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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    caloundra
    Posts
    6

    Default Style side trailer build

    G'day Guys
    My work was gettng rid of an old trailer that the floor was rusting out, so I picked up a Style side ute tray from a Hilux extra cab for $100 and grabbed a few lengths of steel. this trailer will be for camping and was going to be a project for over the quiet christmas period. But I got a little excited and made a start this week.
    chassis is 75x50x2.5mm
    cross members 40x40x2mm

    thinks I will to add

    Hard top canopy
    side awning
    water tanks
    sloar panel & battery storage (underneath)
    large hinged tool box


    here are some progress picrures
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Toowoomba QLD
    Posts
    71

    Default

    Looks good so far.

    What will go in front of the tray on the chassis? I would have though with the chassis being so long that you wouldn't want too much weight on there for fear of bending the whole drawbar.

    My experience with slipper springs, especially with how much spring you don't have protruding, is that they will jump out if the trailer gets airborne. And by airborne I mean just going over a small speedbump a fraction too quick when the trailer is empty. Not much fun to try and fix when you are somewhere without tools etc.

    Keen to see how the rest pans out

    Cheers

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    caloundra
    Posts
    6

    Default

    thanks mate
    Because it is from an extra cab the weight on the towball is about 2kg at the moment. and when loaded will be less
    I plan to put 2x 130amp batteries just in front of the axle, in front of the tray I will mount a tool box to store my waeco
    in front of that will be a mesh tray to mount my toilet or anything light.
    the trailer will be used for camping only
    I will keep an eye on the slippers , but we took the measurement from the old trailer I took them off

    Dan

  4. #4
    Yonnee's Avatar
    Yonnee is offline Trailer Bloke & Mild Mannered Moderator
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Tooradin, Vic.
    Age
    52
    Posts
    1,318

    Default

    From what I can see, the springs look pretty good. The general rule of thumb is to have 10mm of the spring protruding through the hanger.

    I too am a little concerned about the size of the chassis rails and the overhang of the unsupported chassis in front of the tub. Generally, a trailer built on a 40mm SHS or 50mm SHS or 75 x 50 RHS chassis utilises the sides of the trailer to give it its backbone and stop the chassis flexing and bending too much when loaded.


    Also, the axle is upsidedown and back-to-front. The handbrake levers should be at the top, the adjusting hole at the bottom, and if you just spin it round as is, they're on the wrong side. They are a left and right, and have a leading and trailing shoe...
    You can see in pic2 the axle is attached the right way on the original chassis, but in pic9 its incorrect. If your axle has the square saddles welded to the axle, then instead of spinning the axle over, you can remove the drums and unbolt the brake assemblies, turn them over and put them on the opposite sides.
    Too many projects, so little time, even less money!
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Millmerran,QLD
    Age
    73
    Posts
    139

    Default

    Dan

    Just be aware that the axle, to comply with regulations (in QLD certainly), has to be placed at least 100mm behind the centre of the bodywork. One problem with tubs is that the wheelarches prevent repositioning of the axle. I have a trailer made from a full size tub and it was the same problem with that too.

    I got around the problem by mounting a toolbox ahead of the tub and this seems to be classed as "bodywork." In QLD self-assessment gives a little leeway . If you design your extended bodywork in at the construction stage it may prevent some heartache down the track.

    In practical terms, as you have already discovered, the tub body provides insufficient weight on the towball for the trailer to track well.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    caloundra
    Posts
    6

    Default

    thanks for your comments
    Yonnee & Paul
    I realised after bolting the axle on that it was on the wrong way and have fixed it now
    with the tub being off an extra cab I have more tub after the axle rather than in front.
    that's why I have allowed for a tool box to sit in front (and for rego reasons) and then still have a decent length draw bar
    I have just purchased a spare wheel winch, Tool box and batteries to fit shortly
    more pics soon

    Dan

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    caloundra
    Posts
    6

    Default

    I did a few hours work on the trailer
    I made support base for the Batteries and tool box & a mesh area on the very front
    which will add a little more strength to the draw bar too
    I still need to make an aluminium cover to conceal the batteries

    next jobs
    fit the water tank above the axle
    attach rear bumper
    attach spare wheel winder
    remove tub and paintt15.jpgt14.jpgt13.jpgt16.jpgt17.jpgt18.jpg

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    210

    Default

    I've never fathomed the benefit of using a ute body to make a trailer.

    I would think it would be way heavier and smaller than a fabricated body.

    Could anyone inform me?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Millmerran,QLD
    Age
    73
    Posts
    139

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by zuffen View Post
    I've never fathomed the benefit of using a ute body to make a trailer.

    I would think it would be way heavier and smaller than a fabricated body.

    Could anyone inform me?
    Zuffen

    You are right on both counts of size and weight, but the advantges are it is already built ready to position on your chassis, it is probably deeper than a standard trailer and you may already have the body or acquired it cheaply. In my case I had the body off an old SR5 ute that I had pensioned off so it also came with springs, lights and wheels. It had a fibreglass canopy already on it so it offered some advantages over the other trailer I had at the time. It cost me around $100 to make.

    However, on the downside it was an old, well-used vehicle and looks nowhere near as neat as Dan's, which is coming up looking very smart.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    caloundra
    Posts
    6

    Default

    I'm not sure of the weight of the tub, but 2 guys can easily lift it, the dimensions of the this tub (also off an sr5) is 1800x1500, I picked it up for $100, I plan to put a canopy on it also , so I will have a waterproof unit for camping.
    I previously built a 8x4 high sided box trailer which I still have for general use

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