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ohmygewd
7th Feb 2010, 07:22 PM
Hi All
Lurker and first time poster but this has been a great forum for knowledge so l need some advice.
Acquired my old man's trailer whom he built some 25 years ago but was lent to a family friend for the last 15 odd years.
Anyway, the 6x4 with 11"sides, trailer has been very neglected and wondering if l should bother?
I have a stick and a mig (gasless ATM but with gas fittings) welder and know how to welder abet very rusty like the trailer:B. I have access to steel via work and l have a plan but after opinions before l proceed.

Trailer will be used for carting 2 road bikes or trail bikes and the old occasional pebbles or rocks for gardening.

So what do you reckon?
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/TopView.jpghttp://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/TopRear.jpg
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/RHS_Side.jpg
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/FrontSide.jpg
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/MudgardLHS.jpg
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/UnderLHS.jpg
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/UnderRHS.jpg
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/FrontLHStower.jpg
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/Drawbar.jpg
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/FrontSide.jpg
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af323/ohmygewd/Trailer/Under.jpg

DavidG
7th Feb 2010, 08:52 PM
Cutout the floor and bottom half of each side.
rust treat everything.
Weld in new sides and floor.
rust treat and paint.

Proviso - no structural rust.

murray44
7th Feb 2010, 09:00 PM
There looks like a lot of work there, probably a few bits you could salvage.

I wonder what the load rating of that spring setup would be versus the rating of the axle. A bit of a mismatch me thinks.

I just looked at that side shot too, the bottom of the tray is almost level with the top of the tyre. What the?

good luck.

Yonnee
7th Feb 2010, 09:17 PM
I wonder what a 14 leaf spring set would be rated to...?? Then again, it wouldn't matter... it's still only a 750Kg rated axle.

Everyone's opinion will differ, but my answer to your question is, if it has sentimental value to you, seeing you say it was built by your Dad, then it's worth fixing. If not, then it's probably not worth fixing, just pilfering for bits to make a new one. Axle, hubs, one of the spring sets, coupling and maybe guards and tie-down rails all look useable.

Wahoon
7th Feb 2010, 10:20 PM
I'd start completely from scratch. But re-use the coupling if not too worn, re-use the axle, hubs and wheels, and of course the current registration plate. This way it's sort of like grandads old axe, it's had elleven handles, two heads but still the axe grandad brought in 1930!
I probably wouldn't re-use the drawbar, I'm not a bit fan of angle iron, I've seen many that are bent or bowed. Not saying that they can't be bent, but I've yet to see a drawbar made from C channel or tubing bent.

I wished I'd looked at the last photo first. When I saw the under RHS photo with the dual spring set up I had to rub my eyes, clean my glasses and look again, never seen that set up before, an under and over side by side. In making the new, I'd just go one decent set of springs either under or over as required to give you the height you need.

Although the trailer could be resurrected, is it worth it, in my opinion no.

Cheers,
Dion.

ohmygewd
7th Feb 2010, 11:10 PM
Cheers blokes,

The suspension setup had me scratching my head so phoned the old man and he reckons he had square tube axles but still dual springs - he reckons it wouldn't hold the bricks he use to carry when building the garage (should see the I beams he used...shakes head!!)??

Yonnee, the trailer has no sentimental value to me cos it's utterly rooted IMO, so l was thinking of:
- Using 20x20x1.6 RHS for the chassis (use the same RHS for the towers?).
- 30x30x2.0 (or 2.5?) for the drawbar.
- cut the sides (as they are rusting at the bottoms near the front), to reuse the top rails.
- Reuse the gate.
- Reuse the coupling.
- Reuse the axle.
- Reuse the outer springs.
- Clean and reuse the angle iron floor beams.
- Sheet the floor and sides with 2mm cheq or flat rolled(?)
- Bitumen paint the undersides and welds.
- Coat the thing in Hammertone.
- Never lend it to anyone :)

Question:
The length of the drawbar, if l want to make a drop front and room for a spare tyre, whats a good length? I read in previous post that it should be around the width of the car (hilux)?
Should l use 20x20 RHS for the whole chassis and don't bother about reusing the sides
Or
Just purchase prefab sides out of 1.6mm @ $50 ea

Cheers,
Jay

Yonnee
7th Feb 2010, 11:38 PM
Jay,
I hope you're missing the decimal point and was meaning 2.0"x2.0"x1.6mm RHS for the chassis, 'cause me thinks that 20mm x 20mm is a little light...:no:

I'd at least be starting with 40 x 40 x 2.0mm for the main chassis, and 75 x 50 x 2.5 or 3.0mm for the drawbar. Anything less you'll be kicking yourself later.

