I am building a military type trailer (truck bed like, 24 inch high bed rails, 68"x59" outside measurements) I will be using a 1000-1500 pound Torflex axle, but since I don't even know which steel to start with to estimate weight, I am stalled as far as planning this thing.
Which steel should I use for the frame to keep it together with some mild abuse? Would 2" square by .083 wall be good or should I go heavy and do 1/8 wall? i will be doing a ladder frame 44" wide (axle mounting width) with a cross every 20 inches, with "wings" added on front and rear of the tires to finish the width.
As a side note, does anyone know how, or know of a reference for cross sectional area for steel tubes? Either the measurments are nominal, or I can't geometry myself out of a paperbag.
Thaks.