Agreed..
I made a "car hauler" with my co-worker at the junkyard,from a set of drive on ramps from an old car lift,and two rear "tube"axles from FWD Caddilac Eldorados from the 70's..we cut and widened the axles--used the heavy wall pipe from the lift the ramps came from to stretch them....just happenned to fit perfect..
We made it with no springs (dead axle),and it was made mostly of channel iron and pipe..(the frame)..the tounge was pirated from the office trailer parked in the yard for decades--had a 2-5/16" coupler!
...even found a ball to match on a junked pickup's bumper..I think we had 25 bucks total into it for welding rods..rest was free scrap from the yard!..
Did it tow good?--I'd say yes!--we towed a 69 Camaro to NH to the drag races and back,it towed and tracked very well--for having NO suspension,I was suprised how good it rode!..but it was scary when trying to stop quickly with no brakes hooked up..the axles still had calipers and rotors,but no master cylinder to actuate them..the rear of our 3/4 ton tow rig was shoved sideways at a stoplight ,during a quick stop on the way home!
..nothing happenned,but we both needed clean shorts when we got home!.(I felt the rear of the truck come right off the ground!)
.
It weighed about 2000+ lbs empty!..(we weighed it on the scrap scales!)--so,to be legal here,we could only add 1000 lbs more without brakes..adding the brakes and getting them working would be another 150 bucks I'd guess..and another days work..plus trailers need titles here now too,over a certain GVW...
Then,another guy borrowed and used it once,to tow a car home he bought from the junkyard....he got pulled over because the taillights were out on one side..the state cop didn't like the looks of the trailer at all..he cited the guy for having no brakes,and said "dead axles are name DEAD for a reason--I'm not sure,but I think they are not legal!--and you could at least PAINT it!"
...(it was rusty scrap fresh from the pile--we hadn't gotten around to painting it yet!)..I think the fines came to over 100 bucks!..
So,we spent a few weeks of welding,cutting,fabbing,and getting tired and dirty...for not much satisfaction..sure,it will haul cars..but your butt could get hauled to jail for using it here too(your laws may vary!)..
A few weeks later someone junked a better trailer (factory made) than what we had built!
--it only needed rims,tires,and new decking..had brakes that were rusty,but we got them working..I'm not sure if my co-worker kept the other one we made,or not..
I'd only build small utility trailers from now on..anything big enough to haul cars ,or anything heavier,should be BOUGHT, not built in my opinion,unless you have lots of time,money,and free labor..not that it can't be done,and done right..I just feel its a toss up as far as cost VS time and end results..
I like ramp trucks better than trailers anyway,even though they are more costly to register and insure,and need lots of maintenence..I'm not a fan of towing trailers really..
I made a "car hauler" with my co-worker at the junkyard,from a set of drive on ramps from an old car lift,and two rear "tube"axles from FWD Caddilac Eldorados from the 70's..we cut and widened the axles--used the heavy wall pipe from the lift the ramps came from to stretch them....just happenned to fit perfect..
We made it with no springs (dead axle),and it was made mostly of channel iron and pipe..(the frame)..the tounge was pirated from the office trailer parked in the yard for decades--had a 2-5/16" coupler!
...even found a ball to match on a junked pickup's bumper..I think we had 25 bucks total into it for welding rods..rest was free scrap from the yard!..Did it tow good?--I'd say yes!--we towed a 69 Camaro to NH to the drag races and back,it towed and tracked very well--for having NO suspension,I was suprised how good it rode!..but it was scary when trying to stop quickly with no brakes hooked up..the axles still had calipers and rotors,but no master cylinder to actuate them..the rear of our 3/4 ton tow rig was shoved sideways at a stoplight ,during a quick stop on the way home!
..nothing happenned,but we both needed clean shorts when we got home!.(I felt the rear of the truck come right off the ground!) .It weighed about 2000+ lbs empty!..(we weighed it on the scrap scales!)--so,to be legal here,we could only add 1000 lbs more without brakes..adding the brakes and getting them working would be another 150 bucks I'd guess..and another days work..plus trailers need titles here now too,over a certain GVW...
Then,another guy borrowed and used it once,to tow a car home he bought from the junkyard....he got pulled over because the taillights were out on one side..the state cop didn't like the looks of the trailer at all..he cited the guy for having no brakes,and said "dead axles are name DEAD for a reason--I'm not sure,but I think they are not legal!--and you could at least PAINT it!"
...(it was rusty scrap fresh from the pile--we hadn't gotten around to painting it yet!)..I think the fines came to over 100 bucks!.. So,we spent a few weeks of welding,cutting,fabbing,and getting tired and dirty...for not much satisfaction..sure,it will haul cars..but your butt could get hauled to jail for using it here too(your laws may vary!)..
A few weeks later someone junked a better trailer (factory made) than what we had built!
--it only needed rims,tires,and new decking..had brakes that were rusty,but we got them working..I'm not sure if my co-worker kept the other one we made,or not..I'd only build small utility trailers from now on..anything big enough to haul cars ,or anything heavier,should be BOUGHT, not built in my opinion,unless you have lots of time,money,and free labor..not that it can't be done,and done right..I just feel its a toss up as far as cost VS time and end results..
I like ramp trucks better than trailers anyway,even though they are more costly to register and insure,and need lots of maintenence..I'm not a fan of towing trailers really..
