Almost every family has a car. Since people are interested in gardening and construction, the need for cargo delivery arises regularly. You say that the car has a trunk. But the thing is that it is not suitable for carrying heavy things. It’s easy to get out of this situation; you need to call a shipping company and place an order. But not all car owners want to spend money on their services. There is an exit! Buy a trailer. You don’t have to buy it, because you can easily make this useful thing with his own hand.
Is it profitable to make a trailer?
Of course it's profitable! If you are comfortable with tools and have the skills to work with welding and spare parts, then do it yourself. Assembling the trailer will not take much time; no expensive tools or materials are required for the work.
You'll save money because you won't have to spend money on a factory trailer.
How to make a trailer for a light car?
- First, buy everything you need. You will need sheet steel, from which you will make the body. Buy a chassis and wheels; you need steel channels. In addition, the trailer will need high quality aluminum pipes and fasteners. To weld the body, you need a welding machine. If you know how to work with it, weld the sheets.
- Determine the desired dimensions of the trailer and make a drawing, this will help you during assembly. It’s very good if you have stocks of old parts in your garage; they will be needed in your work. For example, take the connecting elements of the sides from the tractor, and knock down the sides themselves from the lining. Make the frame from steel pipe, it is enough to buy a product with a diameter of 40 mm. Adapt a pipe of slightly smaller diameter for the draft. Buy three pieces, two you will use for longitudinal rods, and one for transverse rods. Don't forget to purchase a pipe for the bridge beam.
- Install tubeless wheels; shock absorbers from the old Ural will come in handy. In the store you need to buy a device designed to grip the tow bar and a safety chain.
What to pay attention to
You need to start by assembling the frame. You probably hope that your homemade trailer will serve you for a long time. Remember that service life directly depends on the strength of the frame. An important factor is rigidity. To assemble the structure, use welding, this guarantees a reliable connection.
Once you specify the dimensions of the trailer, try to assemble the frame. Lay out the elements on a flat floor, assemble the structure, fastening it with temporary clamps. Pay attention to the components of the frame, place them perpendicularly. Take a tape measure and measure the diagonals. The values must be the same, the discrepancy should not exceed 3%. If the discrepancy is greater, then it is worth reassembling the frame.
Since a rectangle is not the most reliable design, strengthen the trailer with an additional stiffening rib.
How to connect a trailer to a car?
You will need to purchase a hitch for car trailer. When assembling the coupling part, pay attention to the length. The shorter it is, the easier it is to control the trailer. The easiest way is to make the coupling part from 1.5 to 2.5 m long.
Do not make the coupling part short, because the trailer will react even to a slight turn of the wheels, this will cause the load to fall.
Make the towbar from a square pipe. Take a welding machine and weld three pipes. Place the middle of the connection point along the tow axle. Weld a metal corner to the assembly, so the structure will become even more reliable.
Then proceed to install the safety rope. If you don't have one, use a chain instead. Select the length so that the chain does not touch the road when driving.
Install the connection coupling; use bolts or welding for fastening. Welding is considered a reliable method of fastening.
Are you going to do the fastening with bolts? Install no more than two. If you do more, drilling holes in the mounting points will weaken the frame.
Axle installation and side mounting
Turn the frame over and place it on two blocks. Measure the length of the trailer, multiply the value by 40%. Place the resulting distance on the rear side of the trailer; this is where the axle should be located. Remove paint from frame before installation. Measure the distance between the bushings, divide in half and make a mark on the axle.
Connect parts of the structure spot welding. Install a spring-shock suspension on the trailer; it will ensure a smooth ride.
Install stabilization jacks on the inside of the frame; they will hold the trailer in a horizontal position. Side walls make the trailer from clapboard, or use metal sheets.
First, the flooring is made from boards. Use bolts for fastening, then install the clapboard box. Secure the corners of the box with metal corners, so the structure will become even stronger. Cover the sides with metal; on such a trailer you can easily transport bulk cargo.
