Homebuilt flatbed trailer

[tulenutn2o]

I would have to argue with the cop that wrote a ticket for "not for intended use" and "not for continual use". Do they think a 2000 mile cross country trip behind a semi is not continual? I would argue that my uses are less continual then the so-called intended use. Probably still get the ticket, but oh well. I have a home built 20' flatbed, triple axle.I love the thing aside from it being somewhat of a beast. 14.5 wheels are used on a ton of heavy equipment trailers, even today. Tires are available new also for about the same money as your run of the mill trailer tire. I run 100-110 psi in mine, none under 90lbs. I believe the 7.00 tires run a little softer pressure. I have leaves under mine with the 3rd axle out back being a tag for really heavy loads or.................. for the occasional flat tire. I love that tag for that. I wouldn't part with that ole trailer for nuthin.

 

[kebo]

I also would vote for longer if your material allows.

If you are looking for an inexpensive option mobile home axles come with strong leaf springs attached. The axles and springs are rated for 6000 pounds. In my area an axle and leaf springs set sells for $50 and tires are $25 each. The axles are too wide so they need to be cut and welded together in the center.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't mobile home axles NOT supposed to be used for everyday use at highway speeds?? Yes, I know that pretty much everyone has built trailers using mobile home axles, but that doesn't mean it's ok by the fed's. I think the way that the tire rims bolt onto the hubs on those axles has something to do with it.

Not to derail the OP's original thread, but anyone know for sure??

 

[tulenutn2o]

KEBO, I do not know anything for sure, however, the rim clamp system works very well, and is still in use on many trucks and trailers on the road. By the way, my trailer was homebuilt and Inspected by the state police and issued a title. So, evidently not a problem in every state. I guess, just need to check your states laws and run with it. I have never lost a wheel in 20+ years of travels with my trailer.Maybe someone could ask Dexter axles if there is a difference that we aren't aware of. This has got me curious as to whether this is truly a safety issue stemming from real facts, or some boy in blue flexing his/her authority.Just my 2.3 cents worth.

 

[sandman2234]

I took a commercial boat hauling trailer (45') and cut it to a 20 flatbed (12 feet of it dumps). Check my previous postings for pictures of my UGLY TRAILER.
It used 14.5 wheels on 3 drop axles, not mobile home axles, unless somebody added a six inch drop to a mobile home axle. Tires can be purchased new, just make sure you don't settle for the six or eight ply ratings. In fact, try to find 14 ply ratings, or at least 12. Nothing less is going to hold up to a 40 hp tractor. They don't give them away, but money well spent if you are going to keep the mobile home axles.
I have a 16 foot trailer, and extending it may be in the future, unless I decide to trade it for a trailer that has brakes. Swapping hubs or axles is an option, but not a cheap one, so I will probably just extend it, and add a third axle with brakes.
David from jax

 

[tommu56]

Note this is just my opinion the reason the manufactures don't want mobile home axels used on trailers in because of the liability.
Even though some one(me) modified it and the lawyers will call any one in to court that made any part of the homemade trailer because thy got deeper pockets.

again just my opinion.

Any mh Axel I have used didn't have a weight plate like the ones from a trailer parts place.

tom

 

[tessiers]

I've got a 2 axle trailer with MH axles and when I got pulled over last year they asked me to cover the liscence plate. Under Agricultural use they don't require a liscence plate only a slow vehicle sign (such as hay wagons). Kind of took me by surprise, only restriction is must be within 75 miles of the farm. I tied a T-shirt around it and away I went.

 

[lostcause]

sadly, we've strayed form the original topic a lot, but hopefully the added discussion will at least be of some use.

as far as legality of mobile home axles... myself and another already posted on this, but i'll elaborate a little more, but that's an issue you will have to deal with state by state. i don't just mean taking the word of the arresting officer either - look into it at the head office yourself. the person at the end of the line doesn't always have all of the facts in these cases, because semi-commercial trailers sometimes have rules that differ by use of the truck, trailer, and cargo.

as far as tire rating, i currently have 7x14.5 10 ply tires. they're rated at 1860 each, or roughly 3750 per axle. on a 2 axle trailer, that's 7500, which means almost 6000 load capacity above and beyond the trailer. that should be enough for a 40hp tractor. my 25hp with loader & backhoe is probably only about 4500lb.

these are my personal opinions, because i am not a believer in the "bigger is better" approach. i've seen far too many ads for "heavy duty" homemade equipment, and the one thing i can assure you is that they are heavy, and that's it. just because you use heavier pieces of steel does not mean you have something that will do more work, it only means it weighs more, which induces more wear and tear on suspension parts, brakes, and the tow vehicle. in the long run it probably reduces what you can actually haul, because you are using so much of your towing capacity to haul an empty flatbed.

