Homebuilt Trailer - show yours !

[12valve]

If you want a low floor in a trailer, you can use an axle with a 4 inch drop or a torsion axle that has the spindle arms clocked upwards. Tire height plays a big part in the height of a trailer. I do caution using those tiny tires. The diameter of a short tire is small. Your tow vehicle has taller tires usualy maybe twice the diameter. So if you are doing freeway speeds the trailer tires are doing twice the revolutions as the tow vehicle. Those tire heat up fast, wear out quick, don't have much payload. The wheel bearings on the traler also heat up.

 

[TA^Guy]

If you want a low floor in a trailer, you can use an axle with a 4 inch drop or a torsion axle that has the spindle arms clocked upwards. Tire height plays a big part in the height of a trailer. I do caution using those tiny tires. The diameter of a short tire is small. Your tow vehicle has taller tires usualy maybe twice the diameter. So if you are doing freeway speeds the trailer tires are doing twice the revolutions as the tow vehicle. Those tire heat up fast, wear out quick, don't have much payload. The wheel bearings on the traler also heat up.

No tiny tires here. They will be 26.8"s tall mounted on a 20" wheel, same size as my truck.

 

[Eddieb794]

Some really nice builds in here. I have a 7x 16 ft flat utility trailer that I bought. I think it is a buck dandy? I would like to inclose it to carry my motorcycles and atv's. I was wondering how tuff this would be. I can weld and have mechanical skills.

 

[MMONT]

Here's mine. Built in 05, needs paint but it's my daily driver.

 

[GeoTracker90]

Some of the trailers I have built:

Expedition Trailer for a customer









Luggage trailer - teardrop style:

 

[GeoTracker90]

My first teardrop style camp trailer - 5'x5'x10' body:







This has recently been sold.

 

[BWdiver]

Here's mine prior to painting. I painted it black and sprayed the top with a bedliner product. I mount my welder on it for regular use, but have it set up to haul the Harley's on the summer road trip..It's HEAVY duty. deck is diamond plate steel, Will handle anything you throw at it. The dovetail makes loading the bikes a snap. Axle is 3500lb. I need to add the aluminum toolbox on the front. Have the mounts, just haven't bought it yet...

Very nice trailer! and I like when u can multi use something without regrets.
Can I get the plan on your build?

 

[sberry]

Harleys on a trailer,, there is something you dont see every day.

 

[BobbyK]

Made this a few years back.



Frame is .125 square tube




rails to the hitch head is .250 square tube




3500Lb axle



5 bolt rims with 205/75 R15 trailer tires.



1"x1" square tube welded together to make 1"x2" for the bed rails. Then bedsides made from 1/4" expanded steel.



1.5" round fence post to cap the bed sides. Groove cut in round tube so bedsides fit up into top rail.






Ran the wiring inside the frame. No exposed wires. Then up the rear end post to the tail light mounting bar. Mount is taped for a standard trailer tail light.



copper wire helped me fish the wiring harness up the the tail light.






Just used a paintbrush and brushed on a few coats of Tremclad Gloss black.



Bent up some round bar for tie down points.



connection between trailer and tow vehicle.

.

 

[Costner]

Harleys on a trailer,, there is something you dont see every day.

I'm from South Dakota....so I see it all summer long when people are heading to and from the Sturgis trailer... I mean the Sturgis bike rally.

 

[R6rider]

not really a street legal trailer... but, i just finished building this on sunday. i still need to add the accessories to it and then paint it.

 

[Holedgr]

R6rider......that thing is freakin' SICK!!

....and I love it!!

-T

 

[R6rider]

R6rider......that thing is freakin' SICK!!

....and I love it!!

-T

thanks Holedgr... i appreciate it. if you want to see the build thread, let me know and i'll PM it to you.

 

[metal1313]

i got a question for you guys. im looking to build my own trailer, a 5x9 or 5x10 multi use trailer. most of the time its gonna haul a few mowers and the like. but i would also like to build it strong enough to haul mulch, and around 2tons of gravel. now i have a 6k torsion axle, and will build the frame with 2x4x.25 wall square tube. ive got my basic plans pretty good, but id ike to hear your spacing for floor supports. i may end up buying a trailer if i can find one with the size and stregnth im looking for tho

 

[Markgyver]

i got a question for you guys. im looking to build my own trailer, a 5x9 or 5x10 multi use trailer. most of the time its gonna haul a few mowers and the like. but i would also like to build it strong enough to haul mulch, and around 2tons of gravel. now i have a 6k torsion axle, and will build the frame with 2x4x.25 wall square tube. ive got my basic plans pretty good, but id ike to hear your spacing for floor supports. i may end up buying a trailer if i can find one with the size and stregnth im looking for tho

I built a trailer similar to the one you described. You could use 2x3x1/8" tube is all you need 2x4x.25 is overkill if you plan on building a trailer that small. Space the cross members at 2'-0" O.C..

 

[tonydanzah]

markguyver awesome name

 

[metal1313]

this is something i'd like to over build in the event i over load it and decide to drop in a higher rated axle, i may also add a hydro set up to make it a dump trailer at some future point.

 

[1stwarrior95]

Question for those that have built the enclosed trailers. Where'd ya get the siding? I've got an old small RV trailer I'd like to use the frame to build an enclosed type trailer, but I haven't been able to locate the material for the walls/roof.

Here's my first atv trailer I built. It was 4x7 and worked very well for 1 4 wheeler. Until I added all the aftermarket a-arms, axle, etc and it wouldn't fit on the trailer...LOL

Built this one to replace the 4x7 one above. It started out as 5x12 then got rebuilt/extended. The floor is still 5' wide. I just angled the sides out to make room for loading the bikes sideways, and had to extend the length by about 10".
Flipped the axle to the top of the springs while I was extending it too. (Lower the floor height).
Also changed the spare tire mount along the way somewhere. Wanted it down below so I can use ramps between the trailer and truck to load bikes in the truck without unhooking the trailer.

