DIY trailer question

[Hubert]

I got a quote for the axle and electric brakes. Between that, wheels, tires, fenders, steel, paint, lights and coupler, the frame will come in close to $2k. Probably a bit over that if you include the brake controller. The good news is that steel prices seem to have come down a good bit compared to last time I bought steel.

I am trying to figure out what size fender I need. Most fenders I see for 14"-15" wheels are 9" wide, which is about 1" wider than 205 tires, but only a little over 1/8" wider than 225s. Next size up in round fenders I found is 10 3/4" wide. How much wider than the tire does the fender need to be?

[Hubert]

I ordered the steel for the trailer a couple of days ago, should be delivered next week. I'll cut it to size and put it on the steel rack. I have some travel coming up and don't want to start until I have enough time to get the frame completed, probably mid to late October.

Still not sure about the size of the fenders. I'm probably going to order the axle next week and the wheels and fenders separately.

[tony.latham]

I am trying to figure out what size fender I need.

I was near the edge of the world when you posted this. Western Alaska.



But anywho, I've got 10" wide fenders on ours.



Tony

[Hubert]

But anywho, I've got 10" wide fenders on ours.

Thank you, Tony. I saw the pictures you posted in the other thread, and It looks like you had a great trip.

I have not found 10" wide steel fenders, only 9" and 10.75", but I have not spent a whole lot of time looking. Do your fenders have a back plate? There is about a 2.5" gap between the tire and the tear drop wall, and I can't quite wrap my head around how the fenders are attached. Is it just a couple of mounting points? Do you happen to have a picture of the fender mounts you welded to the frame?

[tony.latham]

and I can't quite wrap my head around how the fenders are attached.

Someone should have included that in a book. I suggest welding two pieces of 1" square tubing under the chassis frame. Right where the ends of the fenders will be. You'll have to cut a notch out of the backside of the fenders. I bolt the fenders to the tubing.

And yes, fenders with a plate on the inside are an excellent idea.

I think my fenders are actually 10.75" or thereabouts.

Tony

[Hubert]

Someone should have included that in a book.

Thank you for clarifying. I read the description in the book and did not understand how you had bolted the angle iron to the frame. It all makes sense now, the angle iron or tubing goes on the inside of the fender.

[tony.latham]

and did not understand how you had bolted the angle iron to the frame.

That's the way I did it on my teardrop, but I used the above method on a utility trailer I built, which is a better method.

Tony

[Hubert]

Got the steel today and rough cut it for storage until I can start building the trailer. I added it to a bigger steel order for a different project to save the delivery charge (it's only $25, but I'm cheap). I haven't decided whether to miter or butt join the corners, so I left the cross members long enough for miters. Tony suggests butt joints and end caps, which I have some experience with. I built an 11' picnic table, maybe 10 years ago, from 2" steel tubing and angle and used end caps from McMaster on it. After a few years, the wood I used for the benches and table had to be refinished so I took it off and was really surprised at how waterproof those end caps are. It had not rained in at least two weeks, and there was still a good four or five inches of water in the table legs... The table is still going strong though and I have since built a second one without end caps (and put Trex on them to avoid having to refinish the wood every three years).