Trailer Build

rockcity said:
OK, not to start anything again, but I though earlier in the thread that you were taught by an extremely capable fabricator...
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I have been working on this outside of class and he wasn't present while i was doing this.

Though since his "help" mounting my springs went sour I have tried to turn towards this board as my teacher.

I will cope them first chance I get.

It was mentioned that the extra bracing will be a problem when turning the trailer. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks
Will
 
brokeass4runner said:
I will cope them first chance I get.

It was mentioned that the extra bracing will be a problem when turning the trailer. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks
Will
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Bracing is no problem the way I see it...


OK
Want to say something, Anyone- spend time to learn what is going on here. Yes it may not be the best but he is working with what he has. He has made a few changes and yes it may not be the same if he had better plans to start with, this is a class, he is in class to learn, its all part of it.
Will,-- I think you are doing fine and it will be a good trailer and a safe one when you get done. Yes if I would be building it, I may have done things different and along with Rock or others.
We have built them and know what we like.
Yours will be fine. Yes you need to do something with the braces the way they weld to the front, it could be plated like what we do on bridges or cope them as long as it is tied good it will be fine.
I don't think you will have any problem turning, No its not a GN but it will turn as much as you need or should.
Look at other trailers and you will find the tongue will go from the outside of the trailer to the ball mount or within 6" of the outside. If you draw a line from the outside of the bed on the trailer to the ball you will see that the braces will not cause a problem and will be better then other Factory trailers for turning. Look at Prolines website..... Plus if you use a WD hitch then that is the limits of turning not your bumper.
Yes you need to look at a few things and fix a few but you are doing fine.
I really cant see why the people that just want to pick at you and make problems have not caught that your welding it is just tacked and say something like I dont think those welds are not going to hold crap.....:bounce: :shaking:
Jon
 
ShyHiK5 said:
Go back to page 1.
Choose reasonable sized material and a proven design.
Why is there a 3" channel stacked on top of a 6" channel?
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Do you know what he is building?
Its a 10k trailer. Most every trailer that I have seen has used 6" and 3" channel.......... Look around.
4-5 of the trailers that are BP on our club are factory trailers and are 6" with 3" crossmembers. Others are even bigger.
6" is in no way overkill for a 10 k trailer. I wish my trailer was 8" or I beam when I load it to the max.
Where are you coming from that 6' and 3" is not "reasonable sized material and a proven design"
Also you must have missed the part about it needing to be HIS design for the class, we are just trying to give pointers and help out. Plus is it not a little late to bust his balls when the trailer is at the point it is??? You want him to cut it up and start over to make it the way you want it?
Done.

Jon
 
I have never used a weight distributing hitch, so I can't offer any wisdom there. My trailer is a little different design. My main support is two pieces of channel that run from just in front of my forward axle to the hitch, then I have bracing pieces that come fro the side pretty much like his main ones do. Gives me a more slender hitch for tighter turning.
I have touched my bumper a few times in tight turning. Not on any hwy, but for example the switch backs on trail one. The lower one I swing as wide as I can, pull to the edge and back up. this causes the trailer to jack knife and allows me to make the turn. If I had wide bracing like in the picture I don't think I could make that turn.
I won't clam him on anything he has done, just offer suggestions. I've only built two trailers and had help on them both. I do see that trailer as hauling a heck of a load, but for what most of us have to two with or what we have to tow, it's big.
If I wanted to haul a tractor, I would use it!
 
I have a good day ahead of me tomorrow to work on this thing.

I will cope the C that needs it and weld it all in place.

I suck at looking ahead of the project and seeing potential problems. Can yall give me any pointers or warnings for tomorrow?

I figure that after the tongue is done i will move to the dovetail.
It won't have much of a slant and it will be boxed all the way across the back with 6".
 
brokeass4runner said:
I have been working on this outside of class and he wasn't present while i was doing this.

Though since his "help" mounting my springs went sour I have tried to turn towards this board as my teacher.

I will cope them first chance I get.

It was mentioned that the extra bracing will be a problem when turning the trailer. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks
Will
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OK, don't get me wrong. You are doing great for a first build and you are learning. More power to you for doing it and posting it up and making changes as necessary, if needed. Just because its not how I would have done it does not mean its not right. I, and most everyone on this board, has been in the same spot as you. We are all still learning as well.

I wish I could answer your question about the bumper and tongue supports. Looking at the pics, you will prob. be fine. Without knowing the tow rig and measurements of the supports, its hard to say for sure if the bumper will hit the tongue.