Lastest pics. Now it needs repainted in a bad way...

 

[gayler]

Resurrecting an old thread. I have a 5x8 utility trailer I haul my zero turn on, but my big mower won’t fit. It’s a pain loading it on my car trailer because of the ramp angle. I want to build a 6x8 single axle trailer that sets low like my 5x8. Here’s the deal. I also want a light duty dump trailer. Have any of you built a low 6x8 light duty dump trailer? They don’t seem to exist.

 

[Slick111]

OK sense this is about trailers and I have searched all the threads on trailers here but just asking for impute as I need one tired of renting but not sure on what to buy looking at open deck 7K up to 10K rated axles limited to 18 ft as tight limited storage space has to be out of sight off the driveway what my main use will be a project car to sand blaster/paint shop,lumber,top soil etc. Looking at tilt deck just for the ease of loading cars 90% of cars I deal with are in pieces or stripped down shell.But maybe that one time heavy load pops up. The price between 7K or 10K is about 500 to 600 bucks.What all you peeps out there use/like do different thoughts ideas ?

 

[nicholsmf]

 

[Gertman]

Built this little trailer back in 2003, primarily to haul the motorcycle. It served as a general purpose trailer more than for the m'çycles specifically. Required sturdy mudgaurds as they were used to step on during loading of heavy bikes. Generally abused by broken down motorcycle friends during it's first life. Rust took it's toll. Main frame was ok but total subframe was replaced during rebuilt it in 2022. Good for the next 15 years hopefully.

 

[kerrynzl]

I built this trailer a few years ago to haul 3 x ATV's [Using the same ramps to hook over the sides to load on one side and off the other side]


Testing it before we "hot dip galvanised" it


It was very strong and light weight [I could pick it off the ground]

 

[Milton Shaw]

I ran into measure twice and cut once on building mine. I didn't put think twice, measure twice and cut once. I wanted a trailer for lumber and mower use so I cut the main rails 96" which ended up 4 inches short as the front frame covered the front of the bed and the tail gate took up 2 inches in the back.. .... It has worked but plywood has to rest on the top rail unsupported till it reaches the bed about the area of the tail gate. Other than that is has worked properly. I looked at box store trailers and with the tongue on the ground you could step on a corner and on some almost twist the trailer where the corners would touch the ground. Such junk I had to build my own.

 

[jnlwelding]

I am gathering some info to build my first trailer.
(utility trailer w/dump feature, 1 axle 5x10)

If you have links for plans or home built trailer that you have built, show your work and post them

I have found a few plans here and there on the internet.
Some looks quite good (The Lincoln site)

http://www.gt1.homeip.net/project-trailer.htm
http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=53103
http://www.datfusion.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=78
http://www.championtrailers.com/UTILITY_TRAILER_KITS.HTM
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/articles/content/mower-trailer-project.asp
http://www.cad-design-and-drafting-services.com/free-trailer-plans.html

Thanks!
Ben

 

[Bert_]

I've been scrounging up some material to build something about 7x14. Trying to find one axle in the 6-7,000 lb range.

 

[Adk Mike]

Here’s a 4 by 8 I just finished. Fun project. Eliminates the need for a pickup to move stung around.
Fun project

 

[jon72vega]

Mine is made from the back of a Pontiac Solstice.
There is very little room for luggage in the trunk of a Solstice.
When we go on a trip, the trailer allows space for clothing, tools and what-not.
The trailer was built out of a pre-production Solstice that GM/Pontiac sent to a salvage yard.
The story I got was that the car was required to be cut in half so the salvage yard could not resell as a complete car.
The guy I purchased the trailer from did all the hard work, but lost interest in it.
I finished it up, and we tow it to the yearly NASSAM Meet (yearly get-together for Pontiac Solstices and Saturn Skys).
This year the event was held in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Loaded up, going home by jon72vega, on Flickr
Huntley, IL gas & lunch stop by jon72vega, on Flickr
Solstice and trailer at Riverfront Park by jon72vega, on Flickr
Kilmat by jon72vega, on Flickr
Cleaned up for NASSAM 2024 by jon72vega, on Flickr

 

[cannuck]

Here is one of the trailers designed "at home" and built mostly in my back yard shop. I say "mostly" because when I decided to build this trailer it was to be 34' long so I built a pad, fence, door and tensioned fabric cover over a 20 x 55 spot between my shop and back alley. The doorway was sized and placed to JUST be able to maneuver a 34' x 8'6" trailer out through that opening (on jacks, dollies, etc.) but after I finished the workspace our list of "needs" turned it into a 36' trailer that I wouldn't be able to get out the door, so I built it in 3 sections and moved them into a friend's shop to do final assembly. At the rear is an 80KW 600V genset over 1500 litre fuel tank in the trailer. As "6 drum" cargo deck at back doors, a 4600 lb. processing plant ahead of axles, storage on curb side above hose reels, a workbench/1,100 litre storage tank opposite wall, large vacuum pump and booster on wheeled cage between and a 6,000 litre "working tank" over the 5th wheel. All structure, tanks, shelves, etc, built in aluminum and a network of piping connecting the processor, tanks, oil and vacuum systems. Gross is 26k. Started pulling with my little Iveco cabover and that worked fine on the prairies, but sucked the big one once we started going long distances and into the Rockies - so I bought a 450 that pulled and stopped it very well - but was just not cost effective (unreliable) so spent the next 20 years behind my FLD120 (that could also pull our regular semis, so WAY more cost effective than 2 trucks).