My first attempt at a trailer

[rfohey]

Hello all, this is my first post and this site was my motivation to try this trailer build. I have been working on this for a few weeks with whatever metal and other parts that I can find for cheap. Trying to save money for the RTT, electrical, plumbing and a kitchen box. I did use a torflex axle which I wish I would of gone with a leaf spring set up. Still need to build a lid, mount a spare, add a tongue box for the batteries and wire everything up. Let me know what you think.
Thanks

 

[Unlimited04]

how much do you have into it so far? what type of steel did you use for the frame?

 

[rfohey]

I have right around 350 right now, I bought all the steel at a auction and had the wheels and tires. The frame is 2x2 1/8 in wall which was used racks at a lumberyard.

 

[ntsqd]

Why do you wish that you had gone with leaves?

Do you have shock absorbers on the torflex's?

 

[rfohey]

I have yet to try the trailer but all I see is negative about the torion axle on this forum.

 

[ntsqd]

Try them before you condemn them. The TrailBlazer trailer in my custody has 1000's of rough miles on the rubber torsion axle without trouble. Once I've paid it off I plan to look into building an independent suspension for it, but more because I can than it needing it.

I asked about shocks because I have the theory that the rubber torsion axle failure mode most often cited is due to excessive wheel/tire oscillations over-heating the rubber's vulcanizing and allowing a separation. Shocks will remove most of that heat from the rubber. The TrailBlazer has not seen any dirt w/o having shocks on it.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero:Just for a little added info!!

I've got close to 5000 miles on my off road trailer, with DEXTER torsion axle, with no problems

You just have to regulate the tire air pressure, depending on the terrain !!!

:costumed-smiley-007:safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO

 

[rfohey]

I would really like the torsion axle to work because the ground clearance is great and it was free. The trails that I am usually on are slow and tight so I will just see how it goes. I have thought about shocks I am just not sure how to mount them to the axle. Should I just weld a bolt to the center of the swingarm on the axle? I guess I have never seen shocks mounted on one.

 

[ntsqd]

A pair of shock tabs is how the TrailBlazer's shocks are mounted off the rear of the trailing arms.

 

[rfohey]

Thanks for that picture. That helps alot. I think I will try that out this weekend