Build your own trailers

[meburdick]

I'm still waiting on you to prove this statement.

Here you go... take your pick of resources. Notice that I didn't limit myself to one city, one state, or even just the US. Also notice that none of these goes about about $28/hour (equivalent to about $56,000/year).

How Much Do Welders Make? | eHow.com
How Much do Welders Make a Year? - Answers.Ask.com
http://careerbear.com/welder/article/how-much-do-welders-make
Welder Salary | Celebrity Net Worth

Also notice that the articles are a couple of years old, so you need to allow for a bit of wage increase (although not much). The top earners in welding get CLOSE to $30/hour (remember, I said they "top out").

I'll be waiting for you to show me the statistics that say they earn more.

 

[Markcuda]

I'll be waiting for you to show me the statistics that say they earn more.

I never said any thing about a welder making 30 bucks or more.
If any thing, a average welder is at 13/18 bucks a hour.
You are the one that made the preposterous statement about topping out at about 30 a hour.

 

[meburdick]

I never said any thing about a welder making 30 bucks or more.
If any thing, a average welder is at 13/18 bucks a hour.
You are the one that made the preposterous statement about topping out at about 30 a hour.

It's not preposterous, and I backed it up. Welders CAN make $30/hour, but it isn't common.

 

[Bday]

Wow come on guys it's Christmas! I'm a welder by trade, but now work as a grunt for an auto manufacturer. I've made $20-$10 an hour. The better paying job was tig welding aluminum and ss steel liquid oxygen and liquified gas trailers used in the cryogenic industry. That was back in late 91'. Wabash national out of Lafayette, In , pay there welders at the top above $20/hr. Not sure how long you need to work there to get above 20. I've built the large roll off and hydraulic trash containers before I quit welding for a living. I only made $9.75/ hr.it was the only welding job I could find at the time. I was the highest paid new guy ,because I knew how to weld. They hired guys and trained them in plant. Guess that would be kind of a rough way to run a business, but they build trash cans right! I was still amazed how complicated some of the container designs were. They had to be leaked checked, and locking aluminum lids that were seal tested. We built a bunch for Kodak to haul somewhere out in a desert to be buried. They had hazardous waste in those. The guys who had been there forever were making good money $25-30/ hr., but they had been there 25 years or more.
Just depends on where you are at in the country. There are some very good paying welding jobs! There are some very low skilled low paying jobs out there. Definetely not going to get rich building trailers though!! Merry Christmas!
Brett Day

 

[Markcuda]

Brett, I hear what you are saying.
I've been a welder since 1977, I have made a decent living from it.
Merry Christmas to you also.

 

[Bob77064]

I love to weld, but can't justify paying the same amount as just buying one. Steel prices are just crazy! I wonder how the clowns in government can claim there is little to no inflation on the products we buy, and keep a straight face! Thanks guys! Brett

The government buy things with our tax money.

 

[john_bud]

back on topic....


The trailers you buy for cheap are ... well, cheap in all aspects. I built a 5x10 trailer. Used steel that is an 1/8th thicker than the store trailers. I also used torsion axles for higher ground clearance. Sealed lights with unbroken wire from plug to light. Ran all the wires INSIDE steel tube so that they can't get ripped off on rocks and stumps. Added thick triangles in front and behind the fenders so the trailer will bounce off trees, stumps, rocks and not destroy the fenders and tires. Have thicker tongue metal that is triangulated and quite strong. After 15 years, it's still going strong. The metal is starting to rust. The brush on rustoleum isn't as durable as it could be! All that and the green treated decking boards cost me about 550 in parts plus my labor and electric. Yeah, it was about the same as the cheapie 4x8 trailer, but it's been very reliable and in about every aspect is dramatically superior.

 

[Pops15]

If you're just wanting a basic trailer it's cheaper to buy a new cheap trailer, but you get what you pay for. You could probably build a quality trailer for what a good trailer would cost....if you don't count your time.
My Dad and I built a trailer, actually we cut down a house trailer frame. Took the part of the frame rails we cut off and doubled the frame rails on the trailer, added a 3rd axle,wiring in conduit, new tires, electric winch, etc. Counting our time it would have been cheaper to buy a good used trailer but we built this one for a specific purpose so we were better off building rather than buying something that wouldn't have totally met our needs. That rig is 25 years old now and still a very good trailer. And for the naysayers, no, we haven't had any problems with the house trailer axles.

 

[Markcuda]

And for the naysayers, no, we haven't had any problems with the house trailer axles.

Why, do the know it alls on here say you can't use mobil home axles for a utility/equipment trailer?
OLOLLOLOLOOLOLOL

 

[Diamondpilot]

Why, do the know it alls on here say you can't use mobil home axles for a utility/equipment trailer?
OLOLLOLOLOOLOLOL

Because the know nothings don't understand that they are intended for limited use and are illegal in some states.

Chris

 

[Markcuda]

And Chris, do you consider your self as one of the know it alls?LOLOOLOLOLOL

 

[Diamondpilot]

And Chris, do you consider your self as one of the know it alls?LOLOOLOLOLOL

No, just smarter than......

Chris

 

[Pops15]

Because the know nothings don't understand that they are intended for limited use and are illegal in some states.

Chris

The states that have outlawed them seem to have done so because of the goofy lug system not because of the axles themselves. The lug system IS a lousy design. The axles themselves are fine if you keep the bearings greased. I've had 5 trailers with MH axles and haven't had any issues. I know several racers that got over 150,000 miles of service out of their re-purposed mobile home axles. Even some of the mobile home manufacturers have re-used the so called one use axles.

 

[kenmac]

Don't know what states have outlawed them. Al must be 1 of them. My BIL has had a trailer with dual MH axles for years

 

[Diamondpilot]

While I agree that someone building their own trailer needs to be able to complete the appropriate welds correctly, I also believe that there should be some good controls in place at the DMV before a home made trailer would be allowed on the road. I've never built one, and I don't know anyone that has... So, I can't say how strictly they are inspected before being granted a plate. But, it would make sense that the more weight the builder wants it to carry, the more stringent the inspection would be.

Its a joke. I have buit two boat trailers. Both light duty 1,200# axle units. All I did was go to the DMV, apply for a VIN, get a form and fill it out, and schedule an inspection. That consisted of the inspector not even looking at my first one and just asking me if it had fenders, safety chains, and lights. The second one the guy came to my home but never got out of his car. He looked at it from 25'
away and signed it off.

Take a look at most of the homemade junk and you will be amazed.

Chris

 

[meburdick]

Its a joke. I have buit two boat trailers. Both light duty 1,200# axle units. All I did was go to the DMV, apply for a VIN, get a form and fill it out, and schedule an inspection. That consisted of the inspector not even looking at my first one and just asking me if it had fenders, safety chains, and lights. The second one the guy came to my home but never got out of his car. He looked at it from 25'
away and signed it off.

Take a look at most of the homemade junk and you will be amazed.

Chris

I didn't say they were DOING reasonable inspections. I just said it would make sense.

 

[Pops15]

They inspect homemade trailers in IL.

 

[meburdick]

They inspect them in CT, too. But, I don't believe that they have the appropriate training and tools to do so correctly. For example: Do they x-ray the welds on trailers built for 10k pounds (just an example) to be sure that they will hold the weight?