Prospecting Trailer Build

Since theres a diy section thought i'd show what im attempting to build,our current trailer(dual axle roady) has tried to fall apart everytime we take it to the backblocks,just not up to the job,so it was buy a good one or build it,hell yeah i can do that,mmmmmm,did a bit of welding with dads old arc welder on the farm when i was a kid but none really since then,i got a small mig off a workmate a cupple of yrs back and tackled a few small jobs ok so thought we could build what we wanted and save some $$$$$.

So the brief was a heavy duty trailer to carry our quad,fuel and water,then i thought i'll try to get a fridge on it also.  A couple of pics hopefully:



So with a bit of luck we'll have fridge mounted in the front box,quad in tub and currently 140 ltrs of water in 2 tanks,the foward tank is not in pic,its an 82 the one in pic is a 59 i think and around 8 jerry can holders along the side,4 each side,more pics etc as i get further with it and yes im learnng a bit as i go,my first major project with the welder...

Hi Goldchaser,

Great build for your first ever,so long as you are using 3mm or better tubing and not patio tubing it should hold together

No matter what we build there is always another way, in saying that i'll tell you what else could have been done....the main bearers could have been 100x50 rhs 3-4mm, like acaravan these take all the load and spring mountings and A frame

I can not tell if your main bearers are all the way thru or if you just mounted the boxes on the front which would be a no-no

We have had an A frame break off our van from being too small and continually bending and eventually breaking, miles from anywhere so don't be shy

Good job on welding the colourbond sheeting as pop rivets vibrate and come out over time

Cheers Ron

Some good advice thanks Ron,yes box is built on the main frame,65x35x3,total length is 2.8 and i pinched 640mm for the fridge-dual batteris and a little storage,ive doubled up the 65x35 where the spring hangers mount,drawbar is ready to go on and its 100x50x4,triple design but im going to run the 65 up the middle,ive got to save weight where i can its gonna be a pretty heavy trailer,dont trust my mig for the drawbar so a pro welder i know is gonna drop over and burn it on,as you say a very critical area,if anythings gonna fail good chance thats where it will be.......

 PS: if i did it again id go 75x50x3 on the frame.....

Hi Goldchaser,

Yea, sounds good...just one thing if your goin bush bashin is to put an extra vertical scrub bar on the front two corners

Best of luck this season,

Ron

flouro wrote:Hi Goldchaser,

Yea, sounds good...just one thing if your goin bush bashin is to put an extra vertical scrub bar on the front two corners

Best of luck this season,

Ron

Top idea but the problem is im 2200 wide allready,if i put scrub bars on it i might need wide load signs and a pilot vehicle ,spoke to the local inspector and i have to have clearance lights up front and on the mudguards i think cause of the width,i wanted the tub 1500 wide and to fit jerry cans sideways im making the infills between guards etc 350 wide,picked up the guards and sides today,couldnt buy guards that width had to get them folded,boy they know how to charge in Kal i can tell ya!!!

Maximum total width is 2500mm which includes everything that is to be fixed to the trailer.

Look forward to seeing the finished job.

cheers dave

davsgold wrote:Maximum total width is 2500mm which includes everything that is to be fixed to the trailer.

Look forward to seeing the finished job.

cheers dave

Yep thats right dave and anything over 2200 needs clearance lights,mine might fall off just after the inspection,throw a few pics up as i make progress,im slow and quickly learning about heat and warpage,got a few bows here and there,a few mm in a cuppla spots,annoying its not perfect but it wont crab walk down the road im sure of that......

G'day Dave

About the distortion/shrinkage from welding, heat caused it and heat will fix it. Just apply a bit of heat with an oxy torch to the opposite side of the bend. Heat to just a slight red in a small spot on each opposite edge of the RHS and hey presto straight again. This method id called "Heat Shrinking"

Keep up the good work mate.

cheers dave

Looks good mate. Sounds like you are aware of potential problems and addressing them. Good luck cheers Pete.

