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John Rumm
 
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Default Small trailer plans

ME wrote:
Hi all

I am planning on building a small trailer to tow with the car, for camping
stuff and taking garden rubish to the council tip and fetching building
materials etc.

Does anybody have any tips on how to build it and what size of steel i
should use for the chassis and what wood I should use for the floor/sides.

Any other tips and sugestions welcome.


Not wishing to rain on your DIY parade - but I did notice that last time
I was near a B&Q warehouse they were knocking out 3 different sized
trailers. The cheapest was well under 200 quid IIRC.



--
Cheers,

John.

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Jeremy Collins
 
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Default Small trailer plans

ME wrote:


Does anybody have any tips on how to build it and what size of steel i
should use for the chassis and what wood I should use for the floor/sides.


Maybe it's worth punting around for an old 2nd hand trailer, and
junking everything except the chassis. You could rebuild from there.

It's amazing what people leave in scrap yards sometimes...

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

  #3   Report Post  
Paul Hewish
 
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Default Small trailer plans

Drew,

Check out the Indespension Trailer web-site http://www.indespension.co.uk
lots of info on what's available, from specialist trailers though to parts
to build your own.

I build a trailer years ago using their suspension units which came complete
with stub axles; these were then mated with Mini wheels & hubs. The
suspension units were bolted to flanges that I'd welded onto a length of
scaffold pole which acted as the main 'dead' axle onto which the trailer box
was mounted. The towbar was bolted to a long length of scaffold pole which
was then connected to the 'dead' axle via a tubular crucifix. I did it this
way so the whole thing could be easily dismantled for storage. I found to
construction easy as I had access to welding equipment. It would be
possible to make a trailer using bolted angle iron but drilling this type of
material is often beyond the capacity of the average DIY electric drill. Of
course you could always hire tools for the build.

I'm not sure that I'd build another one these days - John Rumm is correct
when he says that good, inexpensive, kit is available at the local DIY
sheds.

Paul


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Richard Savage
 
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Default Small trailer plans

Paul Hewish wrote:

Drew,

Check out the Indespension Trailer web-site http://www.indespension.co.uk
lots of info on what's available, from specialist trailers though to parts
to build your own.

I build a trailer years ago using their suspension units which came complete
with stub axles; these were then mated with Mini wheels & hubs. The
suspension units were bolted to flanges that I'd welded onto a length of
scaffold pole which acted as the main 'dead' axle onto which the trailer box
was mounted. The towbar was bolted to a long length of scaffold pole which
was then connected to the 'dead' axle via a tubular crucifix. I did it this
way so the whole thing could be easily dismantled for storage. I found to
construction easy as I had access to welding equipment. It would be
possible to make a trailer using bolted angle iron but drilling this type of
material is often beyond the capacity of the average DIY electric drill. Of
course you could always hire tools for the build.

I'm not sure that I'd build another one these days - John Rumm is correct
when he says that good, inexpensive, kit is available at the local DIY
sheds.

Paul


Drew,

I have been rebuilding an 8' x 4' x 2' x 1 tonne leaf sprung single axle with
over run brakes trailer for the past two years on and off. I got it for £20
from a local independant trailer supplier in an awful condition. Completion has
become something of a crusade, especially as I do not need a trailer this big.

However, if you do decide to DIY it I would suggest making friends with your
local branch of Indespension and buying their catalogue. Then find a steel
stockholder/fabricator and make friends with the least unapproachable bloke
there with a welding torch in his hand. You'll need the stockholder as a source
of material and the welder for advice on building techniques and for access to
his scrap bin.

A couple of relevant points from the Indespension book: Towing more than 750Kg
or half the weight of the towing vehicle, whichever is less will requires your
trailer to be fitted with brakes. Since 1989 only auto reversing over run
brakes can be fitted (i.e. not ex-car hubs) and the coupling on a trailer made
after Oct 1982 must be fitted with a hydraulic damper. So, if you are building
a trailer where the gross weight will exceed 750Kg - and to be honest, as John
and Paul above say, why bother if you aren't, unless you are building e.g. a
bike trailer - you will need expensive braking sytems and couplings.

On the other hand if you can find a derelict trailer of a suitable size, or a
bit bigger, that has rescueable non-auto reversing brakes and a spring damped
coupling you can restore it to it's original condition and method of operation.
This is what I am doing but I reckon that I could have replaced my
slightly-too-small unbraked trailer with a rather flimsy and almost big enough
unbraked trailer for what I will have spent on the restoration. However that
would have been far less satisfying.

