Off Road Trailer Build Start

[retiredblue]

After 50 years of off roading I want a trailer- After looking (and drooling) at all these ideas- I am almost ready to start. SO I have a ford 9" rear end with 15" sort of off road (sort of) tires. Is this a good start OR do I go the Harbor Freight trailer as a base? I can weld and and am pretty handy- I am thinking of an off road tear drop style and my hard core rock crawling days are over sooooo... any ideas or suggestions are highly requested- My tow veh is a 1967 IH Scout 800 35" tires 345 V8 Thanks in advance-
Vic in SoCal

 

[ttengineer]

A Ford 9" seems awfully heavy to start a trailer out with. Plus it's worth a decent sum if it's complete.

If you have no where else to use it, I'd sell it to help fund a trailer build. Im not sure what you're towing it with, but I'd go with a timbren axle-less 3500hd suspension with a 4" lift for maximum ground clearance. It costs around $700 and with the 9" sale that should give you a little extra to play with depending on condition.

http://timbren.com/products-page/3500hd/asr35hds05/


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[stomperxj]

Using a standard 3500# leaf sprung axle is cheap and reliable. If you are a welder then sketch up the frame you want and go buy some steel. Nothing better suited to a build better than a custom built frame.

 

[steelhd]

I have a ford 9" rear end with 15" sort of off road (sort of) tires. Is this a good start OR do I go the Harbor Freight trailer as a base?

I have a trailer with a repurposed truck axle underneath it. Whoever built it cut out the pumpkin and replaced it with a length of heavy tube. No idea what it was before modification but it looks heavy and very strong. Don't think there is any way I could possibly ruin it.

 

[JAngeli]

Wow look at that Scout!!! Awesome!!

 

[retiredblue]

Thanks- my son and I built it up about 25 years ago and still going strong

 

[Justins_TJ]

If you're looking for ideas. I used a 1980's Toyota pickup frame. Got the idea from a users thread on here. Dirtco. The 5 foot wide teardrop box is about 9 inches wider than the frame on either side. So it's pushing it on the allowed overhang for the 3500 pound axle. Would have been easier to just make the frame that's holding the camper cab, also be the chassis. But this is how I wanted to do it and the frame was only $100 from a junkyard. It will have some cool features. I've been working on it for about a year.

 

[highlandercj-7]

If you can weld build your own frame. It's easier to get what you want and stronger in the long run. I would also go with a real trailer axle with brakes. You can match the same bolt pattern as the Scout and still use the same tires and wheels.

 

[Red1]

If you can weld build your own frame .

It's easier to get what you want and stronger in the long run .

I would also go with a real trailer axle with brakes .

You can match the same bolt pattern as the Scout
and still use the same tires and wheels .