so im going to build me a hard core trailer..

[supersize75k5]

Make it as long as you can. Mine is 18' because that is what I could afford & is what they had on the lot. If I had the choice I would have went for at least 20' with 22-24' being even better.

As for the deck use wood. Metal offers very little traction to get onto the deck. Going full flatbed is the way to go, don't do just tire strips. Do it right the first time.

Are those 5 lug axles? 5 lug axles are typically rated for 3500lbs each so you will have a 7K rated trailer when you are done. So keep in mind that 7K is total weight including the trailer. My trailer weighs about 1600lbs so I have a max load weight of 5400lbs which my K5 is at or just above.

Do both axles have brakes? Dual brakes is a bigtime plus for stopping.

Harley

bingo..

on the axels I just put these on since they were the right price, 8k axels are already lined up. But I am also kicking around the idea of simply keeping the trailer light, the blazer wont be around after the buggy is done, and the buggy wont weight as much as the blazer. the only other thing I would tow is my friends jeep or a blazer and that keeps me in my weight range.

and yes both are new and both have brakes, also helped make it a deal.

im still thinking, I like the idea of big and heavy and such, but there is alot to be said for keeping it light and only as long as I need.

i think 16 foot is what I am going to shoot for, I really like the one I used for the parker trip.

 

[Hossbaby50]

Your gasser may have some guts on the flats towing a K5 with a lighter trailer but if you build a big heavy trailer & rig on a good grade you will be hating life. I would reserve the heavy trailer for a diesel if that is still your plans. A 7K trailer should tow anything you need within reason. Marv said he has hauled Suburbans on his 7K trailer before with no problems.

Also keep in mind that even with heavier axles it doesn't mean the deck will handle the weight with a huge load. The metal it looks like you are using doesn't look super beefy. Also keep in mind that even heavier rated 2 5/16" couplers (which you should use) & balls are only rated for a 10K typically.

Harley

 

[supersize75k5]

yet more reason to keep it lighter no reason to build a 20 foot or more crazy dove tailed trailer and over tax my truck. as for the material, same and in some cases stronger than that found on triple axle toy haulers I have worked on, I want this to be safe, reliable, trouble free and affordable.

I am thankfull for the imput,

revised paln calls for a 16 foot, full width trailer, drive overs, wood deck and pull out ramps in the rear. it does not apeal to me to have ramps you have to remove and carry over and set in place. i like craigs idea on the lights as well with a switch. heck even lights on the trailer insides would be nice for repair or rig maintaince if needed, a vice would be nice. also plan to just buy brand new tires for piece of mind.

i think I might even pin strip it and go for a manuactured look..

 

[bdozeraz]

As for the deck use wood. Metal offers very little traction to get onto the deck. Harley

Wood sucks. I would use diamond plate steel or aluminum if you can afford it. My brother scored me some 1/4" aluminum diamond plate for my trailer and I love it. As far as traction I haven't noticed much if any difference between the wood and the diamond plate.

The wood just doesn't hold up in the sun around here. I have tried water seal, paint, and other coatings on the wood and none of them hold up. The wood dries out, warps, and cracks all to hell in a couple of years. Plus the aluminum diamond plate was about 150 pounds lighter than the wood.

 

[Hossbaby50]

You won't be happy if you build a 16' trailer. You will find a K30 crewcab somewhere cheap again & you will want to haul it home but it won't fit on your trailer. The longer the trailer is the better it tows. I would build it 20' to be totally honest. I would also build ramps cause one day you will want to put something other then a offroad truck on there or you will need to put a broken offroad truck on the trailer & you won't be able to get it on there since it is to high or you don't have 4x4 drive.

Brent, a few people I talked with said that the metal deck trailers don't give as much traction as the wood deck trailers especially if your tires are muddy or the deck is wet.

Harley

 

[ntsqd]

snip.....
do you think the axle idea would really work?

Do you want pics?
The Project: Cheep Utility Trailer (CUT) now has about 2k miles on it, mostly from hauling motorcycles to the desert. Which means it is WAY over-built. Has about 3 gallons of 90wt. in the axle tube, which is about 2 gallons more than planned on. Oh well, I don't think we'll ever overheat those Timken wheel bearings.