As Dave mentions heat shrinking overcomes the inevitable bends. It is a method we used during the massive construction of iron ore facilities during the 70's. The only difference we cooled the hot spots with a splash of water. (only a splash)
Full length chassis beams will be essential (as per caravan/4wd design) to distribute weight along full length.
Enjoy your project.

Thanks nightjar,pete and dave,no oxy here sadly,im guessing a map torch wouldnt be hot enough,especially on the rhs? Sheetmetal im thinking it may work being thinner?

Good on ya Goldchaser ,great project ,looking forward to the updates ,thou I feel for you ,these projects take a lot of time , lots of patience ,lot of $$$ ,but in the end I reckon you've got some thing set up just the way you want it .I wouldn't worry to much about the workmanship ,well I don't any more  ,good grind on all the bad welds:)  ,clean up ,and a good coat of paint, and she will look like a bought one .

Cheers hugh,yeah alot of mucking around,and its only just started,im not using trailer springs on it so the suspension will be a bit of trial and error also
Just finishing the front box off,sikaflex floors in,got seals sorted for the 3 doors and seam sealing everything etc,drawbar should go on on monday with a bit of luck and yeah it is all adding up real quick $$$$$

Got a few bits and pieces done last cuppla days,the front box is sheeted in 1.2 zinc,top-rear(which will be front of trailer tub and the 3 doors,to save weight ive sikaflexed 3mm alloy floors in,im using 252 for the floors,227 for some seam sealing where id like a bit of adhesion also,then 11fc for basic sealing.
 Painting alloy i know can be a problem and i want to get paint on everything if possible,the alloy checker i diluted alluminium brightener which we have for cleaning nuggets then brushed it on the sheets for 10 minutes plus each,seamed to work,after a good rinse and then wipe with metho etch primer seems to have taken well to it,in the pic you can see the diiference after the treatment.
Cut some 1.2 to size and welded it around the door jams to carry the seals,looks like its gonna work also,only thing is the doors i made catch the bottom of the seal,they are 20x3 angle,ive got to releive them at the bottom,maybe i could of got around this with the door frame longer at the bottom but im keeping things tight,getting a 80 waeco fridge in there was a task without building a huge box,weight is your enemy.
 The front of this box or trailer will be sheeted with 1.6 alloy checker,just glued on,save weight again,ive been waiting on sikaflex primer and double sided panel tape to glue these panels on soon,major fark up primer was ordered a month ago still not here,thats the problem with Kal,not alot is around the corner,your allways waiting for stuff,so i made the decision to prep the box floors as good as i could,keyed-sanded with 180 emery wherever i was glueing,there only storage box floors,last one will be set by the morning,they feel like theyll never go anywhere,we'll be glueing the whole rear floor in also no fasteners.

PS: a mate said i should mesh the left side if the storage box and make it a chook pen,fresh eggs out and about he reckons,anyway beer oclock.......

We got the drawbar on late yesty,had a few of the boys come over sunday night and we flipped the whole trailer over,5 of  us    ,a few turned up again last yesty arvo and we flipped her again after Will welded most the drawbar,all i did was mention free beers and they turned up
As expected we have ALOT of weight up the front,theres a alloy toolbox going on the drawbar as well,thats another 30kg before anything goes in it,you can only see part of the fridge slide in the pic,just test fitting it this morn i need to lift it 5mm+ its just touching the bottom foor frame ,i'll run some angle under it and probably some rubber also before i bolt it in,help with vibrations etc.
 Two 130amp batteries are goin in this box also and i'll make a set of draws for the area on the otherside,so now i have to start thinking about getting some weight at the rear of the axle(behind it)otherwise the towball weight its gonna be out of control!
 I didnt nut it out to well where the watertanks are mounted,wanted them either side of the axle which is the best spot really but not when you  have this much weight foward of the axle,found a 50 ltr tank on ebay this morn that will fit between the rear rails,i could have 2 there if i want,so maybe 4 tanks all up,foward one would   rarely get used then,i'll  also build a rear swing out spare tyre holder,bit more weight at the rear.
So its gonna be a real balancing act getting this towball weight sorted but hopefully it'll work out.......

