This topic comes from a custom trailer builder we work with. He asked: “Will you please look at this tiny home trailer video? I have a customer that wants me to build one like this – with insulation cavities and 1/2″ anchor bolts. They want a triple
Adventures
Articles > Adventures
These are stories and thoughts including Do-it-Yourself adventures. Some success stories, some humorous, and some stories of disaster. We learn from them all. If you have a contribution, we’d love to hear it. Enjoy These Adventures! – See all the Mechanic’s Posts here.
Aluminum Trailer Tongue Break – Ouch !!
What is the first thing you think when looking at this image? “Oh My !! That’s Awful.” – was my thought. According to the driver, “thankfully it didn’t happen when I was on the highway ten minutes prior.” This catastrophic tongue break
Building An Offroad Trailer From Non-Offroad Plans
A good question from some of our customers: “I really want an offroad trailer, but I can’t seem to find the right trailer plans to build it. Is it better to buy the “4′ x 6.5′ – 2500# – Off-Road Trailer Plans” and enlarge it, or to buy one of the other trailers and beef it up?“
Concepts Of Trailer Air Suspension
If you’re looking for something a little different in trailer suspension, one good approach is air. It’s a little off the beaten path, but not too far, and there is a lot of support for doing it. For a smooth riding trailer suspension, air can do it, but there are
Rigid Mount – Trailer Axle Without Suspension?
What happens if you hard mount an axle on your trailer – without a suspension? The question has come up a few times, and it’s worth talking about. There are some distinct advantages of eliminating the suspension, but there are also some pitfalls.
National Association of Trailer Manufacturers – Oops?
I really thought I was done with posts about safety chains. We have several of them on the site, but I found a video that begs for comment. I really like the video and subject matter – from the Compliance Director of the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers. This is a good organization because they … Read The Article
NATM Answers : Are You Trailer Safety Aware?
What do you see wrong with the way the safety chains and other trailer safety equipment are set-up in the image? That’s the question we asked in the previous article. The image is a screenshot of a YouTube video by NATM, the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers.
Trailer Aerodynamics
What makes a vehicle slice through the wind easier? How does a trailer fit in the mix? The science is complex, but there are some good concepts of trailer aerodynamics that are important to know. Is there anything I can do to improve my rig?
Selecting A Crane Winch For Lifting
There are dozens of ways to lift with a crane. Chain falls are popular. Come-alongs are another common method. There are also a variety of winches – from the hand crank to an electric crane winch for lifting. Is one better than another?
Laser and Water Jet Cutting for DIY
When thinking about DIY, we normally don’t envision big or expensive machinery to do the job. There are times, however, when it’s really nice to have. There are some really good reasons for Water Jet cutting (or laser cutting), instead of the normal DIY methods.
Trailer Design – Meeting Your Goals
It looks easy. Trailer design is not like building a rocket, but it’s also not as easy as putting a few pieces of metal together. Good trailer design includes meeting goals and ending up with something that will tow well, and perform to your needs.
Independent Trailer Suspension – Are You Being Taken For A Ride?
I see a lot of comments on websites and hear references once in a while about the wonders of independent trailer suspension. What do you think? Does it deliver on the hype? Or is it a sales hoax? We will look at some video
Improve Fuel Economy When Towing
Gas prices are up. Diesel prices are even higher. Since I don’t see those prices changing soon, maybe I can DIY some things to help. Is there any way to improve fuel economy when I’m pulling my trailer?
Trailer Towing Tips
As we plan and eventually set out for the many adventures this year, let’s plan for a great trip. Here are some good towing tips to make it all go much smoother.
For RV’s or any other trailer, the tips are
Car Hauler Design – Trailer Research
Prior to starting new plans, we do research to understand the landscape, then look for opportunity to improve and make a better product. That is certainly the case with our upcoming Car Hauler & Equipment Transport Trailer design. New plans are coming soon.
The Concept of “Strong Enough”
I’m not sure how to categorize this Article. It’s an answer, but more than that. We get questions once in a while something like “My trailer is X long and I want to haul a Y. Is 3 inch angle iron strong enough?”
Can I Use An Axle-Less Suspension
Axle-Less trailers. Yes, that’s a thing, and we get a lot of questions about this unique suspension. Some people ask if it’s any good? Other’s ask if it will work with our trailer plans? Still others ask about using them for tandems? We even get questions about using it
Trailer Sway – Video Review & Discussion
Understanding Trailer Dynamics like Sway is a really important. If you look for it, there are many articles and some great YouTube videos discussing and demonstrating the many factors and issues.
Bent Tongue — Judging A Weak Trailer
When buying a trailer, how can we decide if it’s well built, or just cheap? How do you know if it’s strong or weak? While there are always tale-tale signs, we’ll use this example of a trailer with a bent tongue to illustrate.
Engineering: Calculate Beam Loading (Intro)
As a simplistic introduction to beam loading, this article discusses the complications in calculating stresses and deflection. While it’s pretty easy to calculate beam loading for simple theoretical cases, very few beams