I hate how ramps rattle. I've not yet seen a ramp design that didn't. I'd give it a mild beaver tail so that the buggy can drive on w/o using them.
A long tongue is more important to towing stability than just a long trailer.

I've walked on wet wood decks. They suck.

I've walked on wet diamond plate decks. They suck.

I'd look into Marine deck paint with the traction additive.

I'm partly cracking up too, I hear nearly constant comments here & elsewhere about how Kalifornia is too restrictive & has too many laws. FWIW I agree, but then I compare what it took to get a plate on the CUT vs. what it takes to get a plate in PA and I gotta laugh. We took the trailer down to the DMV all worried that we were going to get grilled and then reamed. They didn't even check that the lights worked & it was something less than $50 for the whole process.

 

[supersize75k5]

You won't be happy if you build a 16' trailer. You will find a K30 crewcab somewhere cheap again & you will want to haul it home but it won't fit on your trailer. The longer the trailer is the better it tows. I would build it 20' to be totally honest. I would also build ramps cause one day you will want to put something other then a offroad truck on there or you will need to put a broken offroad truck on the trailer & you won't be able to get it on there since it is to high or you don't have 4x4 drive.

Brent, a few people I talked with said that the metal deck trailers don't give as much traction as the wood deck trailers especially if your tires are muddy or the deck is wet.

Harley

im going to come off as a smart a$$ im sure..


I hear you man, i am thinking about using what I have, a 20 foot is a big differance in things such as storing it, parking and manuvering I would think. as for buying another crew cab..im pretty much done with the whole vehicle/buy sell disasemble/trade crap. Also i have learned I am time and money ahead to just have things towed with a tow truck now, I know 2 driver/owners of tow companies and it is worth it, I had the 86 towed to the shop so I could build it, and I had the buggy towed from my last garage to the shop... no fussing with it, just have it done. the reason I want to build my own trailer..I happen to have the resoureces and deals to do it cheaper than most and I like building things.




there will be ramps on this, the thought of having a dead rig and no ramps sounds like death.

 

[bdozeraz]

they probably got better traction on the wood because it was all warped and cracked so they had more edges to get a bite on. You can add traction aiding features to the metal deck such as pieces of expanded metal. I just really like the maintance free aspect of the metal deck vs. wood.

 

[jekbrown]

metal decks get hot as hell in the sun, and if you drop something metal on them about 2am at your favorite camp site, you might get an ass kicking.

I really like wood decks on trailers. There has to be something that will protect them from the arizona sun... I mean.. you guys have some houses that are made out of wood.... right? How does it last more than a couple of years?

j

 

[az-k5]

yet more reason to keep it lighter no reason to build a 20 foot or more crazy dove tailed trailer and over tax my truck. as for the material, same and in some cases stronger than that found on triple axle toy haulers I have worked on, I want this to be safe, reliable, trouble free and affordable.

What size channel are you using?

Comparing a flatbed to a toy box is apples to oranges. The toy box uses the sides and a predicted loading (water tank, galley, ect always in the same place) to keep them light and strong. The trailer you used in parker had rails, this is a huge cheat to make an otherwise weak flatbed trailer more rigid. It is a solution though.


If length is driven by the steel you already have try and put at least a 2' dove on the 16' trailer.

 

[supersize75k5]

just priced out wood, dang..for a 2x8x16 = 11.70 each and I want 15 of them


have to get resourcefull on that... hmm

 

[supersize75k5]

What size channel are you using?

Comparing a flatbed to a toy box is apples to oranges. The toy box uses the sides and a predicted loading (water tank, galley, ect always in the same place) to keep them light and strong. The trailer you used in parker had rails, this is a huge cheat to make an otherwise weak flatbed trailer more rigid. It is a solution though.


If length is driven by the steel you already have try and put at least a 2' dove on the 16' trailer.

the steel is 20 feet x 4 inch [ channel, I am going to use the trailer you saw as a base for the design and measurements, also will incorporate the rails as well,


thanks for the input guys as for the dove tail, im up for that as well I guess just need to find out how high to leave the rear off the ground and how much to drop it for a two foor dove tail.

 

[diesel4me]

slip-sliding away...

