Offered trailer build

[Westcoastmark]

Hi all.

I've been lurking around here for awhile getting ideas for my trailer and thought it was time to share the fruit of my labour!
A little background info first though.

I live in Western Australia, and after a few camping trips with the car fully loaded I decided it was time for a trailer. I had a look at commercially made ones, however the price was prohibitive.
Thats when I started looking at this and other forums, I was impressed with what people were making and decided to have a go myself.

Here in Australia many camper trailers are huge! I just wanted something small, that I could also use as a general purpose trailer if needed.

So with many ideas kicking around in my head I was off to my local trailer parts store and bought an axle, hubs with a six stud Landcruiser pattern and some offered leaf springs.
Then it was off to the steel shop for some 50 x 50 mm (sorry for the metric sizing) tube 3 mm thick to make the chassis.



The next step was to make the drawbar, here our drawbars consist of two tubes which form a "V" and are welded under the chassis. I like the U.S style of a single drawbar and decided to use a bit of both designs and have a main tube 75mm x 75mm x 4mm with side rails 50mm x 75mm x 3mm coming in from the sides.



Next step was to make the frame.



I'll post some more tomorrow

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Gallowbraid]

Off to a great start!

 

[Westcoastmark]

So, once I had the frame done, I then had a metal shop cut and bend the sides and ends for me. For height on the sides I went 600mm (just under 2ft) and 1.6mm thick steel.



For the guards and the floor I used 2mm thick steel. I also made a hitch on the back for a recovery point.




Next was to make jerry can holders for the sides and a spare wheel carrier. The jerry can holders are 2mm steel, one on each side. For the spare wheel, a friend had a carrier from a jeep.
I had to take out the top two studs and space them a bit further apart to fit my 6 stud pattern. I welded this onto the tailgate.

 

[Westcoastmark]

For those interested, the hitch I am using is a McHitch hitch. These are based on the uni joint form a Landcruiser.



The other thing I am doing is making storage boxes to go on the guards. I looked at having them made, but the price was more then I could justify.
So I am using aluminium tool boxes and am re making them with better locks and changing the hinge so the lid opens out, rather than up.
I also added a dust seal inside the box for the lid to seal against.

So, from this.



To this.




Thats pretty much where I am at the moment. This weekend I will be working on a hard lid and hopefully the rack which will eventually take a RTT.

 

[FinsUp]

Looks great. I really like the adaptation of the aluminum toolboxes.

 

[Westcoastmark]

Thanks Finsup, I was quoted about $400 each to have them made:Wow1: With the cost of the box and new parts, they cost me about $150 each.

Cheers,

Mark