Car trailer build

[prktkljokr]

Ok, this is the only build thread I have so far, I have a truck that im slowly doing but its a long way off.

Anyway I purchased a caravan to use the parts from it to make a slide on camper, it was a stat write off and could not be re-licenced, well as a caravan anyway .

It was purchased from a online Auction and I was the only bidder, bargain at $350 plus fees, about $500 all up, Its a 2014 Jayco Stirling off road and once I saw it in the flesh I decided the chassis was going to be my new banana back car trailer.




So the strip began, I pulled all the bits I need for my camper build, sold all the bits I wont use and stripped it down to the chassis, I sold the slide out for $1500, nice grand profit and the van now owes me nothing , I put the $1000 toward the trailer build.




What's left of the van on its way to the tip.



Out with the plasma cutter to give the chassis a hair cut



Must be 500 kg here at least, the way my back felt that night it felt like a ton



Now to start putting it together, just went to the local salvage yard and scored some decent thick walled square 50 x 50 for my cross braces and some patio tube for the sides, I know you are all going Patio tube is not strong enough, but it is not being used to take any weight, its only to use for the sides the thick walled 50 x 50 will take the weight






How it looked as of last week, purchased 3 sheets of checker plate and had them cut to 600 x 2400, welded them all into place and painted with black gal.




Burnt out my old mig welder so I had to purchase a new one, used 3 bottles of gas and 3 x 5kg spools of mig wire so far and a S#!t load of grinding disks

I have since fitted a winch, painted it and started wiring it up, it has the standard break away brakes and stability control that all still work, the trailer has its own power 2 x 12v truck batteries charged by a pull out solar panel along with a heap of other things I have added along the way, I will throw those pics up next week.

[jstanovic]

Good job! I've seen a few people convert wrecked caravans to different things but this is the first car trailer...

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by jstanovic

Good job! I've seen a few people convert wrecked caravans to different things but this is the first car trailer...

Thanks, the chassis was very well built (hats off to Jayco) so it was the perfect donor for this application

I used to have a similar trailer to this but sold it when I sold my business, always regretted selling it as I could have used it thousands of times since, plus I let it go for chump change at the time as I thought I had no use for it.

This one is a bit bigger and more heavy duty 2.3 mtrs wide and 8.5 mtrs long tip to tail, so I can fit 2 small cars up to a small truck, it can also carry a caravan or boat & trailer, will be very handy, only problem I can see is storage space .

[Crazy Dazz]

Did you lift the whole Chassis?

What are you going to tow this with? Truck?

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Did you lift the whole Chassis?

I just built a banana back frame over the top, just welded it to the chassis after I lightened it a bit by chopping off the excess framing, its was a off road van so they are higher, also they have off road wheels and tyres, apart from some stuck on checker plate the van was the same as any other standard Jayco Stirling.

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

What are you going to tow this with? Truck?

I have a crew cab Fuso canter 4x4, 4.9ltr turbo diesel more than adequate for the job, but if im only going to pick up a car with it, should be fine behind the RTV, the trailer itself should only weigh the same as a normal car trailer (will have to confirm this when I go through the weighbridge before rego).

[wodahs]

i saw one of these done a fair few years ago down in the south east of WA
he used an older van when they made them heavier than they do these days , the problem he had was the way the make the chassis for a van compared to a trailer they use the van frame as structure and strength
so when he put a car on it twisted and carried on and he ended up just using it to transport his quad bikes around
hope you have better luck
tho it looks a good and interesting build

[Work Horse]

Arrhh.. (coughs!)
First of all great work prktkljokr

In the third photo you posted...

Am I to understand you have your own forklift at your house!?

Very handy!

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by Work Horse

Arrhh.. (coughs!)
First of all great work prktkljokr

In the third photo you posted...

Am I to understand you have your own forklift at your house!?

Very handy!

Funny story about that forklift

I have a walky stacker which is pretty much like a walk behind forklift with trainer wheels that I use in my shed, I had to get a Hiab to lift it over my fence when I got it as it wont go through my carport, so I thought I would buy a forklift with "container mast" so I can drive straight through.