If you do go down the restoration route I can thoroughly recommend Bonda Prima
for treating the metalwork. It's a vicious rust gripping red oxide primer that
makes standard red oxide from the sheds pale into insignificance. Costs £25 x
2.5L but is well worth the money

If you want to be bored by any more details of the saga of my trailer rebuild
drop me a line.

BOL

Richard

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ME
 
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Default Small trailer plans

My local B & Q didn't have any trailers, Halfords do, YUCK and expensive!!
I didnt mention in my original post, I have looked at several second hand
trailers and although I consider myself handy with a welder etc, miricles
I'm not so good at, I can't weld rust.:-)

Ok, spent the day researching

Suspension units 500kg capacity
Hubs to fit Ford wheel (I have a ford mondeo, so wont need spare for the
trailer)
weld on plates for units
All from http://www.trailerpartswarehouse.co.uk
total cost £87

Went to my local Smithy

Angle iron, 50mm x 50mm x 5mm x 6 metres £12 (base)
30mm x 30mm x 5mm 6 x 12 metres £25 (top and to make hinged back door)
Box section, 50mm x 50mm x 5mm x 4 metres (for drawbar that goes all the way
to the back of the trailer and for the axle)
£56

Local scrappie wants £5 for a pair of Mondeo wheels with tyres

Already have tow hitch ( only salvagable thing from my old trailer)

Have welder, angle grinder, clamps lots of space and have been welding for
ten years (self tought) although I'm used to welding broken JCB diggers, RSJ
etc

I'm planing on floorboards for the floor and sides, would I be better of
with plywood? what will last longer?

So is this overkill? I want to be able to do 70 down the motorway loaded
with with 300 - 400 Kg's of whatever

Thanks for the input guys

Drew







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Andrew McKay
 
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Default Small trailer plans

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 20:02:36 +0100, "ME"
wrote:

So is this overkill? I want to be able to do 70 down the motorway loaded
with with 300 - 400 Kg's of whatever


I think you will find the limit is 60mph, unless someone can correct
me.

Andrew

Do you need a handyman service? Check out our
web site at http://www.handymac.co.uk
  #7   Report Post  
ME
 
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Default Small trailer plans


"Andrew McKay" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 20:02:36 +0100, "ME"
wrote:

So is this overkill? I want to be able to do 70 down the motorway loaded
with with 300 - 400 Kg's of whatever


I think you will find the limit is 60mph, unless someone can correct
me.


Good point, just had a look at
http://www.towsure.co.uk/ntta/law/driving/driving.asp and the limit for
ordenary roads is 50 and dual crageways and motorways 60 right enough.



Andrew

Do you need a handyman service? Check out our
web site at http://www.handymac.co.uk



  #8   Report Post  
Simon Avery
 
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Default Small trailer plans

"ME" wrote:

Hello ME

M| I am planning on building a small trailer to tow with the
M| car, for camping stuff and taking garden rubish to the
M| council tip and fetching building materials etc.


Useful things, no doubt about it.

M| Does anybody have any tips on how to build it and what size
M| of steel i should use for the chassis and what wood I
M| should use for the floor/sides.


One of my favourites is a back axle off a Vauxhall Viva, with a square
of 2" angle about 4mm thick, with a triangle back to the spring
hangers to the towhitch. 1/2 ton easily, although I have had a tonne
in it. Just refurbished it for the fourth time...

Modern indespension axles are great though, but cost the thing out
properly - it can definately be cheaper to buy a ready made galvanised
trailer.

DO look around for a knackered one, a note in your local PO's window
might bring in one for nowt. Even if it's not exactly what you want,
you can cut and shut the chassis to suit. As long as the wheels turn
and the chassis is structurally sound, the rest is easy.

For the bed, I've used 18mm WPB ply. Coated all over with three coats
of bitumastic emulsion. For the sides, the same stuff with gloss, or
tanalised fencing rails (last longer, no repainting). Using it today
behind my lawnmower for shifting hedge cuttings around.

--
Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK
uk.d-i-y FAQ: http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/

  #9   Report Post  
Simon Avery
 
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Default Small trailer plans

Andrew McKay wrote:

Hello Andrew

So is this overkill? I want to be able to do 70 down the
motorway loaded with with 300 - 400 Kg's of whatever


AM| I think you will find the limit is 60mph, unless someone can
AM| correct me.


You're right, for dual carriageways and motorways.

BTW, of note - did you know that non car-derived vans (Transits,
Sprinters, LDVs etc) are limited to 50 on single carriageway and 60 on
dual carriageways?[1] Not a lot of people seem to know that, least of
all the drivers...

--
[1] 70 on Motorways, though.

Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK
uk.d-i-y FAQ: http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/

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