I am thinking of building a car trailer how hard can it be?

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I am thinking of building a car trailer how hard can it be, i got a second hand 165 amp buzz box and have read a couple of books on stick welding, thinking of copying my friends commercial bought trailer, cant be that hard surely, your thoughts please.
Reply:Let me start this - all info on here showes unless you have 753 years of welding experienceand 14 different certs - with a 500 amp welder - you dont evn come close to welding something thatgoing on the road - now jump right on it and have funThe main thing is not to panic or get excited Bobcat 250, X-Treme 12VS,  MM211Meltabo, Milwaukee,Porter Cable,Dewalt,MakitaVictor O/A, Ingersoll-RandEvolution Rage2, 40 amp PlasmaLincoln 225 AC/DC
Reply:Originally Posted by RenagadeLet me start this - all info on here showes unless you have 753 years of welding experienceand 14 different certs - with a 500 amp welder - you dont evn come close to welding something thatgoing on the road
Reply:Ummm, I have a 500 amp welder......... Someday I will learn how to use it."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Originally Posted by RenagadeLet me start this - all info on here showes unless you have 753 years of welding experienceand 14 different certs - with a 500 amp welder - you dont evn come close to welding something thatgoing on the road - now jump right on it and have fun
Reply:Originally Posted by egnseani have plenty confidence in my ability's
Reply:I got the popcorn goin'!! Who has the beer??                                             MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:I built one in 79 I had a 295 100% AC, had a partner at the time. It wasn't going to work, he wouldn't let me buy him out. A couple years in, I sold it to a local. He traded it last year for an antique tractor. If you are sure you are ready for a sound weld, your welder really gives 165 amps, enough duty cycle to actually weld, use a plan engineered by a competent person, go for it.
Reply:Originally Posted by egnseanI am thinking of building a car trailer how hard can it be, i got a second hand 165 amp buzz box and have read a couple of books on stick welding, thinking of copying my friends commercial bought trailer, cant be that hard surely, your thoughts please.
Reply:I guess this is something that newbie's post to stir up the preverbial pot. Sooo...I'm buildin one too with a HF 100 amp mig and house trailer axles....LOL Stirrin it up that is all it's about.Quality work is never Cheap, and Cheap work is never Quality!!If it's broke, and you're not, we can fix it!!  Lincoln Idealarc sp200Century 230amp ac/dcSmith O/A TorchesHuth Hyd. Pipe Benderother misc "cool" tools
Reply:Originally Posted by sirknuckleheadI guess this is something that newbie's post to stir up the preverbial pot. Sooo...I'm buildin one too with a HF 100 amp mig and house trailer axles....LOL Stirrin it up that is all it's about.
Reply:Originally Posted by RenagadeLet me start this - all info on here showes unless you have 753 years of welding experienceand 14 different certs - with a 500 amp welder - you dont evn come close to welding something thatgoing on the road - now jump right on it and have fun
Reply:Originally Posted by egnseanI am thinking of building a car trailer how hard can it be, i got a second hand 165 amp buzz box and have read a couple of books on stick welding, thinking of copying my friends commercial bought trailer, cant be that hard surely, your thoughts please.
Reply:Originally Posted by RenagadeLet me start this - all info on here showes unless you have 753 years of welding experienceand 14 different certs - with a 500 amp welder - you dont evn come close to welding something thatgoing on the road - now jump right on it and have fun
Reply:How hard can it be????? Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Go for it fck it, if it goes south who cares, it will wind up being someone elses problem. Unless your vehicle is still attatched to it, but thats's what your legs are for. Run like a fck!I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by Willie BYou're being ridiculous, The only people here old enough for that is me and CEP. I sure ain't qualified to weld a trailer!
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeGo for it fck it, if it goes south who cares, it will wind up being someone elses problem. Unless your vehicle is still attatched to it, but thats's what your legs are for. Run like a fck!
Reply:These threads are so funny!!!
Reply:Originally Posted by egnseanI am thinking of building a car trailer how hard can it be, i got a second hand 165 amp buzz box and have read a couple of books on stick welding, thinking of copying my friends commercial bought trailer, cant be that hard surely, your thoughts please.
