Trailer build question

[MossRoad]

Just wondering about insurance and liability and if you've checked into that before you start. I've never attempted to license a home built trailer or get insurance on one, so I have no idea what's involved in getting it on the road. Just curious and will be watching the project. Maybe some others on here that have gone through the process will chime in.

 

[wcampbell47]

Just wondering about insurance and liability and if you've checked into that before you start. I've never attempted to license a home built trailer or get insurance on one, so I have no idea what's involved in getting it on the road. Just curious and will be watching the project. Maybe some others on here that have gone through the process will chime in.

Last year I found and bought a 90% finished home made gooseneck 20 foot car hauler off CraigsList. It took me four months to get it registered legal for the road.
- DOT approved safety chains
- Breakaway kit
- DOT approved reflective taping
- DOT approved clearance and marker lights
- Inspected by law enforcement to check for theft
- Weigh at county approved scale
- DOT inspection
- Send pictures of trailer to TXDOT for VIN assignment
- Only after all paperwork completed was I able to register it and obtain license plate.

I am speaking of Texas registration. Any trailer of 4,500 lb GVW is required to have brakes. I believe the OP is in CA. Thinking his rules may be more stringent. I think next time I will just bite the bullet and buy one from a reputable, state licensed builder.

 

[handirifle]

In 2010 a neighbor gave me a trailer he no longer wanted. He has a small vineyard and the trailer was built to haul grape bins weighing 1-2000lbs each. It had a mobile home axle on it and a tractor style hitch. I drug it home and rebuilt it to use on the street. It is 4'x8' inside. I added 16" high sides framed with angle iron and expanded metal. I cut off the tractor hitch and welded on a 2" ball hitch. I built a locking tailgate and ramps that attach to the tailgate when it's down and have used it to haul my MF1010 short distances. The bucket goes over the front side and the Gannon box sits on the tailgate when I haul it, but it has no problem with the weight. It is fully registered as home built and rated for 3,000lbs. It has a new axles on it now with backing plates for brakes, but no brakes on it. It was inspected and registered with the MH axle. I have hauled 2 full pallets of used bricks with it. The main frame is 2"x4"x1/4" box tubing. It would support my '06 Duramax if I could get it on there. The tires might complain though

I haven't looked into one rated for higher, but I DO KNOW it will have to have brakes, but that is no problem, as I will order an axle (or 2 if I go that way) with brakes on them. Not sure what else I will need at this point. Our local DMV is fairly easy to work with.

 

[handirifle]

Mine had all the same light requirements as yours, but brakes only if 3500 or higher IIRC. If I do this it WILL have brakes. Oh yes safety chains, but this is a fairly light trailer so they were not picky. Might be more so on one rated for 4-5K. If I go with this idea, I will first check with them to see what is required.

If I went with a 7x12 or 7x14 would one axle suffice or should it be 2? I suppose I could use E rated tires and they ought to be good for about 3K each, so I could get by with a single axle, but it would seem a dual would spread the load better and I could use slightly less expensive D rated tires.

 

[handirifle]

Mine had all the same light requirements as yours, but brakes only if 3500 or higher IIRC. If I do this it WILL have brakes. Oh yes safety chains, but this is a fairly light trailer so they were not picky. Might be more so on one rated for 4-5K. If I go with this idea, I will first check with them to see what is required. The DMV assigned and affixed a VIN sticker on it when they inspected it.

If I went with a 7x12 or 7x14 would one axle suffice or should it be 2? I suppose I could use E rated tires and they ought to be good for about 3K each, so I could get by with a single axle, but it would seem a dual would spread the load better and I could use slightly less expensive D rated tires.

 

[handirifle]

This will NOT be for ANY commercial work.

 

[wcampbell47]

This will NOT be for ANY commercial work.

I have stayed below the DOT requirements as far as GVW to be considered commercial. I just use the trailer to haul the tractor around as needed.
You asked if it was a lame idea. I am on my 3rd tractor trailer. I used a single axle trailer to take delivery of my tractor. I went immediately and purchased a tandem axle. Not thinking ahead I purchased a 7 x 16 that required ramps. After a number of years hassling the ramps I had a tandem axle tilt bed trailer 18 foot long built. I used that for a number of years and was very proud of myself for spending the extra money for the tilt bed. I acquired a sod roller that weighs more than 5,000 lbs for rolling crushed limestone. I have graduated to the 3rd trailer which is 20 feet long and gooseneck. It is more of a flat bed car hauler. I am back to using ramps but they are 10,000 lb rated aluminum. Way lighter than the steel ramps. Since the gooseneck is flat bed it can be loaded from the side with a forklift. Makes loading palletized material much easier. Lumber, sod, etc. The gooseneck is wide enough and long enough to haul a crew cab truck with 8 foot bed of the occasion ever arose.

Folks are always asking what size tractor to buy and most recommendations are to buy just a bit bigger than you originally planned. I think it would be lame to build a trailer that will not allow you to expand its uses for something you may not be considering now. Hey when I retired from IT I had no clue I would ever have an F350, 6 yard gooseneck dump trailer and 37 HP tractor and be buying $40K of crushed limestone a year. Just saying.

 

[handirifle]

HA good points. I guess ya never really know.

 

[joefromga]

Here in GC we are much more free and you go to the tag office, give them your home built trailer info like weight and number of axles. They give you a Vin plate and then any cop has to sign a paper saying that plate is on the trailer. Then you get a tag for 15 bucks. Done.
If you don't have lights a cop will pull you over. No need for "inspection" . Unless the inspector gives you an insurance bond and liability guarantee. Like that would ever happen. It's red tape bureaucracy.

Build it safe and strong and use brakes on the trailer. They make a huge difference.

