Ready made vs Home made

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Ready made vs Home made

Postby Bald Cypress » Sun Mar 06, 2016 1:31 pm

Help me get my head straight. I am going with a 5 X 10 build and was thinking about the trailer. Build or buy. With my limited knowledge I came up with the following.

2X2 square tubing 60 ft needed + - $ 360

Bulldog coupler 1 ea + - $ 80

Axle 1 ea + - $ 200

Welder Labor min 3 hr @ + - $ 60 + - $ 180

So as a WAG looking at $ 800 = - . Ready made trailers go from $ 750 — $ 1100 at least thats what I have found around Northern LA.

Why would you go with home made and the hassle [ unless that is what you like to do ] ? .

Talk me out of buying a ready made. Or talk me into having a special made.

Ready made will be ready to license [ less hassle ] Special made = many hoops to go through for tagging it.
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Re: Ready made vs Home made

Postby dogscats » Sun Mar 06, 2016 1:46 pm

2by2 1/8 wall is $ 52.00 for 20 feet .I look for better price. Get HF grinder with cutting blade do all the cuts your shelf .That save some money. Are the trailers you are look the same? Are they 2 by 2 tube are 1.5 ?
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN,
YET AT THE SAME TIME, THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE,,, SO MAKE THE BEST OF IT WHILE YOU CAN, AND ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS
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Re: Ready made vs Home made

Postby tony.latham » Sun Mar 06, 2016 2:02 pm

I built a similar trailer a year ago and the steel cost $120. The Dexter Torflex $265. Spring axles are cheaper I think and they've been around since chariots racing in Rome (my 'drop doesn't bounce like a chariot).

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A custom built trailer-–designed for your specific need--is arguably better than a utility trailer.

Tony
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Re: Ready made vs Home made

Postby dales133 » Sun Mar 06, 2016 2:46 pm

I was going to say the steel estimation sounded high.
I paid $68au for my 75 x 50 x3mm for 20 feet. (3 × 3) and that was duragal.
50 tops a meter i recon.
And agree with tony.leaf
Springs are cheap and stood the test of time
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Re: Ready made vs Home made

Postby doug hodder » Sun Mar 06, 2016 9:05 pm

The majority of us that build our own frames already have the ability and tools to do it. Hence, no money out for a welder and 3 hours isn't going to do it, I'd bet. $80 for a coupler is a bit high...you can get something much less expensive and just as good. You also left out painting . 60' of 2x2 is a bit much as well, you can get by with thinner wall tubing and use angle for the cross members. Anyway, like I said, those of us that build our own frames can get a custom frame at a great price, it's not really cost effective for someone that doesn't have the equipment or ability to scratch build a custom one. You're much better off to go ahead and buy one that is ready to roll. The advantage to building your own, is that we can engineer it as light or as heavy as we want, add extra's to it as needed for accessories, or put whatever suspension under it that we want. Just my thoughts on it. Doug
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Re: Ready made vs Home made

Postby capnTelescope » Mon Mar 07, 2016 10:41 pm

Learning to weld was on my bucket list, so I built mine. I think you'll be more likely to build to suit your needs than if you buy. Most folks end up modifying their store-bought trailers, anyway.
I'll burn that bridge when I come to it.

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