New Trailer

[java]

so i have been watching CL for a small trailer to carry my dirtbikes and camping stuff, all the while not finding waht i was looking for and thinking i would end up building my own.
well i found one that fit the bill last night. it 4.5x6ft new tabs, lights, tires.
no idea waht axle or springs are on it, but the leafs are pretty soft. the axle is 5 on 5 and has drums for brakes. the tires are 31x10.5 bfg mt's

the plan is to add a hinged lid to the top that i can put the bikes on and all the gear will go in the box.

what do you guys think?

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Looks kinda light duty. I wouldn't do any serious off-roading with it.

 

[Aggie]

Looks kinda light duty. I wouldn't do any serious off-roading with it.

This coming from the guy that is building the trailer that is going to be pulled behind a Sherman tank...



Looks to me like you should look at replacing the leaf springs with simple 25" trailer springs, find some cheap shocks to smooth out the ride, figure out how to brace it a little bit better for the lid and call it a day. Nice find!

 

[OlympiaFJ60]

Nice find. How many lugs on the hub? Looks like a drop axle? And I see a drum but no brake backing plate. If it is a drop axle, could you just flip it over and get a little lift?

Good luck.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

That's weird, it does look like a drop axle, but then it's a SOA, and also looks to have a spacer of some sort. And a drum brake, but no backing plate. Weird. This thing must be homebuilt?

This coming from the guy that is building the trailer that is going to be pulled behind a Sherman tank...

Yeah but... it looks pretty light eh? I have a 4x8 utility trailer rated at 1500lbs GVW that is much stronger looking that that. I wouldn't put more than 500lbs in that thing. But, that's just me.

 

[java]

its a little ligt duty but it was 200$, so if i have to add a bit to it its not a big deal. it is mostly made of 3/16 L metal
its not a drop axle, its the backing plates for the brakes your seeing.

its a 5 lug,

the block on the axle is the spring mount, i may add a add a leaf if i need a little more capacity.

 

[ntsqd]

I think that it's a great little trailer. You aren't going to move the London Bridge with it, but it wasn't intended to do that. So long as you keep the loads reasonable I don't see any problem. The more severe the trail the lighter the loading wants to be.

In looking at the U-bolt arrangement I note that the u-bolts do not wrap around the axle. They are relying on the welds holding those spring perch blocks to the axle. I would suggest going to a U-bolt that does wrap around the axle tube as it will be stronger. I don't see it as an "imminent failure", just something to put on the round-tuit list.

Given that you're in WA I'd suggest coating the bottom of the floor piece with something waterproof.

The wiring poked through the cross-member(s) needs an insulating grommet at each point. If you are willing to take the wiring loose at one end you can string it through purchased grommets, but if that is problematic for whatever reason I've had reasonable results with a cheep trick. Slit a short piece of vacuum tubing length-wise, but in a spiral. Work that over the wire and then slide it through the hole. Zip-tie it at each end to hold it place.

Some diagonals in each of the sidewall frame sections would stiffen up the frame. I would start each diagonal at the upper corners and drop them to the middle of each bottom rail. Done like that if you find that the tongue is too flimsy you can bring a compound diagonal from near the coupler back, out, and up to the upper, outer corners.
Something like this:

And then braced like this if you find that it needs it:

Note that the specific orientation of the diagonals is deliberate.

 

[Old#7]

Is the spring mounted between two hard mounts? I don't see a shackle or spring slide. Doesn't a leaf have to have one end mounted to something that moves, like a shackle?

 

[java]

thanks for all the ideas! cross bracing the sides will be a good idea if i add a top soon, its accutally way stronger than i expected because of the ply being bolted in a few places. not too worried about the U bolts but ill eventually add a diff axle that the blt pattern matches the tow rig, so ill change it then. the wiring does need a couple grommets, i have no prob cutting and un threading, and i have a whole butt load of random grommets in my garage

the bottom will be painted ASAP. id like to figure out the top soon because the side walls are quite weak with the tail gate removed, and it needs to be taken out to fit the bikes.

i just loaded up the dirt bikes and it seems just fine with that. 500 lbs almost exactly.

 

[stomperxj]

Looks like the shackles are on the front. Might look at swapping that around if you can...

 

[java]

Looks like the shackles are on the front. Might look at swapping that around if you can...

not gonna be doing any hard core wheeling with it.... never had a big prob with shackles in the front either,

 

[highlandercj-7]

The forward mounted shackles are a bad idea. I don't like my Jeep that way let alone a trailer. It disrupts the natural movement of the springs when you hit a bump. Instead of going with the movement it forces it to go against it. That would be the first thing I changed on the trailer. Other than that at $200 if it's got a title it's worth that. Nice find.

 

[java]

loaded up the dirtbikes and headed to the local trails. did great, took it aobut half a mile up a dirt road with literally foot deep pot holes and it seemed like it wasnt bad at all. im thinking that it could use shocks and a add a leaf possibly, it rocks side to side a bit but its also still bouncy

 

[java]

so do people think that the COG will be to high if i add a lid to put the dirt bikes on? thy are 500 lbs. the lid would go at the height of the existing walls.