OT making a trailer, some odd materials.

[greg g]

I have a old flat bed trailer that started life about 25 years ago as a popup camper. I used it for about 10 years to haul my ice racer along the slated roads of Central NY. So as you can guess, ther isn't a whole lot left of the frame.

The tongue was strengthened and lengthened as is is good shape as are the axle, springs wheels and tires. so I want to salvage the to make a utility trailer to pull garden tractors and the occasion odly shaped piece of stuff.

The axle is rated at 2500 lbs. I stopped at a place today that sells pallet rackig material. Looking at the beams (12 ft long) they loks to be a lot stronger than the stuff used for the camper. They are boked and shaped with som reinforcing ribs. I am looking at a 6 X 10 (or maybe 12) and using 4

for the length wise pieces and 3 or 4 pieces for cross members. If I go 12 feet, I will probably do a pie cut and beaver tail the last 2 feet, ad depending on my luck and kow how make a tilt bed.

So you structural gurus, do you think these will be sturdy enough ( I know guys who made race car trailers out of black pipe and angle iron) to deal with 1500 lbs or so. They are selling them for 20 to 35 bucks depending on weight rating.

[JerseyHarold]

It might be a lot less fun, but would it pay to buy a small trailer from Harbor Freight or Costco and then it's all new and ready to go?

[Plymouthy Adams]

where is the fun in that...what about the creative side..most you can do with a HF kit is bolt wood to it...maybe a fancy paint scheme..

[greg g]

Then I have to spend 75 bucks to apply for a new NEW York title, and pay 8%sales tax, and the county's 35 buck surcharge, and it gets in the system, as a Home made, All I need do is show the sales tax paid on the items I purchas for the build, coupler, lights etc. So for less than half the money I get twice the trailer. And improve my welding skills in the mix. And recycle some stuff that would otherwise go to the scrapper.

[Plymouthy Adams]

talk about an economic bail out plan..!

[David Strieb]

We limit the racks at work at 2500# on each 4'X12' shelf. Each shelf has 2 horizantal supports, and each rack has 6 shelfs. I don't know what material thickness is on the material your're looking at, I think ours are 12ga (aprox .120) or maybe 14ga (aprox .109). We stack 4'x10' pallets of flat sheet steel stock in our racks. Hope this helps.

[greg g]

So my 700 lb lawn tractor and a similar weight motorcycle should not be a problem.

Even both incase I want to work and play on the same day.