Reply:In the old days of AC only I built one of as I recall 2.5x6 channel. it had probably 1/4" web thickness at edge, thickening at intersection of sides. 84 x 150" flat deck. It was then plated with 1/8" hot rolled. I think I welded the frame with 5/32" 6011, switching to 1/8" or 3/32" for decking. I'm sure I never used more than 165 amps anywhere. It's 35 years old, as of a few years ago was on the road. I've never heard or seen evidence of a broken weld.I do however have concerns of a 165 amp machine delivering rated heat, and if duty cycle is low, you're gonna go nuts.
Reply:These guys are just messin' with you. Post some pictures of your welds. If they look acceptable, then they'll probably help you. If your welds don't look good, don't even think about building a trailer. A trailer can be a big project if you don't have any fabricating experience.
Reply:He just knocked the Hornets nest out of the tree for laughs , He must know most of us can't run far enough to get awayBut seriously if you want to make a trailer get a good blue print ,use quality parts {not some crap you can get from a guy who knows a guy }. Some one mentions low duty cycle on your welder , but that is not a problem if you take your time to do good fit up. duty cycle is % of time you can weld @ max amps before cool down is needed .ie 20% is 2 min welding 8 min,cool down @165 amps  less amps you can weld longer . gxbxcLast edited by gxbxc; 11-08-2014 at 11:43 PM.
Reply:Biggest issue I see with new guys welding trailers is that can't weld out of position worth a damn. Some can make decent welds flat, a few can make semi decent welds horizontal, but I've yet to find one who can do vertical and overhead to save their life. Pretty tough to weld up a decent sized trailer and not have out of position welds with out some petty heavy equipment to flip and roll the frame so you can weld it all flat. If you can't make code quality welds in any position all the time and do so with a machine capable of doing the job well, this isn't for you. Trailers simply aren't beginner "learning" projects.Trailers get hammered because most guys who want to do these and ask these sorts of questions typically have a grand total of less than 20 hours of practice at best, usually in 1/2 to one hour increments. It usually shows in the questions asked. Just because you can measure and copy something doesn't mean you have the skills to assemble it, no matter what you might think. You can have melted metal for years, but if you can't do a decent job overhead or vertical, chances are you really haven't learned to weld yet. If you can't read and manipulate the puddle, chances are you can't weld vertical and overhead and that's what really separates those that CAN weld, from those who just think they can.I help teach people to weld. On average with good instruction it takes at least 30-40 hours before someone even begins to pick up the basics with say mig. The vast majority take almost twice as long if they dedicate themselves. Stick welding you can add 100-200 hours to that number minimum, and tig, add a few hundred more. That's assuming a god instructor showing someone their mistakes and pointing them in the right direction. Doing it on your own I'd say to allow at least 5 times as long simply due to trial and error.I'd estimate on average one of the students learning stick uses up about 25 lbs of steel per hour if not more ( assuming  about 20 1/4" 3x6 inch plates) and maybe about 1-2 lbs of rod. That's a pretty sizable investment since almost none of the stick students is usually ready to even think about starting on a trailer after a 30-40 hour semester at school.I can name dozens of members here I'd have no issues with them building a trailer. They have the skills and experience to do so. Not all of them are pros either. Most of the guys I see with the "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" approach to new guys welding trailers usually don't really have all that much experience. They just seem upset someone is telling other people that they simply aren't ready yet. On the other hand I find most with experience welding, are those who suggest the builder 1st learn what to do and do it right BEFORE jumping into a project of this level. It's usually pretty clear if some one has the knowledge and experience to do this if we see some of their out of position welds and based on the questions asked..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Trolled ?You asked, “cant be that hard surely, your thoughts please.” I think it’s a great goal for the future…. just not right now if you had to ask.  --I started learning how to MIG weld the end of May. I’ve probably got at least 150 hours in and that doesn’t include purchasing materials or finishing off projects at my home or the countless hours my teacher spent making “kits” for me in the beginning when I was afraid of saws or the countless hours he spent cleaning up metal so I could get right into fit up and welding when I came over. I’m over the hump now and can cut and clean up my own metal these days but….. figure an additional 150 hours if I’d been doing those tasks myself when I 1st started.  In my opinion, I’ve been “home schooled” by the best. I was started out on simple projects that taught the basics then reinforced them before moving on to another level. My projects increased in difficulty from beginner to intermediate beginner over the months to the extent I would now classify myself as a novice not a neophyte. Bear in mind I was NEVER in a classroom and that all of my hours were one-on-one instruction provided by someone who had decades of experience training union apprentices.  