Homebuilt Trailer - show yours !

[Bencrx91]

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

 

[babzog]

I'm thinking of a trailer too. The Sienna can tow 3500 lbs so my first thought was a single axle dump trailer. After a bit more studying of various trailer types at that site, esp. considering the weight of a dump trailer vs a simple utility trailer (and factoring in the loss of load capability), I decided against it. Then I got reading this, and I think I might build a tandem axle utility trailer instead (with "real" sides, deep ones, 24" minimum, not the puny things manufacturers pass off as "sides" these days).

 

[PCO6]

Here's my home built utility trailer. The bed is 98" x 50" (a 4' x 8' sheet + 2" each way). I have to finish the tailgate and lighting but it's had it's maiden voyage and everything went well.

 

[cyamaha2007]

heres mine i may have done a few things differently but overall im happy for a one weekend project and a budget under 200 bucks.

 

[35mastr]

I have already started collecting metal for my 5x9 utility trailer. Probably start it in the new year.

Still got to grab the axle.

 

[TAftw]

my friend is giving me one that looked like was used to tow a small sail boat. I went over the other day to pick it up, but my ball hitch is too big! i'll post pics when I bring it home.

 

[dcs13]

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...

 

[Markgyver]

Here is mine. I have since added a high lift jack and a spare to the tounge.
I still need to have it painted and linexed.

 

[elmo_4_vt]

Here is one that I originally built to haul tools around, but now I'm making it into a camper. This winter I'm going to start on a 5'x9' flat bed with 4" walls to use instead of my little 4x8 flat bed that I'm getting tired of. The 4x8 is a cheapy and I'm getting tired of the 2000lb axle and thin metal needing repairs.

 

[Markgyver]

Here is one that I originally built to haul tools around, but now I'm making it into a camper. This winter I'm going to start on a 5'x9' flat bed with 4" walls to use instead of my little 4x8 flat bed that I'm getting tired of. The 4x8 is a cheapy and I'm getting tired of the 2000lb axle and thin metal needing repairs.

Pretty cool I want to build something similar for mine what are you going to use for a tent?

 

[TRX]

semi-homebuilt

I to put a seven foot motorcycle on a four foot trailer. It was a 40x48" Harbor Freight kit. I made the notched rear crossmember from 2x4 square tubing, built the ramp, extended the tongue, added the upright to hold the front wheel, added another crossmember up front to anchor the wheel rocker, and made the wheel rocker. I just drop the ramp and ride it straight up, the front end bumps up over the rocker, and the bike is solidly anchored - I just step off and walk away. Well, I walk right back with the tiedown straps... The front wheel rides over the tongue and the rear wheel sits back on the ramp; the front wheel is a few inches up on the rocker, and the rear is a few inches down on the ramp, so there's a straight shot all the way up without high-centering it on a low drag pipe later.

 

[Curt_pnw]

I hope to build something like this after the shop is built. Color match it to the car of course though.

to go along with this.

 

[35mastr]

I hope to build something like this after the shop is built. Color match it to the car of course though.

to go along with this.

Other then to say you have one in the end. What is it good for other than your carry on luggage while heading to the airport.

This is something that is not built by any means.

1 Cut a car in half.
2 Weld a piece of sheet metal in and add a window.
3 Weld a tongue to the whole abortion.

I am sorry. But what did you actually build?????????????



Must only be a Washington thing.

 

[Curt_pnw]

Other then to say you have one in the end. What is it good for other than your carry on luggage while heading to the airport.

This is something that is not built by any means.

1 Cut a car in half.
2 Weld a piece of sheet metal in and add a window.
3 Weld a tongue to the whole abortion.

I am sorry. But what did you actually build?????????????



Must only be a Washington thing.

First of all, I think it would be a fun project for me to do. I am relatively new at welding, so it would be my first real project I would undertake after my welds get better. I will not be building anything from scratch, never said I was. The trailer would be fun to tow to shows and the like. Many people have built trailers in the similar idea: chop a car/truck in half etc. and tow it around.

You're right, the intent is not to haul wood, ATV's or whatever else people haul with regular trailers. I want to haul tools and parts on a cross-country trip I'm doing next summer to Maryland and back and not have them in the car itself.