GC, It's looking good but all the weight you're talking about carting around is sure going to put a heap of strain on the draw bar. Do the draw bar RHS extend the whole length of the chassis?
Crossing creeks etc wil certainly put it to the test.

G'day Dave, your trailor is starting to take shape now and looking good too. I was wondering about ventilation for your fridge when it is running while you are traveling?? Can't wait to see it in its final stages.

Cheers.

Mike.

Nightjar no they run to the front hangers,usual method as far as i know.......
Mike got a few house vents from bunnings,2 for fridge 1 for battery box,not sure if i need 2 on the fridge,i'll put one on the door then another at the rear of the box maybe,i suppose it needs 2 to flow any air,i know some run small fans etc,think i'll just glue some open cell foam on back of vents to slow the dust down a bit,might look at a fan later,see how hot it gets in there,yep its good make a bit of progress,basic main frame sat for 8-9 months while other stuff took priority......

sorry try that nightjar

Looking good goldchaser.  ,just wondering , are you going to put a roof / canopy over it ,maybe mount a roll out shade awning off it ? & your carrying 300 l water ? I know when i'm camped out on my own i'll use 30 - 40 l a day ! some times even more !!!! and how much room on the sides of your quad bike will you have ?? enough for more cupboards / draws ? just observations mate not criticism's ,its just that I've started to draw up plans for the '' IDEAL ''    camping out fit on a car trailer I've got ,all mounted on a 50mm box frame that will be able to be detached from the trailer like a stock crate ,and like you want to put my quad bike up there as well !! so i'm working on a area of about 2.500w,4.000 length , and on paper anyway , to scale, room is getting taken up preety quick ,( thou admittedly I like to carry a lot with me )

Mucking around with the suspension a bit last few days,axle is 65mm 3 ton with 12 inch brakes,leaf perches etc i made all out of 8mm plate,on shift at the moment so cant do alot,12hr days minus sleep doesnt leave alot of me time
The springs are out of a troopy,the new v8 ones,,im not sold on trailer springs long term across outback roads constantly,the longest eye to eye ones are around 850mm i think,these are 1450 odd,i wouldnt want them on my cruza so why put them on a trailer destined for chitty roads,toyota etc make them long for a reason-travel and supple ride while still able to handle loads.
 I was advised these springs wouldnt handle the weight,we got 560-600 kg on the frame,besa blocks buckets of water and other jerry cans etc and the springs arent heavy enough,one more leaf might be close but id like more ground clearance also so new 2" lift extra heavy duty cruza ute springs will be ordered(same length as the troopy springs) and extended shackles,have a chat with arb or tjm on tuesday,bit of a shame as the movement in these springs is awsome,theyd ride great on corrugations,the heavier ones will still be good.
Gonna strengthen the frame a little next week also,so anyway one step forward two steps back

Great project, coming along very professionally. Are the chooks laying?
Yes 12 hour shifts doesn't leave you much time in the day. Are you on a 2X1?

Cheers
Peter

hugh62 wrote:Looking good goldchaser.  ,just wondering , are you going to put a roof / canopy over it ,maybe mount a roll out shade awning off it ? & your carrying 300 l water ? I know when i'm camped out on my own i'll use 30 - 40 l a day ! some times even more !!!! and how much room on the sides of your quad bike will you have ?? enough for more cupboards / draws ? just observations mate not criticism's ,its just that I've started to draw up plans for the '' IDEAL ''    camping out fit on a car trailer I've got ,all mounted on a 50mm box frame that will be able to be detached from the trailer like a stock crate ,and like you want to put my quad bike up there as well !! so i'm working on a area of about 2.500w,4.000 length , and on paper anyway , to scale, room is getting taken up preety quick ,( thou admittedly I like to carry a lot with me )

Its gonna have racks i could mount a roof top tent on hugh,we have a good tent so maybe later im not sure,i like the idea of a cavass canopy to but my problem is the tub sides meet the front box so i have no way to overlap the canvass at the front,it wouldnt seal,bummer cause ya just throw ya matress in the back and sleeping quarters are sorted,quad takes up most the tub,will have 2-300mm down one side left,so no draws or cupboards no,if i fit four tanks it will have about 240 ltrs on board,we use (2 of us) roughly 30 ltrs + on shower days,halve that other days,you must take long showers ......
Yep awning will be mounted on it
You have a much larger trailer,is this a car carrying trailer or large box trailer?
If its a road going type one id just make sure ya suspension is up to the job,is it dual axle?
Like if it had slipper springs id be inclined to swap them out down the track,not good on outback roads,rattle the whole trailer to pieces....

