just thought id mention that ive finally welded up the last bars on my trailer, gave it a bit of a shakedown today at pretty much full load with a crossflow locost on the back (unbraked so 750kgs max all in). I'll stick some photos up later in case anyone wants to see it. Cost so far:

3 tyres £90 odd
3 nice alloys £45
2 750kgs suspension units £80 odd
tow hitch £10
jockey wheel £10
metal around £100

total £335 all new components. Just need to make a chassis plate for it now.

Yes I'd like to see it!
Contemplating my own after being frightened by the price of good ones and amazed at the price ofcrap ones

Cool
and much cheaper than any new one

i got away with using 50x50x3mm tube for the main frame because i originally planned to make it a box trailer, hence it has an upside down W on each side.

This shows the basic triangle, to take force between the hitch and the wheels.


trailer4

And this (ignore the diff) shows the front with fillers in the tight angles. God how rusty is that...

[img][/img]

VERY nice!

lol, in case you all concluded im a spaktard who cant take proper pictures, those are just the best ones i had in my archive, swmbo is on holiday with the camera. This was it a year ago:

[img]http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=39473&pid=328202[/img]

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=39473&pid=328202

bollocks to computers, why isnt that one working?


[Edited on 11/3/07 by JoelP]

Always nice to know somebody local with a trailer

Regards

Rich

Galvanising would finish that off nicely.

Alex

i was thinking about galvanising, however, i cant imagine it being easy to find a tank that big to dip it in! I dont think it would distort too much either.

are you running any brakes on this trailer?

Andy.

What are you towing it with Joel?
Regulations vary according to the towing vehicle, the 750kg design weight is only a maximum after which brakes must be fitted. Unbraked trailers can be evil when they start to wag the dog, I've had one lift the rear wheel of a Landrover when I used to work on the parks and it's really alarming.

Leeds Galvanising dipped my trailer for £70 IIRC. Cheaper than paint!!

i tow it with a merc sprinter, so no problem with weights etc. Ive had snaking trailers before, so its something i watch out closely for! Might get a stabiliser fitted. That said its very stable at 50/60 and thats all you're meant to do anyway.

Thats a good price for galvanising owelly, might look them up. Does their process remove rust too or do i need to send it to them clean? To be honest its not properly finished yet, it needs flipping to weld underneath and im going to add some fillets to all the top pieces, seeing as they are crucial for strength.

With Leeds Galv I wouldn't ring em up, just go round the back and ask them there for a price! Prices seem to differ especially when you say you want to pay cash and don't need a receipt!

Regards

Rich

some photos at at last!



























The only drawback that i can see now is that the 750kgs trailer axles dont seem too happy with 700kgs sat on them, they've developed loads of camber! Damn ebay cheapies...

[Edited on 23/3/07 by JoelP]

Joel,
How you going to get it on and off or even get in and out with the roof and sides on?

that is currently under review I dont think it will be possible realistically to get a solid roof on it. Its quite easy to get out now, but i think it would need a heavy lifting roof if it were to end up boxed. As for loading, that also needs some work! We got the locost on by jacking the front up and driving it on. I may invest in a 48" jack in future, as its quite tricky atm. With a bec i suspect you could just hold the nose up. Bit much with a cec (thats a crossflow car). Also with no handbrake you need to chock the wheels.

Best solution i have for loading is to have short ramps about 18" long that cant drop below level, so that the rear wheels are onto them before the weight tips it back down. Then you can lower it before the nose weight gets too heavy, rather than having to support the full weight once loaded (currently a bit too heavy at 80kgs).

I used a lot of ally on mine & stuck a winch on the front, so it's relatively easy (if a little slow) to get the car on & off.
Unbraked, towed by a peugoet 306, it has always been well behaved on the road (so far) though I did put the wheels a little further back than 60/40, and with total weight of car and trailer below 550kg I have a bit of leeway.wrt the rules... + I can manhandle it all quite easily. A hand winch is only a few quid
Bob

quote:

---

Originally posted by JoelP
that is currently under review I dont think it will be possible realistically to get a solid roof on it. Its quite easy to get out now, but i think it would need a heavy lifting roof if it were to end up boxed. As for loading, that also needs some work! We got the locost on by jacking the front up and driving it on. I may invest in a 48" jack in future, as its quite tricky atm. With a bec i suspect you could just hold the nose up. Bit much with a cec (thats a crossflow car). Also with no handbrake you need to chock the wheels.

Best solution i have for loading is to have short ramps about 18" long that cant drop below level, so that the rear wheels are onto them before the weight tips it back down. Then you can lower it before the nose weight gets too heavy, rather than having to support the full weight once loaded (currently a bit too heavy at 80kgs).

---

If you get it galved, it'll need a shotblast first but they should be able to do that.

Also remember all the box sections that are welded shut need drilling (aftershotblasting or you'll get it full of shot! ) to avoid them becoming round tubes.

Also it will distort, my mate's trailer did, and p155ed him off rather a lot as it was very nice "pre-dip! "

im really tempted to build a two tier trailer, with a cylinder to push the top up. Would need brakes and two axles though, which isnt cheap. Especially as i dont need a two tier trailer! However, its one of those tempting projects that id love to do.

That needs a test drive mate!

If you're in Yeovil will you pick the Roadster up for me?

Cheers

Chris

[Edited on 29/3/07 by chrisg]

i think it needs some miles under its wheels before doing that! Plus id need indemnity insurance.

Looks very much like the one I had planned, except I was going to have a 1000kg braked axle.

Instead I bought a 4 wheeled trailer off Jon Ison which appears to carry anything you throw at it with no problem! It does wobble a bit at 60 though.