Considering building a trailer (1 Viewer)

[hairy_apple]

I'm considering building a camping trailer. I've been inspired by all the awesome builds and ideas on here, but I have a few questions and I'm sure I'll think of more as I go.

What thickness of square tube are most people using?

What thickness for the tongue?

What are the advantages to an A frame tongue VS a straight one?

I feel like I'd like a straight one better, if you made it long enough you could clear the side of the truck with the trailer @ 90 and not hit trailer with truck.

I keep bouncing back and forth between building one and buying a military 1/4 trailer, but really love the idea of making it myself so can have exactly what I want. And.. I think it would be fun.

I'm sure I'll come up with a few more questions as I start designing it, but those of the ones that I'm coming up with right now.

 

[LouisianaFJ]

I'm in the middle of a build right now so I've crossed all those hurdles at some point.

My first question is actually, are you a good welder, or do you know one? Just saying that even if you have all the right materials and a good design, if your welds aren't good none of it matters. Granted the fact that you are asking probably means you have that part covered

The trailer I'm working on right now is designed to be pretty much the biggest you would ever tow on an expedition type trip and be pretty much indestructible. So its frame is a full "cage" made of 2x2 tubing with 1/8" wall (this includes the tongue).

By your military trailer comment I'd say your looking for a 416 size trailer (much smaller than what I'm doing) Without putting numbers to it I'd feel pretty safe in say making the base of the frame out of something heavier like 2x2 with 1/8 wall and then go lighter on the box/tub of the trailer. Maybe like 1.25x1.25 or 1x1.
Planning on a RTT at some point?

Straight could certainly be shorter and allow you to get greater angle, but if you lengthen it a little you can still get the turning radius and triangulate. I would always triangulate, I like it when the geometry ties back to other members, carries loads, distributes... 3 members will carry the tongue load far better than just the one. Granted there are trailers that do it, and I'm sure alot of guys here can give me examples, just like I said I always like for the the structure to be overbuilt.

Your last couple points are things I've thought about too, but the fun aspect is what does it for me. Doing something yourself and having exactly what you want are the reasons my partners and myself undertook the same project.

 

[hairy_apple]

Thanks. 1/8th is what I was thinking would be ideal. Wasn't sure if the tongue would need/want to be thicker or not, but after examining a lot of trailers over the last few days, I'm quite sure 1/8 is more then enough for the frame and tongue. I was also planning on thinner for the box, to keep weight down.

Yeah, I am a good welder... getting better by the day. I feel confident in my ability to weld a trailer together safely.

Thanks for the reply, I am still at least a few weeks away from starting, I am doing as much research as I can before I get into it, I want to make it right the first time and not regret anything with the design.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I was also challenged with design sizes. I could not find any good info in the US but UK has some great guidelines and design info.

http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/teardrop/tear84.htm

If your design and use is light weight a single tongue is great asset on and off-road.

 

[hairy_apple]

Nice, that is exactly what I was thinking with the single tounue design, make it long enough to be able to go 90* to the cruiser if needed.

Thanks for the link. I will check it out. My basic idea, is to make a metal box about the size of a Bantam trailer, stick some trailer tool boxes on the side of it, and some storage and such. A simple kitchen in one of the tool boxes, and just more room for camping stuff. I would like to run a RTT someday as well, but my thinking now is to build the basic trailer, and design it to be able to add on stuff as I can afford it and so we can fine tune it to fit different needs for different trips.

 

[cruiserpilot]

I found this website a while ago. It is a unique company in as much that they are catering to the DIY'r. And is as much an idea platform as a sales website. I like the MOAB RTT they sell, very simple and built with the idea of homemade platform. Quite reasonable price as well.

http://www.cttct.com

I'm still working on a frame for my trailer, once that is done I will post a build thread, but it's just basics.

This next link is from the website, but the pics and ideas deserve separate attention.
http://www.flickriver.com/groups/matching-trailers/pool/interesting/

You wondered about building as opposed to buying a military trailer. Military trailers can be heavy, they are overbuilt.
I have a trailer I've hauled since 1980, multiple trips along Alaska Hwy. It is 2x2 tube frame, .250" wall. The reach portion is
2 1/2" sq, .250" wall. It has a 60" reach for high speed hwy travel. I use a std 235/75R15 wheel on it, with 6 lug #3500 axle.
It is not too heavy and I have it with removable sides and flat deck. I recommend an a-frame tongue for stability, but the center reach
should extend to the centreline of the axle. It is what I did, I hope some of this helps.

 

[LouisianaFJ]

I found this website a while ago. It is a unique company in as much that they are catering to the DIY'r. And is as much an idea platform as a sales website. I like the MOAB RTT they sell, very simple and built with the idea of homemade platform. Quite reasonable price as well.

http://www.cttct.com

I'm still working on a frame for my trailer, once that is done I will post a build thread, but it's just basics.

This next link is from the website, but the pics and ideas deserve separate attention.
http://www.flickriver.com/groups/matching-trailers/pool/interesting/

You wondered about building as opposed to buying a military trailer. Military trailers can be heavy, they are overbuilt.
I have a trailer I've hauled since 1980, multiple trips along Alaska Hwy. It is 2x2 tube frame, .250" wall. The reach portion is
2 1/2" sq, .250" wall. It has a 60" reach for high speed hwy travel. I use a std 235/75R15 wheel on it, with 6 lug #3500 axle.
It is not too heavy and I have it with removable sides and flat deck. I recommend an a-frame tongue for stability, but the center reach
should extend to the centreline of the axle. It is what I did, I hope some of this helps.

I've always known the military trailers were beefy, but man thats thick lol. Plus the axles are way over done as well for our purposes.

tongue through to axles is a great point too. Don't stop at the front member of the frame

 

[ntsqd]

Tongue members should always go under the main trailer frame, not into it or thru it. On lighter trailers you can get away with to it/thru it, but it is a poor design and should be avoided. Note that none of the designs shown on the link posted above show anything other than the tongue members going under the main frame.

Also note the off road trailer in that same link with a failed 2x2x1/8" wall single tube tongue. Look up the relative weight of different sized tubing. For strength to weight ratio you are better off with a 2.5"x2.5"x1/8" tube than you are with a 2x2x1/4" tube.

Using a higher than seems logical weight rated axle is usually the only way to get a matching wheel bolt pattern, and the experience of many has shown that the off road loads on the axle do warrant using a seemingly grossly over-sized axle assembly. A 1500 lbs loaded trailer with a 3500 lbs rated axle isn't badly matched at all.

 

[hairy_apple]

Why is it a bad design to go through?

 

[ntsqd]

The front cross member is the location of the greatest Shear and Moment, the frame needs to have the largest Section there or it becomes 'hinge' point. Look at the picture of the failed tongue in the link above. That is what happens when the tongue doesn't go under the main frame.