Four thumbs what way up for this video. Right to the point, from the ground up. No talking about the rain, or your aunts dog. Just shows what is going to built, then right into the basic parts and materials that go into it. I especially appreciate the parts list as they cime up. And most of all, the prices and source suggestions. Thank you fie this videi

The kit trailer I got from Harbor Freight came with 12 inch wheels and the tires wore out in about 3500 miles. I've also had bearing problems and bent the axle from carrying 1000 pounds of tile. The caravan axle is strong, has better springs, much better bearings and accepts 15 or 16 inch full size rims from old jeeps, intrepids, and caravans. I've owned caravans that had over 250k miles and I've never seen a axle bearing failure. BRAVO FOGOFOX

8:45...there is never "overkill." Make it stronger than you'll need and you'll never need to worry about over stressing it. I love being able to weld. I bought a rowboat last month and if I need to haul it on a trailer I can build my own or modify one I buy. I'm super excited about getting my own welder.

Good job. I appreciate that you covered the geometry to ensure the finished product is square.

hey! very nice job and i really liked how you took ur time to make things right from the start. i have been a welder/fabricator since '76 and ur work is very good and well planned out. keep it up!

Hello from 2020. We can't buy steel for that price anymore. I say with tears in my eyes.

I love watching tools pay for themselves. And good idea putting that axle rear of center especially with that long tounge.

Great job ! You gave me the inspiration to build one . One that will fit the exact dimentions I need.

I agree with you afterthought you mentioned in the video. Marine grade plywood or similar would have been my choice for the deck. Actually I would remove the expanded metal deck and replace it with a solid deck. More protection from road crap when driving on my cargo. Then perhaps use the expanded material to fabricate a lockable utility box just forward of the main trailer. EXCELLENT video IMHO

By far best DIY trailer video I've seen. Lol I was actually excited to see it in use. Great video bud!

It doesn't seem to matter how "Watertight" a DIY box metal frame is, 99% of the time you'll eventually find waters got in. It's usually best to just accept that this is going to happen and give it a convenient way to get back out. It doesn't help that a "Sealed" box frame will suck moist air in through any little pin holes when the frame get's cold, and the moisture in this condenses on the inside of the tubes when it warms back up, so the water doesn't get pushed back out. I've found a usable option is to introduce an intentional "Pin hole" (1/16" or 2mm depending on your preferred flavour of drill bits) at the sealed sections lowest point so that any pooled water get's pushed out as the frame heats up in the sun and the internal pressure raises slightly over atmospheric, but the best option is always to have a few 1/2 to 1" holes in the bottom corners where water may sit. As a bonus, These holes also double as seriously strong locations to hook ratchet straps into for when you're lugging something REALLY big about. That said, It's looking to be a pretty stout start to the chassis. I'm thinking it's going to turn out to be a rather robust little unit as I watch the rest of these videos. Nice work.

Hi there,"THanks for the Diy tips on building your trailer, great job .! mike

All these comments about just buying a $300 trailer from Harbor Freight. Because just buying some cheep piece of crap that will fall apart is SOOOO much better than learning a new skill set and getting a better quality product on the other end. SMH I can go buy some ikea crap furniture, but I prefer to build my own. Takes longer, costs more, but I have a better product and I learned something.

Mini van axle is a great idea! I would have ran the 2" all the way to the back so you could use it as a rear receiver. I have a homemade 4x8 trailer with a 2k axle and I have hauled 3600lbs of water in it.

The best DIY, thank you very much

Seems like it would be perfect for a landscaping or lawn buisiness

This is bloody brilliant!

Good tip for the van axle

I checked the classified ads and found a guy parting out a minivan (it had hit a deer, so the front end was smashed, but I figured the back axle would be fine) and asked him how much he would sell me the rear axle for. I ended up pulling it myself and paid only $30 for the axle with the springs and mounts. I suspect there are any number of junkyards who would make a similar deal. Also, check your classified ads for people parting out old minivans. You can likely pick up the axle, springs mounts, wheels and tires for a song if you buy them all in a package deal. There's not a huge demand for old minivan rear axles out there, so there wont be a lot of competition trying to outbid you.

Theres also the option of using a pick-up truck bed from a non-running pickup truck or the back box from a non-running U-HAUL or similar box truck. Most of the time the lights are still functional plus axle and wheels are included!

The welds aren’t bad but since you asked for tips for improvement.. You need to flap disk or wire wheel the material completely clean from rust and mill scale before you weld it. Thats why your welds have all that contamination showing. Keep at it and good job

That's amazing. Good job.

Nice work.. I need to make 1 of these for my brother in-law.

Awesome video, try prepping all of your weld areas next time. Makes it a lot easier to weld a nice bead

Nice trailer, and excellent video

super great idea

looks great man!