Bottom line
The trailer is easy to assemble and will increase the vehicle's potential. You will transport cargo, the trunk and interior of the car will not be damaged. Car owners install a braking system on the trailer and install lighting. Entrust their installation to specialists; to do this, contact the service center.
One day, on occasion, I stopped by to see one of my friends, who works at a scrap metal collection point, and saw in his pile of pieces of iron the fragments of an old “bee” trailer, it seems.
There, in this heap of old iron, the size of my house, there was also an old rear axle, apparently from a “Muscovite”.
Immediately the idea was born to build a trailer from this trash for transporting various useful household goods.
After short and productive negotiations involving several Bank of Russia notes, these remains ended up with me, and I safely brought them to my village.
That's what I got.
I already screwed my own wheels onto the bridge, fortunately I have Moskvich wheels. In addition, I also got two dented sides, front and rear, with broken hinges.
So, let's list what I used to make this trailer.
1. Rear axle with springs from Moskvich
2. Remains of the old body from the Bee trailer
3. Two forged oarlocks from an ancient gate
4. Spring bushings for Muscovite, rubber, 6 pcs.
5. A piece of stainless steel tube (old curtain)
6. M10 bolts with nuts, 6 pcs.
7. Hinges, 4 pcs.
8. Aerosol paint, 1 can, orange
9. Hitch, 1 pc.
10. Wheels from a Muscovite, 2 pcs.
11. Welding machine
12. Bulgarian
13. Corner 45X45 from an old bed, 2 pcs.
The towbar was purchased from a car dealership, primarily for reasons of unification so that my trailer would fit all standard towbars, as well as for reasons of safety and ease of use. I saw homemade coupling devices, and I could make them myself, but they did not inspire confidence in me.
The next morning, after the first “trying on” of the bridge and the body, it became clear that they were... incompatible. The bridge turned out to be 8 cm narrower than the body. I had to cut it. With the help of a grinder, after a couple of hours, all the excess was cut off, and the result was a body that was ideally suited to this bridge.
After reverse welding, further construction continued. Due to the fact that the metal of the body was not particularly thick and not very strong (I realized this when cutting the body with a grinder), I decided to attach the springs to the body through the corners in order to more evenly distribute the load on load-bearing elements body From two long corners from an old armored mesh, 8 pieces were cut. short corners and holes were drilled in them for future fastening. After “fitting” the bridge to its fastenings, four of the old forged gate oarlocks were made.
A small note about hardware. As they say, everything is learned by comparison. Like the corners from an old bed, or the old oarlocks from a gate - the antique metal in them is of excellent quality, unlike modern corners that can be bent by hand - these old pieces of iron were cut and drilled with great difficulty. I don’t think it was some kind of alloyed or special steel - it’s just that steel was made differently before.
There were also 6 bushings cut. from an old stainless steel curtain.
Once everything was assembled, bolted down and properly welded, it was time to put the trailer on its feet, that is, on its wheels, and begin its final assembly.
The sides were straightened, new hinges were welded, bolts were installed on the sides, and the towbar was welded into place. At the end of everything, the trailer was touched up here and there (one can of paint would not be enough for the entire trailer) and put into operation.
I have not checked the maximum load capacity of the trailer, but the trailer can easily transport 0.3 m3 of sand, 10 bags of cement, 200 pcs. bricks I didn’t load it anymore, but not because it would break, but because the tractor I have is an old Moskvich-412, I feel sorry for it.
I transport anything on a trailer. Sand, stones, brick, earth, manure, garbage, boat, cabinet, refrigerator, washing machine, potatoes, hay, and so on and so forth.
I am not going to install lighting devices on the trailer and register it with the traffic police, because it is used only during daylight hours and only within our village, it does not go on the highway, and the maximum speed of my “road train” with a load is no more than 30 km/h . For the same reason, I did not make wings over the wheels and did not install shock absorbers. At these speeds there is no such need. Only reflectors (reflectors) from
Sometimes the trunk capacity of a passenger car is not roomy enough for many motorists, especially if transportation is required large cargo. A trailer is best suited to solve this problem.