I've done a trailer before where I cut down the rusty 12" sides and rebuilt an 8x5 with 10" sides for a scout group. Works perfectly well, and with the cage sides I added, you dont notice the missing 2" from the original sides. Otherwise, pre-fab sides and tailgates are fairly cheap.

I always go a 5 foot drawbar when modifying any trailer. Having said that, there may be some instances where too long a drawbar might not fit into a storage location, or for a particular trailer, 5 foot might not be quite long enough. In any case, 4 foot is your bare minimum.

ohmygewd
7th Feb 2010, 11:59 PM
errr...l was thinking 20mmx20mm...doh!!

Thanks Yonnee, l'll start unstitching when l get time after work and see how much of the sides and the rest l can reuse.
Looking at the some of the 6x4 trailers and the price, rather build a strong, multipurpose unit rather than modifying these trailers.

Jay

Bazzmate
9th Feb 2010, 01:32 AM
I always go a 5 foot drawbar when modifying any trailer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . In any case, 4 foot is your bare minimum.

Just for clarification and future reference . . . Where would you measure the 4 or 5' from? Perpendicular from the front of the box to the coupling or, from the front of the box and along the drawbar to the coupling? I know it's a personal choice thing but am interested to know your 'rule of thumb'. Thanks,

Good luck with your trailer Ohmygewd. Please post some progress photos if you get a chance.

Cheers .

soundman
9th Feb 2010, 11:14 AM
Hell looking at the pictures.......definitely start again, and build the trailer the way you want it.

seriuosly it probabaly isn't worth salvaging the steel.......the springs are probably fine... but I'd be running a straight edge on that axle.....with a spring system like that there is a very good chance the axle is bent.

when I was at the dump getting rid of the rusting hulk of a trailer I once thaught I would fix.....there were parts of two other dead trailers in the scrap steel bin.

Get a price list from a trailer parts supplier and think about if it is easier just to to it to the dump and flip it into the scrap bin.

cheers

ohmygewd
9th Feb 2010, 08:56 PM
Thanks guys,

I'll post pic when l start and really the material isn't that expensive when l priced the 40x40x2 and 75x50x3 (trade price) that Yonnee specified l guess my labour is free but the welds might be ugly.
I guess a "decent" 6x4 is going to cost me $500+ in which l'll probably make customizations so it's a no brainer.

But first got to make the missus happy and finish of the backyard project .... she wasn't rapt when l rebuilt my trailbike (bottom and top end) quicker than laying out mulch :)

Jay

kiwioutdoors
10th Feb 2010, 06:15 PM
I have done this as well retrospectivly I would start from scratch as well salvaging just the usable parts and the rego. My trailer was inherited from dad as a 1974 homebuilt. Made of 40 by 40 mm box section with a 3mm wall and angle and u section steel ply deck and sides

I started with the intention of just replacing the deck and sides bud ended up discovering alot of rust. I used the Angle grinder and cut out both corners including the suspension brackets having taken careful notes. Paint stripper and a drill mounted wire brush and some 3M strip disks took care of the paint.

I purchase replacement steel and had a friend complete and tidy up my botched Welding attempts.

The whole frame was painted in liquid Galv and given several coats of black enamel with a hardner. The suspension was restored and intalled and a new deck screwed in place with stainless screws. It now kept in the garage and moved when I need the work space.

I retrospectivly believe I could have built a new trailer for a lot less hassle with the welding, time researching and modifying parts to work ie U bolts and plates to replace imperial ones off a car leaf springs etc The steel would have cost me $200 ish and a new set of trailer springs $150 The axle and hubs as well as the coupling Could have been reused and the ply was $100 plus $100 or so on the harware

I say start new

Andrew

Yonnee
11th Feb 2010, 10:20 PM
Just for clarification and future reference . . . Where would you measure the 4 or 5' from? Perpendicular from the front of the box to the coupling or, from the front of the box and along the drawbar to the coupling? I know it's a personal choice thing but am interested to know your 'rule of thumb'. Thanks,

Cheers .

Generally, one of the specifications for not having to register a trailer is that it is less than 10 foot long overall. So technically, you have a 6 foot tray, and 4 foot of drawbar, including the coupling.

So, anything over this 10 foot length requires rego, therefore, your drawbar length can be whatever you want to make it. When I set up a drawbar, either from new or retrofit, I mark a spot along the centreline of the trailer 5 foot from the front cross rail, and then from that point measure back to the spring hangers, and this is what I cut my RHS to, give or take a little rounding. So my drawbars are a little longer than 5 foot when you add the coupling overhang.

munruben
15th Feb 2010, 12:19 PM
Getting back to the original question, is it worth it? I would say no.