Replies

1. 
   TerryH13 | Apr 20, 2002 12:02am | #1

   Scott,

   Don't know about 16ft but was at a Home Depot the other day (don't know if you have those) and they had ready made trailers for sale and they seemed pretty decent with real tires (not those dinky little things). One was about 8ft. the other was longer. I have seen a lot of people try and build them but I think in the long run it would be cheaper to purchase one, new or used and fix it up. I have seen some home made ones and am still trying to figure out how they got them on the road. Will look around and see if I come up with any plans.

   Terry

1. 
   bill_1010 | Apr 20, 2002 03:33am | #2

   http://www.trailerplans.com is a URL someone mentioned on another thread about trailers. The most expensive part will be the Tires/Axles.

   If you have a welder, skill and time then you can make one with ease.

2. 
   Vibart2 | Apr 20, 2002 04:40am | #3

   I don't know what your doing but my father was in the building trade for 43 years his trailer was 8' X 12' with a tongue that you could pull the bolts out of & slide it out to about 25' over all trailer length. This was a heavy duty trailer we hauled 9200 lbs of John Deere 440 dozer on it.The trailer  weighed 2500 empty. We had 4 4" pockets down the center of the trailer that we could put steel posts in to lean trusses or what ever against. There was also 2" pockets  4 of them  on each side that pipe would fit in to hold 2"x12" sides on. There are brakes on both axels. I hope this helps. Make sure you have brakes on both axels.

1. 
   SCFrankland | Apr 20, 2002 03:29pm | #4

   Thanks for to all for the leads. I will be using the trailor to haul lumber from the mill to my shop (1000Km round trip). Some of the timbers are 6"x12"x16' and a very green so weight is going to be a big factor. I will also be using it for hauling two ski doos with sleds.

   As for buying one cheaper I would have to agree. But I have a buddy with a welding shop that owes me a few favors and he is going to supply all the steel for half price and do all the welding for free. The axels I already have off a older trailer that has since passed away and gone to that big place up in the sky.Scott C. Frankland

   Newfoundland Wood Worker

1. 
   trialnut | Apr 20, 2002 03:55pm | #5

   Scott

   You may want to check the laws about trailers in your state before building. As an example in NY if your homebuilt weighs 2000 lbs or more empty then the first inspection involves hauling it to either Buffalo or Albany where the welds, axles, tire type, lighting placement, etc, etc will be checked. Also any trailer over 2000 lbs must have brakes.  All trailers in NY must be inspected once a year. NY trailers cannot use tires which have tempoary  use only printed on them.  In PA any trailer under 2000 lbs empty does not even need an inspection, but over 2000 needs to be inspected and must have fenders, cannot use mobile home tires, must have brakes, blah blah.

   It's best to know these things before you build and avoid the unplesant supprises later. I had to replace the oak deck on mine with lighter wood to get it under 2000lbs and have a weigh slip to prove the weight to avoid hauling it to Buffalo for inspection. Replacing the deck was cheaper.

   Hope these rambling help you aviod some hassles.

   RichThe Professional Termite, aka Woodbutcher Extrodinaire

2. 
   PlaneWood | Apr 20, 2002 07:20pm | #6

   Scott - Making one is not dificult if you have the cutting and welding equipment.  Get some heavy angle iron or thick wall square tubing and have at it.  Get the axles/spring/shackles/spindles/hubs first so you can take measurements while building.  If you live in a salty area, then you might consider getting the whole thing galvanized dipped.

   Curious - You live in Newfoundland?  Do you ever come down into the states for lumber?  What sort of import duties are there?

   I have a friend that lives in BC that once took a large tandem wheel trailer down into the states to pick up an old car.  Funny, but on the return trip, the bed of the trailer had been replaced with rough 10/4 Black Walnut.   I used to give him little bundles of BW that he would carry back on the plane.  He came down a lot on buisness trips.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_KatyPlaneWood

3. 
   sschefer | Apr 20, 2002 08:35pm | #7

   Scott, all of the advice about checking the laws is just what you need to do before you even think about building. My point is, there are things like max width, min ground clearance, max length for a single axel trailer, axel ratings by weight, axel distance from tounge, tire ratings, wheel diameter, etc. It all depends on the class of trailer you end up building. It seems that you have a pretty good idea of what you need. So now go check the laws and see where it fits in. Once you have that you will be able to build the trailer to "Street Legal" specs and never have to worry about the flashing blue lights adding cost to your lumber.

   Be carefull not to overbuild. My dad once built a trailer that exceeded every requirement at least twice over for what he wanted. Super strength, etc, etc. They ended up putting him up a class that would have meant he would have to buy a bigger truck just to pull it and stop at truck stops for weight checks. Not only that but it was classified as commercial and the DMV fees were outrageous. Needless to say, it never hit the road.

   Putting a trailer on the road is just about like putting a car on the road. I once built one about the size you want. I used axels that I salvaged from beneath a mobile home. When I went to register it for the road, they ran the serial numbers on the axels and found out that they were stolen. Seems the mobile home movers at one time were somewhat less than honest. I had all the appropriate documentation from the seller so I wasn't in any trouble but they impounded the trailer on the spot and it took months to get it back.

   Anyway, like Mike says, they are easy to build using square tubing or channel iron. Here's a little tip about the wiring if you use square tube. When you weld it up it will be impossible to grind the inside joints smooth. So, to protect the wiring that you pull through the tube, first run it inside soft plastic tubing then pull it. This will prevent you from nicking the wire and causing a short.Steve - in Northern California

3. 
   sschefer | Apr 20, 2002 09:32pm | #8

   Scott, it certainly sounds like you have a handle on the law portion of the deal. LOL. The plan looks great to me but I'm no structural engineer. I'm sure it will generate a lot of advice. Good luck... We want pictures when its done !

   Steve - in Northern California

4. 
   SCFrankland | Apr 24, 2002 07:03am | #9

   Thanks RJT. I had some extra steel so I drew my plan using what I had.

   Scott C. Frankland

   Newfoundland Wood Worker