Building A Car Trailer, Part1

This is what your trailer could look like

when finished. This inexpensive trailer
has several unique features.

Getting Started

The needed parameters called for a 16-foot long The axle on the right has stock spring
bed with a dovetail rear to lessen the need for location. The one on the left has the
long or steep ramps. The objective was an open spring flipped to be on the bottom. This
bed with runners on each side because often I lowers the trailer nearly four inches.
don’t unload the car to change the oil and check
for loose bolts. With this setup, you can also lie
under the trailer and scan the bottom side of the
car for damage.

It is my belief that a trailer needs springs, two

axles and brakes, although many are built
without them. Keeping cost in mind, mobile-
home axles work very well. In many parts of the
country they are abundant, but you should check If you are not sure of the strength of a
with local agencies to make sure they are legal mobile-home axle, read the tag from
the ones we used here. Check your
to use in other applications. Several states have
state regulations for use of mobile-
laws to the effect that a mobile-home axle can be home axles.
used only for its intended purpose on a mobile
home. Most often, mobile-home axles are left
intact by the installers.

The axles on this trailer were obtained by

crawling under a friend’s mobile home and
cutting them out ... with his permission, of
course. All the mobile-home axles I’ve
encountered have a capacity of 6,000 pounds or
greater and have matching springs. That’s
12,000 pounds of capacity for two axles, more
than enough for a 3,000-pound car on an 1,100-
pound trailer. In choosing mobile home axles,
you will find some with brakes. Get at least one
of these if possible. You’ll be glad you did if you
find yourself in a tight spot. When the side flange of the trailer is
cut to make the dovetail, it is necessary
to reinforce the opening with a robust
Next, find five 14-½-inch mobile home tires and diamond-shaped patch.
wheels (one for a spare). The tires are bias-ply
nylon tires made for trailers. Their load capacity
is greater than 15-inch steel-belted radials, and
they tow better, according to those who know. If
your budget allows and you feel you must have
15-inch wheels, tandem-axle assemblies with
springs and brakes are available from several
sources. There should be at least one trailer-axle
dealer in your area. Be prepared to spend $350-
plus for a pair of 2,500-pound axles, (more for
heavier ones) and then put on some good used A jack and a steel plate secure axle
tires. halves for welding. Be sure to align the
springs before you weld.
In many cases, the mobile-home trailer tongues
are also underneath. If you don’t mind using a 2-
5/16-inch ball, one of these can be made to
work.

I like high, forward-mounted brake and taillights.

The lights on this trailer are up high on the tire
rack. They are very visible from any angle and
don’t get knocked off, a constant problem when
mounted low and at the rear. It’s a good idea to
use reflective tape on the rear of the trailer. In
Texas, where this buildup was done, there has
never been a problem with this arrangement. If
the gendarmes in your area are more critical,
add some lights at the rear, protecting them as
best you can.
The tongue must be securely welded to
the frame. Be sure to decide on a hitch
before welding parts in the wrong
place. The location of the trailer hitch
ball should be a minimum of 36 inches
in front of the trailer frame.

Some tools and equipment will be needed for

construction. A cutting torch, a 14-inch cutoff
saw and a welder are the basic items. A hand-
held angle grinder will let you clean up a lot of
rough edges too. You will need excellent welding
skills. If you doubt yours, hire the welding out.

A bill of materials appears below for the items

needed to construct the trailer. There may also
be a few pieces of scrap in your shop you can
use. Now let’s build it.

