why are the welded trailers for sale so heavy?

[caseydog]

I agree with Bob. Look for used trailers. You should be able to find a 5X8 for half the new price, or less. I built on a modified old boat trailer.

Seek, and you shall find.

CD

[dh]

Bob, this isn't the first time I've seen this trashed trailer. Do you know what the heck hapened to it? I have a hard time imagining how that would happen while it was in tow, unless it jacknifed.

[Deryk the Pirate]

Well I already emailed 5 or 6 of them yesterday...heard back from 1 and it was gone awhile. Build #2 has a deadline end of july must be campable for the first week in aughust...

[bobhenry]

Bob, this isn't the first time I've seen this trashed trailer. Do you know what the heck hapened to it? I have a hard time imagining how that would happen while it was in tow, unless it jacknifed.

Never even asked the guy was too busy hooking up before he changed his mind.

If I had to guess it must have come loose and went off roading where it found a low limb on a tree. All the damage is 4'=/- off the floor across the front.

[glenpinpat]

I bought a jaco pop-up as my donor trailer. I brought it to a welder to add cross members and add 2" of length to make it 8ft long. However it is 6ft wide. I paid 200.00 for it and was able to salvage the sliders for my cooler, stove and sink.

[NathanL]

Because most trailer frames are meant to be self supporting for carrying a cargo load.

Teardrops on the other hand are a torsion box of sorts and you don't always need such a strong trailer.

Nearly every part of the country should have a business that produces custom cargo trailers that come in a ton of varieties. A guy who used to do our steel erection went into business here making trailers and does flat cargo trailers, float trailers, custom boat trailers, pretty much any kind of trailer. You tell him what you want and it's done.

[jss06]

The tubular steel I used for my frame was 280lbs. That does not include the axle, springs, hangers or hitch. That was just the raw steel. Together without the body its easily 400+ lbs.

That is 2x2x3/16th main rails with 2x2x.120 wall crossmembers and outriggers. Yes it's ovebuilt but I don't want to have to be constantly fixing it.

[madjack]

I agree with Bob...used, for sale trailers are all over the place, just spend some time looking...as to that CarryOn trailer you linked to...they are good trailers BUT, if you note, it has a single tube tongue and several people who have used them, have reported problems with it and have had to add reinforcement braces to it...........
madjack

p.s. built my trailer with 1x2x3/16 forged channel and tongue from 2x3/16 sq tube w/channel side braces...weighed around 150# wo/axle-wheels-tires...about 300# total..........mj

[Deryk the Pirate]

Well I went with a HF trailer for build #2. Next year when I get larger tow vehicle 400lbs for the traile wont be as big a deal as it is now....

Thanks

deryk

[Rick G]

My neighbour bought a HF dump trailer for $150 It looked pretty flimsy to me. I found a boat trailer for $200. I removed all the boat hardware and shortend the tongue and added angle iron braces. I welded these from the frame to the tongue. this thing is far more sturdy than the HF trailer and now resides under my Rimple.

[bearfromobx]

If you decide to use a trailer which starts out life with a loading ramp, especially on the rear of the trailer, you are shifting the weight's balance point significantly if you remove the ramp. Upchurch Machine and Blacksmith (father's shop) used to build several sizes of dual purpose trailer which was designed to operate with or without the tailgate and to keep the trailer properly balanced, we added a cast iron "straddle weight" to the root of the tongue which matched the weight of the ramp assembly and if you removed the tailgate, you unpined the weight and removed it as well so the CG and the tongue weight remained unchaged. My little ZTR lawnmower trailer had a tailgate which weighed almost a hundred pounds (3500# load rating).

Just a little food for thought...

[rowerwet]

Bob, this isn't the first time I've seen this trashed trailer. Do you know what the heck hapened to it? I have a hard time imagining how that would happen while it was in tow, unless it jacknifed.

Never even asked the guy was too busy hooking up before he changed his mind.

If I had to guess it must have come loose and went off roading where it found a low limb on a tree. All the damage is 4'=/- off the floor across the front.

your picture jumped into my head a few weeks ago. somehow (drunk, texting?) a car left the road a few miles from here, jumped the curb, crossed the sidewalk, plowed through a stockade fence and into the large TT in the back yard, the hole in the trailer looked so similar my first thought was your picture, the second, I wonder if I could get it for free?

[bonnie]

One alternative is to find an aluminum trailer.

I did. Saving pennies for this one:

http://coolcartdepot.com/triton-gu-xtv.htm

The 4/8 is 200lbs
With Spare tire and mount; plus 12" tire upgrade and tongue jack, but without the gate or front rail it came it at $1195. There are used ones out there. Titled and ready to roll should set me back around $1400. It has a 1200lb capacity. I expect my entire build to be half that much.

Bonnie