trailer modification

[LD1]

That is the best advice for the majority of the TBN population; On the internet, everybody is an expert, but nobody is liable.

I worked in the light trailer business, also with type approvals with the DOT. I did modify my trailer, but i didnt need any advice. I am not eager to give advice either, because i hate to see people run into trouble because they totally misinterpret what i say, and off course, legislation is different in Europe than the US so my expert advice has very limited validity for the US.

Yup. I know my own skill, capability, and liability involved in anything I do. I dont know that for anyone else on this forum potentially seeking advise. So if its going down the road, best advise is just dont. If someone were qualified to build/modify a trailer, they wouldnt be asking TBN for advise IMO.

And homemade trailers or home-modified trailers have almost zero resale value.

I have been shopping for a drop-deck gooseneck for a few years. One with the deck between the fenders. 24', 14k. Prices seem to have stabilized at ~$10-$11k for a new one. Ocassionally a used one pops up thats 3-4 years old for $8k-$9k but they dont last long. But there are quite a few homemade 20-26' ones I see. Usually mobile home axles....look like not nearly enough steel in the neck area compared to factory trailers, and they sit on craigslist and market place for 6months at $3k....and they never sell.

 

[nyone]

From just what I see driving on the road I can say most single axle trailers towed by contractors are or where overloaded. Many axles shaped like a smile here. My search for a used 10k equipment trailer shows about the same abuse. One trailer had a crack in the center of the axle.

I do modify my trailers but also know and follow weight ratings, make sure the brakes and lights work properly. Alot of people dont do any of this.

 

[Renze]

And homemade trailers or home-modified trailers have almost zero resale value.

Mine is newly hot dip galvanised after i modified it, its going to last another 30 years, and you cannot buy them like this. But its a 1991, so i cant insure it against theft for its market value, let alone its replacement value.

Commercially, refurbishing or modifying trailers doesnt pay, you never get what youve put in when you sell it. But practically, if you want it to last a lifetime, you can put in what a brake pressed tin trailer costs and it will outlast several manufactured trailers. At least, here in Europe, where the market is dominated by a few fully automated factories, churning out lots of cheap rubbish and putting traditional welding shops out of business.

 

[muddstopper]

Lots of merit to the dont do it comments. I built this trailer myself a long time ago. Built a few others before and since. My problem now is the actual physical labor involved, I aint 30 or 40 years old anymore. I cant run a weld bead without holding the stinger with both hands. Use coke bottle lens in my helmet just to see. I just dont do any structual welding anymore. Run a bead on a plow, or something like that, but anything that could break and kill someone, I just dont do it. I have a friend that I call when I need that kind of welding done.

 

[nyone]

Mine is newly hot dip galvanised after i modified it, its going to last another 30 years, and you cannot buy them like this.

You can buy hot dipped trailers here in NY. Granted with a few gallons of rust preventer like wool wax and a new trailer you can afford to buy a new one every 10yrs or so before your at a break even for a single galvanized one.

However hot dipped galvanized may be needed for some applications. My last trailer was 4yrs old when I bought it, I flipped it once to scrape and paint. I just sold it a few weeks ago at age 15. I didnt sell it because it was rusty or needed work, infact it was in great condition. A little bit of work goes a long way keeping something looking good.

 

[Renze]

You can buy hot dipped trailers here in NY. Granted with a few gallons of rust preventer like wool wax and a new trailer you can afford to buy a new one every 10yrs or so before your at a break even for a single galvanized one.

For a lightweight but high surface area workpiece like a trailer, galvanising is cheaper than sand blasting and painting, because touching each edge and facet of a C channel trailer with either the blast gun or the paint gun, is too time consuming. Hot dipping for 90 cents per kg is cheaper on the bottom line. I payd 75 euro chemical de-galvanising, then got it back from the plant and welded a new towbar and dropped the deck to accept low profile tires. Then had it galvanised as a whole for 175 euro i believe. If i had to have it sandblasted there would be barely enough budget left before primer and paint broke even with the hot dipping, but then i'd still have to spend a day spray painting it and i'd still have an inferior conservation.

 

[jonsstihl]

At that price I would have galvanised my trailer. when I built mine I got a quote for powder coating and it was almost 900$ CAD so I got the paintbrsuhes and rollers out and did it myself. of course you never count the labor when you build something yourself.