So I measured the carport and looked on Grays for a forklift, they had a heap of 2017 Linde 3 wheel forklifts, so I looked up the height measurement of it and it said that the forks were just under what I needed so I bought 1, when I got it home it was 10mm too tall to fit through, I was pretty ****ed off and called them the next day, it seems that Grays measurements are a approximate only and I should have come measured the height before I purchased it, they did offer to resell it for me though

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by wodahs

i saw one of these done a fair few years ago down in the south east of WA
he used an older van when they made them heavier than they do these days , the problem he had was the way the make the chassis for a van compared to a trailer they use the van frame as structure and strength
so when he put a car on it twisted and carried on and he ended up just using it to transport his quad bikes around
hope you have better luck
tho it looks a good and interesting build

This chassis is even overkill for a car trailer, I have seen some other caravans since and can see that they are pretty flimsy, this van had 50 x 150 x 4mm rails front to back so it was a good base to start with, the cross braces are C channel but both the front and back are 4mm thick box section, then now with what I have added it wont flex

[Tonz]

any idea what size kangaroo went through that? holey moley jack, that would have brought things to a halt quickly.

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by Tonz

any idea what size kangaroo went through that? holey moley jack, that would have brought things to a halt quickly.

It had jack knifed the tow hitch was snapped off at the ball.


This is how it looks today, still have a couple of weekends work before its ready for rego, but its starting to look how I thought it would.





I used the caravans wheel arch moulds and mud flaps as a nod to its former life

[Citroënbender]

The wooden cabinet is intriguing!

As to the Jayco parts - they’ll be fielding calls from people who want one of their car trailers.

Good practical build, it looks. Any hydraulics planned to tilt it for loading?

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

The wooden cabinet is intriguing!

Wooden cabinet?

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Good practical build, it looks. Any hydraulics planned to tilt it for loading?

No hydraulics, the ramp angle is pretty good, I made the rear of the trailer drop enough with the long ramps to allow my sons lowered 180SX to drive up without the use of extra ramps, I also have made some timber mini ramps to help with anything lower, the angle is lower than my tilt tray used to be so should be fine.

[hayseed]

Okay, It's Dumb Question Time...!!!!

If It's a Statutory Write off, Won't the VIN show upon the WOVR register & render Rego Impossible???

Or am I missing something..!!

[prktkljokr]

Not a dumb question,

When you do a new trailer build you apply for a VIN, the caravan VIN is a stat write off, as it is no longer a caravan and it has been re-manufactured it comes under a new build in the eyes of the department of transport, I have been down this road a few times and have already been allocated a new VIN for this trailer as a car trailer.

It still has to go through licencing so if it was damaged or unsafe it will be failed at registration.

I have a dolly car trailer that I purchased un-licenced years ago, it had a ID tag and VIN showing it was manufactured in the 90's by John Pappas trailers, but when I went to licence it there was no record of the VIN and they would not let me register it as a used trailer, they told me to apply for a new VIN, so I did and made a new ID tag with all the details from the old tag but with the build date of 2019, it passed no problem and I still have it.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by prktkljokr

Not a dumb question,

When you do a new trailer build you apply for a VIN, the caravan VIN is a stat write off, as it is no longer a caravan and it has been re-manufactured it comes under a new build in the eyes of the department of transport, I have been down this road a few times and have already been allocated a new VIN for this trailer as a car trailer.

It still has to go through licencing so if it was damaged or unsafe it will be failed at registration.

I have a dolly car trailer that I purchased un-licenced years ago, it had a ID tag and VIN showing it was manufactured in the 90's by John Pappas trailers, but when I went to licence it there was no record of the VIN and they would not let me register it as a used trailer, they told me to apply for a new VIN, so I did and made a new ID tag with all the details from the old tag but with the build date of 2019, it passed no problem and I still have it.

Would I be correct in Assuming that you remove the Old Compliance Plate & VIN Number then Register as a New Homemade Trailer with your new VIN Number...??

[.:4:.]

What the bloke down my street does with trailers is just that. Removes the vin plate and registers them as home made. He does that because he buys trailers that have been sitting unreg for that long that the past rego papers are non existant. A new vin number gets created.
But like anything, talk to whoever you are using to rego the trailer first for their proffesional opinion on whats required.

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by hayseed

Would I be correct in Assuming that you remove the Old Compliance Plate & VIN Number then Register as a New Homemade Trailer with your new VIN Number...??

In a nutshell, Yes.