Homemade trailers for cars
There are two types of trailers, manufactured by a specialized factory or home-made:
- Factory trailers do not require additional permits for their registration and registration. But at the same time, factory trailers do not always satisfy car enthusiasts with their technical characteristics, and if they do, then their price is prohibitively high. And the quality of the trailers themselves is not up to par high level, which requires additional investments after purchase to eliminate factory defects.
- A homemade trailer is a structure that a car enthusiast assembles according to his own drawing from a material that makes it obsolete in quality, while adhering to GOST standards for its assembly. As for the registration aspects of such a product, they are much more expensive than when registering a factory one, since additional permits are required for operation homemade trailer.
If we look at it from an economic point of view, the cost of a homemade trailer, taking into account all registration costs, is significantly lower than buying a new one.
It is also worth considering that a homemade trailer will be of much higher quality than a factory one, if only because the entire manufacturing process will be controlled by the car enthusiast himself.
Set of tools and materials
The first thing you need to make your own trailer is a drawing.
It is also worth noting that the drawing must correspond GOST standards 37.001.220-80.
This standard specifies all the requirements that are necessary in order to obtain permission to operate a trailer and its further registration in the Interdistrict Registration and Examination Department.
In addition to the drawing, the following materials will be required to make a homemade trailer.
- Profile pipe 40x40 millimeters for constructing a trailer frame. You can use a pipe bigger size, but it is worth considering that this will entail an increase in the mass of the structure.
- For the sides it is recommended to use steel sheets with a thickness of at least 0.6 millimeters, but not more than 1 mm, as this can also lead to an unnecessary increase in the weight of the sight.
- For the bottom of the trailer, you can use OSB sheets or polycarbonate. The amount of material is calculated from the bottom area of the trailer.
- Metal beam 80x5 mm for the trailer axle.
- Hub for wheel mounting, will fit perfectly with the rear beam of the VAZ 2108.
- Two VAZ wheels with a diameter of R 13, R14 optional.
- Two shock absorbers from a Ural motorcycle.
- Two car shock absorber springs, can be used building from VAZ 2101 or ZAZ 969.
- Two-core braided wire for electrical wiring, approximately 10 meters.
- Side lights with stops and turns.
- Thick-walled metal pipe at least three meters long. D For the manufacture of a towing element.
- Towbar lock.
- Male-male connector for connecting the on-board network from the car.
To make a homemade trailer you will also need the following tools:
- Welding machine - preferably semi-automatic, but you can also use a regular arc one.
- Grinder and wheels for cutting metal.
- Drill and drill bits on metal.
- Roulette and hammer.
- Screwdrivers, wire cutters.
After all necessary tool and the material will be purchased, you can proceed directly to the assembly process itself without deviating from the dimensions indicated in the drawing.
DIY assembly
Materials for trailer assembly are cut according to the dimensions indicated in the drawing.
Assembling a homemade trailer consists of the following steps:
The trailer wiring is laid according to the same principle as in a car: the negative wire is attached to its frame (ground), and the positive wire is attached to the contact of the lighting fixture.
How to register a homemade trailer for a car?
To register with MREO A technical passport and product number are required.
Of course, a homemade trailer cannot have either the first or the second.
Therefore, in order to register a homemade trailer for it, it is necessary to provide documents that confirm that this product complies with GOST standards and is safe for use on roads common use.
In order to obtain a document on the safety of a homemade trailer, you need to contact an accredited testing laboratory. After conducting a series of tests, the laboratory staff will issue (if the tests are successful) a certificate of the ability to safely use the trailer on public roads. With this document you can go to the MREO and legally register the trailer.
Also, do not forget that you will have to contact the office that deals with stamping numbers on vehicles, and only after the number is stamped on the frame of the trailer can you begin the process of registering it.
