towing lifted 4x4's on trailers

[TWISTY]

This is a trailer a mate made for his drag car....not sure on the specs of it, but am told it is still really light for what it is.....The sides and roof is some kind of fibreglass sheeting, which you might be able to look into using for enclosing your trailer.

[CRUSHU]

It looks cool, would you have, or be able to take, some pics of the framework inside and underneath? to get some ideas? and would you know some measurtements of it, and what it weighs?

Thanks heaps!

[-Scott-]

What about extending the tautliner concept to the roof?

I've seen dumptrucks running around with what appears to be a retractable roof - a series of hoops connected by fabric.

Put strength into the chassis, then a frame to which you hook all the fabric/curtains. Slide everything back for loading/unloading, then slide into place before moving off. You can minimise height and width too.

Scott

[bundyrum4x4]

Thinks its going to be very difficult to build a trailer that’s strong enough and safe under 800kg if it’s fully enclosed.

I built a trailer to suit a Jeep with drive over wheel arches, expanded metal ramps with no centre floor. Used h/duly axles with load sharing tandem eye/eye springs and it came up to 800kg. If you added a roof and walls too this it would get to over the 1000kg mark.

I would go the soft sides and top part with canvas or similar.

I have some pics somewhere, will try to find them

[AFeral]

Would be a very good idea too also reaserch the hight width and length restrictions too. No point in building a trailler you cannot register.

[CRUSHU]

2.5M is maximum allowable width, 4.0m is max height, 12.2m is max length.

Canvas will add to the cost considerably, and I doubt it will be any lighter, as the frame work top and bottom will have to be stronger, neating any weight saving. I guess light duty frame and alloy, colourbond or fibreglass cladding would be lighter, and possibly cheaper.

[shakes]

are the shocks a simple job to change rather than the springs??

fab up some gussets to strengthen the shock mounts and have a "solid mount shock" in there as such. then anchor off the diff's to stop the tyres bouncing as well. just an idea.

Simon

[DamTriton]

are the shocks a simple job to change rather than the springs??

fab up some gussets to strengthen the shock mounts and have a "solid mount shock" in there as such. then anchor off the diff's to stop the tyres bouncing as well. just an idea.

Simon

Only problem with substituting the shocks with solid rods would be possible damage to the shock mounts due to the lack of "give".

[CRUSHU]

i already have to change wheels (not an easy job, 44's are bloody heavy! and the wheels are 8 lug!) so don't want extra work like swapping shocks.
Shocks aren't any harder to do than any other 4x4, but still painful.

Maybe a block of 4" x 4" wood from the leaf spring to the chassis at the rear, and something from the chassis to the diff at the front maybe.... I will have a look.

[CRUSHU]

OK, just looked at it, should be able to use a 15" long piece of solid timber or steel bar between the bumpstops, front and rear.

If I trim the pieces to fit around the axle tubes and the bumpstops, it will locate it and stop it from falling out.

[jeep97tj]

Can i ask why u want an enclosed trailer?? the pic of the F150 it seems to have a full cab, so is it for aero or u want to tow something else in it as well??

Not having a go at ya but seems like alot of $$ to spend on a trailer to tow around a F truck.

Using colourbond or fibreglass cladding would look very cheap and would also look like shite, I would just build the trailer then put a top on it when u get some more money.

That drag trailer looks very very cool

Will it have a full door in the rear??

Go to pirate4x4 and have a look at some of the trailers in the tow rig section, they have some unreal set ups in there.

[TWISTY]

It looks cool, would you have, or be able to take, some pics of the framework inside and underneath? to get some ideas? and would you know some measurtements of it, and what it weighs?

Thanks heaps!

I'll see what I can do.....I will probably head down to the workshop sometime this week and get some more pics.....and hopefully some details for you too....I think it owes him over $15,000.....but you could probably sell it for way more than that!!

[mickyd555]

i thought GQ's could only tow 2500KG's ??

Bloke i spoke to once was selling his cause it wouldnt tow his horse float and was upgrading to a GU.

i could be wrong

[HIL01X]

The bloke up the road has a soft sided chev C30 car transporter for sale, it has a sloping tray and looks neat. He uses it for a 56 chev, so it would need to be made a bit higher. let me know if you want his number.

Andy

That is deffinatly the best suggestion on here.
Something that size/weight would be dangerous to tow with a GQ

[shakes]

fab up some gussets to strengthen the shock mounts

thats why i started with this

Simon

[CRUSHU]

The bloke up the road has a soft sided chev C30 car transporter for sale, it has a sloping tray and looks neat. He uses it for a 56 chev, so it would need to be made a bit higher. let me know if you want his number.

Andy

That is deffinatly the best suggestion on here.
Something that size/weight would be dangerous to tow with a GQ

C30's and F350's are rated to about 4000kg. They weigh about 2500 - 3000kg, depending on engine, gas tank size and tray style/size. That leaves a payload of 1000 - 1500kg at best. See my problem? Also, my truck is nearly 7 1/2 foot tall with tiny little low profile car tyres on it, and 8 1/2 foot tall with the big tyres on it. That would put the total height at between 12 - 13 feet high. Quite unstable.

