This is a great question we get a lot, in many variations. Are your plans DOT approved? Are the plans Stamped? We think it’s great to know the level of plans you get when you buy, so asking about certified plans is a great place to start. However, this question
Best Practices
When Does My Trailer Need Brakes?
There are laws that say when a trailer must have brakes. In most places within the USA, when the trailer total capacity is over 3000 lbs, trailer brakes are required. That’s all well and good, but we all know that laws are an ignorant way of covering the least
Trailer Hitch Class Ratings
As a convenient way to help with safety, trailer hitches, balls, and receivers have categories or load rating groups called classes. Each trailer hitch class has ratings for how much it will carry. A look at the ratings for each component
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.
I-Beam Shape Choices: Is it I, S, W, M or H?
When is an I-Beam not really an “I” Beam? While it’s common to use the generic term “I-Beam” for any beam with an I shape section, there are actually variations with different letter designations. And, there are advantages for the various shapes
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.
Why Special Order Axles?
Some of your Trailer Plans don’t use a standard axle size. Why not? Good question, along with the also common “Why should I special order the trailer axle?
There are a few common-ish axle sizes that some manufacturers stock.
Good Ways To Shorten A Chain
In previous articles we discuss the importance of trailer safety chain length. If the chains are too long, what can you do? Yeah, odds are you won’t need them, but what if you do? Long chains can complicate things quickly, so how can we safely shorten a chain?
Dangling By A Single Trailer Chain
If you ever doubt the sanity of safety chains, then see this example of where a single trailer chain literally saved lives. The story is amazing from all angles –
When To Replace Trailer Tires
Don’t mess around with your safety or unexpected trip interruptions. The Best Reason to replace old or worn trailer tires is personal sanity, because who wants to deal with it on the side of the road?
Are Aluminum Trailers Good or Bad?
I’ve heard different opinions, so let’s look again at the Engineering and clear up some facts. Maybe we can also debunk a few misconceptions.
Where and How to Attach Safety Chains
What are the best ways to attach safety chains on a trailer? That’s a simple question without a single best answer. Don’t you hate it when the answer starts with “It depends . . . “? Unfortunately, it does depend on many other things
Wheels And Tires For Your Trailer
There are a million tires out there with a ton of classifications and designations. What tires do I choose for my trailer? That is not a silly question at all.
Threaded Rod For Custom Bolts
You can use threaded rod (often called All-Thread) for a million things. Make a long bolt, or just the right size fastener. It’s also good for special brackets if you weld to it. And, if you’re not careful, you can make it fail in a million ways too.
Which Trailer Plans Should I Buy?
I want to build a trailer, but there are so many possibilities — and some are mutually exclusive. How do I narrow my needs, and how do I choose which Trailer Plans to buy?
Converting A Trailer
The concept of re-purposing or converting a trailer is absolutely awesome. My hat’s off to anyone who can find a way to reuse and convert something from end-of-life to new-again. We need more of that in our world!
Does Your Trailer Have Attitude?
When we think about airplanes flying, or boats sailing, it’s easy to imagine how they move. An airplane rolls some as it banks into a turn. A boat pitches up and down with the waves. So, how do these factors — Pitch, Yaw and Roll — apply to trailers
What Do You Want In 2020?
A new day, A new Year, and a new Decade! We don’t get to say that very often, so it’s kind of cool. Anyway, as we look to the near future for Mechanical Elements, we want to know what you want in 2020.
Where Is My Plans Download?
This is a Frequent Question about downloading, and saving plans after placing an order. We’re here to help! If you are not yet able to get the plans after your purchase, definitely, read this.
What Bolts For DIY? – Bolts 101
Bolts are an amazingly simple yet complex fastening method. They’re used everywhere so mostly we take them for granted, but why are there so many different kinds? And what bolts should I use?