Registering a trailer
In order to register a homemade trailer, you will need the following documents:
- Statement to the head of the MREO for trailer registration.
- Identification.
- Registration certificate vehicle.
- Laboratory certificate authorizing the use of a trailer on public roads (for homemade trailers).
- Documents confirming ownership of the registered trailer(power of attorney, certificate of account).
- Receipts indicating payment of state duty and for the services of the MREO.
- Registered trailer or technical inspection report.
- OSAGO insurance policy.
The trailer registration process consists of the following stages:
- Writing an application. Having arrived at the MREO, you need to write an application addressed to the boss about registering the trailer. As a rule, a writing sample is issued along with the application form.
- Payment for services and state fees. After writing the application, the person is given a bank account where it is necessary to pay the state duty, MREO services and for materials (registration certificate, license plates).
- Submission of documents. After payment of the state duty and service receipts has been made along with necessary documents and submit your application to the registration window. Afterwards, you can go to the site and wait for the inspector who will inspect the trailer (if there is no inspection report).
It should be remembered that if the trailer was purchased new, then 10 days from the date of purchase are allotted for its registration. If the trailer is not registered within the specified period, the owner will have to pay a fine.
OSAGO for trailer
Oddly enough, you also need to purchase an insurance policy for the trailer. But, according to the law on compulsory motor liability insurance parts 2 and 3, not everyone is required to take out an insurance policy. Private owners of trailers for passenger cars who used them for personal purposes have the right not to purchase an insurance policy.
As for the list of trailers for which the purchase of an insurance policy is mandatory, it includes the following vehicles:
- Trailers for passenger cars of legal entities.
- Trailers for trucks and tractors.
- Trailers for buses.
- Trailers for motorcycles and scooters.
In order to issue an MTPL insurance policy, the trailer must undergo a technical inspection. Otherwise, the policy will be denied.
It's called a trailer vehicle, which does not have an engine installed. It is designed to travel in conjunction with a car. Despite the apparent complexity of such a device for transporting goods, it is not difficult to make a trailer with your own hands. For successful work, you need to choose the right parts and materials, make sketches or drawings.
Transport trailers
The widespread use of semi-trailers and trailers is due to additional amenities when transporting heavy objects. The vehicle bears only part of the load, which extends its service life. When unloading, you can save valuable time by unhooking the cart and leaving it in place, and unloading it at a convenient time. This option is convenient and is used for delivering goods between workshops of the same enterprise located at a certain distance.
All towed devices are divided into two groups:
- Special-purpose trailers allow you to take into account the needs of working with various loads, and universal machines Quite small for this kind of work. Common types include heavy-duty semi-trailers, log trucks, panel trucks, cement trucks and other types of trailed equipment.
- General transport equipment includes flatbed, tilt and other trailers of various sizes designed for transporting heavy loads of any kind.
Varieties depending on load distribution
In the designs of trailed equipment they use different systems rotary-wheel control in order to improve the maneuverability and speed of regulation of the road train. Hitches are standard in most cases. If the trailer has an active wheel drive from the car engine, then such carriages are called active automobile trains.
To drive such an active drive, a mechanical transmission is used via a coupling device or a hydraulic drive is used.
If the road train has two or more links, then the engine is located in the section at the rear. Unofficially, the concept of “trailer” exists; it is used to move cars, other equipment or oversized cargo(long or heavy weight).
Depending on the load distribution between the trailer and the tractor, trailers are divided into several types:
Requirements for transport devices
A person who wants to independently make a transport cart for moving goods should study the requirements for car trailers. These standards are contained in GOST 37.001.220−1980, which is called “Trailers for passenger cars.” A selection of these requirements includes the following provisions:
Features of using carts
Car trailers are used only in accordance with their intended purpose, as this is due to similar tires and wheels with the main vehicle, track width, and travel within certain ground clearance dimensions. The rule does not apply to heavy trucks and trailers. All breakdowns that occur during operation are similar to malfunctions brake system and the chassis of the main machine.
