Articles & Build Tips – From the Mechanic
Join the discussion with the Mechanic on DIY Project topics including News, Build Tips and Engineering Perspective. DIY is our specialty. Trailers, Shop Tools, Cranes, and more. Enjoy the articles, then comment when things catch your attention. To filter the articles, select a category from the top line. For a subject you want to see, please request it. This site is for you.
Where is the company Bulldog? Or Fulton, and Draw-Tite? Reese was one of my favorite towing accessory brands. The websites for all of these trailer parts companies are down now. What is happening?
For electric trailer brakes, correct wiring is absolutely essential to having them work right. But trailer brakes are a system, not just the actuators at the ends of the axle. Several pieces must work together as we wire trailer brakes into a functioning system.
A capable dump trailer does not have to be large or tandem axle. For many jobs, a compact single-axle design is easier to maneuver and requires less tow vehicle than a full-size dumper. If you have been looking for a dump trailer to build
I bumped into a few articles recently that all start with a title something like “10 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Trailer”. Just for giggles, I clicked on a few, and found some self-serving salesman oriented questions meant to promote their sales. Many of the questions are not at all what the customer should…
On a whim, I started comparing common trailer sizes to each other and to the vehicles pulling them. The visual trailer size comparison is interesting, but the stimulus for this article comes from the familiar buying question: “For just a little more money, should I get the bigger trailer?”
As you are finishing your homemade trailer build, it is easy to get excited about putting the trailer to use. Often the one last hurdle is getting it is all legal for towing – trailer inspection, title, registration, and licensing.
Can I change the trailer plans? We say: Build the trailer you want – start with our plans, then make it yours. Yes, we sell trailer plans, a lot of them. But we also know a trailer build is personal.
What do you know about an I-Beam trolley? They are usually a pretty simple device with 4 wheels and a hook bar. There is not a lot to them – right?
When people talk about trailer axle types, they often mean suspension types. There are leaf spring suspensions, air ride, torsion axles, axle-less designs, and mechanisms like a walking beam. While each supports the trailer
What is the attraction to gooseneck trailers? We see them most often on larger, heavy duty applications. Yet, other than the hitch location, are they really any different than a bumper-pull trailer?