Great video. Thanks.

5:53 A flat bar cut to the "full inside length" to lie flat on & thus across the top side of the tongue between the outer chassis rails, (flush with the topside of the chassis rails themselves & just inside where the inner edge of the front crossmember will sit), would have allowed a better "centering and load strength" for the tongue, before the end "chassis box section" was welded on. Thus one wouldn't cut in two, the end chassis member, but just notch a FULL END CHASSIS BAR (notched enough to locate over the tongue without cutting that end bar in half), which - when later tack welded to the flat bar itself, provides a stronger chassis member at that point (considering it was weakened when notched across underneath the drawbar/tongue itself). Afterwards, simply tack welding the notched section onto the tongue will complete the front cross-members installation. Doing it THAT WAY, also allows a modification for converting the design into a lifting tray, by NOT welding the front chassis cross member to the tongue/drawbar at all, but pivoting the tongue at the midway crossmember & installing a hoist / wire-rope lift mechanism, using the notched crossmember as a locator when the tray is down. The notched front crossmember, strengthened by the flat bar welded to it, will still hold the front of the tray square.

nice welding work well done

Exactly what I like straight up junk yard stuff exactly how I would recycle axel and everything

Very n8ce thank you shearing sir. How do you know How many pound those steele will hold please lrt me know sir. What kind metal I need buy to create. Trailer ?

Looks good!

beautiful

Nice Miller!

Nice job!!! What did you use the round pipe for i missed that part

🙄 my ocd just kicked in, lol. 1)your trailer light wires go through the tongue. 2) trailers are built upside down. 3) the perimeter is usually built first, then cross bracing. Tips for your next trailer build. 🙂👍🏻 Nice work. If thats your first time welding. Not bad. Ive seen & had to fix worse. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 for the design aspect. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 for building it yourself.

Just the steel is $415 in my area, not including the axle or the expanded metal. Obviously this vid was posted 5 years ago, but damn

probly half ton but needs to get shocks for the Minny van leaf springs to carry the other half ton

hello, great work you're doing both with the trailer and the tutorial, thanks for sharing your methods. i have a couple of questions, I'm a newbie on metal working and am wondering what kind of welder you're using (volts and amps)? and how thick is the metal you're using to build this trailer? an anticipated thank you for your time!!

Nice trailer

First and foremost, THANK YOU SIR, for such a great video, and most importantly, THANK YOU for answering all questions thrown your way so selflessly and graciously; it is uncommon nowadays to find people so inclined to offer suggestions and help without expecting something in return. I was wondering if a small and very light duty boat trailer could be built using the same principles you've shown (and probably more importantly, on a similar if not cheaper budget)? I would specifically need it to tow a 12 foot soft inflatable boat (SIB), the zodiac-type with a hard plywood or plastic transom (a capacity of no more than 450lbs, with boat, motor and gear). Would there be a better option for me? I really like the idea (especially the low expense and low maintenance that is inherent with a car/minivan axle); however the corrosion resistance does worry be a bit. I know there are better options out there (aluminum trailer, galvanized, etc.) but are all unfortunately way too expensive. Sorry for the loaded question; and again, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AWESOME BUILD my good Sir!!

beautiful trailer, its built like a tank. I would rather own your trailer than the junk being sold for way more money

Curious how would you incorporate the parking brake?

I don’t weld but when you capped it off at the end, isn’t that dangerous, doesn’t it need a hole for pressure to escape?

thanks, dude!

Now I wish I could weld!!

Can I do a trailer with a cheap welder or does it have to be a expensive one

Genius pure genius

A guy gave me a trailer this size after the original axle bent twice. A neighbor suggested I use a minivan axle, springs and shocks, which he had saved 3 of, saving them for this purpose. He gave me one, and I've been using it for 4 years now. Works great!

Like how you squared the frame and wheels. Firestone would have pulled one side .5 and the other side in towards the same side 0.3 and teach thier tv education tech to talk you into the unruly specs. Like all the cars onthe road leaning today

How do you attach a metal Dolly from Wal Mart to the back of the bike without it hitting the back wheel of the bike ?

Question: I am lifting my van. Thinking of spacers for the spring hangers. Are they bolted to the body? Or welded on?

Total kick @$$ man!!

nice looking so far but for a cheap light weight trailer that will hold about 1200 pounds you can buy a boat trailer that has a flat top and cover it that was what I did and I did not put sides in it for hauling stuff around. the one I bought was only 200 so I feel pretty good about it but I did have to put a top on it.

i have a question! I have a 5X10 trailer that I want to turn into a landscaping trailer. In doing so I want to raise the sides from about 1' to about 4'. To get a good weld, should I cut off the existing sides? or should I add on and hope that the connectivity of all sides provides stability?

