Need your advice on trailer design

[ChoppyChoppy]

Not to sound stupid but that looks like a tongue jack. What is special about that? weight? I was going to do that but with a wheel.

I suppose it could be mounted at the tongue. Std tongue jack is not rated for all that much weight.

Here is a picture of my trailer when I bought it about 7 years ago. Sorry they are blurry, but you get the idea.

 

[steved]

For the plate on the fender you can get rubber rivet nuts. http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-rivet-nuts/=tiieph They have a rubber flange on one side, brass threaded insert on the other. Drill a round hole in the fender. Push thru, put screw thru plate and tighten down. They swell up and grab tight to the hole. I use stainless panhead screws for my plate.

Also known as a pocket nut in some locales.

 

[steved]

For the plate on the fender you can get rubber rivet nuts. http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-rivet-nuts/=tiieph They have a rubber flange on one side, brass threaded insert on the other. Drill a round hole in the fender. Push thru, put screw thru plate and tighten down. They swell up and grab tight to the hole. I use stainless panhead screws for my plate.

Also known as a pocket nut in some locales.

 

[stihly dan]

I suppose it could be mounted at the tongue. Std tongue jack is not rated for all that much weight.

Here is a picture of my trailer when I bought it about 7 years ago. Sorry they are blurry, but you get the idea.

I see, I do like the idea of having the jack be able to hold heavy loads. Never know when you might need it too. Although I hope not to store heavy things on there as it cant be good for the springs.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Not to sound stupid but that looks like a tongue jack. What is special about that? weight? I was going to do that but with a wheel.

Ithink he was meaning instead of the swivel mount ones like you see on most boat/jet-ski trailers and many log splitters. Most of them are designed for 500-1500lbs and, like all jacks, are only as good as their mount. They're not designed for real weight. The one valley firewood posted was a 10k rated jack which is substantially stronger. Mount a pair of those on the back and 1 on the front and you not only have a viable work platform, but depending on your ground clearance and suspension travel, you may be able to service the trailer/change tires without needing a stand-alone jack and could remove all weight off of the tires/suspension when not in service... That would be a boon towards suspension and tire life.

 

[stihly dan]

Ithink he was meaning instead of the swivel mount ones like you see on most boat/jet-ski trailers and many log splitters. Most of them are designed for 500-1500lbs and, like all jacks, are only as good as their mount. They're not designed for real weight. The one valley firewood posted was a 10k rated jack which is substantially stronger. Mount a pair of those on the back and 1 on the front and you not only have a viable work platform, but depending on your ground clearance and suspension travel, you may be able to service the trailer/change tires without needing a stand-alone jack and could remove all weight off of the tires/suspension when not in service... That would be a boon towards suspension and tire life.

I like that idea a lot, think I will do 2 5k in the rear and 1 10k in the front. The front one welded by the ball not the platform.

 

[Locust Cutter]

I like that idea a lot, think I will do 2 5k in the rear and 1 10k in the front. The front one welded by the ball not the platform.

Not to argue (it's your trailer) but I'd weld it to the platform. The tongue, unless it's made out of the same material thickness of the frame, won't hold as much weight as the frame box will (plus it's further out and is only affixed by welds usually and has a greater disadvantage by the weight arm). If you mount it against the frame box, you can the have the real-estate to mount a locking, angular tool box for chains, boomers and other misc equipment... I'm not trying to be rude in the least, but since you have a golden opportunity to build the near "perfect" trailer I think you'd regret mounting the jack forward on the tongue in the long run.

 

[stihly dan]

No, please do. I liked it by the platform but it seems to look like a pita dropping the trailer on the ball being so far away. Also that is where I would like to place a box and that would be in the way of the crank handle.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

No, not a pain, the ball is just a few feet from the jack, plenty close enough to see what's going on. If anything safer as you aren't right there.
With a trailer in this size and weight it's not like you are moving it around by hand anyhow. Don't think you can just grab the tongue and move it 4-5" to get it on the ball.
Also with the jack further back you can drop the tailgate of the truck. Some of the tongue jacks are too tall to do that.

Also it has a TON of travel, as least mine does. I can crank it to where the tonque is probably 4ft up and the rear of the trailer is almost on the ground. Works awesome for loading low clearance stuff like cars, and forklifts

Leaving something on the trailer, I've never worried about it. Think of a camper as being a trailer loaded with a house on it. The weight never comes off.
Plenty of times I have hauled something somewhere and needed to go elsewhere with the truck.

 

[Locust Cutter]

No, please do. I liked it by the platform but it seems to look like a pita dropping the trailer on the ball being so far away. Also that is where I would like to place a box and that would be in the way of the crank handle.

I can see where you're coming from on the distance to the ball, but after you've done it a few times it becomes second nature. You're a lot closer in that scenario than you are with a GN or 5th wheel setup as well which aren't bad either (although with the 5th wheel setup your obviously keeping the tongue at hitch height so you can lock into it, making the GN attachment being the more appropriate comparison). Unless your tool box is extending beyond the sides of the trailer you'll be fine with the 5-10k jack mounted against the front of the trailer deck frame. The caveat to make this possible is a pipe extension to the jack rod (secured to the outside of the trailer by a larger collar with either a greasable zirk or a roller-bearing setup like this:
Here the tongue has a built-in chain box (pretty lacking IMO) bu you could easily mount an angular box in it's place and have much more capacity without interfering with your ability to mount and dismount the trailer like these:
You'd just have to design the tongue opening to suit the box you want (easiest method) OR if you've already fabbed the tongue, find a box that fits your needs and dimensions. I had always envisioned mounting the box on the tongue, but looking the the 2nd pic, mounting in the tongue (as long as there's a minimum 1' ground clearance) is brilliant. I wish I'd thought of that already...

