Off Road Trailer 2.0 50" wide version

[thefirstzukman]

Starting to gather parts for an off road trailer to pull behind my SXS. I have been holding on to the stock tires and some wheels from an old fourwheeler and have been looking for some kind of axle to fit the wheels but no luck to be had. I found some cheap trailer spindles and 4 on 4 hubs and found out that Golf Cart wheels are 4 on 4 lug pattern. $142 bucks later I have spindles, hubs and 12x7 wheels to fit the tires I have laying around.


The spindle / hubs are cheap garbage but should work, Wheels are nice though. So the question of the day is axle tube... I have some 1.5" .120 wall DOM that will work, do you guys think that will hold up for the intended use? This trailer shouldn't ever see more than 600 or so pound total weight most likely much less. Im thinking of pulling 2 leafs out of a little boat trailer springs and using one of the harbor freight trailer tongue boxes as the base of the trailer with a removable tongue so the trailer will fit in the back of the truck.

I cant decide the full design but I thing the box gives me some secure storage and the rest will just be open, I will probably just weld directly to the back of the box and go from there. total length minus tongue, probably 3.5' maybe... anyone ever built something like this?

https://www.harborfreight.com/2-34-cu-ft-steel-trailer-tongue-box-62253.html

 

[Caleb]

I did build a trailer that I pull behind my rzr but it's for hauling water (around 200 gallons) that I use to fill my in-ground tank at my cabin. I used a 3500 lb axle I had built for it.

 

[thefirstzukman]

I did build a trailer that I pull behind my rzr but it's for hauling water (around 200 gallons) that I use to fill my in-ground tank at my cabin. I used a 3500 lb axle I had built for it.

Wow, thats a lot of weight for a SXS. Im thinking a small cooler, 5 gallons of water, 10 gallons of gas, and some camping gear. and now and then a deer.

 

[Caleb]

Wow, thats a lot of weight for a SXS. Im thinking a small cooler, 5 gallons of water, 10 gallons of gas, and some camping gear. and now and then a deer.

Yeah, it is. It's only a short distance (about a mile) and all at very low speeds. It actually does just fine but I did destroy my first hitch due to the weight (after it happened and I actually looked at the hitch, it was no wonder that it destroyed it).

 

[Spork]

Back to the original question, I think the 1.5" tube will be fine, where you only target about 600lbs and are under 5' I think a single stick of tube has more than the strength required. https://www.roguefab.com/tube-calculator/

Caleb's trailer I'd be more concerned with, 200 gallons = 1400 lbs and it moves/shifts depending on up/down/left/right. Still should be easy to build one strong enough but that's a lot different than camping gear/fuel/water/etc for a trip.

 

[thefirstzukman]

so my axle tube will be 32" so that turns out to give me a 1.6 safety factor at 1000 lbs. I.m thinking that's more than I will ever see on the trailer, i'm wanting to keep it small so its still able to follow on the tighter 50" trails anyway.

 

[thefirstzukman]

Put the axle together today, I ended up going with 1 3/4” .120 wal hrew over 1 1/2” .120 wall dom, just wanted to get the outer diameter of the axle tube up to 1 3/4” for the spring perch’s, should be good for 1500 lbs or so now.

I have all the steel ordered, using 2x3 .088 wall for the frame and 16 gauge for the sheeting. I will at the very least be raptor lining the inside of the box. The box will be just shy of 10 cubic feet plus the front tongue box.

Couple pics of what I have been playing with.

 

[thefirstzukman]

Finally bought some steel today and started the build. They still didn’t get what I wanted in (2x3 .083 wall) but they had a stick of 1.5 x 2 .120 wall and the price was right.

 

[thefirstzukman]

Little more work tonight, need to decide the tongue length and if i go straight or put a bend in it.

 

[Caleb]

I'd go just a bit longer than that. The box and the spare look to be pretty close, one ditch/ravine crossing and they look like they're going to make contact.

 

[thefirstzukman]

I'd go just a bit longer than that. The box and the spare look to be pretty close, one ditch/ravine crossing and they look like they're going to make contact.

Ya, I plan on longer. This is just the coupler off my big off road trailer to get an idea of how long to make it. I did a receiver on the front of the trailer so it will fit in the bed of my truck.

 

[thefirstzukman]

Gave the trailer a little test run this weekend, the trailer tracked perfectly and is really smooth to pull. I had to eliminate all but the main leaf spring. At this point there is 48 lbs of tongue weight but not sure what the total weight is. I have pulled it up to 55 mph and it isn’t even noticeable. I need one more good day of work to have it done!

 

[thefirstzukman]

I was ordering people’s opinions about a tail gate. I am undecided if I should just cap the end or add a tailgate to it? I am so busy with work and hunting that I would like to be done and capping it would excel that part but will I regret not having the tailgate?

 

[I Lean]

I vote tailgate. I think you'll regret just capping it off.

 

[Spork]

Another vote for a tailgate. even if it's just a rectangle up to where the bed fans out.

 

[Hickey]

You won't like lifting a large loaded cooler over a cap.

 

[rholbrook]

Tailgate all the way

 

[thefirstzukman]

I know... just getting tired. I need to do the tailgate.

 

[thefirstzukman]

Had a few minuets this afternoon to do the tailgate. I will be gone all next week for the Muzzleloader hunt but hope to finish it all the week after and put it up for sale... LOL

 

[thefirstzukman]

Here is what the finished product is for now, I’ll re coat in the spring and work on what I want to do for the hitch.