price, $3900.00. check the website, hope this helps., Bye the way, my neighbor special ordered a 7x12 gooseneck for about $5000.

 

[adjusterr]

I just noticed you are planning to use a 6k axle, I realize you are working on a budget but the weak point in the 6k single axle is the tires. I build and haul old Harleys all over the country and recall vividly the time I blew a "New tire" on I95 with a load of bikes in a single axle. The tire tore the fender off and threw it forward past my window, I was lucky to maintain control and not flip the trailer. When I got home I bought a tandem axle trailer., They cost a little more but the second axle is a great safety factor as it distributes the weight and allows you to maintain control if you lose a tire. Just my thoughts.

 

[jimmer2880]

I just noticed you are planning to use a 6k axle, I realize you are working on a budget but the weak point in the 6k single axle is the tires. I build and haul old Harleys all over the country and recall vividly the time I blew a "New tire" on I95 with a load of bikes in a single axle. The tire tore the fender off and threw it forward past my window, I was lucky to maintain control and not flip the trailer. When I got home I bought a tandem axle trailer., They cost a little more but the second axle is a great safety factor as it distributes the weight and allows you to maintain control if you lose a tire. Just my thoughts.

100% agree.

Ohh yea - stay away from goodyear marathons. They are JUNK

 

[powerstroke444e]

Well I will buck the trend here, I really like the single axle trailer I have. Its a 12x6 tilt with a 8K axle and sets about 14" off the ground and handles really well and is easy to handle in town and I never should never be able to over load it. But I have with pallets of concrete.

 

[Ford tractor]

FWIW

The cost to tag a trailer is often determined by the weight rating of the axle. Especially for home built ones.

If you don't need the capacity why pay for it all year long?

 

[adjusterr]

Regarding the cost to tag trailers, I have 4 utility trailers for a multitude of uses, never able to reduce past that number, and tag purchases always hit the wallet. I recently bought a 6x10 dump trailer, GVWR 9800, and the tags in MD would cost $156.00 for two years. I heard you could tag trailers in Maine at a reasonable price so I Googled Maine trailer tags or something like that. The bottom line, my dump trailer is now titled and tagged in Maine, 5 years for $50.00 +-, perfectly legal and now I notice many trailers, especially semi's, tagged in Maine. Anything to save a buck.

 

[Danno1]

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A lot of semi's are tagged in NJ too.


.

 

[crazyal]

If you are planning on building a trailer be a little careful with where you place the axle(s). A single axle isn't going to be too much of a problem but a duel axles can be. Being that your trailer is so short it'd be easy to have the axle too far forward.

An empty trailer with no tongue weight is a pain and may cause a bad ride. A trailer loaded with 5000lbs with too little tongue weight is an accident waiting to happen. On longer trailers you can shift the load to get the weight distribution right but a short trailer limits you.

As for tires I use truck tires. They may cost a little more but I've never had a problem with them. IMO I think tire mfgs do a better job making tires for cars and trucks than they do for trailers.

 

[swampercj]

I did a lot of research on truck tires v/s trailer tires when it was time to replace my tires on my car trailer this past spring. Called several manufactors and got several different stories on how their tires were superior to others; however, what everyone pretty much said was: On a single axle trailer you can get away useing regular truck tires, but not recommended, since trailer sway plays havoic on the sidewall. On a dual axled trailer you should only run a tire specificly designed for use on a trailer because with a dual axled trailer, the tires aren't just tagging along, in turns they have severe forces applied to the side wall which trys to tear the tire off the rim especially in a tight turn and standard truck tire isn't designed to tollarate those sidewall forces it's designed just to carry the weight. So once again I bought trailer tires. Shoot I got close to 20k out of my last set with rotating them from front to back keeping the wear equal since the back tires are always skiding around tight corners.

 

[joes_427_vette]

LD-1;
Have you priced Dexter axles lately ? 8K axles list for $978.00 and that is what my supplier wants for them. Times 2 = two thousand in axles prior to buying any steel.
I have never seen a single axle hand operated dump trailer for $800. That is not within anyones imagination. ( Was it made of wood with a snowmobile axle intended for an ATV ? )

 

[LD1]

LD-1;
Have you priced Dexter axles lately ? 8K axles list for $978.00 and that is what my supplier wants for them. Times 2 = two thousand in axles prior to buying any steel.
I have never seen a single axle hand operated dump trailer for $800. That is not within anyones imagination. ( Was it made of wood with a snowmobile axle intended for an ATV ? )

I am not sure why singled me out just to disagree with things that I did NOT say?????

First of all, I wasnt talking dexter torsion axles, let alone 8k torsion axles.

Second, I wasnt talking about a dump trailer either. I was saying that for $800 or so, that you could buy a used skid-steer trailer in my area.

And a SS trailer is obviously NOT going to be made with snowmobie axles or out of wood.
Here is just one example of what I am talking about
HD Skid Steer Trailer

So bottom line, I have no Idea why you singled me out, and/or disagreed with what I said, when you obviously didn't read MY post.

 

[crazyal]

I did a lot of research on truck tires v/s trailer tires when it was time to replace my tires on my car trailer this past spring. Called several manufactors and got several different stories on how their tires were superior to others; however, what everyone pretty much said was: On a single axle trailer you can get away useing regular truck tires, but not recommended, since trailer sway plays havoic on the sidewall. On a dual axled trailer you should only run a tire specificly designed for use on a trailer because with a dual axled trailer, the tires aren't just tagging along, in turns they have severe forces applied to the side wall which trys to tear the tire off the rim especially in a tight turn and standard truck tire isn't designed to tollarate those sidewall forces it's designed just to carry the weight. So once again I bought trailer tires. Shoot I got close to 20k out of my last set with rotating them from front to back keeping the wear equal since the back tires are always skiding around tight corners.

A dealer told me the same thing. But since I can buy tires from a pickup out of a junk yard for for less than half of what new trailer tires cost and none of my trailers sway unless they are loaded wrong it beats replacing a leaky dry rotted trailer tire with next to no mileage on them from lack of use.

 

[LD1]

Another example of the things I find for sale locally

small equip. trailer

It does not make sense to me to buy new axles, etc. and try to build a trailer when used trailers are fairly reasonable.

I have no Idea what kind of axles it has or the condition it is in, but If I were looking to do what the OP is, I'd at least make a phone call or take a look.

 

[SpecElim]

I have a 6.5' X 12' All steel with dual 5000lb axles for sale right now.

Asking $1300 Neg.
Located in New Bern, NC