G'day Dave

Project is coming along nicely.

goldchaser wrote: but id like more ground clearance also so new 2" lift extra heavy duty cruza ute springs will be ordered(same length as the troopy springs) and extended shackles,have a chat with arb or tjm on tuesday,bit of a shame as the movement in these springs is awsome,theyd ride great on corrugations,the heavier ones will still be good.

Can you fit the axle under the spring instead of over the spring, this will give you a heap of extra clearance.  (Overslung verses Underslung.)

cheers dave

Nightjar wrote:Great project, coming along very professionally. Are the chooks laying?
Yes 12 hour shifts doesn't leave you much time in the day.  Are you on a 2X1?

Cheers
Peter

7 on 7 off at the stupid pit nightjar,a mate of mine knew an old prospecter from up this way that allways took a bunch of chooks out with him,he stayed out for months on end,there was a hatchery in Kal apparently yrs ago,he'd go buy half a dozen + at a time,theyd just hang around camp,he knock one over each week or so,funny story,he'd drop out to see him sometimes,he reckons the last couple of chooks would be lookin real nervous,death row .........

davsgold wrote:G'day Dave

Project is coming along nicely.

goldchaser wrote: but id like more ground clearance also so new 2" lift extra heavy duty cruza ute springs will be ordered(same length as the troopy springs) and extended shackles,have a chat with arb or tjm on tuesday,bit of a shame as the movement in these springs is awsome,theyd ride great on corrugations,the heavier ones will still be good.

Can you fit the axle under the spring instead of over the spring, this will give you a heap of extra clearance.  (Overslung verses Underslung.)

cheers dave

Yeah i could dave but id have to probably remake the mounts somewhat,not real keen,i have the clearance and ride height i want now with but weight just sagged them springs,shackles and springs will give another 100 mm hopefully then it shouldnt drop to much with the heavier springs,i would prefer to keep it spring under........

Ok mate no worries, I see what your getting at now, keep up the good work.

cheers dave

davsgold wrote:Ok mate no worries, I see what your getting at now, keep up the good work.

cheers dave

Had an idea these springs wouldnt handle the weight dave,yrs ago i had a old 7x4 that had some car springs under it,then someone had mounted coils cause the springs were to soft,it was a great setup,nice to see a trailer wheel move over bumps,unlike the short trailer springs,i was gonna do this,mount coils if the springs were to soft but i still dont think i'll get the ground clearance id like.......
just more $$$$$$$

Hi Goldchaser,

There's an old fella in Kal that's got a workshop and he replaces springs and shockies for mining companies and the like, I went to see him last year when we had snapped our u bolts on our caravan . To cut a long story short, he thru away our spring washers and supplied us with special machined hardened flat washers, his reasoning was that the spring washers work there way into the steel and eventually come loose especially on cori roads

Had no probs since, and he also said to retighten down the road a bit

Cheers Ron

flouro wrote:Hi Goldchaser,

There's an old fella in Kal that's got a workshop and he replaces springs and shockies for mining companies and the like, I went to see him last year when we had snapped our u bolts on our caravan . To cut a long story short, he thru away our spring washers and supplied us with special machined hardened flat washers, his reasoning was that the spring washers work there way into the steel and eventually come loose especially on cori roads

Had no probs since, and he also said to retighten down the road a bit

Cheers Ron

Oh yeah flouro he was one of the blokes that said these springs wont handle the weight,was gonna get him to replace a couple of the clips,rivets are a little loose,he mentioned coils on top of springs also,refreshed my mind about my old trailer,he knows his stuff,good to see old school spring guys like him still around,not many left.......