Box Trailer Rebuild

[Doc Sprocket]

Nice work, indeed! I have a very similar project lurking ahead of me. I was given a 4x8 box trailer, the frame is just gone. I've been dreading it. The sheetmetal is quite good, the ramp is saveable, as is the running gear. But whatever the factory used for framing just did not survive. With all these wheeled project, and now the tractor- I have GOT to get on this!

I've got a couple o' tricks up my sleeve, too!

 

[OzFab]

Nice work, indeed! I have a very similar project lurking ahead of me. I was given a 4x8 box trailer, the frame is just gone. I've been dreading it. The sheetmetal is quite good, the ramp is saveable, as is the running gear. But whatever the factory used for framing just did not survive. With all these wheeled project, and now the tractor- I have GOT to get on this!

Get into it, seriously, it's not as hard as it looks; someone of your capabilities should have no problem at all.
The best tip I can give you is use primer between the joints, anything that's covered by another piece of metal, that's where the rust will start

I've got a couple o' tricks up my sleeve, too!

Do tell, or do I have to wait & see?

 

[crazzywolfie]

that trailer looks good. it has come a long way. putting that sheet of plywood in it is a good idea. i got one in the bed of my truck and it keeps it clean.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Get into it, seriously, it's not as hard as it looks; someone of your capabilities should have no problem at all.
The best tip I can give you is use primer between the joints, anything that's covered by another piece of metal, that's where the rust will start

Not hard, per se- Just a world class PITA. I will be re-using the sides, rails, ramp, and running gear. So, I have to get in there and cut it all apart. A couple years ago (and before I knew I was getting this 4x8), I built a frame for a 4x6 out of 2" SHS, planning a scratchbuild. I have to pick up about 8 more feet of tube to stretch my 4x6 into a 4x8 to match.

Do tell, or do I have to wait & see?

Since I'm constantly hauling wheeled things that don't necessarily run, I started planning ideas to make loading and unloading such things a snap. Now- Tilt trailers are cool, but if they free-tilt, they can be a handful. Tilt the deck, start pushing your object up the deck like heck, and then when you reach the fulcrum- BAM! Deck slaps down. Unloading, start pushing backwards, over the fulcrum, and- BAM! Deck tips, load runs away! Yeesh!

So- I grabbed a mechanical bottle jack I had sitting around (OEM off 1988 Toyota truck), put a pivot on the trailer tongue, and a pivot on the trailer frame with suitable reinforcements. This is simpler/lighter/cheaper than a hydraulic tilt. It goes hand in hand with a winch. The winch will probably be a simple hand crank boat winch. SO-

Tilt trailer deck down using jack mechanism. Spool out winch cable and connect to load. Winch load up angled deck. Once load is in place, crand deck down into level position. Unload? Tilt deck down into angled position, and use winch to slowly let load down under full control!

I'm planning a nifty 2-way ramp/gate unit. The ramp (about 4x4') will actually consist of two 2x4' pieces. Pull one set of hinge pins, and both gates can be lowered either individually or together for ramp duty, OR- pull another set of hinge pins, and gates swing open outward like barn doors.

EDIT- Hey, Fab- You mind if I move this into the new section?

 

[OzFab]

Great ideas, I still have one or two to come yet; all in good time

Do I mind? I insist!
Thanks for your help in creating the new section too.
While you're at it, could you also move my other thread to the new section
http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17580

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Ask, and ye shall receive!

 

[OzFab]

Thanks

 

[B.M.800]

Ask, and ye shall receive!

May I have a nice Comet 40 TC?

Nice trailer, Im thinking we need to get a smaller trailer to haul stuff on, the big one we got is a little overkill for gokarts...

Problem is, trying to build a trailer here in PA is an unnecessary pain in the butt. My uncle got a trailer built in Canada, and just got it transferred to PA. Having relatives up there helps lol.

 

[OzFab]

It all comes down to local regulations & how much time you're willing to put into it. As I stated earlier, regs here state that a new trailer mustbe accompanied by an engineers certificate, a used trailer doesn't

 

[landuse]

Looked better before. You should have left it alone.

Yeah, why did you have to go and mess it up.

Joking. You did a great job there. Trailers here are also really expensive

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Trailers are one of the very few easy-licensing items we have here. You can register a trailer as homebuilt by filling out a very simple form, paying something piddly like $15, and they assign a serial number. I've bought a couple of old, manufactured trailers that had long since had the title lost, and registered as homebuilt. Easy as pie... The downside is that it is also easy as heck to re-register a stolen trailer as homebuilt. You don't have to provide material purchase reciepts or even a photo. Just basic description stuff- type (utility), gross weight, number of axles, colour, and not much more.

 

[OzFab]

Is that all? Once I finished the rebuild, because it had been unregistered for so long (this applies to anything over 3 months) I needed:
1. Purchase receipt
2. Weighbridge ticket: $25
3. Application for registration which also included an application for a VIN which then had to be stamped into the frame
4. Safety inspection certificate form an approved inspection station: $60

All that plus the actual registration fee, including a number plate fee of $39 (yes,they charge you to use the plate) comes to $102 with a recurring annual cost of $63.
... & that only applies if the trailer was built before January 1st 1989. If it was built after January 1st 1989, heres the regulations:
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/vsb1/index.aspx

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Yup- just the above info on the "application", the administration fee ($15, IIRC) and a $15 or $20 one-time cost for the license plate.

And yes, it is too easy. Any idiotstick can booger-weld a disaster together, and tow it at highway speeds. Scary, really.

 

[Nodroz]

Once again, as I expect from you, really nice build!
You said in a comment you're "re-building" the trailer? To be honest, I don't see anything left from the old trailer, lol.

This might be a good idea to transfer my gokart around, so I don't always need my brother with his big car. Going to search some information about the regulations here.

 

[OzFab]

You said in a comment you're "re-building" the trailer? To be honest, I don't see anything left from the old trailer, lol.

The axle assembly is untouched apart from some cleaning, The side panels/tailgate are original but repaired & one of the crossmembers is from the original frame

This might be a good idea to transfer my gokart around, so I don't always need my brother with his big car. Going to search some information about the regulations here.

Regulations are different everywhere (see posts 31 - 33)so research carefully & thoroughly. My best advice is find a cheap, crapped out one & fix it; everythings already there which makes it a lot cheaper

 

[OzFab]

The trailer has been "finished" for a few months now but was only in primer waiting for me to get my butt into gear & dress it up. Last week I noticed some surface rust coming through so, I went & bought paint & underbody sealer (bedliner). I decided to get the can & spray gun as opposed to the aerosol cans coz it was going to cost more.

Back home, set up, turn compressor on, started spraying underneath, pressure getting lower. My first thought was "the guns clogged already?" Turns out, guns fine, compressor dead

About a month ago, I bought a new compressor (3.6hp, triple head pump, 11.8 CFM FAD) but have been waiting for my sparky nephew to come & wire it up: standard house outlet is 10A, this thing needs 15A.

He finally got here yesterday; wiring done

Off to Pirtek (hydraulic hose specialists) to get a hose to go from the new compressor to the water trap inside.

All hooked up, we have air again

Re: Pic #4. My nephew had to move the water trap to mount the new switch. Check out where he put it

 

[Mcbreja]

That's uhhh... an interesting choice.

 

[OzFab]

Who can guess what I did the other day?

 

[souperman000]

looks like you finally got off your butt and finished painting the trailer...
Looks very nice btw

Is the spare tire carrier on yet?

 

[OzFab]

Is the spare tire carrier on yet?

I thought I'd posted that... it's up now