Home built trailer

[toys4rocks]

How many of you have built your own trailer for your crawler? Any thing you would add or remove knowing what you now know? Anything to watch out for. I have built a few trailers, but nothing totally customized.

 

[I Lean]

To haul the crawler, or to pull behind it?

Here's my little offroad trailer, it may not apply to what you're asking though.

Build (?) thread...offroad trailer

So I wanted to build a trailer--since 4 people in a TJ doesn't leave much room for gear/coolers/whatever. Plus it sounded like kinda a fun fab project. :greg: I started by drawing out my ideas to get a feel for what materials I'd need, and how much of each....looked like this:

www.rme4x4.com

 

[toys4rocks]

Sorry, car hauler type.

 

[The_Lobbster]

I'm working on building a single axle trailer for my samurai now, with a 6k 8 lug axle.

 

[Hickey]

I've built two car/Jeep haulers. The first one I started with the frame and axles of a rolled travel trailer. It was okay, but the axles were really the only thing worth using. The frame is very thin wall tube and covered in some nasty coating.

The second trailer I built from scratch. 14'X 82" wide deck over axle. I wish I would have held on to this one, but I would not make it deck over the next time as it added some weight. It weighed 1850 lbs.

 

[Hickey]

For the next trailer it will be pretty similar to the pics above, just not deck over. Probably a wood deck, just because I think it would be easier to paint all sides of the steel without the deck installed.

I've considered building one like this pic below, but I'm not sure I would love a dedicated trailer to store that can only haul the Jeep. Using it as a utility trailer would fit better in my fleet.

 

[toys4rocks]

I think that's the problem I am having, I would like a dedicated trailer, but I know better. Also, the single axle is intriguing to say the least, but my new to me crawler is going to be pretty heavy.

 

[N-Smooth]

I took the center boards out of my car hauler years ago so people won't ask me to help them move. Yes I'm serious and yes it works.

 

[Hickey]

I took the center boards out of my car hauler years ago so people won't ask me to help them move. Yes I'm serious and yes it works.

I just tell them no.

If the buggys gonna be heavy and you want dedicated I would build that dually single axle. It's a 10k axle and you can get them in oil-bath style, which is a huge upgrade.

 

[Hickey]

Bart posted this in another thread. I think it's Ken Blume's non suspension trailer.

 

[N-Smooth]

Bart posted this in another thread. I think it's Ken Blume's non suspension trailer.

View attachment 123644

That one actually has a torsion axle.

 

[Hickey]

That one actually has a torsion axle.

I just read that it weighs 888 lbs.

 

[mbryson]

....View attachment 123643

I'd kind of like to apply that same deck concept to my deckover gooseneck. See if could lose about 1500 lbs. Probably put back in about as much as I'd take off? (the deck wood is HEAVY though--might just pull out the center strips and lose 400-500 lbs over 28'? ) Can I convert the deck over to a car hauler type? I think I'd like the Jeeps more in the aerodynamic hole that the Stuper Duty created already rather than having a full grille/windshield sitting just at the top of the goose neck part.

 

[Hickey]

You could probably drop a lot of weight removing the center boards.

 

[Gravy]

You could probably drop a lot of weight removing the center boards.

And lose so much functionality. I guess if you only haul the Jeep it's fine.

 

[mbryson]

And lose so much functionality. I guess if you only haul the Jeep it's fine.

I mostly only haul Jeeps

 

[N-Smooth]

You could probably drop a lot of weight removing the center boards.

the interwebs say a Douglas fir 2x6 weighs 1.54 lbs/ft

 

[Pike2350]

Based on that...if you could eliminate 7 boards wide (approx 40") you'd lose just about 300lbs. Assuming 28' length

 

[J-mobzz]

Based on that...if you could eliminate 7 boards wide (approx 40") you'd lose just about 300lbs. Assuming 28' length

Doesn’t really seem worth loosing the functionality for 300 lbs

 

[Hickey]

But is it actually Douglas fir? Apitong is used for semi trailer decks, and it's a very heavy wood.