Now I know what to do with my dad's wrecked 93 Buick Skylark. Brother keeps wanting to sell it for scrap. Not till i take it apart. It will cost me more than 300 after I buy the welding stuff. But at least I get to learn new stuff.

What's the advantages of using hollow tubing as opposed to solid, but smaller rod equivalents?

Hi, just wondering where you got all the medal from? I'm trying to build my own trailer but I'm having an oddly hard time finding medal. Thanks

I wouldn't have capped off the tube... i would have made a reciever hitch so i could add on one of those cargo hitches at my leisure or bike rack or something like that.. could always throw in a brake light lol

Could the axle been flipped over so it steps up to provide more ground clearance? Or does it have to be run the way you have it, stepping down? I like how much ground clearance you have otherwise.

What would you estimate the basic frame of the trailer (without axle or springs) weighs ?

I have to say very well done! It makes me cringe when i see people building trailers larger than this with angle iron not box tube. Least this will stand the test of time ;)

What kind of wire on the welder?

Cool video. I've considered using a Dodge Mini Van axle for an existing trailer so that I could run matching Jeep wheels as to what I have on my Jeeps.

Great video. Do you build and sell trailers? I am looking for a 6x10' to carry a motorcycle; it will also be a utility trailer. Thanks in advance for your time,

Clean your joints with a flap disk and put a slight 45 degree chamfer on every corner you're welding, I'm assuming you're using 75/25 gas? Welding is all about practice, the more u do, the better you get, just always make sure on something like this that you have good penetration, meaning your weld is hot enough and burning in good, a lot of hobby welders scare me with making trailers and putting them on the road with little welding experience, it never hurts to find a welder buddy to get some tips from, but from seeing you cut 45s and fitting everything properly, it looks like you done a great job. Just because a weld is pretty doesn't mean it's structural, worry about how your welds hold and the looks will eventually catch up.. Nice build.

thanks bro

Could you make a PDF instructions how to build the trailer?

nicely built but wouldnt work very well for moving soil. i think i would go for plywood floor and walls, which would be cheaper.

Thanks for explaining that much, I am building mine and it's always good to have a 2nd pov , but I'd like to know, with what tool did you cut the 2" x 3" that straight? Oxy-acethylene cutter? A saw? That's a nice cut, but I'm affraid I wouldn't be able to do it so well. Thanks a lot, very useful!

Nice job on the trailer. Impressed by how economical it was. Question: Why did you do all the cutting and notching to fit the tongue into plane with the bed frame rather than doing a bed frame and welding the tongue underneath?

A mini van axle I think that's a bit over kill lol good project tho Edit: I have seen a comment saying there is never overkill but what are you going to put in that trailer that needs a minivan spring i think anything heavy enough wouldent fit in there lol

Three questions, how is the trailer holding up after all this time, would you have done anything different after it was completed and using it and can this been done with a 120 volt welder from harbor freight

awesome

the design of the trailer is fine but needs some shocks for better handling

great work ! Can you go with this trailer on the public streets? What happened if caps pull you over?

Nice!!!!

Mistake Need to drill 1/4 weep holes metal sweets ! Condensation exit hole at the bottoms corner of each tube!

I would love to buy one of these DIY trailers. Need one for a 2007 Chev Eq. ANYONE IN TORONTO AREA HAVE? OR WANT TO MAKE ONE? Need asap

how did you make the notch for the tongue?

Now if someone could make bike ones like these...

how much does it weigh?

What is the tool called for cutting and how much would I have to spend to cut these square tubes?

where did u buy the steel

alright, thanks. but if i wanna make a 1-tonner, what is needed? just more leaf-springs? is that frame enough for a ton?

How do you get an axle like that though?

In the least, you'd end up with a welder (if you didn't already have one) and a new trailer when you were all done compared to the cost of a trailer (I don't have a welder :)

I love this but feel I should point out to others to check your state regs before attempting something like this. In my state trailers without a title need its own inspection and special weigh-in, etc., and adds on a couple hundred dollars, often making diy trailers a no go here. Often makes more sense to just buy a used one with a title and “modify” it.

for the price,effort and time you could just easily buy one for that amount.Only reason I would want to make my own is if i had enough free metal parts laying to actually make one.

What's the weight limit on that axle? How much do you think it could handle in the bed for weight?

EL EJE ES DE UNA MINI VAN

How much weight it can take??

are you using gas or flux core.. thanks

if i build a trailer at home, can it be registered with the dmv in california?

with the air that's in the tubes, you will get condensation on the inside. with temperature drops

how hard would it be to add another axle

Cool

I want to learn to weld.

i built my own trailer built like a tank and fun