 

[Car Doc]

I built my (tilt bed) car trailer out of trailer house axles cut a little shorter to meet legal width specs (100") and also dropped them about 5" and then bought 3500# leaf springs and shackle kits from a trailer supply. I used steel tread plate for the runners and 2x6 wood planks and angle iron down the center for a floor and used inexpensive oil field structural 2 3/8 tubing as the frame.

Paying close attention to the exact center of the ball and tongue as your alignment point and triangulating the mounting points of the front axle spring perch in regards to that point is critical to making it track properly and not wear tires. I like a longer tongue on my trailers it makes for a better ride and they do seem to track better.

I used a laser level and tape measure to align my axle perches however a string works every bit as good though. A level is necessary to get the tires up straight and true if you do end up cutting your axle tubing. FWTW I have bent them before with heat and a floor jack to get the camber and cut and re-welded them to get toe in right. hth

Steve

 

[brokenot]

I've posted this on several other forums, so I thought I'd throw it in here as well.

Yes, we've all made trailers using mobile home axles....and they're "okay" for limited uses. But mobile home axles are not, and never will be in any way equivalent to "standard" trailer axles. The components used in mobile home axles are much lighter duty. Typical mobile home axles are "rated" for 6,000 lbs. But if you compare the bearings/hubs/brake components/etc. side-by-side with a standard trailer axle with the same weight rating, you'll see the huge difference.

Dexter Axle is one of the biggest names in trailer axles, and has been for many years. Dexter builds mobile home axles AND standard axles as well. On their website, they have a FAQ section like many manufacturers do. Here's a link, read what they say themselves about mobile home axles:

Dexter Axle - Trailer Axles and Running Gear Components - FAQ'S

Pretty much sums it up. They build both types, so they aren't trying to "sell" people on *their* product versus someone else's product. They simply realize there's a market for both product lines. Both of those product lines are designed and built around an intended use and service life.

If mobile home axles were "comparable" to the other stuff they build, well.....they wouldn't bother with the other stuff.

 

[crazyal]

My 16' triple axle equipment trailer uses the same axles like a MH would use. It's a factory made trailer with a gross rating of 24,000 lbs. The only difference I have seen between MH axles and mine are the brake pads are thinner on the MH axles and my trailer uses different springs. I have a set of 6 MH tires for the trailer because they were like brand new and were 14 or 16 ply with a load rating enough needed for the trailer.

Because this type of axle was used in both equipment trailers and MH I'm not sure if you can be sure which one you have unless you built the trailer yourself. I wouldn't doubt that a company like Dexter would come out and say the MH are not to be used since it removes liability for them.

I would use them, pack the bearings well and watch for brake pad wear. I know several people who have and never had an issue with 1000s of miles of use.

 

[brokenot]

I wouldn't doubt that a company like Dexter would come out and say the MH are not to be used since it removes liability for them. /QUOTE]

There's the rub.

Why would there be any liability if the axles were up to uses other than what they were originally designed and built for? Dexter says what they say because there's all of this confusion. Dexter realizes that somebody will use the mobile home axles in applications they were never intended to be used in.

Dexter's line of standard trailer axles is built heavier, with better componentry, and doesn't come with the warnings that the axle manufacturer themself puts on their own line of mobile home axles.

They build the mobile home axles to an entirely different spec, for an entirely different use....it really is that simple. What you'll "save" up front will eventually cost you in the long run.

Or the short run if you put on some miles.

We buy equipment hauling trailers from several manufacturers including Redi Haul, Tarnel, and Felling. If any of them could save a few bucks and yet still turn out a product that wasn't compromised in some way, they'd do it in a second. You just won't see mobile home axles on anything from any reputable manufacturer though. Several years ago, companies like Dyna Weld did build equipment trailers with mobile home style rim clamp hubs, but they were not mobile home axles. The hubs had full-size bearings, and the hubs themselves were deeper....much like standard trailer axles are. The larger bearings with more space between them allowed them to carry heavy loads all day long.

Not only are the axles inferior, but as someone else mentioned, 14.5 tires are pretty low-quality as well. Choose the tire dealer of your choice, someone you trust. Ask them what they think of regular 14.5 tires. Ask them what they would put on their trailer.