In all likelihood…. I could probably “copy” your friend’s trailer with access to all of my teacher’s tools such as his Bessey clamps and his hydraulic lifts.  But… and it’s a BIG BUT….  the end result would STILL be a trailer that I wouldn’t want to haul anything of value on….. only straw or bales of hay and I seriously doubt I’d ever feel comfortable slapping a license plate on it and taking it out on the road.  I’m an intermediate beginner not even an advanced beginner therefore my welding is still inconsistent at best. A trailer requires structural welds from all different welding positions….. those aren’t something anyone other than a seasoned veteran weldor should be tackling.  A trailer would be waaaaay too much of a project for me. Reality is I’d be spitting BBs with having to repeatedly back track. Grinding out vertical welds and starting over again and again and again until a weld is functional sucks. Grinding out overhead welds….. sucks worse. It’s hard on your back and you’ll be using muscles you didn’t know you had. Beyond that….. I soooooo hate catching on fire from sparks falling down and seeking out vulnerable spots on me while I’m welding on my back and that’s happened using a MIG not a stick. A stick welder sparks and spits molten slag a lot more than a MIG welder. A road-worthy trailer truly wouldn’t be my idea of a fun welding project….. it would end up being anything but a pleasurable experience given my existing skill set.   --Back to your question, I honestly believe you’d be frustrated beyond belief and that you’d end up throwing in the towel on welding which…. would be a bloody shame because learning how to weld is an invaluable skill that will serve one well throughout the course of one’s life. My suggestion….. please consider a project that will enable you to get a feel for what you’d be up against copying your friend’s trailer. Perhaps a cart for your buzz box such as this, http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/shop-...tone-cart.html. Next, please consider adding where you live to your profile. There are good people at WW who may offer to lend you a hand if they can see that you live nearby. --Best wishes to you.adding something....--“Calls troll on the OP.... ““Strings are about to be jerked. Mod must have been bored and created this dude to warm things up!”“He just knocked the Hornets nest out of the tree for laughs”“Trolled ? “--No….. in re-reading the only two posts he has.... I don’t think so to all of the above so please try helping him like y’all helped me when I 1st started BEFORE he gets hurt.Last edited by Equilibrium; 11-09-2014 at 07:39 AM.Reason: adding something....MM 211Smith Tru Lite O/A set, Thanks Bob!Lincoln AC-225--But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium- Ursula K. Le Guin
Reply:Figure it will take a couple full work weeks to build a decent trailer.   Does your job offer OT?   Can you buy the trailer you want with 80hrs of OT? Plus add the cost you will spend anyway on buying materials, at least $1000 for a car trailer.    So let's say at $10 an hr job if you worked the overtime instead of spending it building a trailer you would have about $2k.  You can find a nice commercially built trailer in good condition for that kind of money used or sometimes even new.     If you are thinking of building primarily to save money you are in for one hell of a shock....Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawFigure it will take a couple full work weeks to build a decent trailer.   Does your job offer OT?   Can you buy the trailer you want with 80hrs of OT? Plus add the cost you will spend anyway on buying materials, at least $1000 for a car trailer.    So let's say at $10 an hr job if you worked the overtime instead of spending it building a trailer you would have about $2k.  You can find a nice commercially built trailer in good condition for that kind of money used or sometimes even new.     If you are thinking of building primarily to save money you are in for one hell of a shock....
Reply:FOUL! "kits......afraid of the saws........cleaning up metal".... Do you fish? You catch it, you clean it! Having someone else do your prep work is OK first day, or for Kate Middleton. Real people have to learn the hard way! A production welder gets work prepped, grunts do their own prep.As for out of position welding, in the seventies I was a failure at out of position welding. To this day I can't claim to have done a successful out of position weld with AC stick. I used trees, the garage frame, or a home made gin pole to turn work so it was horizontal, My best tools were a come along, winch, and pulleys. Now I can weld out of position, but it's more fun standing up than crawling around like a snake with burns in my shirt. Today I have a backhoe, twenty three foot reach, and I built a hydraulic thumb. I run up too many hours on the meter running it to reposition weldments.My father used to talk about seeing motor pool personnel during WWII laying tires on the ground to protect Jeeps so they could tip them up on their sides for major work. God has something in the Bible about crawling on the ground like a snake.Last edited by Willie B; 11-09-2014 at 08:23 AM.
