Flatbed Off Road Trailer?
- Thread starter dzzz
- Start date
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
I've read of folks having trouble with the axle itself de-vulcanizing and the separating from the rest of the trailer. I've not seen any pictures of this.
Washboard roads would build a lot of heat in the rubber, so I can see how this might occur. I believe that the fault of such is the mfg or owner not also installing dampers. Dexter doesn't provide for this, but the torflex under the TrailBlazer on long term loan to me has had dampers under it since shortly after the OP took delivery. That trailer has seen several trips to Baja (no idea how many or mileage since I didn't tow it there) and one extensive trip to Copper Canyon, not to mention the trips to the local deserts and one up to the Oregon dunes.
Moving the heat out of the rubber and into a damper designed for it has to help. How much remains to be seen.
R_Lefebvre
Expedition Leader
Speaking of alignments... how do you align a trailer? I have to do mine as the two Torflex axle ends are independent and have to be aligned when installed. Obviously I understand how the axles shift around on the bolt, what I mean is, can anybody suggest a string method? I have done string alignments on 4 wheeled vehicles, not sure about a trailer.
deepmud
Adventurer
I say, again, unless you buy something like an AT, building off of a Subaru axle is really hard to beat. I can pick it up, flip it on it's back to work on it, it's tough, it has proven itself as a trailer off road and on for me for about 15 years.
Trailing arms like an AT, with off-the-shelf parts available all over the world.
it has a removable box too, for carrying camping gear and acting as a cooking area.
Next it gets modd'd for 6 on 5.5 bolt pattern so I can up the tire size a bit, but the 13" Suby wheels worked for years and from Alaska to D.C. and back without issues. Supple with light loads and sturdy enough to carry the occasional 2000-plus load on the deck. The Subaru carcass I pulled out of the woods on a trail-cleanup weighed about 1500 with all the wet sand and gravel and bullets in it.
Trailing arms like an AT, with off-the-shelf parts available all over the world.
it has a removable box too, for carrying camping gear and acting as a cooking area.
Next it gets modd'd for 6 on 5.5 bolt pattern so I can up the tire size a bit, but the 13" Suby wheels worked for years and from Alaska to D.C. and back without issues. Supple with light loads and sturdy enough to carry the occasional 2000-plus load on the deck. The Subaru carcass I pulled out of the woods on a trail-cleanup weighed about 1500 with all the wet sand and gravel and bullets in it.
Martyn
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Independent rubber torsion axles have been a disaster off-road with and without shocks.
The Australian Army has had multiple failures, failures in the Sahara, failures in the Kalahari, failures in Baja. No way to fix the axles in the field, you either have to replaces them as a unit or weld the drop arm as a solid unit to the cross member.
You can read a little about them at http://www.adventuretrailers.com/suspension.html
Martyn
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Nice set up. How did you incorporate the torsion bar?
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
The Sube rear sub-frame looks to be very similar to the VW Type 3 design. In the latter's case the trailing arm is attached to the outer end of the transverse oriented torsion bars. This is true of all of the air cooled VW rear suspensions too, but only the Type 3 sub-frames are easily removed.
It is possible to now buy all of the parts to build such a suspension from the aftermarket, no need to search out a T3 rear sub-frame unless frugality is the goal.
In the VW design there are aftermarket parts that place a spherical rod end where the trailing arm's "spring plate" connected to the torsion bar to allow for the use of coil-over dampers.
It is possible to now buy all of the parts to build such a suspension from the aftermarket, no need to search out a T3 rear sub-frame unless frugality is the goal.
In the VW design there are aftermarket parts that place a spherical rod end where the trailing arm's "spring plate" connected to the torsion bar to allow for the use of coil-over dampers.
OlympiaFJ60
Adventurer
I have thought about designing a multi use off road trailer like mentioned here. Wasn't sure there would be much of a market but if AT is working one something 
If I ever get my sketches finished I will post them up.
