Trailer Builders

[billybob]

Hi Folks,

Just wondering if we have any trailer builders, welders, fabricators from Sydney on the boards who would be interested in building a 9 x 5 or 9 x 6 chassis (only) for me to fit out.

PM me if you are interested.

Cheers :)

[Yonnee]

Too bad you're in Sydney!!

[wheelinround]

Built and repaired a couple of trailers over the years until it became necessary to have an engineer sign off and fit a compliance plate the cost of the engineer became ridiculous cheaper to go buy one built at a factory.

Any Trailer built in NSW used to be need signing off on by a signatory engineer but I have just located this .

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi52.pdf

[Yonnee]

I've not heard of an engineer's report for a trailer, compliance plate, Yes, but not an engineers. Especially for a new trailer.

No wonder you guys pay so much for a second hand trailer if you can't make your own new one without all the hassles.

Also, the Vehicle Standards Bulletin is a National code for the manufacture of small trailers up to 4500kg and has nothing about having to get an engineer to sign off on it.

[wheelinround]

I've not heard of an engineer's report for a trailer, compliance plate, Yes, but not an engineers. Especially for a new trailer.

No wonder you guys pay so much for a second hand trailer if you can't make your own new one without all the hassles.


Yeh a real b^& breaker Yonnee :doh:

I am a Motor Vehicle Builder by trade and built a few prior these regulation changes brought in under Bob Carr due to to many accidents from trailers which had not been welded or maintained even if they had come from a factory.

I was working with an signatory engineer at the time of inception I was about to embark on building one for myself back mid 1990's when he said what it was going to cost then to get it registered about $100 for the papers prior registration.

Last time I checked here about $700 for a small trailer

[dazzler]

There is not a lot of profit in trailer building up this way. Many go broke pretty quick. :(

[welder.man]

I run a metal fabrication business and i build and repair trailers all the time, I don't ever have any hassles with rego, All I have to do is take it for a weigh bridge ticket and a blue slip and the mechanic calls the RTA to get a Vin number I buy a compliance plate from him and stamp the relevant information onto the plate fix it to the trailer and also stamp the number it to the chassis, and than to the RTA and pay the rego.

I am about 4 hours from Sydney but I will help if I can.

[notenoughtoys]

Built and repaired a couple of trailers over the years until it became necessary to have an engineer sign off and fit a compliance plate the cost of the engineer became ridiculous cheaper to go buy one built at a factory.



I have built 2 trailers in the past cuppla years (a box trailer and a motorbike trailer) and I'm in the middle of building a larger box trailer. All I've ever had to do is take it to a weighbridge and then off to the local mechanic for a blueslip and that's it, they're both called homemade on the rego. They're also both under 250kg,s and don't require brakes, not sure if that makes a difference re engineer cert but when I was researching for info on trailer construction, the only spec's available were for lighting and reflectors???

Bob K

[dazzler]

I run a metal fabrication business and i build and repair trailers all the time, I don't ever have any hassles with rego, All I have to do is take it for a weigh bridge ticket and a blue slip and the mechanic calls the RTA to get a Vin number I buy a compliance plate from him and stamp the relevant information onto the plate fix it to the trailer and also stamp the number it to the chassis, and than to the RTA and pay the rego.

I am about 4 hours from Sydney but I will help if I can.

North, south, west or East :D

[Wood Butcher]

One would hope not East. Could be rather wet:p

[welder.man]

I am in the central west an hour from Orange, Parkes and Young

[wheelinround]

I have built 2 trailers in the past cuppla years (a box trailer and a motorbike trailer) and I'm in the middle of building a larger box trailer. All I've ever had to do is take it to a weighbridge and then off to the local mechanic for a blueslip and that's it, they're both called homemade on the rego. They're also both under 250kg,s and don't require brakes, not sure if that makes a difference re engineer cert but when I was researching for info on trailer construction, the only spec's available were for lighting and reflectors???

Bob K

Bob you could be right I think CUB's trailers were getting around the 750kg mark I'll check FIL's when I can it has a plate and about 1996 model trailer.
All cars are rated to tow just a specific weight, which included the trailer and what ever it was carrying often got over the recommended draw bar hitch wieght and the towball capacity.

The changes came in early 1990's I was in Tamworth at the time working at JAKAB they used to make Ambulances & buses and stretch Cabs etc. I was studying Mech Eng Dip, Engineer was Peter Weatherby ( I worked under his father at CCMC) Peter was a signatory and he had plates which he would engrave /stamp and sign off on he hated it.

Thats why checked the RTA site for latest which I posted the most recent RTA doc's/PDF obviously it has changed again as its was 10 yrs ago.