There is a paper trail that exists from purchase to re-rego, so its all above board, the caravan no longer exists as a caravan, and in the eyes of the department of transport I have used parts from the stat write off to make a car trailer so it is a new build to them, I am the builder and it was made in 2022.

It would be just like if I buy a stat write off car, use all the suspension and running gear but make a new body, apart from it having to meet emissions for the year you are licencing it for it would be a new build and have its own VIN

Now if I was to repair the caravan and tried to register it as a new build they would be asking questions to why my new build looks like a 2014 Jayco but has a new build VIN.

[prktkljokr]

Trailer is finished and licenced tows great and is licenced for 2 tonne, the trailer itself weighed in at 1 ton, so 3 tonne total loaded so it can legally be towed behind the RTV

I had a trial run to see what I could put on it and what level it would sit at, pretty happy with the result, can feel the weight when taking off but it seems to be ok once moving.

Cant feel this one seeing it only weighs 700 kg



now we have some weight

[Citroënbender]

Looks like it would be quite steady in reversing, too.

Nice build.

[roKWiz]

What, no confederate flag.

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

What, no confederate flag.

No flag, I had mixed opinions on whether I should or not, same with the general lee written on the cant rail, was only done for a laugh, one whole Saturday to wrap the car orange and $30 for a pair of 01 stickers, mate has a general lee tribute charger, I picked him up in this one night for a laugh, now its my daily work car

Pulled over for a breath test same night and the cops were telling us how it made their day, lucky only 2 bourbons with tea and I didnt have to do any jumps to get away

[Citroënbender]

If the police asked you to get out, I hope you exited through the window.

It should have a Dixie horn, but speeded up.

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

If the police asked you to get out, I hope you exited through the window.

It should have a Dixie horn, but speeded up.

Im 53 and 110kg, I would struggle to get my @$$ out the window

Got the horn but it is a little slower than the original and missing the last note, eBay trash .

[Citroënbender]

How’s the trailer shaking down - any tweaks required?

[prktkljokr]

Only used it a couple of times now, once picking up some 9mtr lengths of steel , only tweaks I have done is mount a small 4WD compressor that I had lying around, only because the first car I picked up on it had 3 flat tyres.

Have not done much more to it as it seems to be exactly what I needed as it is, plus I sold the General Wee to my nephew, he insisted he wanted it, so I have been working on the replacement which was licenced on Monday, so I have not really looked at it for a few weeks.

The only mod I was thinking of doing is adding a basket between the front rails for tie down straps and bits, but that was on the cards when I was building it.

[mad2]

Originally Posted by prktkljokr

Only used it a couple of times now, once picking up some 9mtr lengths of steel , only tweaks I have done is mount a small 4WD compressor that I had lying around, only because the first car I picked up on it had 3 flat tyres.

Have not done much more to it as it seems to be exactly what I needed as it is, plus I sold the General Wee to my nephew, he insisted he wanted it, so I have been working on the replacement which was licenced on Monday, so I have not really looked at it for a few weeks.

The only mod I was thinking of doing is adding a basket between the front rails for tie down straps and bits, but that was on the cards when I was building it.

great build by the way

one small question - does the winch cable rub on the frame when winching up a car/truck?.

[Citroënbender]

Carting 9m long steel sections, can see the appeal there. Have been wondering if I can haul two 7,2m long composite power poles from Moolap to Wagga on a car trailer. Weight is nothing, it’s the length/overhang.

Disappointed the Smart is gone!

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by mad2

great build by the way

one small question - does the winch cable rub on the frame when winching up a car/truck?.

Yep it does, the trailers going to get scratched up over time so im not that fussed, but the winch cable fraying over time I am, I have some thick plastic strip offcuts that are like cutting board plastic that I acquired from dunno ??? that I was going to use.

[prktkljokr]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Carting 9m long steel sections, can see the appeal there. Have been wondering if I can haul two 7,2m long composite power poles from Moolap to Wagga on a car trailer. Weight is nothing, it’s the length/overhang.

Lucky this trailer is 8 mtrs long from tow hitch to tail, so a little overhang with the 9mtr lengths, I only had to pick them up 2 ks away and its back roads all the way home, I have seen tradies with more overhang than we had.

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Disappointed the Smart is gone!

Its ok, it was replaced with a later model 2010 with the big block 1ltr