I have acquired a trailer to butcher and make a car trailer. My question is what metal should i use. Im thinking 2x2 box section but i think this might be a bit heavy. I have seen some all made out of angle but im not convinced its strong enough. It will be made just right to take my locost and i want it lightish.

What have other people used??

Not done anything myself (yet), but am giving it thought for when I get to that stage.

How about a hybrid of materials, using box section to create a string 'backbone' and using angle to make up the remainder?

Strength where you need it and light where you don't

Bought a 2 wheel tilt bed trailer for my locost from an ex grass track racer he built the trailer bed completely from angle, with low 1" x 1" rhs sides to give a bit of triangulation. Its easily strong enough and dead light.

Have u got a piccie mate?

Mine will be single axle.

50x50x3mm isnt strong enough to be the only backbone, it needs something extra. Not much extra, especially if you can use 4 uncut lengths from front to back. I made mine into a box so that i could triangulate it.


trailer4


As you can see, i didnt think to leave the 4 lengths uncut... Plus it has to be longer to make a box. I think the design around the draw bar is sound though.

Are there any plans out there that can be used?

Building the actual bed seem easy to me compared to how you mount the wheels and bearings etc.

Thats kinda my idea Joel just with the draw bar welded underneath.

Summit like this. Either with a straight bed or angle down a bit towards the back.
Rescued attachment trailer.jpg

Hi Dan
at the moment she's buried under a scaffolding tower in my lock up, but if you can wait a week or so i'll dig her out and take some pics and measurments. Its truly a cracking piece of design, dead easy to load/ unload the car, really manouverable too, even with the car on i can move the thing around easily on my own. Dunno if the guy thought it out himself or made it from plans, but it works a treat. Solid beam axle (no suspension) i thought it would bounce all over the place, but it tows like a dream, 80 plus behind my Sprinter and it never moves at all.
Al

P.S Looks like youv'e had a tidy up since my last visit Joel

[Edited on 18/10/06 by Wadders]

I used 4 rails full length of the bed in 25x50mm box, stiffened on the outsides with a 25mm box rail about 6" high & another 25mm box under the inner rail about 3" below.
50x50mm for the towbar which goes back to the front axle mounts.
Alloy checkerplate (a lucky scrapyard find) for the floor & ramps which lay into the gap between the 2 floor sections for the car wheels.
It's been all over Britain with all sorts of cars & other stuff, never any trouble.
I'll send you some pics if someone will tell me how, still a bit new to this computer crap!

quote:

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Originally posted by StevieB
how you mount the wheels and bearings etc.

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is this the one wadders?

was taken a while ago when we took the garage down, so it may have been modded since.

just thought it'd save you digging it out if it wasn't necessary.

tom

try again!
Rescued attachment als trailer.jpg

Have a look at this thread...
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=49979

Hi Tom. thanks and, indeedy that be the one! believe me you saved me a lot of digging. no mods apart from a coat of paint
Dan the two big nuts at the front unscrew, and the bed tips up, hinged on the axle centre line, as you winch the car up it eventually gets to the tip point, and the weight of the car brings the whole lot horizontal again. simple but effective.

P.S all the stuff in the middle is because the guy had trikes as well as grass cars.

Originally posted by indykid
try again!