We've shown you how to do simple projects a time or two, but for the extreme DIY enthusiast, this may be something a bit more to your speed. Having a race car is fun and all, but if you don't have a car hauler trailer for your pickup truck to get it places, there won't be much time spent racing it at the local track.
Sure, you could go out and buy a brand new car trailer, or you could go the much more labor intensive but cost-effective route to build your own homemade trailer. As an outline, you can find countless car trailer plans online, and this will essentially give you rough blueprints for your project, depending on your desired end result.
Keep in mind that even if you would prefer building an off-road camper trailer, flatbed trailer, travel trailer, utility trailer, or a boat trailer, they use many of the same base components as the car carrier. Let's go over a few things that you'll need to get this fab and welding project underway.
The Necessary Components for a DIY Car Trailer
So, what's the first step on this trailer build? Well, finding the right blueprint or plan to follow through with would be a great place to start. You'll need to have a solid idea of what your trailer frame is going to look like, so that you can plan which trailer parts you'll need and how much space you'll have to work with.
After landing on a frame design, consider where you would like the wheels to sit. Pushing the fenders further out will give you a wider area for your vehicle to sit on, so make sure to measure the width and length of the vehicle you plan to carry.
In order to make the trailer frame mobile, you'll need a few things. These components would include axles, leaf springs, wheels, tires, brakes, and trailer lights. The good news is that there's a pretty easy way to find them all. Turns out, mobile home axles are a pretty great match for car trailers. They're typically heavy-duty, and can be bought for a relatively cheap price, giving you practically all of the major components that you need. Whether you want a tandem axle or single axle trailer, the mobile home axles are a great route to handle the towing weight. If you would like to save a little more money, you can also snag a trailer tongue from these mobile homes.
Tips for Building Your Own Trailer
Now it's time to break out the welder. Follow your trailer plans so that you can properly fabricate and weld up your frame to the correct specifications. There are loads of different options to pick from for the top platform, including a full flat top, or simple tire-track platforms. When it comes to fitting the components underneath, you'll want to flip the trailer upside down, and this will avoid any overhead welding.
The mobile home axles will likely be too wide, so they'll need to be cut down to the desired size. Once that's done, the trailer suspension can be fitted by flipping the leaf springs upside down and placing them below the axles. Ultimately, this will make the trailer sit a few inches lower, which makes loading a car a breeze. Brakes will already be attached to the axles, and you can even use the same wheels from the mobile home axles. However, you should consider replacing tires if they are worn out. The trailer tongue and coupler should be placed on at this point as well, ensuring it fits the trailer hitch you have. You should also attach safety chains and landing gear to the front section.
Once everything is secure, you're clear to flip the trailer back over to finish up. The result should be a raw trailer, but trailer lights are still necessary to have a legal road trailer. Find your desired lights, then plumb wiring so that it's hidden within the metal beams, while exposing the connector in the front. If wiring isn't your specialty, numerous trailer wiring diagrams can be found online. If you have any additional features, such as a winch or spot lights, run the wiring for those at this time.
Overall, this is certainly no simple task, but if you know your way around a welder, it's nothing you couldn't handle. Building your own car trailer allows neverending customization to fit your individual needs. It's also significantly cheaper to go this route, so if it's something that peaks your interest, now you have a great baseline to get this project started.
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