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 Post subject: Anyone build a Trailer?
PostPosted: November 6, 2008, 5:26 pm 
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Joined: December 17, 2007, 1:17 pm
Posts: 558
Speaking of trailers...
Has anyone built a locost trailer to go along with their car? Seems like it would be pretty easy (in comparison!). Easily doable for $1000, but would it be possible to build a decent trailer for $500 or so? Seems like a back axle from a VW or the like could serve well for next to nothing...

I'd want it to have brakes, but really have no idea how brakes on a trailer are activated...


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PostPosted: November 6, 2008, 5:36 pm 
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Joined: August 15, 2005, 10:13 pm
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Location: Charleston, WV
There are free plans somewhere on the internet for a trailer that uses mobile home axles. I've lost the link, but it looked pretty simple.

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PostPosted: November 6, 2008, 5:48 pm 
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Joined: November 17, 2007, 1:30 am
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Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
There is a good article here about the 2 options for trailer brakes:
http://www.championtrailers.com/brkart.html

And there are more tips in general about trailer related things here:
http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup.html

I went through this process a year ago. I wanted a trailer specifically for my Locost, and I wanted it to be locost. The picture of the trailer I built is in the other thread, which I'm sure you just saw. It has 4wheel hydraulic brakes (overkill) and it is 15ft long. It cost me about $1700 to build using some used and some new parts.

Now, it depends on the state that you live in as to whether or not you legally need brakes.

You can build a single axle trailer, with just ramps for a floor. It could be built it without brakes, or even springs, and do it for a couple hundred dollars.

This link was off the Locost UK website. It has brakes on it:
http://www.davebence.co.uk/trailer_project.htm

Do some searching around on the internet. There are a lot of resources online. Northen Tool is a good place to get parts. Thats where I got a lot of mine

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PostPosted: November 6, 2008, 6:13 pm 
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Joined: January 10, 2008, 4:47 pm
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Location: Massachusetts
The trailer for my racecar was homemade. It's lasted for more then 30 years. I think unsprung is fine. A little more wear and tear on rod ends. It hasn't seemed to be a factor for me. Mine doesn't have brakes either. I would think that's ok, if your trailer and car are light. Single axle makes it much easier to move around by hand which often comes in useful.

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PostPosted: November 6, 2008, 9:50 pm 
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Joined: December 27, 2005, 8:13 pm
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Built a 3000 lb capacity single, half torsion axle, w/o brakes in 2005 for about $800. I built it in a couple of weekends to tow the Locost to FL for the 2005 Challenge. It's also been to TX and TotD. It weighs 740 lbs.

Check your state code as to when brakes are required. In PA, as long as the trailer GVW is less than 40% of the tow vehicle's GVW, then no brakes are required up to 3000 lb max.

I have overloaded it a few times for short (20 mile) hauls: Miata, CRX, and Civic EX donor (see first page of the At-om build log).

It needs some mods for the At-om since the deck is a couple of inches too narrow. I'm also considering enclosing it with a floor and a 4-ft high clam shell box. A front van tire exploded on the way to FL and half of it landed in the Locost cockpit after bending some aluminum. Rain is a pain also.

http://www.trailerpart.com/


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PostPosted: November 7, 2008, 9:42 am 
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Joined: September 13, 2005, 5:58 pm
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Haven't built mine yet, but I do have PLANS

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PostPosted: November 7, 2008, 4:45 pm 
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Joined: January 14, 2006, 1:06 pm
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Location: Vista (north of San Diego CA)
Something to consider if you design your own trailer is to make it's height adjustable. I went to an autocross once and saw someone with a seven on a trailer that lowered itself to just a few inches off the ground. I should have looked closer at the time and taken some pictures. I'm not sure how it worked exactly, but there was a big honking lever and I think it was attached to the axle. The axle was kind of U-shaped so as the lever rotated the axle, it raised or lowered the bed of the trailer.

John


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PostPosted: November 7, 2008, 5:50 pm 
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Joined: August 16, 2005, 10:29 am
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Location: Alberta, Canada
I thought of building a trailer with a 80s Chrysler minivan rear axle - its like below with leaf springs apparently.


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PostPosted: November 11, 2008, 1:29 pm 
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Joined: August 6, 2008, 9:40 am
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Location: Greenville/Charlotte NC
Locost_Johnh wrote:
Something to consider if you design your own trailer is to make it's height adjustable. I went to an autocross once and saw someone with a seven on a trailer that lowered itself to just a few inches off the ground. I should have looked closer at the time and taken some pictures. I'm not sure how it worked exactly, but there was a big honking lever and I think it was attached to the axle. The axle was kind of U-shaped so as the lever rotated the axle, it raised or lowered the bed of the trailer.

John


Thats a great idea, it would also be easy to implement with a torsion suspension design!


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PostPosted: November 11, 2008, 10:45 pm 
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Joined: November 17, 2007, 1:30 am
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Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
You wana see a cool trailer that will lower?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai_A86sRqhA

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My Build Log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3054


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PostPosted: November 12, 2008, 1:50 am 
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Joined: November 12, 2008, 1:48 am
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Location: North Dakota
Locost_Johnh wrote:
Something to consider if you design your own trailer is to make it's height adjustable. I went to an autocross once and saw someone with a seven on a trailer that lowered itself to just a few inches off the ground. I should have looked closer at the time and taken some pictures. I'm not sure how it worked exactly, but there was a big honking lever and I think it was attached to the axle. The axle was kind of U-shaped so as the lever rotated the axle, it raised or lowered the bed of the trailer.

John


Look at ice fishing huts, the ones around here are all set up to drag out onto the ice and then set right down on the ground for fishing. Just an axle mounted to an arm that pivots on the frame. For a light car wouldn't be to bad.


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PostPosted: November 12, 2008, 9:11 am 
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Joined: August 15, 2005, 10:13 pm
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Location: Charleston, WV
spdfrek wrote:
Locost_Johnh wrote:
Something to consider if you design your own trailer is to make it's height adjustable. I went to an autocross once and saw someone with a seven on a trailer that lowered itself to just a few inches off the ground. I should have looked closer at the time and taken some pictures. I'm not sure how it worked exactly, but there was a big honking lever and I think it was attached to the axle. The axle was kind of U-shaped so as the lever rotated the axle, it raised or lowered the bed of the trailer.

John


Look at ice fishing huts, the ones around here are all set up to drag out onto the ice and then set right down on the ground for fishing. Just an axle mounted to an arm that pivots on the frame. For a light car wouldn't be to bad.


I doubt there's much ice fishing going on in Vista, California. :P Actually what you describe sounds a lot like that diagram posted above.

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PostPosted: November 12, 2008, 11:46 am 
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Location: North Dakota
Image

Theres a bare frame from an ice hut, they are designed to lay completely flat on the ground when lowered.


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PostPosted: November 12, 2008, 1:36 pm 
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Location: Charleston, WV
Wow, that's perfect! You northerners can be pretty crafty. :wink:

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PostPosted: December 21, 2008, 3:11 pm 
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Joined: January 23, 2008, 9:55 pm
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Location: CR, Iowa
This may be a little late but here are some links to a diy trailer that uses mobile home axles as mentioned above.
Part 1
Part 2


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