[CRUSHU]

Can i ask why u want an enclosed trailer?? the pic of the F150 it seems to have a full cab, so is it for aero or u want to tow something else in it as well??

Yeah, I also want to be able to tow a Ford Capri Dragcar, and whatever else pops up. Plus I can camp in it at events. Plus there is a lot more security with it enclosed, people can't see what is inside, or the tools and spares, to steal them. Plus you can alarm it.

That drag trailer looks very very cool

That trailer has fibreglass cladding.....

Using colourbond or fibreglass cladding would look very cheap and would also look like shite,

Caravans are alloy or colourbond clading, and they look OK, as does every other fully enclosed car trailer

Will it have a full door in the rear??

It will need a full door at the rear for width, and to be able to get the racecar up without having to jack it up.

[-Mandy-]

Our car trailer....or motorhome as some people call it

*Full rear door with braced ramps powered by winch for opening/closing. (I am weak )
*Has a double bed,shelving,240V inverter,axle holder( ),internal lighting with more to come to make it more comfortable for trips away.
*Enclosed with alloy sheets with aluminium angle for finishing edges.
*Side entry door.

[CRUSHU]

Thats what I am looking to build, just bigger.
Do you know how big it is? And what it weighs?

[-Mandy-]

Thats what I am looking to build, just bigger.
Do you know how big it is? And what it weighs?

Inside - 1.960m high, 2.4m wide, 5.2m long.

approx 1200kg as is now with bed/shelves and complete inside sheeting as well (masonite),batteries etc.

[CRUSHU]

Thats what I am looking to build, just bigger.
Do you know how big it is? And what it weighs?

Inside - 1.960m high, 2.4m wide, 5.2m long.

approx 1200kg as is now with bed/shelves and complete inside sheeting as well (masonite),batteries etc.

mmm... I need 2.3m high, at least 5.2m long, and 2.4 - 2.5m wide. I will leave it bare inside, no fitted beds, no batteries etc, so will probably be similar in weight or slightly lighter.

Did you guys build it yourself? Do you have an aproximate cost on materials?
What is the floor?

[Rod Dirt'e]

The floor is chequer plate the whole way.
Approximate cost would be about $1200 in alloy and about $500-$700 in steel and $700 in L.E.D Lights and we put new springs,axels,hubs under it as well so all up it owes as about $4000 and a bit.


Rodney...

[hokey]

I think attempting to tow something this big with just a GQ might be a little stupid. don't forget with a trailer this size you will need some serious brakes on there aswell and that will ad to cost aswell. maybe the cheapest is to buy a flat bed truck and tow with that. Maybe buy a car transporter and hire it out when you aren't using it to cover costs

[jeep97tj]

That looks good, are the sides over lapped or butted together?, what thickness are the sides, any pics of the frame work inside? Whats the specs of the frame work inside.

Had a mate build a enclosed bike trailer and the sheet he used for the outside was to thin, got huge rattles while towing it at 100km/h.

[CRUSHU]

OK anything over 2000kg on the towbar upto 4000kg requires electric brakes on all wheels, and this trailer will come in under that.

I can't find a rating on my GQ, but the towbar is rated to 3500kg and so are GU's. There is not much difference between a GQ and GU, even the towbar is the same.

[Wendle]

OK anything over 2000kg on the towbar upto 4000kg requires electric brakes on all wheels, and this trailer will come in under that.

I can't find a rating on my GQ, but the towbar is rated to 3500kg and so are GU's. There is not much difference between a GQ and GU, even the towbar is the same.

the owners manual when i had GQ's stated 2700kg for SWB and 2705kg for LWB. i don't know why there was 5kg difference, but that's what it said.

seeing as your f-truck probably weighs more than that itself and you are gonna be hard pressed to build an enclosed trailer the size you are talking about to less than 1500kg you might want to start looking at other options.

even if it could pull it legally, you would be suicidal after the first trip. they are pretty slow towing a light buggy on a light trailer. pulling what you are talking about, you'll be shifting into low range for big hills, cooking the auto, copping road-rage for doing 20kmh on the highway, etc

[AJ]

Tow it directly with an A frame?

[bazzle]

OK anything over 2000kg on the towbar upto 4000kg requires electric brakes on all wheels, and this trailer will come in under that.

I can't find a rating on my GQ, but the towbar is rated to 3500kg and so are GU's. There is not much difference between a GQ and GU, even the towbar is the same.

The weight may come in under that but have you ever towed a 4bee with a GQ (or any other 4x4) and tried to stop at the bottom of a hill on a main road??

You WILL need trailer brakes...

Bazzle

[Ruffy]

Seen as though you are building the trailer specifically for this purpose you can incorporate two mounts at the rear and two at the front to put an 'A' frame style stand into that fits under a secure point of the chassis. Tie it down to that and it's solid as a rock. I've seen this done with off road buggies in enclosed trailers. Takes two minutes to set up when loading, nice and easy!
Cheers

[CRUSHU]

You WILL need trailer brakes...

Bazzle

My point exactly, It will have electric brakes on all wheels. It will come in at under 4000kg, so will require it anyway.
I don't see it being to much of a problem towing it, although maybe a power upgrade may be needed.