I haven't read all 18 pages of this thread, but here's what I plan to do about a standie. This thread started with proposing that it be built on a bolt-together trailer kit. I already have a 5X8 Red Trailer, so I decided to stick with what could be done with a 5X8. Right off the bat, it's not big enough to have all that everyone wants to cram into a standie, so, what to do? Don't worry, folks, I have the answer. Here's what we'll do....
1) Swap out the stock 1400 lb. axle for a Red Trailer 2000 lb. Axle upgrade kit. This includes new axle, u-bolts, five lug hubs with bearings and seals and dust caps, and two wheel/tire assemblies. About $300.00.
2) 2 foot tongue extension- about 100.00 from Red Trailer.
3) OPTIONAL.... The tongue extension will allow you to add 2 feet of frame/floor to the front of the trailer, if you need it. Red Trailer also sells individual frame members. one cross member, and one side member (cut in two) will do the trick. I won't need it in my case, but I will need the "swing-room". More on that in a minute.
OK- so now we're 5X10- still not big enough to suite me, AND too long, and narrow.
4)I am going to weld frame "outriggers" about 9 inches long, four places on each side. Front and rear, and fore and aft of each wheel. Final outside framing could be wood or steel.
Now we are getting somewhere. We have a bolt-together trailer, with a one ton rating, and a fully supported floor of 10 X 6.5 feet. I think that's about all you can get out of a bolt together trailer kit. The 6.5 ft. width puts the side walls outside of the wheels. Some like 'em like that, some don't. I like fat fenders, but I want that interior space more.
This next is my personal "First cut" at what I might do, but it sounds good to this armchair builder. I propose to build a somewhat upsized WIDGET. Start by running the standard Widget profile through a CAD program, and increase it proportionally in all dimensions until it is about a foot longer. With all dimensions increasing at the same ratio, that beautiful Widget profile remains unchanged, just bigger. The head room would increase by about 6 inches to about 78 inches, more than you need, so you could eliminate the need for the drop floor. At 11 feet, with the Widget profile I will not need the extra 2 feet of floor up front of the trailer, but I will need the tongue extension to have tow vehicle swing room. (The profile bulges forward a good bit). For the Widget, I will still need to cut about a foot off the BACK of the frame. This will effectivly move the axle line back, to be just about right for the profile.
That's as far as I have gotten up to now. I will leave it up to the rest of you guys to design the interior layout. I am sure you will come up with something handsome, and effective.
Does anybodysee anything wrong or outright dangerous in what I have laid out here? Now is the time, before sparks and saw dust.......
by Sparksalot » Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:55 am 
just a stretch to a standy.. Got a BIG standy ...want a small one ...Big one is too big for what we need... 
