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28th Nov 2016, 12:02 AM #1Most Valued Member
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Registration for a bolt together aluminium trailer?
Hey guys I'm back at it again, as mentioned in my other thread i need a trailer, my boat trailer has a lot of problems and the only thing salvageable would be a axle, one tire, winch post and winch
i was thinking of welding a trailer together now that another member of MWF put me onto a local supplier who sells aluminium I beams than i just came across this guy online Duckworks - Building an Aluminium Trailer - Part One seems he has made a huge bolt together aluminium boat trailer
would something along this guys idea's be road legal in NSW being all bolted together?
how hard would it be to get a laser or jet cutting service to pre-cut the top and bottom plates for each joint, would it be expensive?
do u think this could work?
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28th Nov 2016, 12:09 AM #2Most Valued Member
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Best bet would be to contact your local motor registration office and ask them. Look forward to seeing the build WIP.
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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28th Nov 2016, 12:46 AM #3Most Valued Member
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Kryn, i think it is very dooable mate as the big commercial AT in Oz are bolted together other than the two main side rails/drawbar is bent the rest of the trailer is bolted together
i will call RMS and my local blue slip mechanic tomorrow and let anyone else interested know the outcome
pending the approval this is all go a head i think
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28th Nov 2016, 11:41 AM #4Most Valued Member
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Anything is doable if you put your mind to it, just whether it'll be legal or not, without an engineers certificate, is the big question. AT in Oz may have spent a small fortune getting Engineers Approval for their design, if the design is changed slightly, it no longer complies with the Engineers calculations.
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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28th Nov 2016, 12:44 PM #5Most Valued Member
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Kryn i had something like this in mind as one plan
i was thinking of using 100x76mm I beam for the rails than 50x50x2.5 or 50x50x3mm for the cross members
what do u think?
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28th Nov 2016, 03:05 PM #6Most Valued Member
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Using I beam for the main frame and square tube for the rest should be OK, I'd make sure that there were a couple of 12mm diam holes in the ends of the square tube to let out any water that might get in. Another concern is the mounting of the suspension, steel spring hangers onto the aluminium frame??? Electrolysis where they meet. This will be a problem to try to get around!!!
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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28th Nov 2016, 03:42 PM #7Most Valued Member
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I'm going to go with stainless steel hangers and stainless angle for the spring support it will be from the front of the mudguard to the rear so it will cover the whole area, if i can find some really thin poly i might put a layer of that between the aluminium and stainless steel
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28th Nov 2016, 08:23 PM #8Most Valued Member
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Sounds like a good idea. By using the thin poly in between, I'd possibly look at putting a couple of bolts to secure it in place.
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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29th Nov 2016, 03:59 PM #9Most Valued Member
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Kryn, I'm thinking about using steel for the spring holder just because two lengths of SS 316 will cost close to $200 if i use steel and get it galvanised than use the poly between the steel and aluminium i thought i should be fine
i picked up the aluminium from Capral Aluminium and got $50 off what i was quoted over the phone helps put some pennies back in the budget
does anyone know where to buy custom stainless steel 316 U bolts? or possibly a way to make them my self?
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29th Nov 2016, 05:23 PM #10Most Valued Member
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One way to get around the U bolts, is some 30 X 6 or 8 flat stainless bar and Stainless bolts, making the plates as a clamp. I repaired a trailer spring with this set up and did about 1000 kms with it to get home. A lot cheaper than U bolts, if you still want U bolts, some 12 mm bar work out the length needed and get a spring maker or heavy fabrication shop to bend them, as far as I know, they're not an off the shelf item.
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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29th Nov 2016, 05:44 PM #11
Years ago I had whats called an Easy Trailer here in Vic. It was all bolted together from some "fine Chinese Steel."
Bought it as a DIY kit. will confess to carting a bitta gravel in it.
Only a lite duty unit.
Upgraded to a tandem when the reno bug bit.
rego it in Vic, no troubles.
Didn't ask the sales guy what hoops they had to jump thru. Only can I legally rego it?
Think my bro has still got it.
Good luck with the project.Frisky wife, happy life. Then I woke up. Oh well it was fun while it lasted.From an early age my father taught me to wear welding gloves . "Its not to protect your hands son, its to put out the fire when u set yourself alight".
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29th Nov 2016, 07:01 PM #12Most Valued Member
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here are some pics my yard is messy owning 4 dogs and one under 2 years old who loves ripping everything to pieces and taking tools out of my shed to chew haha
i am only going for two main cross members the front will have another cross member where the drawbar attaches
tomorrow i will make the cuts in the I beams top and bottom, the middle will be left to just bend than i will weld the top and bottom cuts
any idea how to bend the two sides in? i dont really want to buy a comealong just for one job i do have ratchet straps one of these may be the go?
Kryn i ended up welding the joints i welded 70x4mm sheet to the ends of the 50x50x3mm i done an ok job had to regrind some welds and run back over them, the problem was wire feeding as i kept the welder in the shed just wheeled over next to the door
if the blue slip inspector knocks me back on welds i will just go buy more 50x50x3mm and bolt them on using the way u mentioned that way there will be minimum welding for them to complain about
jatt, thanks i have seen some bolt together trailers but wondered if they would get knocked back for rego
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29th Nov 2016, 07:24 PM #13Most Valued Member
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A bit better pictures
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29th Nov 2016, 10:17 PM #14Most Valued Member
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gazza, any chance of some pics of your welds, please. I thought this was to be a bolt together job, if you're able to weld the plates on, why didn't you weld the square tubes to the I beams. Ratchet straps should be enough to pull the I beams together, possibly need 2 straps to complete the job though.
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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29th Nov 2016, 11:31 PM #15Most Valued Member
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The plan was to bolt it all together i than changed the plan to using the U bolts but i was looking at $200 for custom U bolts so just decided to weld on the flanges than i'll bolt those to the trailer frame
i went with this option over welding the entire frame together because I'm not a great welder and i can't weld out of position, for me to weld the whole trailer i would be flipping it every which way
it's still not to late to change the plan
i just done some research into bending the 6061 T6 aluminium looks like i will have to anneal the beams before bending, will i have to do this? i read people using Sharpies and soap to mark the aluminium than heat it than either bend than quench or quench than bend
i really cannot afford to .... up the I beams they cost a nice chunk of the budget
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