Trailer build / Crawler hauler

[Maverick]

8" good. Once we got looking at loads, my 14,000lb 26' ended up with 8" channel.

My 16' PJ was pretty stout, and had 3x5 angle.

Looks like a nice, stout trailer.

Brett

 

[SWALLDOG]

Thanks guys. Yeah the 8" is definitely stout! Haha
Parts, those fenders look awesome! Real clean looking. I did start building some. I'm using 1/4" tread plate, because it was free. But they should be tuff enough to drive over. I need to post some pics.

 

[SWALLDOG]

So to the outside of my tires from the outside of the frame rail is about 11". So my fenders w be 11" and I wanted to build some deck extentions that are about as wide as the fenders. They are kind of like low boy trailer extentions with some type of a triangle bracket under it. Expect unlike the low boy, it will all be welded solid. Not removable.
I framed up the extentions with some 1.5" square tube. .120" wall. They stick out 10 3/4" so a 2 X 10 (which I found out is 9 1/4" wide) should fit inside. I plan on building some triangle brackets to help support it but will also have a flat on top to screw the wood to.

Front





Back

 

[SWALLDOG]

I got my fenders all built. I built them out of some 1/4" tread my buddie had. All the rems he had were 8' x11" wide which worked out just about perfect. I wanted the fenders 11" wide but I also wanted to bend an 1.5" lip on it. So the top of the fender is 9.5" wide and then just slants down to meet the frame. They look a little tall for the tires but I built them w bigger tires and axles in mind. My tires are 27" and all the tires I was measuring on 10k and 15k trailers were 32". So I drew them up in plas cam w the axle bottomed out against the frame and 32" tires and then gave myself 1" clearance around the tire. All in all the fenders ended up being 7.750" tall.

 

[Greg]

Looks great, good call on the tread plate for driving over the fenders!

 

[SWALLDOG]

Looks great, good call on the tread plate for driving over the fenders!

Thanks! Yeah they turned out pretty stout. I'm thinking I am going to use a piece of that 1.5" .120" wall square to put a little brace, in the middle, under the fender. A 42" TSL on a 15" wheel, filled w water might still put a little bow in that fender over time. Haha.

 

[SWALLDOG]

I put a little fish plate where the dove tail is welded on. It's probably alright with out it but I just wanted that little piece of mind. It was just a scrap off the plas table. 1/4" plate and about 5" in diameter.

 

[Rock Taco]

Are you going to add any more cross bracing to the dove tail area? How are you going to support the deck material?

 

[Pile of parts]

Do you have enough room to keep your rear tires on the Dove tail area, or will they be on the fenders when towing? Either way, a little bracing, like you said might not be a bad idea. Fenders look great. I was going to build mine about the same way except with channel. If I remember correctly, the material cost was about the same. In the end I determined I didn't have a way to cut channel that big so I went with the setup I have now. Nice work!

 

[SWALLDOG]

Are you going to add any more cross bracing to the dove tail area? How are you going to support the deck material?

Yes, I'm going to run 3 more pieces of that 3" C channel. One where I just welded in that fish plate one in the middle of the dove tail and one at the end. I've just been putting it off because I want to have my ramps come out the back of the trailer and it might interfere with those C's. Still working on that. Haha.

 

[SWALLDOG]

Do you have enough room to keep your rear tires on the Dove tail area, or will they be on the fenders when towing? Either way, a little bracing, like you said might not be a bad idea. Fenders look great. I was going to build mine about the same way except with channel. If I remember correctly, the material cost was about the same. In the end I determined I didn't have a way to cut channel that big so I went with the setup I have now. Nice work!

Thanks man. Yeah the dove tail is 3' long and should be even w the end of the tires or a little past w the buggy is on. The front of the rear tires should be right against the fenders when it's on. That is if my measurements and everything is right. Lol

 

[SWALLDOG]

I've been having a hard time deciding how and where to put the ramps. I never use them for my buggy unless it's not driving and I have to winch it on. Lol so I was thinking about just building them later. But my luck, first trip out I would need them and not have them. So I really wanted the ramps to come out the back. I think it's just really clean and you can pull them out and hook them right on the back. I decided to build the ramps out of that 1.5" square tube. Now that I made that command decision I can build the ramp pockets. The ramps are going to be 5' or just under. So I got a piece of 2" square tube .120" wall 10 ft long. The plan was to cut the pieces down the middle so I would have some 2" x1" C channel. I cut the 10ft piece in half and then welded them together. I wanted to do this before I cut the square down the middle to try and keep it from turning in to a banana. It worked good. The outside pieces barely had a bow to them after the cut.

 

[SWALLDOG]

 

[SWALLDOG]

On the very back of the trailer I would not be able to use that 3" C channel where the ramp pockets are. So I used a piece of 1.5" X .250" angle. I cut out some "utah" shaped brackets to give it some support. And then on the ends where there is no ramp pocket I will use the 3" C channel. I also put a 1" hole for my wiring for lights and stuff.

 

[SWALLDOG]

Once I got the back pocket done I could weld in the ramp pockets. I also welded a piece of 2" X .120" flat bar across the front so the ramps could not slide out. I had welded some small strap across the bottom and then the top will be welded to the 3" C channel to keep the rails in place.

 

[SWALLDOG]

On the last piece of 3" C channel before the back, I had to notch it out for the ramp pockets. I cut out .750" . I also welded in a piece of .250" X 1.250" strap across the piece I cut out to stiffen it up a bit. Hopefully it will take the abuse.

 

[Bart]

Looks well thought out and engineered.

 

[SWALLDOG]

Looks well thought out and engineered.

Thanks! I'm really liking how it's turning out.

 

[SWALLDOG]

So I called the alignment Specialists the other day. On one of my axles the tire looks a little crooked. When I was working at vector we had problems w some of the trailers blowing tires. Turns out one of the axles was bent. After we took them to the alignment Specialists it was never a problem. Anyways I wanted to know what they charged, how they aligned them ect. I've never seen any kind of alignment shims for trailers and I didn't know if I need to build them in or not. For a tandem axle bummer pull it's $69 and they just bend the axles to make it straight. I don't know if the axles were bent when I got them or if they got bent after. They have been sitting under my buggy for the last 4 years and I may or may not have driven over them a few times pulling the buggy in and out. Haha. It's good to know I can get it aligned and it doesn't sound like a big deal.

 

[I Lean]

I got my trailer aligned at Alignment Specialists too--made lots of good difference for me.