basic trailer build question

[Renze]

When you build a trailer and list you as builder you are held responseable for that trailer the rest of it's life . If some thing breaks and causes a wreck you are the one they come after. Not the one that over loaded it & abused it.

...and on the other hand, some people said that we advised as if he was building a tank hauler ??

 

[David Devuono]

If you overload and abuse a trailer, they will not go after the builder, its the person driving the tow vehicle that they go after. My tow vehicle can only tow 3,900 lbs and my farm is 325 Km's down the road. A well engineered light weight trailer would be my choice. I should have taken some pictures of this neat home engineered Jeep hauler. It had triple 2,000 lb axles and no frame. Just steel formed 12" side walls supported the fore-aft rigidity. Must have had access to a 16ft brake, as it was pressed out of diamond plate.

 

[RobJ]

Ok my take...

1) got to go with dual axles. Around here that's less than $100 more
2) stick with a regular leaf spring, cheaper to. I think my 2x 3500# complet kit, hangers, springs, etc, was under $200.
3) I think the steel you have is fine, use the heavier stuff. The extra axle will help sperad out the load.
4) my good friend Lbrown mentioned using 16" tires. I built a deck over (sled) and found some 10" wheels rates at 1150# each. So with my trailer and stuff, I'm under that. Plus my deckis 7.5' wide, and I can remove the 3 sides if needed. The front bulkhead is welded solid.
5) look for surplus steel, Mine is made from 5.5# 5" channel. It came out a little heavier than I wanted (would have gone with 4 or 3" top rails) but I got the clean surplus channel for around 35 cents a pound.
I went 14', just did, my RC hangs off the back a little, so what. The 7.5' deck is really nice!

Couple pics.

 

[Renze]

RobJ, what tire size and brand are you using under your trailer ? You say they are rated for 1150 pounds each, wich is 520 kg each or 1040 kg per axle. We used to sell a 20.5x10.0-10 or a 195/50R10C tire which could both carry 750 kg per wheel, 1500 per axle, closely rated to the carrying capacity of your axles..
My brother has a car hauler with tires of similar size, only a lot more narrow, those are 12 ply tires, look like forklift truck tires. When empty, the trailer bounces all over the place.

From the pics it looks like you use the same C-channel for crossbars and main frame runners ? If so, you could easily do with half the size of the crossbars and still have high technical reserve. We used to use 60x40x3mm tubing as crossbars for trailers up to 8 ton The structural integrity of a trailer frame depends more on the side rail (to distribute pointloads over several crossbeams) than on the actual size of the crossbars themself.

 

[allen in texas]

Robj,
I'd be curious to know what your rig weighs loaded as you show it.

 

[George2615]

RobJ,
If your tires are only rated for 1150 each that puts you at 4600 lb max load capacity. With the weight of your trailer plus the L2500 plus the 4 wheeler it seems your a little over weight for what the tires can handle.

 

[LBrown59]

RobJ,
If your tires are only rated for 1150 each that puts you at 4600 lb max load capacity. With the weight of your trailer plus the L2500 plus the 4 wheeler it seems your a little over weight for what the tires can handle.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[RobJ]

RobJ, what tire size and brand are you using under your trailer ? You say they are rated for 1150 pounds each, wich is 520 kg each or 1040 kg per axle. We used to sell a 20.5x10.0-10 or a 195/50R10C tire which could both carry 750 kg per wheel, 1500 per axle, closely rated to the carrying capacity of your axles..
My brother has a car hauler with tires of similar size, only a lot more narrow, those are 12 ply tires, look like forklift truck tires. When empty, the trailer bounces all over the place.

From the pics it looks like you use the same C-channel for crossbars and main frame runners ? If so, you could easily do with half the size of the crossbars and still have high technical reserve. We used to use 60x40x3mm tubing as crossbars for trailers up to 8 ton The structural integrity of a trailer frame depends more on the side rail (to distribute pointloads over several crossbeams) than on the actual size of the crossbars themself.

Renze, Can't tell you the actual size, I'm going up to the place tonight and will take a pic. I think they are 20.5x10xsomething. They were the highest rated I could find at Northern tool. So if each tire carries around 1100#, I'm within range.

Agree on the second part, But I bought the steel surplus and this was nice clean 20' channel if I recall. At SSS Steel here if you don't buy it when you see it, it might be gone tomorrow.

Here you can see some of my early thought process...I really only use it a few times a year to bring the tractor home. About 120 miles one way. BIL law used it to haul a Kuhn Kutter and other stuff around.

 

[RobJ]

Robj,
I'd be curious to know what your rig weighs loaded as you show it.

I figure about 4200# or so. In the picture it is close to maxed out. But I wanted to take all the toys to Eddie Walkers house!! Usually it's just the tractor and one atv in the back of the truck. No loader weight either. Heaviest thing I carry is the Woods FM at 525#.

So as I figure it...
1900# for L2500
600# for the King Quad
400# for the light duty 5' BB
1300# for the trailer..

4200# total. Subtract the ATV and that's 3600#, add a couple hundred for the trailer and it's still only 3800#. I'm not worried about the trailer with the load, just the tires of course. I only tow about 60mph tops, short trip, no hurry. So far its worked well.

I would tell anyone building a trailer, consider a deck over or sled style. You get a lot more deck area for the money, and if did it over again, I would have gone a full 8' across.

I also keep the wheels off the ground to help the tires. It's 3 years old now and still hanging in there!

 

[RobJ]

RobJ,
If your tires are only rated for 1150 each that puts you at 4600 lb max load capacity. With the weight of your trailer plus the L2500 plus the 4 wheeler it seems your a little over weight for what the tires can handle.

Yep close as mentioned, more than usual. Usually 1 ATV stays home! At around 25" up, it's still not to bad loading.. Oh here is my usual load.. I would guess at 2300-2400#