Building your own trailer????????

fractal · Jun 15, 2004

( Has anyone done this? Where did you find the plans. I can get 2 trailer axles 5K for $200.00 with brakes. Is it worth it to make my own 18 foot trailer? I really can't afford to buy one right now. How about converting a boat trailer to a flatbed? Has anyone done this?
TIA. )
I looked into building my own trailer. I bought a couple of books from northerntool.com about trailer design. I did a little research and found out something.

The guy at the trailor lot told me the truth that you can not buy the steel to make a trailor for the price they sell them. He said he doesn't even make enough on utility trailers to even offer a discount. Horse trailers and cargo trailers? Sure, let's dicker, but utility trailers? You can't make em for what he sells em for.

Then again, I would have to buy my axels, hubs, suspension and steel in end user quantities and as such, would pay a bundle for it. Maybe you can get a better deal.

Just one thing to look out for. Be wary of "mobil home axles". I was reading that people sell em cheap cause they are paid for, and that they really are designed to be used once, and making a general purpose utility trailer out of them can be hazardus to your, and others, health.

MadReferee · Jun 16, 2004

( Be wary of "mobil home axles". I was reading that people sell em cheap cause they are paid for, and that they really are designed to be used once, and making a general purpose utility trailer out of them can be hazardus to your, and others, health.)

About 15 years ago I built a 5' x 10' box trailer to haul my racing motorcycles using a mobil home axle with brakes and a leaf spring suspension. The axle was too long so I had to shorten the axle at both ends to keep the bow in it. The axle I used appeared heavy duty and worked really fine. The trailer is still in use today by the building contractor I sold it to. I know of several others that were built using these axles and they are also still running fine.

Bird · Jun 16, 2004

( Be wary of "mobil home axles". )

Yes, unless you really know what you're doing. Years ago, a number of people sued some of the mobile home manufacturers and/or delivery/setup companies for removing the wheels and axles, then charging high prices to replace them if the home had to be moved in the future. So I think now you'll find nearly all dealers include in their contracts the fact that the tires, wheels, and axles are NOT included in the price of the mobile home and will be removed when the home is installed. Some insurance companies will not insure a mobile home unless the wheels and axles have been removed, and I learned that some rural utility companies will not provide utilities to a mobile home that still has the wheels and axles under it. More regulations all the time. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Now, as for using mobile home axles to build your own trailer. That's actually not a problem. The problem is the tires and/or wheels. If you look at them, you'll find the wheels are different from what most people are accustomed to. They're designed that way to make them easier to get out from under mobile homes. And the tires are special mobile home tires. They are designed to run at much higher air pressure than most other trailer tires and they will fail if run at lower pressures.

MadReferee · Jun 16, 2004

( The problem is the tires and/or wheels. If you look at them, you'll find the wheels are different from what most people are accustomed to. They're designed that way to make them easier to get out from under mobile homes.)

I never had problems with my tires/wheels but I had a heck of a time finding the little blocks that were used by the lug bolts to hold the wheel on.

SPIKER · Jun 16, 2004

That is what I have used under my dump trailer, old mobile home axles. One of the locals sets them so I can get them pretty fast and cheap (free usually with tires!) here is my DUMP showing them

I agree the tires can be had pretty easy the blocks and bolts are a different story... Cutting the axel in center is all I did and welded back up to distance I needed. the bend (is for caster/camber) and that is it. easy enough to put in the 1~3 degrees of each for high speed tracking and such but hey this dump is not a high speed unit as my tractor top speed is maybe 20 mph and has never seen the road unless it was on a trialer! LOL /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif http://www.bright.net/~ispike/home2

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

JimR · Jun 16, 2004

Here is my solution to the trailer problem. I just purchased this on Ebay for $322.50. It is located 4 miles from my house. Check it out. The boat is 24 feet long. Motor and outdrive are intact. It ran when parked years ago. The inside has been pulled as the old owner was going to rebuild the interior. Now to wait and see if the seller on Ebay follows thru with the deal.

TOMDUALLY · Jun 18, 2004

"beware of Mobile Home Axles"

 I made a 20' flatbed trailer to haul tractors coast to coast and all points inbetween. The axles worked great but could only get 5 to 6 thousand miles out of a set of new mobile home tires and the brakes aren't worth s&%$* Blew the engine in my truck so the new DEXTER axles will have to wait another year. mobile home tires with rims and only 500 to a thousand miles can be had for about $30 apiece /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Taylortractornut · Jun 18, 2004

Mobile home axles arent designed for one time use either, Dad ran the landfill and did all the earth moving for a large trailer plant and they reused their axles. As far as puttin them on a utilty trailer think about the fact that they only had 4 axles undr a 16 by 80 foot Builtmore home and traveled as far as california from MS with them. Most folks that have trauble with a house trailer axle usually have trouble with the tires. They dont last long at 30 psi. The side wall says 90psi required. I have a neighbor that used to recycle their tires. Hed fix the flats and mount new tires to the ones with big gashes or destroyed tires. Most of the ones on the sides of the roads were blown out because the tires had a puncture from being pulled through screws around the plant then loosing all the pressure on a long trip from a leak. Many tires last about 5000 miles under these big loads and are subjected to alot of sideways scrubbing going around corners in tight area they get put into.
I think Dayton makes the wedges for the trailer hubs to lock the wheels on they used to make alot like that for smaller equipment trailers.

htiek126 · Jun 19, 2004

I have a set of mobile home axles under my flatbed trailer. The price was right, and I have not had any problems except for the brakes. The brakes do not seem to work as well as the Dexter axles I have used. One of the brakes suffered a fair amount of damage from locking up, and I have been unable to locate the parts. According to one distributor, the Department of Transportation does not permit the sale of brake parts for the mobile home axles. Perhaps it is true, because some of the mounting points have different dimensions even though the brakes are 12x2".

Taylortractornut · Jun 19, 2004

I may be of help to you, They closed the plant I worked at, but I may nave a few brake parts layin around. I have a friend at another plant and my old foreman runs another part of the company. I think the sdistributer is pulling your chain, Someone has to get the brake parts lol you just gotta let Andrew Jackson talk to the right person in the the chassis shop. They used to make a kit to change the hubs over to 16 inch 5, 6, and 8 hole rims I think about 20 bucks a wheel with brake drums it looled all mobile home to me. Theres no telling at how many new brake sets I buried at their landfill, noone at the time wanted them. Tell me what you need and ill see if I can flush out a few.