I do disagree with you here, but to each his own.
"This is something that is not built by any means. "
I know this isn't 100% homebuilt, but I'd say it's still built.


Cheers.

 

[D KRAGER]

Home-made dump trailer, all from recycled materials. Still needs some paint, but very functional. Can haul around 4 ton of rock dirt or whatever. You have to hook up to the tractor to dump, we don't have a hydraulic power unit for it yet.

 

[back2class]

Re: semi-homebuilt

I to put a seven foot motorcycle on a four foot trailer. It was a 40x48" Harbor Freight kit. I made the notched rear crossmember from 2x4 square tubing, built the ramp, extended the tongue, added the upright to hold the front wheel, added another crossmember up front to anchor the wheel rocker, and made the wheel rocker. I just drop the ramp and ride it straight up, the front end bumps up over the rocker, and the bike is solidly anchored - I just step off and walk away. Well, I walk right back with the tiedown straps... The front wheel rides over the tongue and the rear wheel sits back on the ramp; the front wheel is a few inches up on the rocker, and the rear is a few inches down on the ramp, so there's a straight shot all the way up without high-centering it on a low drag pipe later.

Curious if it has negitive tounge weight?

 

[HOTFR8]

That is Nicely done

 

[Curt_pnw]

That is Nicely done

Not mine, but yes I agree.

 

[HOTFR8]

Not mine, but yes I agree.

I did realise that

 

[car99r]

Well, since this thread started I have been hunting down pics of mine with no luck. I found a couple after a couple years worth of use and abuse but none from when I finished it.

I bought an old 16' horse trailer that was in horrible shape. Cut it all down and welded a rail around it and replaced flooring with wood. Installed some new wheels and tires along with some sheet metal here and there. Attached an old toolbox I had and she was great. Heavy duty and would haul anything I threw at her.

 

[koditten]

Here is a few shots of one of mine. This tilt bed car hauler works better than any other type of car trailer, in my own opinion. I will never deal with ramps again.

Kirk

 

[OccupantRJ]

Nice trailer Koditten. Here's mine. I built it to do a couple of things for me. I haul golf carts on it, and it is just the right size for sheet building materials. I have been moving my stored equipment to my new (to me) house a piece at a time, and it hauled a Bridgeport mill just fine. The floor is 1/4" plate, and the sides and fenders are 16 gage sheet steel, with an offset tongue to match my truck, a pull ring for come-along use, and a quick detach tailgate. I incorporated tie down holes all around the bed, which has proved out well.
The fenders are made flat to provide a work surface for tools and such, as I haul home sheet goods, and cut them using the sides of the trailer as a sawhorse platform. The trailer can be slightly tilted to load mowers and golfcarts by using the tongue jack while still attached to the truck.
It's about time for a good prep and paint job on it, as it's been real busy for the last year. It gets pulled several times a week.

RJ

 

[eddiebroadway]

After looking at new trailers I decided to buy two new 7k axles and some steel and build my own. It took about two months of spare time.

 

[mtnkrake]

here is mine I could of bought it cheaper but thats no fun.

 

[koditten]

I am new to the picture posting thing so bear with me. Let me try to show you some pics of the 5 x 10 ute trailers I build quite often. If you would like a detailed parts list, recommended axle position and other questions answered I would be glad to help any of you guys out.

Let me state for the record that I do not build trailers for a living. It is only my hoby that got away from me. I consider myself a highly skilled ameture. I lost count of how many of these ute trailers I have built 5 years ago. I average about 20 trailers a year. I know I have built over 200 of this style. People just will not stop calling me.

It's ironic, I started building these trailers just to pay for the parts I would need to rebuild cars and truck.

Please private message me if you want the steel demensions. I know a person needs to make a living, but I see no reason to pay for plans. There is no patent on any trailer design, just a copyright on the book that the plans are in.

By the way, don't pay attention to the picture file title. That is just were the pics live in my computer.