The Axles

For our purposes, the outside width of the trailer

is 98 inches. This allows a bed width of 78
inches with a tire clearance of at least an inch.
Mobile-home axles are too long in the beginning, The frame is almost ready to be turned
and notice the crown in the center of the axle. over. The spring brackets have been
This flattens out with the weight of the mobile welded in. The dovetail has been cut
home. Cut out this section to achieve the proper and bent. The crossmembers are in
overall width. With this accomplished and the place. The tongue sides have been
ends re-welded, the axle should be straight. located and welded. The axles must be
Weld it back together after grinding a bevel on removed before turning the frame right
side up.
both ends. This will aid in weld penetration.
Before you weld the axle back together, don’t
forget to align the spring pads with each other. I
used 0.030 wire in the Millermatic (see sidebar)
for this entire project, making two weld passes
around the axle to fill the bevel and leaving a
built-up bead.

Using the piece removed from the center of an

axle, make two eight-inch, half-round pieces.
One of these was welded to the bottom of each
axle joint for additional strength.
Remove the springs and turn them over so the
spring will be below the axle. This will lower the
trailer about 3-½ inches. Hopefully you found
axles with the shackles and pivots to make it
easier. The axles are finished for now.
Save your bravado for the racetrack.
Be very careful turning the trailer frame
over. You did remove the axles, didn’t
you? This photo shows Sleepy picking
up one side with an engine hoist. This
is the easy part.

Fabricating the frame The perimeter frame is

made of 4x4x¼-inch steel angle on the sides and
front. The pieces are cut to make outside
measurements of 16 feet by 78 inches. Cut the
corners at a 45-degree angle so they fit together
smoothly. A piece of four-inch channel forms the
Here you can see the safety chains in
rear-most crossmember. It is installed flanges place. One is attached to the race car,
out. the other to the tow vehicle. Work
these slowly, loosen one, then tighten
The frame will be built upside down so there the other. Don’t let the trailer move
won’t be any overhead welding. Set the more than a foot at a time. Using this
framerails flange-down on cinder blocks. This method one person can do the job
safely.
gets them off the floor. Measure corner to corner
in an X pattern. Tap the pieces around until this
measurement is equal both ways. Now the frame
is square. Put a good tack-weld in all four
corners before welding it solid. Check the corner-
to-corner measurement again. If it is off a little,
rap it with a hammer.
Cut seven pieces of 1-½-inch square tubing to 7-
7½ inches to fit inside the frame. The inside of
the four-inch angle, as with all angle iron, has a
radius. The tubing can be cut straight and then
radiused on a grinder for a good fit. Being willing
to take a short cut, I cut the tubing to 77.25
inches and did not grind a radius. The
Millermatic sewed up the gap like Betsy Ross
putting stars on a flag. This is the last step in the process. Use
the engine hoist to let the trailer all the
way down. Not using a hoist in the final
Notice the photo showing the locations of the step will allow the bottom of the frame
square tube crossbars. The center crossbar is on to slip toward the tight chain. This can
the centerline between the two axles. This be as dangerous as it is exciting.
should be 18 inches behind the center of the
trailer bed. The next two are away from center
under the mounting points of the spring hangers.
One more should be placed halfway between the
front spring mount and the front of the frame. In
the rear, 40 inches from the rear would be about
right.

Now that the basic frame is together it must be

notched for the dovetail. The dovetail is the
drooped section at the rear of the trailer. This
enables the use of shorter ramps. The dovetail
line should be 48 inches from the rear end of the
trailer. There needs to be a drop of five inches
measured at the rear. Using the torch, cut the
vertical flange of the four-inch angle 48 inches
from the rear. Remember, the frame is still
upside down. I placed two jackstands five inches
Once the frame is right-side up, weld
higher than the cinder blocks under the rear all the places that will be covered by
channel. Standing on each side of the frame at the purling runners. A few good-sized
the notch, my weight bent it down properly. From C clamps will make it easier to hold the
scrap, cut a diamond 4x7x¼-inch thick. Place it purling in place for welding. Install the
on the outside of the frame over the notch. Weld outside one first, then the inside.
it inside and out.

