This summer I'm going to tear down a 2-horse trailer and rebuild it into a small
heavy flatbed/stakeside (5½x9½'). My design goal is to be able to carry 3500#
loads. What I need to do is to choose the lightest steel pieces which will take
the load. Unfortunately, my intuition was developed building large oceangoing
ships, and I tend to massively overdesign every steel structure I make. If I'm
making a surface plate stand for example, there is little penalty, but on a
hitch-mounted trailer, every pound you put into the trailer subtracts from the
payload. This isn't a standard trailer design as far as I can tell, so I can't
just buy some plans and order steel.

I plan to use steel channel for the frame box, angle for the stringers, and use
2x6" tongue-and-groove fir for the deck. I'm leaning towards 4" steel channel
and 2x2x1/4" angle.

Ideas? Comments? Suggestions? All welcome ..

Grant Erwin
Kirkland, Washington