Home built trailer

[Hickey]

I say you should cut speed holes in the I-beam frame. Swiss cheese that mother.



It should be noted that I am not an engineer, and I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

[mbryson]

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

I don't know what this wood is but it's pretty heavy

I say you should cut speed holes in the I-beam frame. Swiss cheese that mother.



It should be noted that I am not an engineer, and I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

...nor am I an enginerd but I'm not sure I'm screwing with anything related to structural integrity on a 30' long beam that supports 8-9k at highway speeds. Wanting to keep all that in tact and possibly modify the deck similar to the Ken Blume or other trailer decks on this post. I'll need to look at how the trailer is built with those big I-beams. They might just require it to be a deck over?

 

[Hickey]

I don't know what this wood is but it's pretty heavy




...nor am I an enginerd but I'm not sure I'm screwing with anything related to structural integrity on a 30' long beam that supports 8-9k at highway speeds. Wanting to keep all that in tact and possibly modify the deck similar to the Ken Blume or other trailer decks on this post. I'll need to look at how the trailer is built with those big I-beams. They might just require it to be a deck over?

I don't think you'll be able to remove enough weight to really make much difference. You're starting with so much weight to begin with, and most of that weight is just those long I-beams. But even if you could remove 1500 lbs, would it tow any different? It's still a 12k load with the Jeeps on there.

 

[N-Smooth]

Apitong

Now you're just making up words

 

[Hickey]

Now you're just making up words

It always sounded like a racial slur to me.

 

[mbryson]

I don't think you'll be able to remove enough weight to really make much difference. You're starting with so much weight to begin with, and most of that weight is just those long I-beams. But even if you could remove 1500 lbs, would it tow any different? It's still a 12k load with the Jeeps on there.

With a diesel tow vehicle, I wouldn't bother with the weight as much. I think anything I can do to make it easier on the gas motor the better it will perform with better mpg?

Re: how it might tow better? Hard to say. I used to tow my 29' camp trailer and my '26 Jeep hauler bumper pull trailer. The difference in towing was AMAZING just due to what I attribute to the wind signature of the travel trailer. Travel trailer about 5500-6000 lbs. I scaled the Jeep hauler with two rigs on it once at 12,800. It truly was just as easy for my 7.3L or 5.9L trucks to pull either trailer (both are obviously diesel but torque is torque, right?).

Keeping the rig on the trailer in the draft of the truck might prove to be quite a good idea if you're towing one rig on a single axle or two rigs on a three axle?

 

[Hickey]

With a diesel tow vehicle, I wouldn't bother with the weight as much. I think anything I can do to make it easier on the gas motor the better it will perform with better mpg?

I just don't think you'll see much difference. No matter how much effort you put into it, it's still gonna be a heavy pull for that motor. I think you would need a drastically different trailer to still pull two Jeeps and have the truck pull it better and see a mpg gain. And don't forget, I am a fan of that motor and truck.

Getting some OEM sized tires would probably be the biggest bang for your buck, but it would probably only make a very slight difference.

 

[N-Smooth]

I dream of the day I can build a bumper pull trailer for two rigs. I want it to be the bare minimum length with f/r overhang and low. #oneday

 

[Hickey]

I dream of the day I can build a bumper pull trailer for two rigs. I want it to be the bare minimum length with f/r overhang and low. #oneday

I kinda wonder if pulling two purpose built trailers like that Ken Blume trailer would be a better way to go. The longer length of one trailer for two rigs will just require heavier steel in its main beams.

 

[toys4rocks]

Thanks for the input. I think ultimately I am going to build a 14 mid drive over fender with 5k axles. I am going full deck because I do firewood every year.

 

[toys4rocks]

I have pulled with a V8, a V10, a 5.9 C, and a 6.7 C, the one and only thing that helps with longevity and MPG is speed. I hand calculated for a solid month on each vehicle to find that sweet spot. I find at any speed, slowing down treats the motor better and ups your MPG's. In my 6.7C with an auto, I took an 8000 lb trailer to Cody Wy empty, loaded a 2.5 ton short bed with 5 ton running gear and 54's. I topped off in Cody, drove through Yellowstone to Bear lake, dropped the rig and hauled the empty trailer home on the tank I filled in Cody. Granted I only did 67 the whole way, but I did it. Oh, and my truck with a half tank hits about 9600 'ish with duals and a steel flatbed.

 

[toys4rocks]

Oh, and thats just inside the gate in Yellowstone, she just barley and I mean barely >< cleared the gates.

 

[N-Smooth]

I kinda wonder if pulling two purpose built trailers like that Ken Blume trailer would be a better way to go. The longer length of one trailer for two rigs will just require heavier steel in its main beams.

it would be for hauling to competitions (Ryan and I drive together to make it affordable and fun) as well as hauling my future buggy and Jeep for rec wheeling with the family. It definitely won't be light compared to a little trailer but I like to think I can keep it reasonable if it's like 24' long and purpose-built.

EDIT: We currently use his ~40' goose so anything would be an improvement. The only perk of that trailer is that he already has it and we can haul 3 rigs if we need to- that makes fuel a little cheaper.

 

[The_Lobbster]

I dream of the day I can build a bumper pull trailer for two rigs. I want it to be the bare minimum length with f/r overhang and low. #oneday

I had a 24' deck bumper pull that I bought for my move to Utah. I was cheap and not hauling a ton of weight, so I went with 3500lb axles, but I had it custom built for $3000 or so. If I had done 5k axles it was another $500. Not sure how big your rigs are, but I loved that trailer, and think that size deck could fit a couple smaller rigs with some overhang easily.

 

[Hickey]

One way you could spread the load and use a lighter frame is by separating the tandem axles more.

 

[Hickey]

I dream of the day I can build a bumper pull trailer for two rigs. I want it to be the bare minimum length with f/r overhang and low. #oneday

Look up Yiro trailers for build ideas. They are building some incredibly nice trailers.

 

[N-Smooth]

Combined weight of rigs should be less than 7k. Maybe 5200 lb axles, maybe 7000 lb axles. We’ll see what the projected weight of the trailer would be and go from there.

I love those trailers with the built in boxes. Super nice!

 

[Hickey]

Combined weight of rigs should be less than 7k. Maybe 5200 lb axles, maybe 7000 lb axles. We’ll see what the projected weight of the trailer would be and go from there.

I love those trailers with the built in boxes. Super nice!

Having your own pit for repairs on the trailer would be cool. Might be nice for sleeping under the wheeler too.

If I was choosing between 5,209 and 7k I'd just go 7k for the beef and not ever have to wonder.

 

[N-Smooth]

Having your own pit for repairs on the trailer would be cool. Might be nice for sleeping under the wheeler too.

If I was choosing between 5,209 and 7k I'd just go 7k for the beef and not ever have to wonder.

Yeah I tend to lean towards 7k as well and then run some good, big tires.

 

[toys4rocks]

One way you could spread the load and use a lighter frame is by separating the tandem axles more.

View attachment 123709

That is worse than hell on those back tires, I had a triple axle toy hauler. My tag axle (third) wore tires 50% faster than the other 4 combined!