I'm trying to maybe build a car hauling trailer and I'm looking for Old design ideas.

Your last sentence is probably the most dangerous way to load a car hauler!!! That's from being too cheap or crazy NOT to have at least a come-a-long (junk in itself!) and a chain to do it reasonably right. The MH tires are meant for low-speed use (50 mph and less) and are NOT highway tires in any respect. Yeah, tires and wheels are cheap...wonder why? Mobile home axles are ONE-USE items, period, dot. In my opinion, a MH owner (or better yet, the hauler!) should be required to scrap MH axles once a MH is permanently placed. And, considering that regular car hauler/utility trailer axles are $150 each, your savings in using the MH axles is simply false economy.

Look at the pics of the trailer that I have. It's a dovetail, with #3500 axles & springs, along with 7.50-15 8-ply bias trailer tires. I've hauled (quite safely, I might add) over 65K miles with this rig, from everything from a Metropolitan to a 2-ton '50 Dodge cab & chassis. I'm getting ready to replace the tires with new, identical-style tires, just because these have been on the rig since 2001. Plenty of tread left, but the age of them concerns me now. How many of the "cheap" $30.00 MH wheels/tires did you go through, assuming you've had your trailer nearly nine years?

 

I came across some free trailer plans here and some look vintage.

 

....there's an article in the latest Street Rodder mag. on how to build a trailer...
it's got the give-away 52 Chevy hardtop on the cover

 

I bought this one in 1988.It was titled as a 1968 homemade .It was made with a drive on lift out of a gas station.It was made well,only problem was it was built low to the ground.You had to drive on with the window down and crawl out it.Or winch it on...



Steve

 

I've had this trailer since 91 and I've pulled it all over the country. The winter of 06/07 I stretched it out from 16' to 24'. While doing the rebuild I also replaced the 3500# axles only one of which had 10" brakes with 6000# axles with both axles having 12" brakes. I have over 30 tiedowns on it, plus 2" boards down part of the center for hauling motors or what ever. This hauls like a dream and I've had it over 80 mph loaded a number of times while passing on the 2 laners. I have all the required lighting and used LED's for the tailights of which there are 4 as the ones on the back of the sleeper are functional also. It's a bit heavy at 3700# but I don't need to worry about it falling apart either. The picture with a load is crossing Big Horn Mts in Wy. and under the plastic is two flatheads. These pics were 2 years ago just after I finished it It now has a square tubing headache rack and hubcaps plus more tiedowns. I've put just over 16,000 mi on it in the last 2 years

 

Nice,Free plans are the best...Thanks for posting...


Steve

 

Is that a sleeper cab on your trailer??? What a cool idea that is! That gives me a design thought for a gooseneck hauler I'm wanting to build. What is the tongue weight on your rig?

 

Yes that's a 40" sleeper. Saves like crazy on motel bills as I sleep in truck stops or Walmart parking lots. It really makes a difference when I'm out on a parts hunting trip to not have the room expenses. I don't know what the tongue weight is. I have a Chev 2500 Hd with an 8.1 in it that I use for hauling it plus I use a WD hitch set-up.

 

i was looking for one for awhile that would fit my needs also. like mentioned ealier, one that i could put a 60's car on and be able to open the door.i could find anything that suited my needs, so i decided to build one. i went alittle crazy. total lenght is 32 ft. it has a 4ft box with all the winch, batteries, spares, etc.

main frame is 2x2x3/16 box.
up rights are the same
floor bracing is 1 1/4 x 1 1/14 box i think 11 gauge, dont remember
2x3x 1/4 for the tounge
2x4x1/4 for the header
.060 alum. for the skin
2 5/16 bull dog coupler
7000 pd axles with electric brakes.

 

a couple of the frame work and the rear ramp storage.

 

I posted this on another thread ,but maybe it should be here..
The trailer I borrowed was built in the early 60's..has channel steel from front to rear ,no springs..large old style ford hubs......did I say NO springs??
Car weighs 1800 LBS..handled real well,but then again,i never had a flat tire either.only drove 55 MPH..
Build a tandem WITH brakes..just make it look old.

Rick