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03-11-2008, 05:21 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Baja Whenever Possible
Posts: 1,012
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Trailer Builds?
Anyone here building their own trailers? For the cost of these "off-road" trailers, it makes sense. Going to modify one my buggy trailers into an off-road trailer (single axle so probably make it a three-place motorcycle trailer that can convert into a storage box...or both). Problem is, besides wiring up my new shop for my welder, hubs and wheels. Think it makes sense to find 8-bolt hubs so I can run the same wheel/tire combo on the trailer as my SMB (the little 13s or 14s that on are there now just won't cut it). That way the need for a spare tire is already covered. So, if you have any good shots of a quality home-built off-road trailer, I'm all eyes.
__________________
It takes a village to raise an idiot.
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03-11-2008, 09:53 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern New Mexico
Posts: 10,179
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You might want to look at military surplus M416 trailers or one of the derivatives as a starting point for customizing your own trailer.
http://groups.msn.com/M416
Herb
__________________
SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
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03-12-2008, 06:23 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 308
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I suggest to check out the Teardrop and tiny trailers forums...you can get lost for days reading about them
http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=39
Here is a member design I like....
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03-12-2008, 09:57 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Baja Whenever Possible
Posts: 1,012
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Always loved those military trailers. Those are fetching a hefty randsome last time I checked E-Hell for one.
__________________
It takes a village to raise an idiot.
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03-15-2008, 04:47 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Tucson
Posts: 185
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Here is a trailer I built for wheeling and camping. The wheels were interchangeable with my old jeep liberty diesel. It pulls great behind the SMB too. Time for new paint though.
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03-15-2008, 04:55 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 439
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is that your new vanity plate in the avatar? Love it!
-d
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2002 EB51 7.3L w/ Stage 2- UJoint 6" 4x4 Conversion
2001 RB50 V10 Quigley- SOLD
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03-15-2008, 05:04 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Tucson
Posts: 185
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thanks for noticing, just made a post about it in show and tell.
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03-15-2008, 05:16 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 1,543
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And...the trailer is nice too...
If someone wanted to look for a military trailer for sale, where would they look?
__________________
Greg in Austin
2008 Ford 6.0PSD EB/E-PH SMB 4X4 Aluminess f/r bumpers (13.5mpg avg, 15mpg hwy) 52k miles [Texas McBeast]
2006 Toyota Prius (48 to 68 mpg) 120k miles [Penelope]
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (15 to 18 mpg) [Johnnie]
2012 Mitsubishi MiEV (no gas required) ($.50/day in electricity) [Evie]
https://badge.facebook.com/badge/1232...3.32047100.png
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03-15-2008, 09:54 PM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern New Mexico
Posts: 10,179
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Either Government auctions, or Government surplus resellers are a good place to start.
Herb
__________________
SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
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05-07-2008, 09:41 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Baja Whenever Possible
Posts: 1,012
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Well, started my trailer build (rebuild). Mad because I realized I didn't take any before pics of the trailer. Trailer is/was a single axle, two railed/tracked trailer used for hauling a dune buggy. Clearly, it has had several incarnations through its life. Overbuilt, but not well thought out. Right now, its too heavy (the rails/tracks are 6" structural steel which are very, very heavy). I've been busy going through Sawzall blades like crazy removing the ineffective cross members and the rails. Outter structure and new cross members will be comprised of 3x1.25" channel (of the outter structure, only the trailing end of the trailer needs to be replaced). Will build three bolt on motorcycle wheel chocks (sure I could buy them, but I'm going to have all this extra steel I've cut from the trailer, so I guess I can claim I'm recycling). Since it was a dune buggy trailer, the axle is further back than regular trailers (bacuase of the rear engines in buggies). Not going to extend the deck or move the axle. Since primarily a motorcycle trailer, I'll just keep the bikes further back. Thus, the front "V" will be fairly long. Long enough for a pair of dump cans and/or a tool box and long enough to keep from hitting the SMB spare or box when backing. Long trailers tow and back nicely, so I'm good with that. Usable deck area will only be approx 6.5' wide by 7-8' long. Currently has 13" wheels and a missing fender (lost in Baja during a blow out a few years back). Going with 15" wheels (w/one spare -fortunately the same bolt pattern as our horse trailer (which doesn't have a spare). Picked up new fenders. Ramp will store underneath like the setup on my Big Tex car trailer. Deck will likely be brown treated 5/4 deck lumber. Yea, wood is heavy, but have you checked alumn prices lately? Thought it might be fun to do a patchwork deck of old alumn signs available through our county's road department, but I'm just not that artsy (or a member of the Partridge Family). Thought about going with 8-lug hubs and a pair of like 16" wheels and tires as my SMB, but that's a lot more work and $. Will post up a couple of pics of the mess later.
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