If I ever get my sketches finished I will post them up.
deepmud
Adventurer
Subaru made it easy. It unbolts from the car with just 4 bolts, and it's all incorporated. This unit was from a 2WD Wagon with over 100,000 miles on it. I've used it in the woods, hauling logs for firewood. I had a Mutt, an M151 "jeep" - and it would drive right over fallen trees, and the trailer loaded with logs handled that just fine. It is truly excellent off-road, even with the teeny 13" rims/small tires of the original car. I eventually built a new topper and enlarged the deck to what you see now, and it handled running the Alaska Highway too.
Something to be said for OEM car-stuff - Subaru is a VERY common car up here in Alaska, and breaking rear suspensions is not a failure I have ever seen - i.e. lots of rusty, crappy, worn-out Subaru's but none dragging the rear-end close to the ground - believe, me, the owners wouldn't stop driving them for little things like no rear suspension
. For a 1000 pound payload, I think it's the simplest/strongest/best suspension for a home-built on a budget. The only downside is that 2WD isn't very common in Alaska, so spares would be tougher. A 4WD rear assembly would be nearly the same, and my friend has one we plan to make a trailer out of, one of these days .As for coil-overs or springs instead of the torsions that are incorporated, I think if the load carrying capacity of the Subaru isn't enough, you need to buy AT's suspension.
deepmud
Adventurer
I'd add that when I first built my trailer I was in my early 20's and had NO "skilz" - I got the big C-channel steel from a discarded conveyor belt where I worked, I cut the channel with a hacksaw so I could bend a v-nose in it, and drilled/bolted it all together. The axle was sourced from a 'Bru that had be parted out for it's motor - no one wanted the 2wd axle in Alaska (hence free) - so my only cash outlay was the hitch, bolts, and sheet of plywood to cut and fit down in the bottom of the frame. About $40 total.
I think with paying a junkyard for an axle, getting new steel and hiring someone to do some welding, you could still get one put together for under $500.
For peace of mind and being able to buy parts new, the VW axles would make a lot of sense, but I don't know the cost compared to buying AT suspension pieces - I don't know if there would be an advantage at that point? Although, now that I think of it, I can imagine places like Baja having LOTS of shadetree mechanics who could fix VW-like parts if something broke - maybe that is a good reason to go VW?
I think with paying a junkyard for an axle, getting new steel and hiring someone to do some welding, you could still get one put together for under $500.
For peace of mind and being able to buy parts new, the VW axles would make a lot of sense, but I don't know the cost compared to buying AT suspension pieces - I don't know if there would be an advantage at that point? Although, now that I think of it, I can imagine places like Baja having LOTS of shadetree mechanics who could fix VW-like parts if something broke - maybe that is a good reason to go VW?
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
From what I can tell from the few pics the VW and the Sube differ mostly in the details. The basic design is the same. One could build up a VW based trailer suspension using all aftermarket parts, but it would not be the lowest cost approach.
I'm going to have to have a look at a Sube in person. I'm curious what might interchange......
I'm going to have to have a look at a Sube in person. I'm curious what might interchange......
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deepmud
Adventurer
Subaru always seemed like a water-cooled VW but I bet they changed enough that it won't swap - like the metric-Chevy in the Land-Cruiser.:elkgrin:
My axle is early 80's - the older units were two-piece, which would require alignment, bla-bla-bla. I don't know what year the easy-to-swap single-piece went away, but I'd guess it ends with Legacy styles, after that it seemed to go to McPherson struts all around.
I searched quite a bit, and didn't find any cut-away drawings to post up. I did see some other threads where I posted my trailer before, lol.
Here it's got 2300 pounds of flooring on it.
but I bet they changed enough that it won't swap - like the metric-Chevy in the Land-Cruiser.:elkgrin:My axle is early 80's - the older units were two-piece, which would require alignment, bla-bla-bla. I don't know what year the easy-to-swap single-piece went away, but I'd guess it ends with Legacy styles, after that it seemed to go to McPherson struts all around.
I searched quite a bit, and didn't find any cut-away drawings to post up. I did see some other threads where I posted my trailer before, lol.
Here it's got 2300 pounds of flooring on it.