My older brother used to run ice races on frozen lakes,and used a beavertail ramp truck we made from a E-350 cube van, to transport the race cars to the lake..one big problem was traction ,when attempting to drive the car up on the ramp bed--they use tire chains on all 4 wheels (motorcycle chain on the FWD front tires!),and often the car would go halfway up the ramp,then slide sideways on the wet diamond plate bed floor!--more than once the car slid right off,and it was a long tedious process to get them off without damage when that occoured,and getting them loaded was a chore..

We often slid on the wet steel,and got injured too..icy steel sucks to walk on!..

We ended up bolting two 2' wide sheets of 3/4" plywood to the bed, where the tires rode,and never had any trouble driving them up after that..we used rubberized undercoating on the wood to help preserve it..it lasted at least 5 seasons,then he removed it when he sold the truck..he used to store the ramps on each side in stake pocket holes,much like a stake rack truck body's sides are..no rattles when cinched down by ratchet straps,and handy and easy to get at--also keeps loose items from tumbling off either side of the bed too..

I've seen a few home built ramp trucks with nothing more than 2 or 3 layers of 3/4" plywood for the bed floor,with "joists" about 12-16" apart,that guys use to scrap cars and metal with--they held up suprisingly well!..one I saw was made with marine grade plywood ,with fiberglass resin used to laminate the plys instead of exterior glue like house grade plywood--that stuff was pretty much bomb proof!..after seeing what that stuff held up too,I wouldn't be afraid to use it for a truck bed or trailer floor..

 

[supersize75k5]

ok im at a decision point, currently the axels under it are hydro brakes,

so this means I go to electri and all new parts, or plumb it for hydrolic

cost before discount or shopping around


hydro brake set up=275.00
- hydro controler with coupler 171.40
-tandom axel line kit with rubber and hard lines 64.00
-heavy duty jack on sale 41.00


electric brakes= 281.56
-backing plates ready to go 47.68 x4
-brake away on sale 30.00
- hd coupler on sale,v style 30.00
-heavy duty jack 41.00


I am not to familure with hydro brakes, seems like more crap to fail and with the new backing plates I have all new everything and less time to put together vs the hydro where I have to run the lines.


any benifit with the hydro? seems like it could be a pain reversing or a pain while steering on down hill grades??

 

[bdozeraz]

hydro is good if you want to pull it with anything. You don't have to have a brake controler on the tow vehicle. They can be a pain to back up. Most have a pin you can put in to lock them out if need be. I think they require more maintanence to work properly than electric.

Electric you have a controler that you can adjust braking while you drive or apply the trailer brakes only in an emergency to straiten out the trailer. I personally prefer the electric brakes.

 

[supersize75k5]

running total so far if I go electric

axels and metal 300.00
wood 180.00
reg and perm plate 150 or so
coupler 30.00
brake away 30.00
backing plates 190.00
jack 40.00
tires 200-300


puts me under 1200.00 well in my range and what I dont mind spending

things such as wires, lights and such I already have.

 

[pauly383]

Well hell , may as well go buy a winch too

 

[bowtiepower00]

I've got a 16 footer, and it works for lots of things but I really wish it was bigger. Another thing to consider is having room to shift a vehicle forward and backward to get the tongue weight right. The 2 ft dove tail would be nice too. Mines wood deck, I've used both. IMO, the ultimate would be line-xed diamond plate. You could run expanded metal down the middle to save weight and still be able to carry stuff. I'd try to incorperate storage for spare parts (axleshafts, etc) that you want to always carry, and perhaps another fullsize trail spare for your rig. For the brakes, hydraulic are no-fuss, but they aren't nearly as smooth as electric. Easier to get the pogo sensation from the surge setup. I would try for 18-20 if at all possible for the length, and lots of well protected lights. Don't forget to add room for a decent sized toolbox for straps and tow equipment.

 

[supersize75k5]

Well hell , may as well go buy a winch too

\
I may buy a cheapy one for it, but the buggy will have its own winch..

I do like the idea of recessed storage in the middle, kind of like a boat, so I can store the straps/chain and make it hidden

another idea im kicking around it just make it 16 foot deck and add the dovetail, not to much extra weight

 

[MNorby]

I would definately use rubber gromment mount lights everywhere. We have rebuilt many trailers at work and that is the only way to go. The screw on one always end up broken off.