Later

Kirk

 

[Lippyp]

Not totally home built, the trailer is a 6' x 4' Ifor Williams rated to just over a ton, trouble was its a relatively shallow box and as we haul it back and forth to our house in France I wanted something that we could lock up and make more secure if we stopped overnight at a hotel. I decided to build a box on top . Its a mixture of angle and square box, the sides and top are ply, the top tailgate is side hinged and skinned with glavanised steel sheet. The top is side hinged and can also be totally removed by sliding it off the hinges. I need to replace the ply top with aluminium chequer plate as its not holding up well. Ideally if I can find some cheap enough I may replace the ply sides with it to lose some weight as its quite heavy as it stands.

before

During the build

Afterwards

 

[nocones]

Here's mine.
RJ

What kind of axles are under that? It looks like the load floor is quite low, which is something I want to do when I build my trailer for my MG midget. It just seems pointless to haul around a 1400lb car that is 10.5 ft long, and 5 feet wide on a 18x7 Car hauler. So I'm going to build a custom 11x5 trailer with two smaller axles, however I would really like the load floor to be low.

 

[Bencrx91]

Nice trailer, Koditten, sure, can you post the details here ? (measurement,plans etc) ?

 

[OccupantRJ]

What kind of axles are under that? It looks like the load floor is quite low, which is something I want to do when I build my trailer for my MG midget. It just seems pointless to haul around a 1400lb car that is 10.5 ft long, and 5 feet wide on a 18x7 Car hauler. So I'm going to build a custom 11x5 trailer with two smaller axles, however I would really like the load floor to be low.

This trailer was built by me, only for me, as it has no springs, and the axle goes right through the frame rails. The object was to get as low as possible, without making it where it would squat. Unsprung trailers are not for everyone. They work better with sprung small vehicles like golf carts on them, and you steer clear of pot holes.....

 

[Joelfke]

where do you guys get axles for these things?

 

[metal1313]

just look up trailer dealers, they usually have parts, northertool sells axles as well as other online retailers. im about to order a 5k torsion axle for a 5x10 utility trailer im going to build. small so its easy to manuver, and park for storage, strong for when i need stone

 

[jamesemery728]

where do you guys get axles for these things?

Check TSC, they have a lot of trailer parts in their stores and online.

 

[j-easy]

to the guys with car trailers, what do you have invested in them?

I am looking to buy one but I might be tempted to build one if it is considerably cheaper.

 

[DarrenF]

You can check out one of the trailers i built HERE

 

[falcon428]

Here is one that I built for a guy probably 10 years ago for his BBQ business.

 

[06colorado]

Bought the trailer from my cousins who built it with their dad I believe.
5x10 tilt, all angle-iron, 2500lb axle I think, 2'' ball
Have since added the chrome mod wheels and some carlisle tires.
Next was the LED lighting all around.
Then added expanded metal sides and front.
Then I made a rear gate that just lifts up. Now I can haul firewood safer.
Added some D-rings on the front and between the fenders and will be doing some at the rear at some point.
Also had painted it black after gettin the rims/tires, then metalic blue like my truck at some point, then decided I'll go back to black and have orange accents to match my 4wheeler since it is mostly what I haul.

 

[matt60j]

I've built a few over the years as a hobby. This is my last one. 6x10. -MATT

 

[IMCA38]

After looking at new trailers I decided to buy two new 7k axles and some steel and build my own. It took about two months of spare time.

I'd like to see more pics of your trailer, particularly all of the stuff on the front end and the ramps. I have a 16+2 car trailer that needs some fixing/updating, so I'm on the lookout for ideas.
Thanks!

 

[tigmusky]

here's mine I made this summer . I had all the steel and I still got $400.00 something into it.
the orange one
daye

 

[TA^Guy]

You're right, the intent is not to haul wood, ATV's or whatever else people haul with regular trailers. I want to haul tools and parts on a cross-country trip I'm doing next summer to Maryland and back and not have them in the car itself.

I do disagree with you here, but to each his own.
"This is something that is not built by any means. "
I know this isn't 100% homebuilt, but I'd say it's still built.

Right I'd much, much rather have a custom trailer behind my roof than some bubble Cargo Carrier on top of my nice car.

I currently have another truck bed so I can soon start yet another project. Doing another bed, with the same tail lights and custom bumper and will be painted to match my truck in the end. It'll have a full custom frame with A arms and not a solid axle so I can keep a solid, low bed floor for loading my motorcycle, and clearance for adjustable suspension, etc. It will work great for long hauls to shows because pulling my tall enclosed trailer behind my lowered truck kills my mileage. And I won't be able to put my bike in the bed of my truck once the custom and paint sheet metal bed and frame bridge is completed.