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building a trailer??

3K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  Crazy Canuck 
#1 ·
i was wondering,so i thought id ask you guys, weve got a couple old trailor houses out at the farm,just use them for storage(they are gutted). so we are going to tear them down,for new barn, was gonna just burn them, but i am thinking of trying to build a trailer out of the frames. i can understand the axles not being anything but trash, but would this be possible? want to make like a 18-22 foot flat deck,gooseneck, figure there is enough metal, to make frame and have plenty of bracing, but my brother says no way possible. is the metal not good enough?

sorry so long, but would really value your input, i know you guys know your stuff.

really dont have the money to go buy what i want,so have to try to get by, would not be hauling a lot of weight, probably fire wood, some ceder, general crap like that.
 
#2 ·
the problem with those, is even though there is a lot of metal, its generally light guage stuff. all the strength of those trailers comes from also having the walls and stuff. so when you cut the walls off you lose all your support. even if you combine them together, a trailer that long would be flimsy at best, dangerous at worst. shorten it up a bit, make something 12-16 foot and i think you would be better off. when your 18ft your axels will be approx 6ft from bak, which leaves you havin to span 12ft with flimsy steel. then attempting to make a 90* bend for the g/n part, then another 90* to go to the truck.

i would think if you created a two runner frame out of some good steel, and used the house trailers for the deck and bracing, you would be way farther ahead. get some 4 pieces of 6" channel 20' long, weld them together to make a i beam, do the same to make the tongue, and you could have a frame for around $200, axels prolly 2 5200 lbs single tires, $328.95x2, or choice, i just picked the first site i found, Trailer Parts from trailerpart.com , and your done. cheap.

$900 to build one, with new and your existing parts, as opposed to couple grand to buy one
 
#3 ·
thanks, i was thinking the same thing,after doing some researching today and looking at enginerring pics of REAL trailers,guess we will go lookin for some used trailers,theres quite a few tool rental stores around here can probably get a decent deal there.
 
#4 ·
go somewhere and look how a gooseneck is made. its just two i beams with a deck. you already have the deck, and can make them i beams cheap, or buy two ibeams. either way, for what your gonna do with it, why spend thousands when you can spend hundreds? i could understand if you were gonna, like me, put two skidloaders and attachemnts, but for a general purpose trailer, save your money, make one
 
#5 ·
right,i just reread this and i see exactly what you are saying, i think i will go to stell yard tommorow,and price some metal,i think it can be done, your right im not going to be hauling big tractors and stuff,it will mostly just be gp (general purpose)
 
#6 ·
most of the time you can pick up a good used trailer for next to the same cost as to build one.
and its a factory built trailer if an accident were to ever happen, you would not be on the hook
 
#8 ·
its not so much a budget thing,i mean im not rich, but im not completly broke either, mostly boredom, neverbuilt a trailer before,had this idea for some time now,ans since my accident, cant work so i get bored always trying to make stuff to do,(damn drunk driving bitch), plus i thought if it turned out good,and i can ever get my bike shop off the ground,it would come in handy.

im going to get the steel saturday and start laying it out,ordering axels, and the gooseneck tube from that place tree trimmer turned me onto,i look forward to posting the progress pics,and getting lots more advice from you guys
 
#12 ·
I'm not to far from you, If you need some help let me know.
 
#9 ·
just a suggestion, call that place. see what they recommend for axels, two 5200 lbs single tire axels, one 10k tandem? and i strongly suggest goin to look at a factory gooseneck and copying the design. mainly cuz they have already done the r&d of the correct way to do it so it dont break. and if you do the weld two pieces of channel together idea, weld them solid, dont stitch it. other than that, happy fabbing. :D
 
#10 ·
I've been a welder for almost 20 years, you don't weld 2 pieces of 6" channel togeather to make an I beam. You wan't a strong trailer, you build a box frame out of channel or build the rails out of real I beam. I would use channel and cut the ends at a 45 degree angle and go from there wether it be a pull tongue trailer or gooseneck. Not trying to make anyone mad but you take on alot of liability when you build your own trailer so do it right.
 
#13 ·
i have built a few myself and fixed a few for other people. it is cheaper to build your own from scratch than to purchase new. Now saying that, it is only cheaper because you don't count your labor during building. If you can salvage material you usually spend a great deal of time prepping the used material for use in your project, so your time can't be taken in or your broke. I always like to do things myself but as you have already figured, purchase good steel for the frame and axles then use the old trailer frames for the decking. Good luck and happy Fabbing.
 
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