Boostinjdm's Trailers

[Boostinjdm]

I have been building trailers for myself for about 6 years now and about the time I get one done, I get the urge to build another.  Once in a while I will build matching ones, but for the most part they are all different.  I learned some very important lessons on sizing when I built my first ones, so all of my trailers are 2" longer and 2" wider than they need to be.  A sheet of plywood is kinda snug in a trailer that is exactly 4'x8'. :-[  Also, an over built trailer needs heavier axles to have a useable payload rating.  See 15 footer below. :-[ A few years back I got enough 2"x3"x1/8" tubing and 1/8" steel deck plate to build 8-10 16 foot car trailers for scrap price, so if you are wondering, that's where the material comes from .  it was rejected by a local manufacturer because of a slight dusting of rust.  When I say slight, I mean if give it a very quick going over with a wire wheel, it looks just like brand new.  I don't mind a little bit of prep time compared to the thousands of dollars I saved in material.

My current homebuilts are.

50"x98" single 2000 lb torsion axle tilt bed with custom stainless bolt action latch and steel bedlined deck.  Approx 1500 lb payload capacity, although I have "tested" it to 1800 lbs without problems.

80"x15' 2" Tandem 3500 lb torsion axle flat bed with steel deck and approx. 5000 lb payload, although I have "tested" it to about 6000 lbs with no problems and the trailer didn't squat more than about 1 1/4" from empty to fully loaded so I suspect the second hand axles are rated for more than 3500 lbs.  (Recently sold to buy running gear for 16 footer below.)

80"x16' 2" Tandem 5200 lb torsion axle flat bed with bedlined steel deck and approx 8000 lb payload.  This one is an updated version of the 15 footer, and is sitting on the floor waiting for running gear.  I built two of these side by side and sold off the other one to cover costs.

62"x10' 2" Tandem 3500 lb torsion axle dump trailer with approx 5000 lb payload cap.  This one is a work in progress and i suspect will be the most used trailer of the bunch once completed.  I will have to take pics of the others tommarrow in the daylight, but for now here are some of the dump trailer.  It is extremely over built, and depending on how well the scissor lift functions, it may get heavier axles in the future.  I designed it so that the fenders and lights are all contained in the lower frame, so that if something happens to the box it can be removed and scrapped and I will still have a perfectly useable 5x10 tandem trailer that just needs a deck installed.  I plan on sitting the battery and pump down into the tongue and putting a nice cover plate over it.  I have to double up the tubing under the tongue, but when I do it will give my a 6" deep box to work with.

[fabr]

Nice work.

[Boostinjdm]

16 footer.

[Boostinjdm]

8 footer

[fabr]

There's one MAJOR flaw in all of them. I can't believe you built those and never had a problem. Everyone I know of has had nothing but trouble from those designs. It's pretty common knowledge that you MUST follow the rules when building something. Sooooo just where the hell IS the steering wheel and seat anyway? Why such short travel? NO shocks?? I mean come on now you'll never get across the whoops at any decent speed like 80 or 90 without some serious rework! Nice work!!!! Good job.

[Boostinjdm]

There's one MAJOR flaw in all of them. I can't believe you built those and never had a problem. Everyone I know of has had nothing but trouble from those designs. It's pretty common knowledge that you MUST follow the rules when building something. Sooooo just where the hell IS the steering wheel and seat anyway? Why such short travel? NO shocks?? I mean come on now you'll never get across the whoops at any decent speed like 80 or 90 without some serious rework! Nice work!!!! Good job.

It's easier to convince the girlfriend that I need a trailer than a buggy.   I did have a moped that would do over 100mph once.   It was strapped to a trailer, which was hooked to my car, and some redneck in his loud ass pick up with long whip antennaes thought it would be fun to race me.  I wonder how he felt after getting whooped by a little Honda hatchback pulling a loaded trailer.   I bet he never heard the end of it from his buddy in the passenger seat.

[fabr]

That's priceless.

[Boostinjdm]

So on this dump trailer, I am having trouble making up my mind.  The fenders and lights and wiring will all be in or on the lower frame.  So the only thing the sides will be good for is keeping shit in.  Should I weld on steel sides, or should I just do stake pockets for wood sides?  If I do steel sides, it will be heavier and harder to pull down the highway, but would contain loose shit better.  If I do stake pockets with wood sides or removable steel sides then I can use it as a flatbed most of the time and it will pull easier, but in the event that I need to haul gravel or dirt or something the removable sides are bound to have gaps that let shit fall out going down the road.

This is my first mid-size trailer and I suspect I will use it more than any of the other trailers.  Mostly for getting building materials and hauling toys and equipment.  I have a few things that are too big or too heavy for my 4x8, and too small to really justify pulling the 15 or 16 footers.  A couple of examples would be skid loader, half finished buggy, yet to be started on Pilot and tubing bender.  I noticed a penalty of about 4mpg when I added the wood sides to my 15 footer, and I really hate to pull it unless I have too.

Another trailer I have been considering is a real long lightweight one just for getting long lumber or steel tubing.  I have a torsion axle that could only fit a 42" bed between the tires so it wouldn't be good for much (this is the one from my other thread on nurse tanks).  I was thinking about an 18 foot skeleton frame, kinda like a boat trailer.  Maybe even make the tongue expandable.  It would be nice and lightweight and would handle the long lengths well.  Right now I have to drive 25 miles one way to get material, and once I move, I will prolly have to drive at least that.  So saving on fuel is important expecially if I am going after just a few lengths of tube or something.

[Boostinjdm]

Been busy.  Tongue doubled up, scissor mounts located, coupler welded on.  And 2nd axle has been narrowed to fit and bolted on as well. I did say this thing was going to be over built didn't I?

[fabr]

When did you buy a tank that needs transported?

[Boostinjdm]

I don't want to have to worry about this thing holding up. And the material cost me next to nothing.

[Engineer]

Do you have the hydraulics already?  Is it a commercial scissor, or are you building it from scratch?

[Boostinjdm]

I already have the cylinder.  Still trying to get ahold of a pump.  The scissor is being built from scratch to fit my specific specs.

[Engineer]

Are you looking for an electic or hand pump?  Surplus center or northern hydraulics might have something.

[Boostinjdm]

Electric.  Northern is a little high.  I got a brand new freebee coming if the guy can get ahold of it.  He had some stuff stored at a relatives or something and it sounds like they locked him out.  Don't know the full story, but they don't want to give him his stuff back.  Otherwise I been scouting ebay for a long time and it looks like anywhere from $250-$350 will get me one.  I want to do a wireless remote also.
And yes, I have high standards.  Sometimes too high for my wallet,  but eventually I get what I want.  Just takes some patience.