The remaining piece of four-inch channel should

be cut in half. The two resulting pieces will make
the tongue. You should, at this time, have
selected a hitch. Some are made at different
angles. The tongue sides should be at the
correct angle for your hitch. Consider it a
minimum to have 36 inches from the front of the
trailer to the center of the trailer hitch ball. More
would be better. Some good welds here will give The purling has been notched for the
you peace of mind for a long time. With the basic bend. My partner Jim fits it down into
frame done, set the axles on the frame and hook the dovetailed part of the frame.
up the spring linkage. Place a two-inch block Purlings should be welded to each
between the axle and the frame to set the bump- other and to the frame in skip welds of
travel limits. Measuring carefully, align the axles two inches about 10 inches apart.
parallel to each other and square to the trailer
frame. Weld the spring hangers in place.

Next, the axles must be removed so the frame

can be turned over more easily. Turning the
frame over is an operation that requires great
care. Use an engine hoist to raise one side of the
frame to about a 70-degree angle. At this point
attach safety chains to heavy objects on both
sides of the frame. I used the rollcage of our race
car for one attachment point. The other chain ran
from the trailer frame to the trailer hitch on the
tow vehicle. Step by step, I let one out and
tightened the other. It gets a bit dicey when the
frame goes over-center and the tension goes
from one chain to the other. Keep yourself out
from under the side coming down. Use the
engine hoist for the final lowering just like the
initial pick-up. If you don’t, the frame will skid
sideways during the last few feet of lowering.
This sort of surprise will make you wish you had
taken those dancing lessons when you were
young.

With the trailer right-side up, weld all those

places that will be covered up by the purling now
before you forget.

The Runners

Two eight-inch purlings need to be cut to fit on

each side. This makes a 16-inch-wide runner.
Measure inside the frame from front to rear and
add a quarter-inch to the total. You will have to
cut a V notch for the dovetail to take up the
difference. This V notch should be five-
sixteenths-of-an-inch wide at the flange side and
near zero at the top face. When bent, it will fit
right down in the frame. Weld the first purling in
next to the outside of the angle flange. Weld it to
the angle flange and also to the 1-½-inch square
cross members. Then add the next one, welding
it to the first and to the cross members.
Depending on your purling supplier, it might stick
up slightly over the angle. Mine did, so I got
some three-quarter-inch angle to cap it off at the
front.

The purling can be slippery at times. My cure for

this is to rake it with the welder. Medium
amperage and a medium wire feed works well.
This leaves small weld beads similar to very
coarse sanding paper stuck to the surface. Foot
traction is much better than with diamond plate,
and it’s a lot cheaper. At this point, your trailer
should look like a trailer. In the second segment I
will show you how to build a pair of $12 fenders,
a slide-in Superwinch mount, where to put the
tie-downs along with a tire rack with a
deck.

.
Building A Car Trailer, Part 2

Putting The Finishing Touches On A Basic,

Open Trailer With Some Ruffles And
Flourishes

Our wonderful trailer-which cost $306

In Part 1 we covered building the basic frame of for steel and free mobile-home
axles—is ready to see the racetrack.
a car trailer. It was fitted with 6,000-
The money saved on axles paid for the
pound mobile home axles. They are plentiful Superwinch I always wanted.
throughout most of the country, some to the
point of being free if you want to crawl under a
mobile home to get them. Our trailer has runners
rather than a solid floor, which makes changing
oil on the car easy. The target was $300 for the
basics. I went $6 over budget on the steel, and I
was given the mobile home axles. This month I’ll
finish the details and add some nice touches
such as a winch. So let’s finish it up. Store-bought fenders can be
purchased for $75-$100. These home-
built fenders are made from the same
Building the Fenders purling used for the runners and ramps
for about $12. Remove a five-inch
Before rolling down the road, your trailer needs piece from each side. This allows a
fenders. Arguing with the gorilla in the car behind smooth bend for the rear of the fender.
you about a rock mark in his windshield is After bending, weld in a patch and
grind smooth.
seldom any fun. You can buy a pair of fenders
for about $75 to $100. However, I made mine
from a section of leftover purling. My fenders
cover behind and over the tires but not in front.
The front is the part of the fender that always
seems to bend back into the tire anyway.

