My Homemade Trailers

So I thought I'd make a new thread on my trailers so I wouldnt have to post them on my wheel horse thread!

So this is one of my trailers that me and my dad made probably 6 or 7 years ago.....not to sure   But it's made out of aluminum C channel and this aluminum parframe (made by parker) it could also be 80/20 frame (made in Germany). I'm not sure cause both look identical. But its completely bolted together and I'll make a spec list with the dimensions and everything, will also show pictures of how it's all constructed.

Specs
-Mostly made out of aluminum
-Around 23.5 inches wide by around 44.25 inches long not including the tongue.(hard to measure because nothing is straight anymore lol!)
-Total length is 75 inches
-Total width is 32 inches
- C channel is 1 1/2 by 3
-Parframe is 1 1/2 by 1 1/2
-Tires are 4.10/3.50-4 china somethin another's
-Wheels ride on 5/8s bolts
-Sits about 6 1/2 inches off the ground

So we've had these sides to a 4 wheel cart (like the ones you see at flower shops and stuff) laying around for awhile and turns out they fit this trailer almost perfectly. Dad got them from some guy at work who made a welding cart out of it so he didnt need the sides. Says gorilla carts on it so look it up if your curious.


I just drilled holes in the side of them and used some wood screws with the hex heads to hold them on.

One neat thing is that the sides all latch together so you can always take it apart.


Only issue is that I dont want to bolt the tailgate down so that I can remove it if needed. So I need to figure out a way to keep it from flopping around.

That worked out pretty good. Nice!

So I thought about it for awhile and I thought about using hitch pins with rods, then I thought about just one big pin, then I thought about hinges. But all of that was just too complicated so I went with the kiss method! (keep it simple stupid)

So I found these wrenches that you get when you buy things that need to be assembled. Let's be honest who really uses the wrenches it comes with anyways???


Then I copied the bend it already had in it on the other side.


Then with some nuts as spacers I had some holder inner things so my tailgate doesn't fall off!  

Well I've been using the trailer my neighbor gave me alot! We're in the process of burying pipe for the electric to run through to the garage and since it's the middle of winter everything is just a slop pile. So since nothing else can make it through the yard without getting stuck I've been the one who has to haul everything back there...which I dont mind The trailer definitely comes in handy and the dump feature is nice to have!

Nice to see a couple of "at work" pics. I might have to finally make my off road trailer that I've wanted to make for years. Just can't get a chance to do it. We don't even have a garden cart for stuff at the moment. The junk one we had was kinda beat and we junked it.

Haha nice man! I pretty much just use my trailer for hauling passengers lol

mr.modified wrote:

Nice to see a couple of "at work" pics. I might have to finally make my off road trailer that I've wanted to make for years. Just can't get a chance to do it.

You should definitely build it when you get the time! I've always wanted to see and good off road trailer build, plus they come in handy too. I've always thought those 4 wheel atv timber trailers are pretty neat how they flex without suspension.

CraftsmanQuad19 wrote:

Haha nice man! I pretty much just use my trailer for hauling passengers lol

Might as well!

I've had some free time here and there to do stuff so I've been working on building a new dump bed for the bigger trailer (the red one). I'm gonna beef it up quite a bit by making a frame out of square tubing and then have a wooden floor and sides just like a car trailer. This way when the wood rots out again I wont have to re-make the entire box I'll just have to replace the boards. 

I've already gotten the old bed disassembled and I've got the frame all welded together.



 Now I'm going to have to weld in some cross braces to mount it the lower section of the trailer that I'm reusing. I want to make it bolt on like it was originally so incase I have to service anything or want to upgrade the bottom half later on, I can just unbolt the box and remove it.

I'm loving it (all)! Lol. Trailers are so useful even around the yard!

NICE! 
I’m watching for ideas. I plan to build a tiny one man camper for the Rat Rod. I told my grandson he has to help build it though. I think I have enough aluminum from an old tent camper to build the body as a rigid unit, and a nice steel frame, axle and wheels.

Update: I've gotten everything I'm not using took off, and I've gotten the frame completely welded up and ground down nice and smooth. I also forgot to post the picture of the drawing I made to show the dimensions and to get an idea of what I'm going for.

my dump trailer looks like a dump and my grandpa has a heck of one if i can get my buddies old mini camper im making it a two mower transport trailer and my small one tractor trailer thats a pile of junk will be chopped up and used to make my dump trailer better

Looks good so far!

Made some brackets or mounting plates out of 1/8th inch plate to bolt to the axle supports or uprights.........I don't know the terminology for things.  (I ain't smart) 





Got everything mocked up and started measuring and figuring out where my 2 braces are gonna go. I also tacked in a brace between the two supports/uprights to keep them from moving around, both left to right and back and forth.

BlakeGroce wrote:

Made some brackets or mounting plates out of 1/8th inch plate to bolt to the axle supports or uprights.........I don't know the terminology for things.  (I ain't smart) 

If you wanted to get technical I suppose you could call it the axle carrier. I dunno man it looks like you're doing a great job and that takes brainpower and skill so don't beat yourself up like that! Lol

im really liking your trailer so far i hope to make mine that nice when i get a stick welder

Thanks guys! 

Got quite a bit done the other day. Managed to get my two braces welded in.

Also got the axle carrier squared up and welded in!

I always hate looking at other peoples welding because mine is so bad...
But she's looking pretty nice anyhow, did you grind those welds in the bottom pic down yet?

TechnoChicken wrote:

I always hate looking at other peoples welding because mine is so bad...
But she's looking pretty nice anyhow, did you grind those welds in the bottom pic down yet?

No that was fresh, but I did grind it a little afterwards.

As far as welding goes practice is key, along with clean metal and the right settings for your welder. When I first learned to weld I sat down and just welded beads till I got it to look halfway decent and also to get the welder settings right. I've spent a long time with this welder, like years, I've got to the point now where I know what wire speed and how much heat I need to weld different thicknesses of metal. 

But dont be afraid to make crappy welds and dont think your welds have to be perfect either. I'm no welder by any means but from my experience pretty doesnt always mean strong. My papaw use to weld with a torch and old coat hangers, his welds might not have been the prettiest but they were pretty dang strong!  

I agree with BlakeGroce about the welding stuff. Making sure you have clean metal is pretty important. Rust and paint ect can mess up welds, especially rust. Then once you get the hang of it, you can make pretty nice looking stuff. I weld something probably once a week at a minumum, so after awhile you get a good feel for it, but even then sometimes there's some impurities or something that messes up your weld, even if it looked clean. Just happens.

That trailer looks pretty good so far.