Keep up the good work and def. cope that channel and you'll be good.

Amount of steel may be overkill for a Jeep/toy hauler, maybe, but not too much for a 10K# trailer, so no biggie there.

Learn on this one, then take your experience and build one that is lighter, stronger, and more affordable in the future.


Rob
 
brokeass4runner said:
Gotcha on the greasable bolts.
I was planning on a double bevel all the way around. We get our fare share of full pen prep/welding in each class. I was thinking I would use flux core or spray arc instead of sticking it.
I was also wondering if I could machine a solid piece instead of welding. We have some big hunks of metal out in the scrap yard. I don't know what kind of steel it is though, so that would be a problem.
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just saw this post...

you'd spend less time just using a torch or plasma to cut a triangle and drilling 3 holes in it. I guess you could machine it and make it look good. It would prob. be faster than welding one together, considering all of the prep time. Making it out of solid plate steel (triangle shape) has built in gussets. The welded "T" has no gussets and you rely on the strength of the steel. Granted the steel is thick, gussets would just add to the overkill factor. Expecially if 10K# is on it...

Rob
 
rockcity said:
just saw this post...
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Gotcha on torch cutting the EQ. I didn't know if heating it up would cause problems as far as it hardening the steel.

Do I need to look into getting a certain grade steel to make this thing?

Also, does anyone care to elaborate on this weight distributing hitch. Is it something I should look into?
 
the steel you have is prob. standard A36 or something similar. You'll be fine using whatever you have there (as long as its not cast...)

WD hitches is beyond me. Never had any experience with them.


Rob
 
rockcity said:
OK, don't get me wrong. You are doing great for a first build and you are learning. More power to you for doing it and posting it up and making changes as necessary, if needed. Just because its not how I would have done it does not mean its not right. I, and most everyone on this board, has been in the same spot as you. We are all still learning as well.Rob
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Good post Rob.

rockcity said:
I wish I could answer your question about the bumper and tongue supports. Looking at the pics, you will prob. be fine. Without knowing the tow rig and measurements of the supports, its hard to say for sure if the bumper will hit the tongue.
Rob
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I'm with rob on this to think it will be fine you should be able to turn as much as needed and remember less tight turns make the trailer tires last longer..

Tell you what you could do if it would make you feel better about turning: put a hitch in you truck that you will be using with the ball set for the trailer needs and measure from the ball to your bumper most will be say 12" then measure how wide you bumper is say 72" take that/2 + 36". put the mount in the trailer measure the 12" up the 2" shank that the ball is mounted to and clamp a pc of steel or something then mark 36" out from the center of the shank on the steel rotate the mount tell the steel hits the trailer on the 36" mark and check the angle. that will tell you how much you will be able to turn and I will check it with my 4 trailers if you give me the numbers you used for width and length from bumper.
I still think you will be fine because it will still turn more then my big trailer with the WD hitch and I have no problem turning around at the house and its a small Cul-de-sac.
When you get done with the trailer and need help setting it up maybe we can get together and do it, I can weigh your trailer and help you set the TW with the scale I have. It can be checked (TW) loaded and not so you know how to load it if you use it to haul other junk to.

Jon
 
I am running short on 6" C.

Would it be ok to use a plate to act in place of coping the joint?
 

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Cool, then I will plate the perpendicular boxed piece and I will cope the diagonal piece.

I want the boxed piece to run all the way to the edge.
 

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looking good so far. can't wait to see the finished product
 
southern4x4 said:
He is seriously looking for something. He is debating between Toyota pickup and Sammi, maybe a 4runner. He said if can get pictures and some details on what it has then he will go from there but he isn't offering anything without knowing more about it.
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Will, I'm gussing this is amout my Sammi?

If so, See post in Vehicles for sale section.
 
Got the hangers repositioned. Is the new shackle angle acceptable.

It has the weight of the trailer with the decking material on it in the picture.
 

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did matt call you about the tires from ag supply? if you want them let me know or him and one of us could pick them up and bring them back after finals. It's looking good, keep up the work.
 
Baryn, they don't have the tires I want, but thanks for the offer.

I got some off the decking on today.
 

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Since its already heavy I stuck the 4" angle on the sides. I think it will be nice for a tie down spot.
 

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Shannon said:
Is the angle facing up? If so, you might want to consider how this works if you want to put anything wide on the rig.
Shannon
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The angle is facing down.

You can see it in the picture above running along the edges.
 
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