Inferior axles, inferior tires. There's really not any getting around the facts.

 

[tulenutn2o]

What exactly constitutes "limited use"? Is it 1 delivery? 2? 3?. I seem to see mobile homes get delivered ,set-up, and the axles go back to the home manufacturer and re-used. My argument would be: Load of manufactured home, no. of miles, no's of uses. That figure, in a lot of cases, is well under what a typical private party will use. My set-up has worked for me for many years and thousands of miles- According to dexter, I can only see where you need to pay attention to the possibility of more wear and maintenance. I have seen my share of factory built trailers with broken axles( bought new after mine was built using so called throw away MH axles). It's funny, I just keep on truckin'. If a particular states laws aren't against it. go for it.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Mobile axles are illegal for general trailer use because they are too LONG.

In some states it seems it is illegal to reuse MH axles (now used) when building NEW mobile home units.

While I would not do it loaded I pulled our old shop built three axle 25' heavy equipment trailer at over 70 MPH coming home with it and it towed perfectly fine. A trailer shop or ebay sellers will sell you bearings, brakes, tires, etc for your trailer built on "shorten" MH axles all day long.

I found there is more myth than facts on the web after buying this trailer.

 

[BruceWard]

My father had a trailer built around 27 years ago from 5" channel and two mobile home axles. He used it for more than 15 years hauling his two 40 horsepower tractors or 14 round bails of hay at a time. Most trips were a few miles moving hay from one farm to another but he frequently moved tractors and hay 60 miles between our two main farms.

After he sold the cattle it set in a field for about 10 years rusting and rotting.

A year and a half ago he replaced the tires and I took it off to my uncles shop to fix it up. We stripped it to bare metal, repainted, replaced all the wood and added new toolboxes and flip down ramps. I used it a little with the old mobile home axles and they were workign fine other than the brakes having corroded badly over the years.

I bought two newer mobile home axles. My uncle cut them down and we installed them in place of the originals.

This trailer has performed very well with load up to and exceeding the axle rating. Some pieces of 3" channel that were used as cross braces under the wooden floor had bent from the weight of the hay but the axles and springs had held up just fine. We repacked the original bearings in the original axles and they were fine.

I have pulled the trailer up to 80 MPH on up to 120 mile trips since replacing the axles. I have not had a single problem with the mobile home axles, the 14.5" tires, the springs or the fasteners.

 

[brokenot]

Nobody is saying that a trailer with mobile home axles under it won't "tow just fine". The only point I'm trying to make, is that mobile home axles are not even in the same league quality-wise in comparison to the standard trailer axles made by the same companies that build mobile home axles. Everything about them is lower-grade and always has been. They're built to a price point, and to perform a certain task.

Like I said earlier, we've all used them. It just seems like lots of folks are convinced that because "they work" somehow means they're comparable. I'd say that believing that they're comparable is akin to someone believing they can turn their 1/2 ton pickup into a truck that will do the job of a 3/4 ton pickup by bolting on an overload spring kit.

Those not believing the Dexter info I posted above should click on the following link. It's from a trailer supplier that does indeed sell parts for servicing mobile home axles. Pay particular attention to the text in the *specifications* section. This place sell parts to service the hubs. What exactly do you suppose is meant by "light duty use"? All things considered, should the parts that will be ultimately taking the brunt of the load on an equipment hauling trailer be described by the place that sells them as being suitable for light duty use?

MOBILE HOME SPIDER HUB IDLER - Trailer Repair Parts

 

[tulenutn2o]

Nobody is saying that a trailer with mobile home axles under it won't "tow just fine". The only point I'm trying to make, is that mobile home axles are not even in the same league quality-wise in comparison to the standard trailer axles made by the same companies that build mobile home axles. Everything about them is lower-grade and always has been. They're built to a price point, and to perform a certain task.

Like I said earlier, we've all used them. It just seems like lots of folks are convinced that because "they work" somehow means they're comparable. I'd say that believing that they're comparable is akin to someone believing they can turn their 1/2 ton pickup into a truck that will do the job of a 3/4 ton pickup by bolting on an overload spring kit.

Those not believing the Dexter info I posted above should click on the following link. It's from a trailer supplier that does indeed sell parts for servicing mobile home axles. Pay particular attention to the text in the *specifications* section. This place sell parts to service the hubs. What exactly do you suppose is meant by "light duty use"? All things considered, should the parts that will be ultimately taking the brunt of the load on an equipment hauling trailer be described by the place that sells them as being suitable for light duty use?