 

[TractorGuy]

If you want the best strength from combining tube you need to connect them with shorter pieces of tube that have the ends notched. See how much a tubing notcher is for the size tube you want to use. It's just a jig with a hole saw.

Here is a shot of some tubing in my race car for ideas.

 

[handirifle]

The inspection is to see if you have lights on it, and brakes, if it's heavy enough. No big deal to me. It's stuff I would put on it anyway.

 

[joefromga]

The inspection is to see if you have lights on it, and brakes, if it's heavy enough. No big deal to me. It's stuff I would put on it anyway.

Exactly. Everyone has those things and if not they'll get pulled over. It's a redundant govt BS program.
Luckily we don't have that I'm my state. I still have lights. I love them and have them all around. I want to be seen and not t-boned or ran into.

 

[handirifle]

OK I got out to look the steel pipes over. They are used pipes (I knew that) I think from drilling rigs. The ones I was interested in are 2 3/8" OD with 3/16" wall thickness and 31ft in length for $39 each. So those doubled up ought to be pretty darn strong, I would think. I still need to compare rectangular tubing in 2"x4", but unsure of what wall thickness I would need. I guess price out the 3/16" to be as close to a true comparison.

Question; If I went with the ladder style truss, with only vertical sections of pipe welded between the 2 horizontal pipes, about every 12" or so, would the vertical pipes need to be the same thickness or could I get by with .090" wall?

 

[handirifle]

Also, the ladder truss I assume, would be stronger than rectangular tubing, right? I could have the main frame for under $400. This would not count axle(s), tires, fenders, or the floor boards, etc. Hmmm this could add up fairly quick.

The only difference I see other than buying a used trailer, would be coughing up the cash all at once. Food for thought though.

 

[lilranch2001]

I have been contemplating building a medium duty hauler for general use for quite a long time
Last fall I started adding up prices on components, (new retail) and the cost quickly mounted up to a substantial amount.
I am/was a hellofa welder back in my prime, and I wanted to prove to myself I can still burn rod with the best of them.
I finally got over my pride and bought a Rice car hauler a month ago
Is it a monster of a trailer, NO.
Will it do everything I need it to do? YES
The price of this Rice was awesome, and it has a really nice professional paint job.
It pulls great, has all good components and looks great connected to my truck
Moral of the story is.....
Sometimes its just plain cheaper and easier to pull out the checkbook

 

[Xfaxman]

OK I got out to look the steel pipes over. They are used pipes (I knew that) I think from drilling rigs. The ones I was interested in are 2 3/8" OD with 3/16" wall thickness and 31ft in length for $39 each. So those doubled up ought to be pretty darn strong, I would think. I still need to compare rectangular tubing in 2"x4", but unsure of what wall thickness I would need. I guess price out the 3/16" to be as close to a true comparison.
---------------

Be very sure of what you are getting. Oilfield pipe that has had saltwater run through it will rust through from the inside and difficult to keep painted: How to Buy Pipe - A Guide to Pipe Buying - GoBob Pipe and Steel

 

[LD1]

Strength depends on how far apart the horizontal are ( how long you make the verricals.) But being 2-3/8, even with no separation they should be as strong or stronger than the 2x4 tube. But heavier also.

For $400 I think you can get some channel from a supplier and be done. Round us a PITA to work with.

There is a reason you don't see tube of.any kind used on most trailers. That's because the concern of rusting inside out as mentioned. Especially with used material. Channel, angle, and i-beams can be painted all the way around.

I would figure everything you need out of channel and call a steel supplier before you make any decision

 

[handirifle]

I did not think about it rusting from the inside. I got a look at the outsides and they are pretty well covered. Will probably pass on the idea thanks you you guys. That's why I like to post what's rummaging through my mind.

On a good note, I saw "13 Hours" tonight. Great movie, just like the book. I got my book in Fresno last year, where the 3 guys that co-authored the book were signing them. The local news actually interviewed me, and asked my opinions and why I wanted to read the book. My answer was as former Army, and a retired federal worker (FAA), I know exactly how governments say what they want to say about "incidents" and I wanted to hear the story from those that were there.

Don't know if they aired "me" or not, cause we were heading home right after the book signing. Might have been my 15 seconds of fame and I didn't even know it.

 

[Fallon]

I have been contemplating building a medium duty hauler for general use for quite a long time
Last fall I started adding up prices on components, (new retail) and the cost quickly mounted up to a substantial amount.
I am/was a hellofa welder back in my prime, and I wanted to prove to myself I can still burn rod with the best of them.
I finally got over my pride and bought a Rice car hauler a month ago
Is it a monster of a trailer, NO.
Will it do everything I need it to do? YES
The price of this Rice was awesome, and it has a really nice professional paint job.
It pulls great, has all good components and looks great connected to my truck
Moral of the story is.....
Sometimes its just plain cheaper and easier to pull out the checkbook

Ya, hard to compete with a commercial operation a lot of the time unless you have some of the materials free. That's even counting your time as essentially free. Economies of scale are impressive at times.

 

[handirifle]

I did buy some pipe for my ATV trailer build, that I am in the process of currently. It's going to be a dump trailer. The tubing is 1 3/8 OD at 3/16 wall. Heavy stuff, got NEW tubing for $25 for a 31ft section, and I also go some 1 7/8 tubing 3/16 wall for $39 for 31ft. The 1 3/8 slips inside the other so that feature will come in real handy.

My design will be very similar to the DR VersaTrailer Versa Trailer: 1/2 Ton Commercial Grade Utility Trailer | DR Power Equipment. I am debating on sheet metal sides or expanded metal.

I'll post some pics of it soon.