 

[esshup]

Just make sure the box clears the tailgate too. I borrowed a friends trailer and the jack is at the front so the tailgate can't be opened with the trailer on the truck. It's a real PITA when the truck is a suburban.........

 

[boxygen]

My trailer has evolved over the years. It got wooden sideboards added to it by a neighbor who borrows it frequently. Good for temporarily fastening stuff to it for different loads. I then happened upon some beat up side boxes for a pickup truck. THe kind that mount on the side rail of the bed. By perfect coincidence they sit on the sideboard and have the perfect leg down the the trailer fender. It bolts to both which provides great stability to the fender on my fairly cheaply made 18' car hauler. They are great for hauling 4 chains, 4 binders, 2 heavy duty ratchet straps, jack, lug wrench and anything else you want. I have hauled logs before with my tractor too and a front mount box would not work very well for me. Don't go anywhere without a spare. My lifes goal is to not be one of those bozo's on the side of the road that left their trailer there without the vehicle to run into "town" on a sunday evening to find a off size trailer tire, with their wife and kids in the backseat trying to make it home after a long weekend. I imagine that kind of takes the fun out of it.

 

[M.R.]

A feature I like is a 'Rub Rail' on the stake pockets w/pipe between each pocket, as a chain spool.

 

[stihly dan]

I can see where you're coming from on the distance to the ball, but after you've done it a few times it becomes second nature. You're a lot closer in that scenario than you are with a GN or 5th wheel setup as well which aren't bad either (although with the 5th wheel setup your obviously keeping the tongue at hitch height so you can lock into it, making the GN attachment being the more appropriate comparison). Unless your tool box is extending beyond the sides of the trailer you'll be fine with the 5-10k jack mounted against the front of the trailer deck frame. The caveat to make this possible is a pipe extension to the jack rod (secured to the outside of the trailer by a larger collar with either a greasable zirk or a roller-bearing setup like this: View attachment 366157
Here the tongue has a built-in chain box (pretty lacking IMO) bu you could easily mount an angular box in it's place and have much more capacity without interfering with your ability to mount and dismount the trailer like these:
View attachment 366159 View attachment 366158 You'd just have to design the tongue opening to suit the box you want (easiest method) OR if you've already fabbed the tongue, find a box that fits your needs and dimensions. I had always envisioned mounting the box on the tongue, but looking the the 2nd pic, mounting in the tongue (as long as there's a minimum 1' ground clearance) is brilliant. I wish I'd thought of that already...

I do like that handle extension. Looks like engaging the drop leg there could be annoying. Been looking for rear ones like that, that also pivot. So far all the pivot ones do not have a drop leg. I would prefer the rear jacks not stick up above the deck incase something wider than the deck is on there, like a shed. That built in box is a keeper, thanks,

 

[brenndatomu]

Speaking of trailer design, I saw this one on CL the other day, kinda got me to thinking.

I have been mulling over building a poor mans firewood processor of sorts.
With this trailer I could roll my hydraulic splitter on the front with a hydraulic powered winch that could be quick coupled to the splitter for power. So I'd roll up to my latest score, winch the log up onto the trailer where it is cut to length, thrown on the splitter, the wedge on beam splitter design would push the splits up a chute into the dump. I'd build my own though, use a cheapy landscape trailer, mount a dump bed to skids with a jack on each corner so it could be put on/off the trailer like the old slide in pickup truck campers. Maintain use of trailer for other things that way...

 

[stihly dan]

Ok, axels are going to be in on the 9th. 2 Dexter 7,200 lb ez lube. The question now is, is it worth it to make it a mechanical hydraulic tilt? I am going with the spring under on 16 inch rims, so I'm assuming around 20 inches high the deck will be. To make it tilt will add height and only tilt about 2 ft. That short of an angle I can't seem to think of any reason I would need it. If I did would The extra height be more of a hindrance? Brendatomu, what does your friend tilt his for. Remember this is not a deck over. Thanks

 

[brenndatomu]

I agree, a tilt bed would only be useful if you had equipment to drive up on, or maybe drag some logs on. The trailer that we use regularly is a full on dump trailer. But like you said, to make it dump is gonna add height. You know best what you really need/want, I'm just throwin out ideas here. We are gonna get pics when it's done, right?

 

[zogger]

I agree, a tilt bed would only be useful if you had equipment to drive up on, or maybe drag some logs on. The trailer that we use regularly is a full on dump trailer. But like you said, to make it dump is gonna add height. You know best what you really need/want, I'm just throwin out ideas here. We are gonna get pics when it's done, right?

I wonder if they make such a thing as this. A dump..something..that picks straight up first, then dumps.

 

[stihly dan]

I agree, a tilt bed would only be useful if you had equipment to drive up on, or maybe drag some logs on. The trailer that we use regularly is a full on dump trailer. But like you said, to make it dump is gonna add height. You know best what you really need/want, I'm just throwin out ideas here. We are gonna get pics when it's done, right?

This will have some stout long ramps. But I would hate to do either and have regrets later. I think having it tilt will be cool, just can't for the life of me see any reason too, 20* angle can't really (dump) anything. Yes pics will come, I hope to get some during the build too.

 

[dancan]

Torflex axles , last a lifetime , never have to deal with springs , hangers , worn bolts or bushings .