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

[beater_k20]

a 20 foot is a big differance in things such as storing it, parking and manuvering I would think.

you're absoletly right, it does make a difference. a longer trailer is WAY easier to back.

as for buying another crew cab..im pretty much done with the whole vehicle/buy sell disasemble/trade crap.

i'll believe that when i see it.

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.

so why not save the money for tow bills when you want to go wheeling? after all, it is easier just to call someone and have them tow it, right?

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!..

right, and he's going to have hue problems with an icy trailer deck in Arizona.

 

[bowtiepower00]

If keeping it light is a priority, use an aluminum diamond plate for the deck. That stuff is real light. I've used aluminum extrusion (think bleachers) but it's really expensive. I would take the time to install recessed D-rings all over the place- be careful on the load rating though, many of them aren't rated for much at all. It sounds like a muscle car is in your future, I'd plan for that too, that's where a dovetail is nice.

 

[supersize75k5]

beaterk20..LOL

I would not be trying to tow a 1 ton for parts out to a trail, having it on a flat bed, or a non movable project is way easier to position and stab in a hole it it get delivered on a flat bed tow truck.. having a trailer wont make that easy reguardless. my next project will be a classic car, something that actually is worth something and cant go off road.. when the buggy is done I am not sure if I will even feel the need to kep the 86, I think I might just for a weekend driver or soemthing to play with, maybe do the 07 front end on it sometime..

some things really are worth just paying for in that case such as dead horses that need a tow, the only reason I am even bothering with building a trailer is the dollar amount worked out in my favor.

I have alot of time to tinker and this gives me something to build, not to mention the 1000-1500 I save can buy the tires on the buggy

 

[Hossbaby50]

Keep in mind that if you tow to certain states (I know Colorado does) brake away brakes are required & are a big ticket if you don't have them. Electric brakes are pretty easy to do with a brake away, I don't know anything about the hydro setup w/ brakeaways.

Also if you run electric brakes take the time & run some conduit under the trailer to fish the wire into so you don't have it exposed to the elements & road debris. My Carson doesn't have that but I may add it at some point in time to protect it.

Harley

 

[JEBSR]

I took a week or two reading differant post from differant sites about whether or not to go hydraulic or electric when I was considering building one and it all came down to one thing for me. Safety. I live where there are alot of hills and it gets pretty windy sometimes. If my trailer were to start swaying with electric brakes I can simply apply them with the brake controller and correct the problem. If I had hydraulic I would have to hit the brakes on the towing vehicle to apply the trailer brakes. That could either fix the problem or add to the problem depending on the situation. That is the sole reason I chose electric. However I also feel they would be less maintenance in the long run.

 

[kgblazerfive]

Best stuff I have ever seen for a trailer deck is the floor of a semi trailer the allum. kind strong, light and has a pattern in it.

 

[bowtiepower00]

Most hydraulic setups I've seen run a safety chain from the master to activate the brakes in case of a brakeaway.
If hauling a nice car is in the future, I'd make accomodation now for a large detachable rock guard on the front, Down the road, I'd make one out of aluminum diamond plate and easily removable, possibly add a tire rack to it for racing.
I would also wire everything into a barrier strip in a weather resistant box, so that I could replace indivdual components by removing a couple of screws and some silicone, instead of cutting and splicing a harness.
I've seen some winch setups that place the winch inside of a aluminum toolbox at the front of the trailer to protect the winch from the weather.
Good built in ramp brackets are a must too if you're going to be hauling cars around.
Another thing to keep in mind for cars is door to fender/ trailer tire or rail clearance. Being able to fully open a door makes a car much easier to load.

 

[Clod_King]

I used to work in a freezer, and I know for a fact that aluminum diamon plate is slippery sh!t.

the whole floor of the freezer was done in that stuff. Power jacks slid all over the place in there. And I am not talking about only in sub-zero temperatures either. We had to thaw it out because dumba$$es that intstalled the freezers didn't hook up the drains correctly, and we had huge puddles of ice all over the place.

When it was thawed out, there was water all over the floor. Between the condensation, and the thawed puddles of ice, it was not fun to walk on. I specifically made a point to not walk in there after I slipped and fell. the stuff would be good if there was a traction compound coating it, but it didn't, and it blew huge chunks.

I know doing the whole bed would be a b!tch, and expensive, so maybe just do the outer edges, and leave a good 3-4 foot strip of uncoated decking. Save money on that, and you would have less chances of getting it on your hootis, hahaha. Oh god that was a funny thread, although I had to read most of it on pirate.

Anyways man, i think it is a great friggin' idea, and I say go for it, and keep it as simple as possible. If we had more then a 6 square foot lawn, and a two car driveway, then I would want a trailor too. But post build up pics if you can. I want to see it go from the ground up.