Reply:Don't really know if the OP plans to return or not but much of what the responders have posted relating to cost is very true. You will spend more money building a trailer than one can be purchased for most likely. That being said and if you are more quality driven than penny pinching, there is no other alternative. I've been around trucks and trailers most of my working life and build quality is heavily leveraged towards production capacity and profitability to the manufacturer with quality being allocated to being "in tolerance". I, as with most folks, will have a much tighter "tolerance" than a production manufacturer when it comes to building something. This takes time and most often additional funds to work. I haven't built a car hauler type trailer in over 35 years and the material costs at that time were more dollars than a commercial trailer could have been purchased for given the same type construction. For instance that trailer had adjustable suspension so it wore tires evenly at all four corners. It also had shock absorbers on the axles and this was a remarkable difference during operation.Here is another example:I ran a salvage automobile hauling operation for many years. I've ran many beds from many manufacturers, (Holmes, Jerr-Dan, No-Mar, Century, Kilar, etc.) and all had their plusses, and minuses with build quality varying wildly. The last two beds I, and employees built in the shop and were direct copies of other manufacturers, (with improvements). These of course performed better than other's beds, but were easily 1.5 times the cost of the commercially purchased units in materials. They slid back straight, did not dig into parking/staging lots, required less power to operate, sat lower in transport position, and typically were quite reliable. The beds themselves and the undercarriage were kept to well within 1/8" of being plumb and square during fabrication and it really paid off in the final product.If you do this be prepared to expend a lot more time than anticipated to produce something of much higher quality you will be happy with, or just simply purchase something to get the job done if that is the only requirement.SlobPurveyor of intimate unparalleled knowledge of nothing about everything.Oh yeah, also an unabashed internet "Troll" too.....
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveDepending on your skill and experience level - not that hard, but usually more expensive than buying one.
Reply:Originally Posted by egnseanI am thinking of building a car trailer how hard can it be, i got a second hand 165 amp buzz box and have read a couple of books on stick welding, thinking of copying my friends commercial bought trailer, cant be that hard surely, your thoughts please.
Reply:Thanks everyone for trying to help him sort things out. --Willie B> "FOUL! "kits......afraid of the saws........cleaning up metal".... Do you fish? You catch it, you clean it! Having someone else do your prep work is OK first day, or for Kate Middleton." Correction..... afraid of saws AND 9" big momma Craftsman grinders when I started.  Portaband saws really unnerved me for some reason.... they don't any more but I did give away my "free" 9" grinder to someone because I don't see any reason to hang onto it being as how I do just fine with 4.5" grinders that are considerably lighter. Ha ha ha.... no.... I don't fish.... I don't like fishing. Fishing is right up there with golfing and watching paint dry on my list but to my credit I do know how to clean fish and I do know how to do my own metal prep work these days. And just so you know.... it wasn't just the 1st day he made "kits" for me but more like the 1st 5 or 6 lessons... be jealous.... be very jealous because I don't think he would have babied me as much if I had been a guy who knew how to use tools properly!!!  I was soooooooo spoiled when I started "welding"!!!!! I hadn't used grinders before and I'm pretty sure he didn't want a fresh coat of my blood splattered all over his barn walls but.... I could be wrong. MM 211Smith Tru Lite O/A set, Thanks Bob!Lincoln AC-225--But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium- Ursula K. Le Guin
Reply:I agree with WilleB about turning stuff over to weld it I should have put that in my post ,that a new welder who does not have the skills to do out of position weld needs to be able to rotate stuff for better welds .The first thing i made when I learned to weld was a 4'x6' trailer for my welder . I needed it so I could go pick up the SA 200 in another state . gxbxc
Reply:Originally Posted by copeI don't understand this rationale.  Why the hell have a welder if you don't use it?  From what I see on some of the factory built trailers, a competent amateur can build a better one, and for not much more if any.  Besides, DIY lets you customize to suit your needs.