MOBILE HOME SPIDER HUB IDLER - Trailer Repair Parts

If it ain't broke don't fix it. Maybe Dexter just wants to sell more axles. I use what I got and whats cheap. Serves me fine. MH axles for me. I'd be curious as to the capabilities of the $1000 trailers out there with real axles versus MH , I would bet that most of the MH axles give less trouble for the simple fact that they haul homes cross country. I have only approached load capacity of my axles 1 time. And if whats been said on here about MH axles only being good for 5k ea., I was under by 500lbs. No bearing,hub, or tire failures. I'm sure we all would like to be able to buy a nice new, approved trailer, but can't. We got tractor stuff to get. No sales for dexter here.

 

[BruceWard]

Dexter has plenty of financial reason to talk down thier 6K mobile home axles so that they can sell us axles for $500 instead of $50 off of a mobile home.

Brokenot has plenty of reason to talk down mobile home axles so we will buy trailers from his company and other manufacturers.

I like being able to replace the whole axle in 30 minutes for $50 instead of spending hundreds of dollars and hours to replace worn brakes. I also like being able to buy once used recently manufactured tires and wheels for $25 each.

My other experience with mobile home axles was in a civil war renactment group where we hauled around a full scale 6 pounder cannon on a trailer with mobile home axles and tires. We would drive hundreds of miles each way on weekend outings. We carried one spare and I can not remember using it. I went on propably 50 such trips over a 4 year period. Easily cover 20K miles with that mobile home axled and tired trailer hauling a cannon.

 

[brokenot]

I'm not trying to sell anyone anything. Threads like this can get frustrating because it seems that facts from several sources are trumped by opinion and anecdotal *evidence*. The links I posted couldn't be any clearer. The last one I put up listed the bearing part numbers for the mobile home hubs. Here's a link to a set of "standard" 6000# rated trailer hubs. (The same weight rating as mobile home hubs carry.) What you won't see here, is any "light duty" commentary. What you also won't see, are replacement parts that cost "hundreds of dollars".

Trailer Hub & Drum - 5,200 and 6,000 lbs Axles - 6 on 5-1/2 Dexter Trailer Hubs and Drums 42656

No-way, no-how can it be rationally argued that myself, Dexter, or anyone else is only *claiming* that the mobile home stuff is vastly inferior because we have something to sell you for more $$. (Maybe the whole shebang is a vast conspiracy and even the bearing companies are involved? The smaller bearings will carry as much weight, and provide the same service life as their larger bearings....but they only make the larger bearings so they can charge the customers more money?)

I've gotten similar responses on other forums, and I can assure you I have no agenda....other than providing some facts. I don't sell trailers or trailer parts, I'm a mechanic. I've seen the bits and pieces side-by-side on the bench, and I've seen the side-by-side service life in daily use. Just around the corner from our shop is a tire dealer that does sell car and light truck tires, but whose core business is trucks, trailers, and equipment tires. On several occasions, they've commented on the 14.5 tire life issue when we've brought them in for repair or replacement.

Ignore what I've said if you wish and talk to your local bearing supplier and tire dealer.

There is no comparison.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Bruce it is the trolls like brokenot knowingly making untrue statements that make forums a turnoff for so many. They blow in here then there creating confusion for these would wish to recycle used parts.

It does not take a lot of brains to figure out if a heavy MH can be towed at high speeds for 1000-2000 miles over a period of one to a few days that the same three axles and six tires can do the same for an equipment or other special use trailer.

The welded back plates does save labor in the build process but does not keep one from rebuilding the brakes.

Thank you for posting from you experience and not for your pocket book.

 

[brokenot]

I'm not making any statements that are "knowingly untrue". Good grief. What could my agenda possibly be? I'm ALL FOR recycling used parts. What I'm also ALL FOR is doing so with my eyes wide open. I said, (more than once), that I've used mobile home axles myself. What I didn't do, is come up with a bunch of nonsense when I used the mobile home axles to convince myself that what I was installing was as good as what else is available.

No troll here. Trolls typically don't provide links with supporting information. They also don't invite nay-sayers to ask local people they trust whether or not they information they've provided is accurate.

All of us that are *into* this sort of stuff, (professionally or as a hobby, or both), have more than likely built relationships with several local vendors that sell parts or entire assemblies. Once again, choose one you trust and ask them if anything I've posted here is inaccurate.

From Wiki:

*Troll*

"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion."

Now really, does that sound like what's going on here?