I'm cheap. I need a trailer for a light car (ITC Civic). If I have to, I'll find a used trailer for ~$1k. But I don't want to spend that much.
I see boat trailers all the time come up for sale cheap (free-$200). What's stopping me from putting some expanded-metal runners the trailer, and fabbing up some ramps?
I've gotta believe somebody's done this. I've also got to believe that the boat axles can handle the weight (though I don't know, I know very little about boats).
What say ye?
Boat trailers have the axles too far back - motors are usually hanging off the back of small boats. Guess you could try putting your car on backwards to see if that gets the trailer tounge weight where it should be.
I had a trailer that was made out of a contruction building trailer. You know, the kind that sit at job sites as an office. The guy I bought it from got it damaged, cut it up and made a open trailer out pressure treated wood. I later welded up a stronger side rails and used it to haul up to 4 street bikes at a time. The axel was very oversized for my application and it had some cool looking steel wheels that looked like they were off of a 1940's Ford. But even empty that thing had to have a 500 lb toung weight. Pulled nice though.
Didn't think about the wheel placement...figures, it'll screw up the tounge weight...
As long as you can get the tounge to be 10% of gross weight, you'll be ok. A friend has a trailer much like you speak- works fine- you just need to do a little work to know where to put the car.
A friend uses a converted tent trailer for his locost. The top was ratty, and he got it for $200. A weekend worth of gutting and reconfiguring, and it works fine.
It shouldn't be too hard to move the axle forward if the tongue weight is too high. If you can find one cheap enough it leaves some room for additional welding/steel expenses.
Considering the wife found mine for $700 with brakes on both axles... I'd just keep your eyes open for a decent trailer.
Id do the boat-trailer thing.. buy it and mod it for $100 and see how it goes.. if you end up not liking it, buy a real trailer and sell or scrap the boat trailer for most of whats in it
The axles on most boat trailers are on a sliding carriage. The manufactures do this so one trailer can be used for a bunch of different boats. Moving the axle on a tandem trailer should consist of pulling a few bolts and moving the carriage where you need it. I've got a aluminum trailer under my boat now and if the boat keeps pissing me off the engine will end up in a car (SBC 350) and the trailer will end up under it. 
One other thing you need to consider. Boat trailers use the boat as a load member. You will probably need to add some structure to the tongue other wise it will flex.
A cheap trailer is a contradiction. Nothing like being broke down on the side of the road half way through a 1500 mile road trip or getting in a bad accident to make a decent, purpose built trailer look like a bargain!
if it is way lopsided, axle wise, just chop the axles off and move them forward.
NO PROBLEM.
i'd chop/weld/mod that crap till its awesome
Done the boat trailer, works fine. Axles are almost always bolted on, so you loosen the bolts and move it where you want it. I just ran boards across the trailer to make a simple but effective deck.
93gsxturbo wrote:A cheap trailer is a contradiction. Nothing like being broke down on the side of the road half way through a 1500 mile road trip or getting in a bad accident to make a decent, purpose built trailer look like a bargain!
I just went through mine. REpacked the bearings, added bearing buddies and put on new tires. OK, so I spent another $200 to make it new. Still a great deal for a tandem axle, 4wheel brake trailer.
How about a snowmobile trailer? Two snowmobiles have to weigh about the same as a Honda.
Dan
