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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Toowoomba Qlder
    Posts
    22

    Default Enclosed trailer build - bought an unfinished project

    After years of procrastinating and 3 interstate moves, I've finally made a start on my enclosed trailer build.

    I've just bought someone's unfinished project, hoping I haven't bought someone else's nightmare...

    Here's a couple of pictures of what I bought. It is practically exactly the size and shape I wanted and it cost less than half the cost of the steel and axle, which I thought was pretty good. The wheels in the picture didn't come with it, I'm going to use 14" steel rims with light truck tyres. The seller was building it to carry a couple of drag bikes around and consequently its got a 750kg 4" drop axle, drop down rear door/ramp, lift up roof and two side access doors.

    sellers picture_7.jpgsellers picture_8.jpg

    My plans for it include upgrade the axle to either single 1400kg axle or 2000kg tandem axles and cladding in alupanel or similar and yes I know I have to add some bracing to the rear door. I won't be going off road with it but it will go over some pretty ordinary roads. Further additions will include a couple of under floor water tanks, pull out kitchen and fridge in nose cone, hot water system, solar panels etc, essentially a camping trailer without the roof top tent.

    I knew the axle was in the wrong place, the seller used the entire body length and not the body length excluding the nose cone in his calculations. Here's a couple of diagrams showing current measurements and proposed single or tandem axle positions.

    Trailer plan - as purchased.jpg
    Trailer plan - proposed axle positions.jpg

    Obviously the green is where the single axle and hangers would be and blue for tandem axle hanger positions and centre of the tandem axles. The tandem axle position is based on not moving the drawbar, I don't think I want that headache.

    My first (of many) question is would the proposed tandem axle centerline to be far back, given that it will be 4" behind the single axle position. Would it ok there if I just loaded the trailer with a bit more weight at the front?? I'm thinking of a tandem setup as I have everything except axles but if I went single axle I would only have to get springs and an axle as I have electric brake hubs already. Regardless of which set up I go with, I would still need alter the outer frame and mudguard frame, electric brake coupling etc.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Horsham Victoria
    Posts
    113

    Default

    A lot of new caravans have the axle closer the rear. Just a matter of how you load it

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,942

    Default

    I used to build trailers, the way I work out axle placement is 1/2" behind centre for every foot of trailer body length. If your trailer body is 8' (2400 mm) then the axle would be 4" (100 mm) behind the centre. I also used this rule for tandems, but the 100 behind centre, would be the centre point of both axles, if your axles are 600 centre, the centre point would be 300 each side of centre.
    Ideally, you'd want about 60 kg drawbar weight, when its loaded.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

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