[jonfromhamilton]

Ok I am about to begin building a trailer which I can use for two opposite purposes.
Firstly it will be a trailer for a 14ft sailing cat to sit on (once dismantled) which means it needs to be 3.7m long plus the drawbar.
I also want it to be towable by the Sierra so it has to be skinny and usable as a box trailer.

I have decided to make a normal box trailer with basically a telescopic drawbar to get around the Vicroads rules that state a pig trailer (single axle) can have a load extending behind the axle (rear overhang) no greater than the usable space in front of the axle.
So if I have the usable space in front of the axle at 1.9m plus the drawbar then I can hang the boat hulls 1.9m behind the axle too.

basically this


I plan on using Sierra front spindles, hubs, brake discs and calipers and plug the hole down the spindle that normally has the axle in it.
I also plan on running an over-ride hitch back to the brake discs just for the fun of it.

I will use Sierra leaves and shackles too but unsure if I will put shocks in it just yet.

It will be very bare bones to minimise weight and have special hull mounts when in use as a boat trailer and then just a big fuck-off aluminium coffin box when used for camping.

I really want to keep this as light as I possibly can because it is a Sierra after all.

So before I buy stuff and begin posting up pics of it up I thought I would get some advise from you who are planning on building or have already built a trailer.

go...

[christover1]

Had a mate with an extendable draw bar on his trailer, was very handy.
His was a single drawbar of pipe/tube, with next size down sliding inside it.
Was locked it spot with slide pins.
Personally I dislike override brakes, makes reversing and rocking out of things pesty.
You can lock out the override for reversing, of course, but it becomes a pain.

[christover1]

Normal trailer hubs and axle would be much lighter,
but Sierra hubs would be more fun, and good to rob for parts if needed in the bush.

[jonfromhamilton]

got some bits today and ordered some steel.
going to go 50x50x2 RHS for the main chassis, not sure if I'm going to get it galvanised as I don't want it to buckle being such thin steel.
I will ask some experts then decide.
the alternative is to weld it at every join so no water or anything can get into the inside of the RHS and just paint the outside.
should have hubs organised although have to freight them from sydney, going to have the full front end incl diff, housing, axles etc if anyone is keen for them?
they are NT ones though.
got steel flares, was thinking of cutting one down the length of it then welding it on to the trailer and running bunnings garden edging along them as well but probably just stick to tried and tested.

[jonfromhamilton]

All set to begin this next friday after our general manager has come through work and gone again.
I have just to work out what I am going to use to support the 12mm plywood for the floor, people have suggested flat-bar but it would have no sideways support.
the main fram is 50x50x2, I have a lot of lengths of steel hidden on top of the shelves at work and the hubs etc. should be coming down from NSW next week too.
Have to source some new shocks, cheap cheap, see what is on ebay

[christover1]

Angle iron can be easy to work with.

[lbzook]

I'll take the diff housing off your hands if you don't want it

[jonfromhamilton]

It's narrow track Leigh

[lbzook]

Yeah that's fine, it's irrelevant for what I want it for

[jonfromhamilton]

Ok I made a start finally

should be getting hubs next week and the last of my steel next week before everyone shuts up shop for the holidays.
Haven't quite figured out how to brace the guards when I take all the sides off the trailer.
I welded RHS into each corner so I can bolt things to the trailer.

[Matthew]

Looking good, wheels are a bit small though.

[jonfromhamilton]

light weight

[Matthew]

Good plan.

Are you going to carry the cat completely disassembled or tilted?

[jonfromhamilton]

Disassemble Stephanie

[christover1]

It is a nice cat

[jonfromhamilton]

drawbar in

drawbar out

and here is a pic of the bracket but I have yet to drill holes in it

I'm going to weld the bolts into the top and put nuts on from the bottom, i'm going to use 6x8mm bolts because I didn't design the two support drawbars properly and there isn't enough room now to put bigger bolts in.

[jonfromhamilton]

like all my projects it is taking a lot longer than I had anticipated.
I am having a world of trouble getting an old guy in NSW to drop off the front diff etc somewhere in sydney so it can be freighted down, he is like 2 weeks late and really fucking it all up.
I need to weld on the spring hangers etc.
was going to inset the plywood flush with the frame but now just going to jam it on top.
next jobs include putting more supports across to support the floor, im using 32x5 flat bar for that.
Im also making a set of shackles which are totally sweet made from 50x25x3 rhs

[christover1]

Nice work so far, wish I could weld that good.
It looks like a trailer, now.
I expect to see it at Feb meeting
(Will try to have mine useable by then, too)

[jonfromhamilton]

supplies

[christover1]

[jonfromhamilton]

drilled all the holes that will bolt the drawbar to the main frame and the hitch to the drawbar, that was a good workout for my hand drill but now one of my fancy HS drill bits is kaput.
The diff arrived on the truck from NSW today too and it was a piece of shit!

I got into it pulling it apart and weird dark green oil and lots of water began pouring out of it, not cool.
one axle is all rusted up, I didn't even look at the diff.
some of the hub components are a bit rusty but mostly in sound condition.
It's a bitch I have to rebuild and repair it all because I just did that on my car and it is messy and drawn out and I hate repacking everything with grease.
goes without saying that I now have to get new bearings
not sure about the brake calipers and how well the piston is working but the brake lines are all rusted, lucky I have some spare ones from my Sierra.
I will have to skim the brake discs down too... the whole thing is a bit of a mess.

Tomorrow I will clean al these parts and have them ready to rebuild when the new bearings arrive but for now I have to sort out the spring hangers and sides of the trailer etc.
wouldn't mind some advise on how to hook up the brake lines or where to go for cheap brake stuff.
I ideally need a hard line along the axle then a 1.5 meter flexible hose from the drawbar supports to the hitch for when the drawbar extends.

[christover1]

Starting is half done, keep smiling

[jonfromhamilton]

hub parts all stripped down and cleaned, soaking in rust kiler at the moment.
having to make special plates for the spindles to bolt to, total mission making 80mm holes in 10mm plate without a hole saw or a mill

[jonfromhamilton]

maybe this should be tech on how to rebuild free wheeling hubs too!

[jonfromhamilton]

After drilling out the second 80mm hole I took someones offer up of putting them in the laithe to sping out the holes to 80mm but I won't get them back until Monday but for now I can go on with the bracing for the drawbar supports and position the spring hangers where I think they should go.
I have to make the sides too but mostly I just need the plates back so I know where the hubs bolt up to the axel so I can work out the spring perches etc blah blah blah.
the free wheeling hubs are all back together but unfortunately the brass lining has gone from inside one of the sprockets but this shouldn't make too much of a difference as there will be no axel in it unless it's an emergency and who cares if it gets fucked then.

[jonfromhamilton]

Today I put in the floor support beams, (32x5 flat bar) and welded in the supports for the drawbar.


Welding those in made the metal warp or shrink orwhatever and some of the bolt holes were out about 5mm after that which was totally shit so I had to get the dremmel and reem them out which made them look amateur.
Anyways here is a pic that shows how long the trailer will be when done.

just waiting now for the wheel bearings to turn up and spring bushes so I can work out where the axel is going to go.

[christover1]

Put the axle under the trailer, that works best

Nice work so far, keep it up.

[jonfromhamilton]

went through a couple more cutting discs today.
kinda feel like im msking progress now
you can see the plates on the ground that the spindles bolt to, i have to weld them to the axel and try and get them square

[jonfromhamilton]

would'nt mind some advise on what to use to paint it or tips on where to get the paint for cheap

[christover1]

Kill rust one step paint has always been good to me,
with Ormonoid bitumen paint on chassis and under floor.