Stretching a small utility trailer

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Just wanted to see if anyone had a clean way of adding 2' to this 5'x8' trailer.http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...6494_200356494The whole trailer is a bolt together.  I was thinking of cutting between the front spring mount and the next crossmember towards the front, and adding 2' there, just so the rest of it can still bolt together.  Then I will add in another crossmember  The steel is what I would call a stamped "C" channel, not true channel iron.  I am all good on the experience to do this, and have some ideas, but thought it wouldn't hurt to ask for some other opinions.  The lady I am doing this for is going to build her own TearDrop body on top, with the bed in front and all else in back, so I wouldn't think the axle position would need to be change.  Building new custom trailer not an option, already offered that
Reply:Stick with bolts. Why mess with a ...good thing. City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:I wouldnt touch that with a ten foot pole. Build or find the correct trailer for her application. Axle placement still plays a role regardless of the load, it will not tow correctly and cause all kinds of trouble. You should talk her into doing it correctly.UA Local 598
Reply:"Axle placement still plays a role regardless of the load, it will not tow correctly and cause all kinds of trouble."I disagree with the above statement.  Axle placement is directly related with the load at hand.  Take a look at boat trailers, which happen to be where most of my experience lies.  Given the odd weight distribution of a boat (much more weight near the stern, than anywhere else), you will find the axle is placed further back.  This is especially so on smaller aluminum boats, where the hull has virtually no weight, so the majority of the weight is in the outboard, and fuel/batteries, often all at the stern.  If you went by the set of numbers usually placed on trailers, you will end up with a very tongue light beast that will be all over the road.  While I agree that bad axle placement is bad for towing, the axle placement should be based off the load, and not a set of numbers.  Plus, a little tongue heavy tows better than tongue light, unless you are nearing the max of the tow vehicle rating, which unless she is pulling with a small car, a trailer with 12 inch wheels will not carry enough to cause a big issue.  I wouldn't be too worried about adding on in front of the axle from a weight distribution standpoint, provided the repair is up to par, which in my view is the bigger worry.  Just my 2 cents worth.Who is John Galt?
Reply:Weld it up.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Originally Posted by bassboy1"Axle placement still plays a role regardless of the load, it will not tow correctly and cause all kinds of trouble."I disagree with the above statement.  Axle placement is directly related with the load at hand.  Take a look at boat trailers, which happen to be where most of my experience lies.  Given the odd weight distribution of a boat (much more weight near the stern, than anywhere else), you will find the axle is placed further back.  This is especially so on smaller aluminum boats, where the hull has virtually no weight, so the majority of the weight is in the outboard, and fuel/batteries, often all at the stern.  If you went by the set of numbers usually placed on trailers, you will end up with a very tongue light beast that will be all over the road.  While I agree that bad axle placement is bad for towing, the axle placement should be based off the load, and not a set of numbers.  Plus, a little tongue heavy tows better than tongue light, unless you are nearing the max of the tow vehicle rating, which unless she is pulling with a small car, a trailer with 12 inch wheels will not carry enough to cause a big issue.  I wouldn't be too worried about adding on in front of the axle from a weight distribution standpoint, provided the repair is up to par, which in my view is the bigger worry.  Just my 2 cents worth.
Reply:I'm looking at axle placement on a trailer as a way to keep the tongue weight within limits of the tow vehicle.  That being said, I could mount the axle clear in the back of this 265 pound(empty) trailer, and still be within the limits of the tow rig. I know I couldn't put anything on the trailer like that, but as long as the axle is square on the trailer, it would tow correctly and not cause any problems.  I have no doubt that the trailer will perform just fine for the intended uses.  I was just asking about some clean ways to splice in two feet, since this type of channel is not readily available to go out and get two 10' foot rails.  Since it is a bolt together, I figured this would be the easiest way(everything would still be assembled by the owner).
Reply:You could probably get away with just replacing the existing channel with full 10' lengths of standard C channel and be done with it, drilling new holes for all the points. You could probably use tube also, but bolting would be a pain then, and you'd have to be sure the tube is heavy enough. It's a fair amount of work to transfer over all those points, but most likely the easiest way to go short having a "donor" trailer or having someone bend up full length custom rails.I'd avoid a splice at all costs. I see to many issues with that. With a longer frame, you will be increasing the load forces even with the same weight. That means the original frame may no longer be sufficient to support the load forces. You will have trouble matching the existing frame size, plating will probably be difficult if it's a "C" shape like I'm thinking, and you will have a weak point in the center otherwise. My guess is that the client doesn't want to spend the money to do this right, only cheap. To me this has all sorts of red flags going up that says walk away, at least from what I'm reading into it. Full new rails should be a no brainier from your stand point. It solves more problems than it creates..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