trailer build

[deano59]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Got an estimate of what it will weigh, Deano? The trailer I mean, not the hip.

Cheers,
Glen

hi glen
i am hoping our calculations are about right and no more than 1300 kg and trailer will be rated at 3 ton .. have gone as light as possible in bracing and the the canopy frame work . your kinda stuck on chassis size no good skimping there and the axles and springs /brakes weigh what they weigh .
going 3 mm alloy floor and using alloy composite panels that weigh 20 kilos for a full size panel 3000x 1500 .if it comes in much over 1300 kg then i better go on a diet lol.
cheers dean

[deano59]

Originally Posted by albanycobra

Nice work Deano, keep the pics coming, I'm thinking of doing the same to my car trailer one day.......

ive built about 6 car trailers over the last few yrs for myself and friends club members but this is the first fully covered one ive attempted and it's been a bit of a learning curve my mate who is helping me is mechanical engineer and is a mm perfect kinda a guy and im a mechanic who works on the belt it with a hammer and she is close enough.
im sure we have tried each others patience from time to time .
everytime he picks up his spirit level with the laser built it i pick up a 5 pound mash hammer

all jokes aside i cant wait till she's on the road and home at last

cheers dean

[xb-60]

Deano, you'll raise a smile over this (given our 'market garden' commonality in the distant past)....I've built a couple of trailers in my time.
The first was for towing behind the Fergy and was for knocking almonds. It was all steel, 22 feet long, four feet wide and eighteen inches high. I was pretty handy with a welder when I was 16.
Second was a little smaller, and its claim to fame was my own version of knee suspension. Remember that concept? Independent suspension using a large single wishbone on each side?

Cheers,
Glen

[deano59]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Deano, you'll raise a smile over this (given our 'market garden' commonality in the distant past)....I've built a couple of trailers in my time.
The first was for towing behind the Fergy and was for knocking almonds. It was all steel, 22 feet long, four feet wide and eighteen inches high. I was pretty handy with a welder when I was 16.
Second was a little smaller, and its claim to fame was my own version of knee suspension. Remember that concept? Independent suspension using a large single wishbone on each side?

Cheers,
Glen

this is alot more more fun than building trailers for carrying bins of spuds thats for sure . altho those skills learned on them have come in handy over they yrs .
my eyes arnt as good for welding nowdays so i just do the taking up and let my younger offsider do the full welds he was keen to learn and his work had just put him thru a welding course so i handed the mig gun over too him , i think i need a prescription lense in my helmet if there is such a thing cause if i wear my glassers under the helmet they seem to fog up .

cheers dean

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by deano59

.... i think i need a prescription lense in my helmet if there is such a thing cause if i wear my glassers under the helmet they seem to fog up ....

Ah, the benefits of 'maturity', eh?

Cheers,
Glen

[deano59]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Ah, the benefits of 'maturity', eh?

Cheers,
Glen

not sure i would class it as a benefit only benefit is cheaper insurance with apia lol

[gjkrv8]

Dean, keep up the great work you are doing. I enjoy your updates. Given the weight of the trailer and Cobra, what sort of Tow vehicle are you using?

cheers

Gregg

[spookypt]

Its coming along nicely. As boxy says I'd look at a 16inch load rated steel rim rather than the alloy ones. Hit a pot hole with one of them loaded and it'll be road kill plus there's more options in a 16 inch tyre with correct load ratings.

In my experience a trailer with this much overall volume will have its own mind. Its not so much about weight, which is of course a factor, but its the overall mass of the bludger that starts to dictate to the tow vehicle its mood.

With a side wind like you get going down the "dipper" for example into Sydney this will be a white knuckle ride unless your tow vehicle has some decent mass.
Add some rain and breaking traffic.....yeow....

Even if your towing with something heavy like an F250, Touareg or Range Rover try to load your tow car with some of the weight. Tyres, fuel, tools etc. That way you will at least have some weighted mass to control the trailer.

Even with my first F250 my all aluminium trailer liked to dictate to it on occasion and its not as big or heavy as yours Dean. My F350 with the duals is a completely different story but for the safety of my family and other road users its a no brainer.

