Grassroots lightweight trailer build?

GRM braintrust:

I am about to go install this trailer lights harness on my Saturn, which recently grew a trailer hitch (a 1 3/4" one, rated to tow 1000 lbs, 200 lbs. max tongue weight). I already bought a little cargo basket for it, but I'd like to have a trailer, too. Now, renting a U-Haul 5x8 trailer would be cheap, they only want $9 a day for one. But, I reckon I might be able to build one that's lighter for pretty damned cheap, too, at least cheaper than people are selling them on Craiglist, which is in the $700-$1000 range.

Requirements:

• Lightweight (remember, that hitch only has an 1000 lbs. capacity, so if I end up with an 800 lb. trailer the thing doesn't do much good)
• Cheap- I'm thinking I can do it for 1/3 the cost of the trailers on Craiglist, so $200-250 is my goal, though this is not set in stone
• Uses all reclaimed/used parts, except maybe tires and the thing that grabs onto the hitch ball- clearly I'm not up on the technical terms
• Doesn't have to be 5x8...4x6 is actually much better, takes up less space in storage, is still big enough to haul couches, large car parts etc.

So here's what I've got in my head already. We have a TIG welder at work that'll do aluminum. How silly is it to find a couple old aluminum ladders from Craigslist/junk piles and cutting them up and using them as frame rails (like this: http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/tls/2872597876.html ) The flooring wood will come from old junk pallets I break down at work and then hit with sealer. The side rails I can make from scrap as well, and weld some tie-down loops every so often. I haven't got a good idea for a ramp yet, maybe some of that steel mesh with some reinforcing bars under it. The lights will come from either a Wranger (their taillights look as though they were lifted from a trailer to begin with) or an old pickup, with a fuse wired in the somewhere. The fenders can be made from old sheet metal, like an old dead washing machine. The suspension/wheel mounting is tricky. I'm thinking about trying to find the rear IRS from an older car where the springs are really short, so they fit under the trailer (I recall seeing pictures of the rear wheel wells of E30s and they had very stubby springs). I could use the rear axle and leaf springs from a truck, but that would be really really heavy, so I'm trying to avoid it. Maybe try to find a leaf-spring suspension car from back in the day? What small cars had leaf springs in the rear? Or a small pickup, like a Ranger/small Toyota or Mazda pickup etc?

What say you? Am I nuts? Should I 'build thread' this if I get it going?

Is 4'x8' big enough?

I'm planning on getting one of these:

Harbor Freight has versions with 8" tires or 12" tires and you should be able to get out the door under $300 with the right combination of being on sale and their coupons.

Check harbor freight; here's an example: http://www.harborfreight.com/1090-lb-capacity-40-1-2-half-inch-x-48-inch-mini-utility-trailer-with-12-inch-four-lug-wheels-and-tires-90153.html

Edit: ^Beat me to it

Well you guys are just no fun haha. No, I'll look into those, too. Certainly less work than what I'm proposing.

There's a good build thread on roadraceautox for a lightweight car hauler from scratch if you're really interested in the 'lots of work' route.

A small HF trailer with a sides and top made from 1/2" plywood is light, cheap, and proven to work well.

cghstang wrote: Is 4'x8' big enough? I'm planning on getting one of these: Harbor Freight has versions with 8" tires or 12" tires and you should be able to get out the door under $300 with the right combination of being on sale and their coupons.

Somebody gave me one of those with a plywood floor and sides. I made side rails out of 1" square tube, and filled the gaps with expanded metal. The floor is 1" pressure treated decking. It's light, and cost me almost nothing to build.

What bolt pattern is on those wheels? I want one that will handle a 15x6 4x100 wheel.

This was while I was building it. It looks really good finished.

The sides come off, if you need to load something wider.

I have the folding harbor freight one. I think I got it in sale for just over 200. Added the decking. My escort pulls it around fine, and I've hauled a face cord of firewood in it.

Joey

I see you live in PA. Buy a used trailer. The one problem with the brand new ones from H-F is going through the titling and tagging process. It's not the end of the world ,but it would be worth a C-note or two to me to skip all that and buy a trailer that's already titled.

Won't he have the same problem, or worse, with a home built trailer?

cwh wrote: Won't he have the same problem, or worse, with a home built trailer?

Absolutely. I would only consider a home-built trailer if I needed something that simply isn't available through normal channels. Registration doesn't seem to be an issue in all states, but defintiely seems to be one in PA.

So I just looked up the (incredibly riveting) official documents on the "Titling Procedure for Specially Constructed Vehicles" under which a homemade trailer would fall. Let's put it this way: the Soviet Republic of Pennsylvania strikes again!

$22.50 application/plate fee, $6 annual registration fee, $20ish to get a mechanic to give it a safety inspection, 4 color 4x6" photographs (front, rear, and sides) showing the trailer properly hooked to the vehicle with safety chains in place signed and dated by the inspecting mechanic, 6% sales tax on all components used to construct the trailer, plus receipts to prove ownership of all said components, four pages worth of paperwork, probably a good three hours talking to DMV employees, who are literally so rude that I'm yelling at my computer right now, and I'm just sitting here.

I don't understand why it has to be this complicated, but I'm going to blame lobbyists and lawyers, because everything else is their fault

I've always wanted to build something from scratch. A vehicle, really, but I figured a trailer would be a good start, and a fun project. Apparently, that doesn't count for anything in PA. berkeley this state.

I've had a brilliant idea. Who has an old PA trailer plate they want to sell me?

Twin_Cam wrote: I've had a brilliant idea. Who has an old PA trailer plate they want to sell me?

Just have a friend title it for you in another state?

...and now you know why PA-titled trailers on CL seemed priced abnormally high...

A friend who races those weird cars that go in circles re-purposed an old boat trailer with a floor. He added some basic ramps and a ramp holder/tire rack out of some square stock someone gave him.

Had about $500 max into it.

I went the route of the HF trailer, and it works pretty well. The PA titling process was a pain compared to doing nothing, but whacha gonna do? It took me forever to find a place to weigh the trailer (need a certified weight scale ticket) before I realized the quarry WALKING DISTANCE from my house could do it! Doh!

If you decide to DIY, I would recommend avoiding sourcing parts from HF and use components from Tractor Supply or from www.redtrailers.com. They look the same, but the HF hubs are made-in-China crap, and only fit seals and bearings from HF. I swapped mine for units form Tractor Supply and am much, much happier.

You should also check out boat trailers. When someone has a trailer with no boat, they usually just want to get rid of the trailer. They should be easy to cut down to your preferred size/weight.

cghstang wrote: There's a good build thread on roadraceautox for a lightweight car hauler from scratch if you're really interested in the 'lots of work' route.

This is relevant to my interests, as I'm sure it is for other GRMers.

Twin_Cam wrote: , probably a good three hours talking to DMV employees, who are literally so rude that I'm yelling at my computer right now, and I'm just sitting here.

Quote of the day so far.

A source for light leaf springs: Chevy Astro vans had composite leaf springs! At least the '92 that I drove in the babe rally a few years back did. Should save you a lot of weight and should be really, really cheap from the junk yard.

Edit to clarify: by "composite," I mean fiberglass reinforced plastic.