I'll see if I still have the old PDF's some where

Ray

[Arthur Dyason]

You will have no problem with home build in NSW as long as it complies with the regulations. ie lights and reflectors in the correct place, wheels covered the right distance, overrun or electric brakes on trailers over 750kg gross weight, correct road clearance height, correct chain used and welded correctly to trailer as as tow hitch.

You then need weighbridge ticket which normally costs $15 to $20 and a rego test which needs to be done each year in NSW. The company where you purchase the axle and other trailer parts should also have the compliance stickers and plates. The testing company should give you the VIN number.

Apart from sawmills we also make specialist trailers in stainless steel. Where near Bellingen but can freight anywhere.

Remember NO sharpe bits sticking out and make sure everything is secure. If the welding looks good you wont invite a close inspection but just make it safe.

One thing to look at very carefully is the triangulation of the hitch and the axle. If this is not within mm then you can end up with a trailer which is unstable at speed and will snake badly.

best of luck

arthur

[Yonnee]

There is not a lot of profit in trailer building up this way. Many go broke pretty quick. :(

There's probably a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, it's one of the few industries that you don't need any sort of qualification to be in. It seems anyone who thinks they can weld, can get a business name, rent a factory, buy a welder, and start making trailers. The one's that can build a reasonable trailer, quickly, for a fair price, will do OK. But for standard box trailers, they're competing with professional manufacturers who turn around a 6X4 in less than 1/2 an hour, and when complete, sell for under $500.00. Yes they're cheap rubbish, (which is why I haven't named them) and are only rated to carry 500kg, but for this company, it's all about turnover.




They're also both under 250kg,s and don't require brakes,... Actually 750kg ATM is the limit for requiring brakes.

...not sure if that makes a difference re engineer cert but when I was researching for info on trailer construction, the only spec's available were for lighting and reflectors???
You didn't look hard enough. You should be able to pick up the Vehicle Standards Bulletin for building small trailers (VSB1) from your local RTA (I think you can even download it). It has all the specs and regulations you require. HOWEVER... I does not instruct you how to build a trailer properly. There are quite a few things that if you don't get right, will result in a trailer that will not only tow poorly, but will be a danger to other road users. Two things in particular are axle placement, and drawbar attachment.




One thing to look at very carefully is the triangulation of the hitch and the axle. If this is not within mm then you can end up with a trailer which is unstable at speed and will snake badly.
Not quite Arthur, but close.
Incorrect 'triangulation' (the measurement between centre of coupling and tip of axles) will result in a trailer that "crab walks" behind you, ie; sticks out one side. If this traingulation is not right on a tandem trailer, this can result in a trailer that is very unstable as each axle tries to head off in own direction.
Weight distribution is the key factor in whether a trailer will tow well or not. There is a standard measurement for placing an axle or axle group on a chassis that will ensure that a trailer has good weight distribution when empty. Then it's up to the driver how the trailer is loaded. If the trailer has too little ball-weight, then the trailer will try and swap ends with you. The faster you go, the worse it gets. Also, the lighter this ball-weight is, the slower the speed at which it will start to do this. Too much ball-weight will make your tow vehicle squat, reducing the weight on your steering and braking, making it dangerous to tow.
Height can also be a factor in this. I had a customer complain that his trailer was too 'snakey'. When asked, he said he had 100kg ball-weight and 1200kg GVM. This is usually not a problem, until I saw the trailer was a 4 metre high ferris wheel. The wind loading on this, even at slow speeds was enough to reduce the ball-weight to nothing as the trailer tried to tip over backwards.

[Arthur Dyason]

Not quite Arthur, but close.


Yonnee

just trying to give a little detail without going into the maths fully. I have seen some real junk on the road.

We manufacture stainless steel trailers with our own independent coil spring suspension and as the trailers are made in jigs the maths has only needed to be correct once and then all the follow on trailers have the right balance and run true.

As we cannot compete with the cheap end of the market we add all sorts of extra features to make our trailers worth their money.

Most buyers just want something cheap. Here in northern NSW even gal trailers only last a few years. Our stainless steel ones are designed with no welded seams so in theory they should last a life time but you pay for what you get.

arthur

[Wood Butcher]

Our stainless steel ones are designed with no welded seams so in theory they should last a life time but you pay for what you get.So if there are no welded seams how are the trailers held together??

[wheelinround]

One thing to keep in mind is axles width, hub size/bearing size, tyre dimention's width (to wide a tyre can see them scrub out on the guards and inner edge, clearence of gaurds when loaded to soft a spring or badly located hangers can have tyres rubbing the underside of guards.
A tailgate which comes off is best slide on hinge.

Many parts are available at Caravan suppliers

[Arthur Dyason]

So if there are no welded seams how are the trailers held together??

We fold the body out of a single peice of sheet steel. the body is then welded or bonded to the chassis depending on the trailer application.

The better the trailer is built the higher the price.

arthur