Good Luck!!

 

[Greg72]

What about using T-REX (that synthetic wood-looking stuff?) that they sell at Home Depot for a trailer deck?

I've heard that it's not strong enough for joists or pilings on a deck, but obviously it works fine for the flooring application. I don't know what it's rated load is, but if there were a way.... it would solve the warping, splintering and maintenance issues of real wood. Probably heavy as hell too though....

 

[ntsqd]

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

Then build an anchor point at the front of the deck for winching the buggy on with. Wouldn't hurt if it were up at a height close to that of the winch itself when the buggy is on the trailer.

 

[dhcomp]

Trex woudl work, but i think its pretty slippery when wet. Way slipperier than wood. They use it for wakeboard rails and sliders at the lake i ski at.

 

[JEBSR]

One thing I'm doing to mine as soon as I get back is putting stabalizer jacks on the rear to help with loading. Didn't think about it until I was loading my truck and almost picked the ass end of my other truck off the ground.

 

[ntsqd]

right, and he's going to have hue problems with an icy trailer deck in Arizona.

Don't be to sure. AZ may not have ice like the mid-west gets ice, but the desert can get surprisingly cold (no vegatation to hold the heat or break the wind) and an iced deck is well within the possible range of conditions.

Since a muscle car is somewhere in the future, give the trailer it's own winch. Really, really makes getting a low slung car on much easier. W/o a low range you'll find out, in a bad way, if you got the tongue high enough for the header collector flanges to clear or not. With a winch you can watch this and stop to correct things b4 tearing something up.

Here's one option for making repairs or changes to the wiring easier.

Wonder how this might work as a non-slip deck surface?

Requires specialized straps, but what about using e-track instead of D-rings?

 

[bowtiepower00]

Anyone who says AZ doesn't get cold needs to watch the weather channel a little closer. Elevation=cold. At 7000+ feet (think Flagstaff) it gets pretty darn cold. Two weeks ago, it was below zero with the wind chill. They get plenty of snow up that way too. It's even worse when you're from Phoenix (about 2 hours away) and are used to desert heat. Don't forget that alot of the guys in the SW travel to a lot of runs too- AZ and Utah are full of them, hell just about everywhere down here has wheeling if you're willing to drive a couple of hours.

The rear jackstands are a great idea, especially if you want to load or unload when the trailer is unhooked. Trailer winches are pretty inexpensive compared to ones made for trail rigs, or you could use one on a multi-mount if you wanted.

You could also add an air tank or tanks for extra volume if you plan on running air tools at camp.

I don't think you could have too many lights on the thing.

 

[supersize75k5]

some great ideas,

I already got the d-rings so I will go with those, I really like the idea of rear jacks. I have everything to finish it but the wood now.

yesterday got the frame done and the a frame and toungue all done, also got the prodagy brake controler. i decided to wait untill the trailer is close to done before I go get the title and plate, since I have reciepts I am not worried. i am making the trailer pretty low, i may do a spring over on it later if I feel its a problem. also ended up going 18 foot

 

[JEBSR]

some great ideas,

I already got the d-rings so I will go with those, I really like the idea of rear jacks. I have everything to finish it but the wood now.

yesterday got the frame done and the a frame and toungue all done, also got the prodagy brake controler. i decided to wait untill the trailer is close to done before I go get the title and plate, since I have reciepts I am not worried. i am making the trailer pretty low, i may do a spring over on it later if I feel its a problem. also ended up going 18 foot

You will probably be glad you went 18 instead of 16. I use the prodigy brake contoller as well and love that thing. It is much better than any other one I have used in the past.

 

[mikey_d05]

If it's still possible, dovetail it. That way you won't have to drag out the ramps. Sure, you can drive a rig up without it, but it makes it soooooo much easier.

EDIT: WOOHOO! 5,000 posts

 

[fireplug]

That fake wood is real pricey. Check out dimple plate as an alternative to diamond plate. Very grippy. I'm surprised no one has mentioned how slippery wood decks get in the rain. Add spilled auto fluids, man that's like greased goose shiat and twice as dangerous!

 

[ntsqd]

snip.....
I'm surprised no one has mentioned how slippery wood decks get in the rain.

I did.

 

[supersize75k5]

that makes a winch just that much more usefull,

I rented a couple trailers wil flat steel sheeted decks, nice and smooth paint..yikes



ill post some progress pics later tonight, killed my progress by wheeling today and the girl friend turned 21 saterday, so we went out friday, then saterday, then today was her family thing in the evening after 4 wheeling...

like a 3 day damn festival