Reply:I think Dave needs a hug.We don't always think in economic priority mode. Sometimes spending more money, and lots of work is better.
Reply:Originally Posted by Willie BI think Dave needs a hug.We don't always think in economic priority mode. Sometimes spending more money, and lots of work is better.
Reply:Without a solid 110V flux core mig you're SOLTA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Build your trailer but just take your time and ask questions. Don't let the smart *** comments discourage you from learning. You have to understand your opening statement was a jab at all welders. You may not have meant it that way but its just how it reads. I would get some like material and practice up so you don't ruin your good trailer material. Good luck on your build.Fireman BillHH 210 MVPMM 211 Spoolmate 100Lotas LTP5000D PlasmaOxy/Accet (Victor)Wards AC/DC buzz box30 ton old hyd pressA few brand name toolsA bunch of cheap toolsA wife to worry me and4 dogs to supervise me
Reply:Originally Posted by EquilibriumThanks everyone for trying to help him sort things out. --Willie B> "FOUL! "kits......afraid of the saws........cleaning up metal".... Do you fish? You catch it, you clean it! Having someone else do your prep work is OK first day, or for Kate Middleton." Correction..... afraid of saws AND 9" big momma Craftsman grinders when I started.  Portaband saws really unnerved me for some reason.... they don't any more but I did give away my "free" 9" grinder to someone because I don't see any reason to hang onto it being as how I do just fine with 4.5" grinders that are considerably lighter. Ha ha ha.... no.... I don't fish.... I don't like fishing. Fishing is right up there with golfing and watching paint dry on my list but to my credit I do know how to clean fish and I do know how to do my own metal prep work these days. And just so you know.... it wasn't just the 1st day he made "kits" for me but more like the 1st 5 or 6 lessons... be jealous.... be very jealous because I don't think he would have babied me as much if I had been a guy who knew how to use tools properly!!!  I was soooooooo spoiled when I started "welding"!!!!! I hadn't used grinders before and I'm pretty sure he didn't want a fresh coat of my blood splattered all over his barn walls but.... I could be wrong.
Reply:Equilibrium is a woman who I wouldn't want to see ground up by a grinder! She is a really nice person who just needed the guidance to get headed in the direction desired. When she comes to my place looking for specialty items for her projects I am over whelmed by the artistic talent she has. She pulls ideas out of my scrap pile that I can not see!
Reply:Just a reminder that if I ever, ever decide to build a trailer, this will be the last place on earth that I mention it.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Originally Posted by whtbaronJust a reminder that if I ever, ever decide to build a trailer, this will be the last place on earth that I mention it.
Reply:Rear end is dragging too!250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:I have been reading all these posts about you building a car hauling trailer. I don't know what your welding skill level is. If you are competent-then you need to find out what material you need, engineering wise. Get a tight fit-up. Your main problem will be keep the frame square. The material will probably cost you more than a ready made trailer. But, you will have the satisfaction of showing people something you made.Go fro it! Got Steel-Got fire-Make something!!!
Reply:Originally Posted by egnseanI am thinking of building a car trailer how hard can it be, i got a second hand 165 amp buzz box and have read a couple of books on stick welding, thinking of copying my friends commercial bought trailer, cant be that hard surely, your thoughts please.
Reply:Originally Posted by egnseanThanks i am going to i have plenty confidence in my ability's
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveWhat's there to understand?  I said it's usually more expensive than buying one - never said no one should do it.I have both "factory" and "made by me" trailers.  Only way mine was cheaper was I had used stuff laying around.I've also modified used, well made, heavy duty trailers to suit me - which was much cheaper than building a new one.Do whatever you like - I do not give a rats ***.
Reply:Originally Posted by copeDave! Don't take my remarks as a personal attack.  I should have prefaced them by saying this is something that has bothered me for a long time, and I wasn't picking on you.  True, you can buy a trailer cheaper, but often not as good a trailer, tires, axle, etc.  A trailer is not the first item on a weldor's bucket list, but I don't know of anything else that gave me as much satisfaction as the trailers I have made.
Reply:Well I see another thread going into the spiral of death..Tic Tic Tic Tic Tic Tic Tic Tic........zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.