Garbage Express a 5 (and a bit) X 10 trailer build

[NotStock]

I decided to build a trailer.

I decided this partly because it is hilariously easy to register a trailer where I live (all they asked was "what color is it?"), partly because I've always wanted to build one, and partly because I don't really like the ones available for me to buy from costco/home depot/canadian tire.

I left out cost savings because, lets face it, there really aren't any savings to be had in building a trailer. It is just as expensive to build as to buy (in my limited experience).

I suppose there are cost savings to be had if you cut corners. On any given day on my drive home from work I see a trailer that I don't want to be behind. I don't like that these contraptions are on the road, but they are a byproduct of the ease of getting them on the road.

I call it Garbage Express. I call it that because I CAN'T WAIT to make my first run to the dump with it. It is going to be really liberating to purge my shed/back yard/basement of stuff that has accumulated over the last year of renos.

ANYWAY.

The build:

The frame :
3x3x3/16 angle outer frame

I picked this angle because it has a bending value similar to the C channel I wanted to use, but is only 3/16 wall. This way, with an inside and outside pass, my little lincoln 180 can stick it together.

The cross members are the common 2x2x3/16 angle

Here is what I stuck together



I used coped joints at the corners because I don't have a chop saw, but I do have a portaband. (This is due to my HATRED of grinder dust and the great lengths I've gone to in order to avoid it).



After the welds. Maybe someone can critique them. I'm open to suggestions.

Coped joint:



Cross member:



Finished product




The ratchet strap was used to tweak it into square after tacking. You can see my fenders and axle in the pics as well.

The fenders I'm happy with. The axle, not so much. I think the rear hangers are too far back. I don't like the angle and I'm thinking I'm going to have to slide the rear hangers forward. They are installed based on the manufacturer's spacing recommendation, but the hanger angle doesn't look right to me.



I'd appreciate input and criticism.

Tomorrow is figure out fender mounting and buy the remaining steel for cross members and hitch.

 

[koditten]

I hope you can move the rear hangar forward. The way it is in the pic is going to cause it to break off. The links need to be angled to the rear. Otherwise, I'm in for the build.

Later

KO

 

[NotStock]

Yeah, thats what I thought. I questioned the spacing. Maybe I read it wrong, but I swear this is what they recommend.

The good news is I didn't tighten the spring bolts and only tacked the rear hangers because I had serious doubts about that setup. When I do the remaining frame welding I'll chop the rear hanger tacks and move them forward. How far over centre should they be?

 

[koditten]

Just slightly angled to the rear. Its not a critical angle. Make the angle the same as what have now, but going the other way will be fine.

 

[koditten]

I never even measure the rear hangers, only the fronts.

 

[koditten]

Can I get a full side view pic? I'm not sure, but you might have the axle a bit too far back.

 

[1969]

I have built a number of trailers and I have used the 60/40 spacing for the axle. They have worked out fine for me......... NOW A DISCLAIMER , I am NOT an authority on trailer building. But for a single axle I don't think I'm very far off.

 

[koditten]

Good to know. In the pic it looked farther back. Carry on.

KO

 

[NotStock]

Good to know. In the pic it looked farther back. Carry on.

KO

Hah, that post wasn't me, but I did use similar spacing. The axle is 5'10 back from the edge of the front angle.

I read your 6x10 build thread and noticed you use a similar spacing.

Mine probably looks off due to the missing rear cross members.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NotStock]

Because I can't make it cheaper, I had better make it better...

I spent an hour or two cutting out some bungs on the SB9 for fender mounting

They are M6 because I like a good mix of metric and SAE in my builds in order to keep things confusing when doing maintenance.



These bungs go in some 1x1x1/8 tubing (1/2 inch OD on the bungs) and get welded in. They will allow me to bolt my fenders up to some brackets I made using stainless cap screws.

Here is a quick shot of me plugging the ends of the tubing on the fender mounts. I didn't miter my corners because I wasn't thinking things through. I ended up needed to cap the ends of the tubing.

I sliced off some 1/8 thick discs with the portaband and welded them in.


I'll post pics of the fender mounts tomorrow.

 

[koditten]

Ha! I was putting a trailer together today wearing sandals, too.

 

[kerrynzl]

A common practice is to leave the corner upright posts open on Utility trailers.

So in the future you can slip a removable "H" shaped ladder frame into them.

You can buy plastic insert caps to use .


I use "Samoan Safety Boots" all the time [even during winter] they help build character when you get MIG splatter

 

[Fyrme]

Star-lite is a huge trailer manufacturer in this part of the country and is located just north of the town I live in. When I built my 5 1/2'x10', I bought all the hardware from them. They told me the axle tube should be mounted 8-10" behind center. This may equate to 60/40 idk. I did however put an extra long tongue on it to make it a bit easier to back. It's a little nose heavy now but I have intentions of putting a gate on it someday which will offset the weight a bit. But I've been pulling it for 5 years now and I love it.

 

[NotStock]

Been a while since my last update. I've been busy.

I got married, built some shelves, and started work on restoring a snowblower.

Anyway, garbage express is now on the road!

First, I fixed the shackle by cutting it off and moving it forward.


Then I made some brackets and mounted my LED tail lights. I went submersible LED not because I needed either of those features, but because I can't resist a sale at princess auto.



The brackets are made out of 5/16 steel. Again, not because they need to be, but because its what I had around. Nice to know they are sturdy...

Next came the wiring kit that was with the lights. I welded 1/4" bolts to the frame and drilled holes to get through the crossmembers. I used these wire clamp things to hold it all in place



At this point it could go down the road. I used it to go get decking materials because I don't have a truck or any easy way to pick up lumber. This seemed like the best option.

The deck is 2x8 spruce. I cheaped out on the deck. I originally wanted to go pressure treated, but pressure treated promotes rust. I am from Atlantic Canada where everything rusts to death, so I didn't like the sound of anything that promoted corrosion.

I ended up painting the spruce with used motor oil. Some folks have had good luck using it to prevent rot, so I tried it. I know it is common on hardwood decks for heavy duty trailers, so why not?



I am happy with how it turned out. It is slippery as hell for now, but my trial boards lost a lot of that slipperiness after only a few days of soaking, so it should be good.

I held the deck down using 1/4 galvanized carriage bolts. I like the look of carriage bolts. A friend of mine suggested pinching the crossmember with large flat washers to hold the deck down. I liked this idea because it meant I wouldn't have to drill the crossmembers and create another point for rust to start (I hate rust).

This is what I came up with. Fender washers aren't available in galvanized at my favourite bolt store, so a 1/4 and a 1/2 washer worked just fine and actually allowed me to cheat the 1/2 washer over an extra 1/4 due to the large centre hole.



So now I need to come up with some sides for better garbage hauling.

Here it is on its 3rd voyage



its second voyage was to pick up this garbage


But that is for a whole other thread