Smiliey Smiles
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2013
- Messages
- 35
I had to drive across state to pick up a trailer to go get my Model A Rat body when I bought it. That trailer was built by my in-laws that used to build trailers as side jobs years ago. They built anything people wanted, from small to big. For there own personal trailer they had built themselves a five inch C- channel trailer that was mostly used to haul heavier stuff as bob cats, tractors and such. That heavy duty trailer was the only tagged trailer I could come up with at that time when I found a body to buy. I remembered that trailer pulled so nice I would love to have a smaller version just like it. What I didn’t know was just how soon that would be. Soon after starting my car build, I found out I was in bad need of a car trailer. I need to get my car body to the places I need it to be. I knew I wanted a dual purpose trailer that I can haul my car and other items that life will throw my way. I decided to build the same length and width, but a lighter version of the in-laws trailer below. For my build, I bought four inch C channel rather than five inch they used. This is the trailer I borrowed and the design I was wanting to building from.
Building my trailer....
In my opinion, I think the first thing you need to do is get your axles in hand. Make sure after your tires and rims are added to the axles, they are narrow enough to pass your D.O.T. rules. My D.O.T. approved width is eight foot six inch wide total. I ordered new axles to make the eight foot six maxium. The next reason you would want your axle’s first, is you need to know your spring perch width. In this design, the spring perch width is the same width as your trailer frame. The leaf spring end mounts will be welded to the edge of the trailer. The width of your springs mounted on the axel will tell you your exact width of your trailer frame will be. You can also use that for figuring the amount of steel you need to buy. For this build, the trailer is sixteen foot long. I bought nine, twenty foot long sticks of four inch C channel. In the pictures you will see I have a full stick left over on top of the trailer as its going out the door. I will be adding more sideways supports in the not finished dropdown dovetail of the trailer that will eat up a few more feet of that full stick. You will also need an eight foot piece of three by three square tubing quarter inch wall for your towing tongue piece. In the pictures you will see my tongue in eight inch wall, it is to be replaced. My quarter inch piece didn’t come in on the original steel shipment and the trailer had to be out of the factory floor by Sunday night. The main thing you need is to keep your frame square as you start to weld the outer box up. Keep measuring right front to left back. Then measure left front to right back. Measure the X. If you cut your corners on a forty five this will take a while to get perfect. I quit at eight inch out of square. Use a framing square in the corners and a tape measure and a welded brace corner to opposite corner across the square box. The rusty cross brace seen below in the pictures is tack welded across the frame. This is necessary if you don’t want to drive yourself nuts squaring it up. Right now the trailer is sitting in a light coat of primer most of the way finished. I still want to put some gussets in the places the C channel touched tip to tip throughout the trailer. I also need to build my detachable ramps for back. Also I need to build the ramps hide away storage under the front of the trailer. I also have bought a twelve thousand pound winch to mount in the front to pull anything that not going willingly onboard. I still need to build and weld a plate for the winch to mount. I’m at the point to start thinking about the paint for this project. I think this is a laugh because I was by trade, a painter once. I’ve painted Willy Nelsons show bus and Run DMC’s provost bus. I have lots of magazine photos of stuff I’ve painted over the years, all years ago in days past. I even went and talked to a buddy that works at a body shop about this trailer paint job. I’ve thought about everything from two part Epoxy paint, to Wal-Mart Krylon in a can. In the end I know there are about hundred and seventy foot of C channel alone. Front, back, top bottom and the C. All that angles is a pain in the butt to paint with a spray gun. You waste a lot of paint, a whole lot paint. I don’t have free gallons of auto body paint lying around like old days. I think I’m going to brush on or mitt on thirty dollar a gallon Rustoleum paint. Wire brush and touch up as needed.
more pictures, parts list, prices I paid, all to come in about a month. Questions ands suggestions wanted
Building my trailer....
In my opinion, I think the first thing you need to do is get your axles in hand. Make sure after your tires and rims are added to the axles, they are narrow enough to pass your D.O.T. rules. My D.O.T. approved width is eight foot six inch wide total. I ordered new axles to make the eight foot six maxium. The next reason you would want your axle’s first, is you need to know your spring perch width. In this design, the spring perch width is the same width as your trailer frame. The leaf spring end mounts will be welded to the edge of the trailer. The width of your springs mounted on the axel will tell you your exact width of your trailer frame will be. You can also use that for figuring the amount of steel you need to buy. For this build, the trailer is sixteen foot long. I bought nine, twenty foot long sticks of four inch C channel. In the pictures you will see I have a full stick left over on top of the trailer as its going out the door. I will be adding more sideways supports in the not finished dropdown dovetail of the trailer that will eat up a few more feet of that full stick. You will also need an eight foot piece of three by three square tubing quarter inch wall for your towing tongue piece. In the pictures you will see my tongue in eight inch wall, it is to be replaced. My quarter inch piece didn’t come in on the original steel shipment and the trailer had to be out of the factory floor by Sunday night. The main thing you need is to keep your frame square as you start to weld the outer box up. Keep measuring right front to left back. Then measure left front to right back. Measure the X. If you cut your corners on a forty five this will take a while to get perfect. I quit at eight inch out of square. Use a framing square in the corners and a tape measure and a welded brace corner to opposite corner across the square box. The rusty cross brace seen below in the pictures is tack welded across the frame. This is necessary if you don’t want to drive yourself nuts squaring it up. Right now the trailer is sitting in a light coat of primer most of the way finished. I still want to put some gussets in the places the C channel touched tip to tip throughout the trailer. I also need to build my detachable ramps for back. Also I need to build the ramps hide away storage under the front of the trailer. I also have bought a twelve thousand pound winch to mount in the front to pull anything that not going willingly onboard. I still need to build and weld a plate for the winch to mount. I’m at the point to start thinking about the paint for this project. I think this is a laugh because I was by trade, a painter once. I’ve painted Willy Nelsons show bus and Run DMC’s provost bus. I have lots of magazine photos of stuff I’ve painted over the years, all years ago in days past. I even went and talked to a buddy that works at a body shop about this trailer paint job. I’ve thought about everything from two part Epoxy paint, to Wal-Mart Krylon in a can. In the end I know there are about hundred and seventy foot of C channel alone. Front, back, top bottom and the C. All that angles is a pain in the butt to paint with a spray gun. You waste a lot of paint, a whole lot paint. I don’t have free gallons of auto body paint lying around like old days. I think I’m going to brush on or mitt on thirty dollar a gallon Rustoleum paint. Wire brush and touch up as needed.
more pictures, parts list, prices I paid, all to come in about a month. Questions ands suggestions wanted