In addition, the operation of the trailer is impaired due to damage to the coupling or wear of the turning device.
To delay the repair of these systems, you need to regularly inspect the trailer. Since the operation of the device is associated with constant shaking and shock due to uneven traffic on roads, it is necessary to tighten the fasteners from time to time and align the curved parts. Before operation, you need to check the serviceability of springs, brakes, lighting, tire pressure, the presence of a spare wheel, and the serviceability of side and body locks.
Towing of carts is carried out according to the rules; speeding is unacceptable, as well as sudden braking and unequal distribution of the load. Increasing the speed while driving will cause the trailer to wobble on the sides. Sharp braking causes the car and trailer to fold, this is also facilitated by engine braking. Due to uneven storage of transported materials, stability is impaired and the trailer may tip over.
DIY making
In order to make a caravan yourself, you need to take care of purchasing some materials and tools. In order not to look for the necessary devices during work, they are purchased in advance. List of tools and materials:
Beginning of work
Assembly begins with the trailer frame, which is the supporting structure. It bears the bulk of the weight of the cargo. It is subject to increased requirements for reliability and strength. Prepared channel or square pipe cut to size according to the drawing, two long and two short blanks are made.
They are used to make a rectangular or square base in the form of a frame, to which the sides from metal sheet. Pay attention to the quality of welding, since this is a sore spot for homemade trailers. The hitch is attached in front of the manufactured frame. To install shock absorbers, special eyes are placed in the middle of the frame.
Now it's time to make the side frame. To fasten the side railing, strengthen vertical racks, their length depends on the height of the side. The vertical elements are connected to each other by additional stiffening ribs, since during movement it is the racks that experience the load from the displacement of the load. Additional strengthening connections are made horizontal, vertical or placed obliquely.
Working with the chassis of a trailer involves a large number difficulties and different features. One of them is that the axle should be located closer to the rear of the trailer. All design features arise depending on which vehicle chassis is used for the trailer. Shock-absorbing lugs and fastenings for jet thrust. Installation and use of the latter are mandatory, since they play the role of elements supporting the bridge.
Final phase
Sheathing the sides with metal and making the bottom of the trailer from plywood is done at final stage assemblies. A jigsaw is used to cut plywood to fit the internal space, and sheet steel is cut with a grinder. The bottom elements can be made from a single sheet or connected from pieces with an overlap of at least 5 cm. All pieces must be attached around the perimeter to the frame and base elements using bolted connections.
The sides are cut to dimensions that are measured on site. At this stage, it is not relevant to use the dimensions from the drawings, since during the manufacturing process the dimensions of the body frame, as a rule, differ slightly from those provided in the diagrams. Welding or rivets are used as fastening, which also hold the material well. The sides are attached to all racks and strengthening connections.
Electrical equipment
Elements of electrical equipment are installed on back wall trailer These include red triangular reflectors, a reversing light, license plate lights, turn signals, brake lights, and side lights. On the wall in the front there are dimensions white and the same reflectors.
The side walls are designed for orange reflectors. To ensure that the wires maintain their integrity, a protective corrugation is put on them. Wire connections must be secure and well secured. It is convenient to attach the corrugation with wiring inside to the frame frame using plastic clamps.
Making a trailer requires skill and experience with power tools, but it will save money compared to buying a ready-made vehicle from a store.
Car owners often have to deal with the problem of transporting cargo that is more bulky than can fit in the trunk. Trailers are sold for this purpose. Although it happens that there is no money for a trailer, but cargo needs to be transported.
Therefore, many motorists find a way out in making a trailer on our own. Moreover, such work brings moral satisfaction. Work experience is acquired and improved.
What you need to create a trailer yourself
First of all, you need materials. Durable metal tubes. Angles and channels of different markings, so that there is plenty to choose from. Strips of strong sheet steel, different sizes. It is advisable to get some springs somewhere. Or make them.
