Split-dovetail car hauler trailer

[buggyman1]

It probably would have been cheaper to just buy one, but after looking at what's out there for sale, I decided to build my own the way I wanted it. I got some basic ideas from a lot of different brands of trailers and pretty-much made up the design of mine from them. I used 6" channel for the main frame and 4" channel for the cross braces, I want it heavy duty. The deck is going to be 20 feet long and 83" wide, that's about as wide as I can fit in my shop. I also want inboard captive ramps (so they will stay put) and I hate to lug big heavy ramps around, some type of receiver on the front for a winch, recessed swivel D-ring tie downs, solid steel deck, 5200lb axles with brakes on both, recessed running lights wherever possible, custom tail lights, a receiver hitch on the back for various attachments and a few other things i'm sure. I started by making the floor perfectly level, then started cutting metal.

 

[buggyman1]

After squaring and clamping everything up...the first weld.

 

[buggyman1]

My helper.

 

[buggyman1]

Welding the cross-members in. I'm using a Millermatic 251 mig welder for most of the welds. They are set on 16" centers.

 

[mikehaugen]

Looks good so far... love the helper!

 

[buggyman1]

Smoothing out the outside surface welds with a grinder. Hopefully it'll look somewhat professional.

 

[buggyman1]

Thanks.

 

[tjcarguy]

Helper looks like ' Boots ' Last trailer I built I designed and made captured ramps , worked well but should have been a little longer. Looks better than pro to me. ---Trevor

 

[buggyman1]

Some light-weight ramps I made for my Rhino.

 

[ZAR2USA]

Looks great, nice long ramps. Future use could include scaffolding, vehicle inspection from underneath, oil changes, etc ;-) I like it.

 

[buggyman1]

Most of the cross-braces in. I was going to put built-in, flush mounted motorcycle chocks in, but changed my mind after ordering one and seen how cheap-like they were made. I'll fill in the front with more bracing.

 

[buggyman1]

Dove-tail roughed in, flipping it over to weld the other side.

 

[travlitt]

My helper.

When my children were about your daughter's age, the also wore their boots on the wrong foot..good memories.

 

[buggyman1]

I used a grinder and cut-off wheel to cut out the openings for the ramps and used a mag drill to drill for the posts. 1/4" plate was used for the flip-up doors.

 

[buggyman1]

When my children were about your daughter's age, the also wore their boots on the wrong foot..good memories.

I didn't even notice her boots until I went to post it to this thread.

 

[buggyman1]

For gussets I used cardboard to get the shape I wanted then traced it onto 1/4" plate, I then cut it out with a cut-off wheel.

 

[buggyman1]

Gussets laid in place and burned in.

 

[Xfaxman]

:thumbsup: Watching.

 

[buggyman1]

Next I started on the ramps. They are made from 1/4" thick square tubing with the center parts 3/16" thick square tubing, they are heavy.

 

[Xfaxman]

Most of the cross-braces in. I was going to put built-in, flush mounted motorcycle chocks in, but changed my mind after ordering one and seen how cheap-like they were made. I'll fill in the front with more bracing.

Have you seen these? Biker Bar