ATV Trailer Advice

[geoffsurf]

I've been looking on the internet recently for ATV trailers and seeing what is about. I've been looking for a basic ATV trailer with a load area of around 100cm wide x 200cm long x 50cm depth. There don't seem to be many with these sorts of dimensions and if there are, they tend to be very expensive.

The trailer wouldn't be used for heavy weight items regularly, mostly brambles and weeds, cut tree branches, etc. I do also intend to use it for logs but will only be going a short distance and will only take the amount the trailer can reasonably handle at one time.

I need the trailer very soon but the trailer won't see much use after the summer (and I already have a smaller one) so I don't want to spend very much money on it. I also want to keep it light weight so that the ATV can tow it comfortably.

My question is what is the best way of building a trailer in these circumstances? Should I go for angle steel and plywood or some other type of construction? Is it best to build a rectangular frame out of angle steel of around 25mm x 25mm x 3mm and then a small amount of 1 1/2 inch x 14 guage box section steel for the axle and tow bar, and then plywood for the base and sides? If I do this I'm not sure of the best way to stop the sides bulging with the weight. I don't know whether it is vital to build a rectangular box section for the top as well as the base (adding to the overall weight) or if I can brace the sides sufficiently in some other way.

Any ideas or thoughts would be very helpful.

thanks.

 

[SC_BK]

How much off roading are you planning on doing?
Me and a mate used to use a bog standard 5x4 type car trailer behind his klf400 up in the forests

The sort of trailer you can pick up in the free ads papers for £100 odd

 

[geoffsurf]

Actually not very much at all. It is just for around a fairly large garden and short cut paddock. The thing is I really want it to be atleast 6ft in length and only around 3ft wide. The length is needed because most brambles and branches will spring out otherwise. The width would maked it easier to fit through certain gateways.

I am open to the idea of a light weight car trailer but can't see many cheap ones at around £100 and can't see any that are atleast 6 foot.

I have a small 2.5ft x 4ft metal trailer, the standard type ones that go behind ride on mowers but this is definately too small. I also have a large 8ft x 4ft trailer for a car, but it is very heavy and doesn't seem to be balanced well enough for use on an ATV.

 

[madkayaker]

http://www.gq-engineering.co.uk/ is a forum member who has a post up on building ATV trailers

 

[gav0994]

Geof, have a look at this trailer below:



It was one I built last year mainly with material i had lying in the workshop. The chassis/drawbar is 50mm SHS (box section) and the frame for the mesh is 30 x 30 angle 3mm. the mesh is 8 guage that was lying at the back of the shed. the floor is 18mm plywood soaked with cresote/engine oil to protect it. The wheels, tyres and axles units were purchased off ebay - search atv wheels -for £153 + delivery.

This trailer is 5ft by 3ft, but the basic design could easily be adapted to your needs. And it is capable of carrying around half a ton, but fully loaded going down hill on muddy tracks is not fun with it on the back of the quad!

 

[geoffsurf]

That looks great. I guess ideally I want to make something very similar to that only slightly longer at about 6 and half foot, slightly lower sides, and maybe fix a small amount of plywood to the sides also to stop thornes or debris falling out.

I have been searching on ebay a lot and came across those axle kit you mention. They look great and I can see from your trailers it does the job, but I also considered finding the axle off a ride on mower in a scrap yard and using that to save on costs, particularly as I'm not going to be using it that often.

Do you by any chance have any photos of the underneath, as I'm still considering the best way to make a sturdy, load floor and base? With the 50mm box section what thickness metal did you go for?

 

[gav0994]

geoff, unfortunately I dont have any photos of the underside of the trailer. What I did was cut the 50 box to length and welded up a rectangle and added a crossbeam where I welded the axles to then welded the rectangular frame ontop of the 50 box drawbar. Hope that makes sense! it was a very simple, but strong design.

the 50 box was if i remember rightly 3mm. The trailer was relatively lightweight and could be stood on its end by one person easy enough.

 

[shenion]

I made a cart out of old riding mower rear wheels. Basically a frame of angle iron and used old metal shelves for the sides.

You can see it here. It is 36x36" and 12" deep. I have used it full to overflowing with wet dirt and it handles it easily.

The axle was part of an old riding mower transaxle but 3/4" steel bar would probably do.

 

[Ian D]

I have a small ali car trailer i might be getting rid of, not sure of the sizes though, i will have a look. Trouble is travelling to get thing with fuel at the the moment is not very good.