Spookypt

[deano59]

hi guys
i will be towing it with a ford ranger so that side of it should be ok . i usually throw my tool boxes and spares in the back of the tow car to put some weight into the back of it . the tyres i have for it are 205 x15 x 70 series and are 8 ply with a 950 kilo rating so plenty of sidewall to absorb potholes if it becomes a problem i can change them out later .

cross winds are always a problem with trailers like this and caravans ect but i drive like miss daisy when required and like dick johnson the rest ' ie " still slow. all jokes aside ive been towing racecars and trailers of all sorts around oz for the last 30 yrs and had my own towing business for many yrs so im reasonably confident of getting where im going barring anything unexpected.

a f350 would be nice but i couldnt justify having it sitting there just for tow duties at least the ranger is my daily as well but a f350 would be nice i admit

cheers dean

[deano59]

hi all got to spend a few hrs down at the workshop today and got stuck into some welding almost got it all finished and ran out of mig wire .
. so a bit of a update brakes are in /suspension all bolted in and trued up rear ramp just needs a bit more welding and thats finished . just need to make some brackets for the winch for the rear door and one to pull the car up if needed.
will grab some more wire tomorrow and hopefully finish off the welding and finish painting the frame then the floor can go down then the roof and sides .
has taken a bit longer than first thought but getting there. then just the fitting of the solar panels and invertor genset battery ect ect ....couple of pics taken from my mates ph hope they come thru ok

[xb-60]

Nice trailer.
Nice shed.
Lift yer game with that milk crate though mate

Cheers,
Glen

[deano59]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Nice trailer.
Nice shed.
Lift yer game with that milk crate though mate

Cheers,
Glen

tis a nice shed for a 100 bucks a week but alas i dont get the whole shed just more or less where the trailer is...ohs have checked the milk crate and it's up to specs lol

[deano59]

just a bit of a update i have started to lay the floor on this trailer ive decided to hold the alloy floor down with button head bolts so that means about a 100 or so holes to be drilled and tapped done 20 so far lol. while i had a couple of extra hands today i have temp hung up some of the cladding so i can pre drill it for when it goes on proper .
mounted the winch that will raise the rear loading ramp we hooked it up too a temp battery and it works great . the ramp is off at the moment for better access into the trailer while the floor is going down .

all the suspension is bolted in place and the wire for the 4 wheel electric brakes has been run and secured . hopefully another day working on it tomorrow will see the floor all bolted down .
cheers dean

[deano59]

one more pic that seemed to have got lost lol

[leroy17]

Nice work , and I see the ' yee ol milk crate ' is not far away.

Drill and tapping the floor, were nuts serts on the agenda at all, I would think this a good option, but I think simple as well.

[deano59]

Originally Posted by leroy17

Nice work , and I see the ' yee ol milk crate ' is not far away.

Drill and tapping the floor, were nuts serts on the agenda at all, I would think this a good option, but I think simple as well.

i have a tap that drills the hole and taps the thread all in one hit so it's not so bad . the chassis is thick enough for the thread to be cut into it .

i think those milk crates will come home with me i might turn them into crate engines lol

[David Hodgson]

Originally Posted by deano59

tis a nice shed for a 100 bucks a week

Better had get your finger out Deano, 40 weeks and counting. It could turn into an expensive build before you know it.

[Bernica]

Very nice!
Just make sure with so much welding on final assembly that you have some way of keeping track of what is done and not done. Spray paint or something.
Easy to miss a piece or a side with so much to do. I know I would miss something somehow and have even seen the pros do the same.

[deano59]

Originally Posted by David Hodgson

Better had get your finger out Deano, 40 weeks and counting. It could turn into an expensive build before you know it.

yeah i was talking about this with the mrs the other night but ive been using it to do other stuff as well including putting a couple of roll cages in some speedway cars and other trailer jobs so at the moment it not too bad .
but to be honest i didnt expect it too take as long as it has either just with one thing or another its dragged on will be glad to see it roll out and head home soon .

cheers dean

[deano59]

Originally Posted by Bernica

Very nice!
Just make sure with so much welding on final assembly that you have some way of keeping track of what is done and not done. Spray paint or something.
Easy to miss a piece or a side with so much to do. I know I would miss something somehow and have even seen the pros do the same.

i keep looking at it as i walk around and have found a couple of welds that ive missed or not linished back but im sure all the major bits are welded ok like the drawbar and spring hangers lol