Need a tool. The more variety of tools, the better. Work will be more convenient and without problems. A welding machine is a must. Drilling machine Or a drill is a must have too. Sharpening machine (compact ones are now sold sharpening machines, do not take up much space).
Sledgehammer, hammer, chisel, spanners, calipers, taps, a tap driver (if necessary, you need to cut a thread somewhere yourself) - this is an incomplete list of what is needed. If everything is there, we proceed to implementation.
Where to start making a trailer
You can sketch the drawing yourself. Can be found on the Internet. Nowadays there are a lot of them on technical sites. You need to choose a drawing. When choosing, we determine how many wheels there will be. Usually they make a two-wheeled one. If desired, you can make a four-wheeled one, and even with a jack, a dump truck type. To simplify the example, here is a drawing of a regular two-wheeled trailer:
You need to start making a trailer with a frame. On concrete floor in a garage or other room suitable for this purpose, lay out all the pre-prepared materials for the frame. And sequentially, after measuring and trimming, weld the parts of the structure to each other. For some reason, many sites say that the frame should be made of pipes. Although practice shows that it is more convenient and practical to make a frame from corners.
There is also this: in some places two corners are connected joint to joint, the joint is welded. The result is a configuration similar to a small cross-section channel. Very durable material. It is not needed everywhere. Although in some places it is impossible to do without such material.
This is done the other way around, upside down. That is, the frame is welded first, then the sides. The lower frame of the frame part is welded to the sides from above. A shaft for the wheels is installed in the center of the resulting frame, secured in cups with bearings. Both the shaft and the bearing cups are mounted on springs. Which are connected to the frame by a reverse connection. Like in this picture:
Please note that the movable reverse of the springs will allow the trailer to gently and smoothly overcome bumps if there are any along the way. This is precisely why additional joints are needed on the spring when attaching it to the frame.
Further work on creating the trailer
Initially, you need to take care of the correct alignment of the mobile device. So that there is not a big advantage in one direction. This is especially true for two-wheeled trailers. Such a device should lean slightly (not much) forward. Then, when uncoupled from the machine, the drawbar (in other words, the leash) will naturally lie on the surface of the room.
Let's return directly to creating the trailer. After the base is made, the springs are secured and installed, we strengthen the wheel shaft with bearings in cups sealed from dust and dirt. Then we install the wheels. We secure them with bolts or fittings. Depending on who has what wheel mounting device. When the wheels are installed, without turning the device over, you need to strengthen the traction that will go to the car. The pull, or leash, may look like this:
Here the leash is in the form of one hollow metal pipe of square section. Often, for a more stable position, the leash is made of two drawbars converging towards each other. Which form a triangular connection. Here in this picture, where the trailer is more spacious, the leash is triangular.
It is almost invisible because it is lowered to concrete slab in front, But you can guess that the leash is triangular, consisting of two drawbars connected in front into one knot with a fastening. The leash is attached using a coupling device called a tow bar. There should be no ad-libbing here.
Without a towbar on the leash, the trailer will not be registered with the traffic police. For safety reasons, a standardized approach is used here with the installation of ready-made commercial towbars. This is what this device looks like:
It's cheap, there's no problem buying it. The towbar can be secured with bolts and nuts to the drawbar or welded.
Finish by strengthening the sides. Someone seals the body with thick plywood. Someone reinforces the sides with wire mesh. Some are welded to the side frame thin sheets tin. Then you can paint it. Who likes what. Last thing: you need to register your homemade mobile vehicle - a trailer - with the traffic police. To do this, you must meet a number of requirements that are the same for everyone. For safety.
The first video, called “homemade trailer,” shows the steps of creating a two-wheeled trailer.
In the second video “Business idea in the garage. Homemade dump trailer original design“- a craftsman, a master of his craft, created a four-wheeled, spacious trailer - a dump truck. The video shows the moment he tests the strength of the body with the body raised. Both videos can be found on YouTube.
