I saw this on CL and it appeals to me and concerns me.
Pros:
- Very low deck
- Light weight
- Easy construction
Cons:
- No springs
- How strong is it
- Tongue design
I saw this on CL and it appeals to me and concerns me.
Pros:
Cons:
My guess is the last vehicle on it, flattened the tires, and pushed it into the ground.
You nailed it- No Suspension.
On the upside, I don't think it will break all at once- it'll just become progressively more stanced until it has sick camber and lays frame... yo.
It Looks Good , If you were to build one I would raise it up enough to get the doors above the Tires but then you could spring it, Springless trailers Bounce a bit empty but not as Much Loaded.
The problem with super low trailers is that they have lots of overhang and that makes for really bad departure angles. Lots of scraping in driveways that you wouldn't normally expect to be an issue.
Edit: that particular one also appears to be lacking trailer brakes. Ugh.
No real axles either. Doesn't look safe.
There is literally nothing I like about that trailer, unless the asking price is less than what you could get for scrap value of it. As mentioned, low-deck with tall tires = sucks for getting in an out of whatever you're hauling, unless you like going out windows or hatchbacks.
Even assuming you're ok with no springs (ugh), think about it this way: you will need four new tires ($300-400). Most states require brakes on a dual-axle trailer, so add in another $100-200. Add in general refurbishment, probably new wires and/or some lighting, and you're looking at spending a bare minimum of $500 to make it roadworthy/legal on top of whatever the asking price is. Plus you don't know how the weight balance or wheel alignment (no axles....) is, so it might tow and track poorly. Nothing sucks more than towing with an unstable or badly-balanced trailer.
I bought my fully-functional 16' car hauler in very nice condition, with 4 good tires + a nice spare, working brakes, breakaway controller and functional lighting....for $1500. IDK what the guy is asking, but just say it's $500. By the time you make it legal and functional, you're already only a few hundred short of the prices I see for decent trailers on CL all the time. And that's assuming you don't get suspension for it, which would make for a short-lived trailer IMO.
x`10 on the departure angles thing. My trailer isn't even that low and I've dragged the tail more than once leaving parking lots onto a street, etc.
I'm not thinking of buying it because I also think it needs more work than it's worth. I was just interested in the design.
I don't see anything inherently wrong with the deck design or shape, though it's hard to tell the proportions relative to the axle location, but I would definitely put axles under it and bring it up for door clearance and road clearance. The only ultra-low trailers I've seen that get around those issues are ones with airbags.
how much is he asking, out of curiosity?
$500. You nailed it.
https://orlando.craigslist.org/tro/d/1-car-trailer-no-title/6477336113.html
I'd say the "axles" are too far forward on top of all of the other issues.
I think that same trailer was on CL atlanta 2 years ago
A car trailer doesn't need suspension or axles, but those wheels are far enough forward that it will probably sway at speed if not loaded just right.
Just hooking that trailer will have it dragging its ass.
It looks as if it may have started out as a conventional trailer that had the axles removed. Even if that's not the case, you should be able to convert it to a more normal design without too much hassle, and get back the missing ground clearance.
The trailer looks to have good bones and I could turn it into a great car hauler in no time. Torflex axles would bolt right on and give it some suspension and brakes while preserving most of it's nice low loading height. Add some fenders and an electric winch on the front and you're set, it even has enough room up front for a tool box or tire rack.
As strictly a car trailer, I actually don't mind the no suspension part. It makes it awful when towing empty, but when there is a car on it, it's just like a road vehicle with 2000 lbs of unsprung weight. Car dollies don't have suspensions.
What bothers me is the 2" ground clearance. Good luck with speed bumps, driveways, or small pebbles.
The overall design isn't terrible, the engineering of that particular trailer is hideous. I would think with a heavy car on it the center of it would just bend down and drag the ground. It just looks weak.
But it could be modified to be great. With torsion axles you could get another 4" of ground clearance. Stiffen it up with a little more carefully-placed steel, and you'll have something that doesn't suck quite as much.
But boy did that just give me an idea!
Someone has probably already done this, but. Using torsion axles that are mounted on bearings/pillow blocks you could put a bellcrank on torsion axles with a hydraulic ram. Hit a button and the axles rotate setting the frame on the ground. Hit another button and it lifts the trailer up to ride height. No ramps needed
Curtis is spot on. That trailer needs more crossmembers too. Once you did all the mods, probably better off getting a better trailer to start with.
I wonder if you could do something similar to the Baxley or Razor motorcycle trailers?
Even with torsion axles, at that height even with a car on it, what driveway or parking lot can you pull into without hitting the front or back of it?
MadScientistMatt said:It looks as if it may have started out as a conventional trailer that had the axles removed. Even if that's not the case, you should be able to convert it to a more normal design without too much hassle, and get back the missing ground clearance.
Looking at it closer I feel you are correct.
If that sum beech was local i'd buy it. It would be fine for British sport cars with a little fiddling.
Curtis said:But boy did that just give me an idea!
Someone has probably already done this, but. Using torsion axles that are mounted on bearings/pillow blocks you could put a bellcrank on torsion axles with a hydraulic ram. Hit a button and the axles rotate setting the frame on the ground. Hit another button and it lifts the trailer up to ride height. No ramps needed
My guess is someone built this trailer, quickly discovered all of the flaws already stated, and parked it... from the looks of it - a decade or so ago...
I think the low ground clearance is exaggerated some by the flat tires and having sunk into the ground a few inches.
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