Linda's Utility Trailer

[Weldangrind]

I finished servicing a China quad for our dear friend Linda (check out http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=13347 ), so she needed a way to transport her new quad when we eventually go riding. She drives a 2014 Ford Escape, and she has a rather long single garage to store the Escape, the trailer and the quad in.

Upon measuring the quad, I figured that a 4x6 flat deck would do the trick, but after some discussions with Linda, it was determined that she could get more use out of a utility trailer with sides.

I had a bunch of free steel that would be suitable for the ladders of the trailer frame, as well as the spindles and railings, but I had nothing that would serve as the main frame rails. I bought two six-foot pieces of 2x4 steel rectangular tube at Metal Supermarket, and the criteria was that the tube was wide enough to accept the spring hangers and that the thickness matched the steel I had in stock (about 1/16"). It's much easier to weld similar thickness steel together.

This is the first mock-up of the springs, right after welding one end of the spring hangers on.

Springs.jpg

That helped me to determine where the other end of the spring hangers needed to be. You might be able to see where I plated the rectangular tube, so that the thickness would more closely match the thickness of the spring hangers.

These are shots of the fully welded hangers.

Spring Hangers.jpg

Spring Hangers 2.jpg

The spring location allows the axle to be at the 60% point of the trailer body, as viewed from the side, not including the tongue. Once that was established, I welded the ladders in. Coincidentally, the free rectangular tube I had in stock was exactly half the height of the frame rails I purchased. That allowed me to double the height of the rearmost ladder, to give it a more substantial surface for welding.

The next challenge was to have a tongue that could either be hinged or removed, to minimize the floor space it takes up in Linda's garage. After considerable thought, I decided to make it removable. I like to weld a heavy square tube from right above the axle all the way to the ball mount, and that creates a very sturdy tongue. Instead, I stopped the square tube at the head gate, where I welded a Class III receiver onto it, which allows the tongue to be inserted and pinned.

This shot shows the basic frame and axle, and it also shows the receiver on the front. I also welded a shorter receiver on top, which allows the tongue to be removed from the horizontal receiver and then be inserted into the vertical receiver for storage.

Primed Frame.jpg