Cut the blanks 74 inches long. Notch out 5-½

inches by the width of the flange in each side
flange. This allows a smooth bend. Center these
notches 16 inches from the rear of the blank.
After bending, trim a piece of scrap to fit the
curve and weld in place. The Millermatic 185
wire-feed machine welds the thin parts just like it
does the thicker ones—easily. Use a piece of 1-
½-inch angle to cap off the front. Double this and
you have a nice pair of fenders. It only cost a
little work. One-inch square tubing is used for
mounting. This spaces the fender out properly
from the frame.

The Tire Rack

Tire racks vary according to need. On this trailer,

the side frames are built from 11-gauge 1-½-inch
square tubing. It was going to be made from one-
inch material but the steel company shipped
more 1-½-inch and less of the one-inch. The
crossbars are one-inch square. The larger size
for the sides makes it more stable for only a
slight cost difference, and I recommend this
configuration. The height of the side frames is 72 Extra height allows a deck. Purling is
inches off the trailer surface. The front side tube used for the seat, which can be utilized
is vertical. The rear downtube is angled back. as a viewing spot from the infield.
The width at the top is 18 inches while at the
bottom the spacing is 32 inches. Bars across the
top provide a base for a deck. A length of purling
was added across this area for the seat. This is a
good place to watch the races.

The taper of the sides lets you cut side covers

from a single sheet of 4x8-foot material. I have
used Coroplast material for this purpose before.
This is a plastic that appears not unlike Swing-out ramps are a nice touch.
corrugated cardboard when viewed from the They can’t be lost or forgotten. Made of
edge. It is light, strong and cheap. It trims to purling like the runners, they are light
shape with a knife. Best of all, a four- by eight- (23 pounds) and strong. Use 1-1/2-inch
foot sheet is less than $10 at plastic and sign angle on each end as shown. Here the
supply shops. Attach it with self-drilling, self- ramps are extended for loading.
tapping screws. Be sure to use washers. This
panel makes a good place to display sponsor
names and car numbers. The crossbars for
holding the tires are 28 inches below the top
crossbars. This should let you put in any size
you might ever need—except some Sprint car
tires—so check your tires for fit. The mounts for
holding the holding rod are welded in to match
the tire sizes used. It is best to put a tire in the
rack and check for position before welding it.
Lyle lifts and swings the ramp.

Tie It Down

It seems silly to have to say tie it down, yet there

have been more than a few Street Stocks driven
on the trailer, put in park and towed home. This
is not a good practice.
In the past, I have tied a car
down at the front and rear, thinking that was OK.
Jim pointed out that a four-point tie-down
system should be employed. According to
Jim, if the trailer jackknifes or is involved in
some emergency maneuver, one corner of the
car can rise up when only two points are used.
With this weight shift, the trailer will dip and
something bad is going to happen. You may not
have a choice as to what it might be. Here the ramps are tucked in place.
They are attached to each other with a
With that knowledge in mind, I selected four six- chain that keeps them in place.
foot axle tie-downs. The
front two will go over the lower A-frames. Four D-
rings are needed to attach these tie-downs.

Ramps

At the end of the trailer are two ramps for loading Diamond plate looks nice but doesn’t
made from leftover purling. Each ramp is made offer much traction. This is the anti-slip
as follows: Cut two pieces of purling at 33 inches finish used on this trailer. Set the
and weld together like the trailer runners. On one welder to a medium heat, medium
end, weld a piece of 1-½-inch angle. This one is feed. Rake the welder over the surface
attached with the point out, somewhat like a very slowly. Many small weld beads will
stick and you have a surface safe to
dull axe.
walk on when wet and also to load the
car.
At the trailer end of the ramp, weld a piece of the
same angle with the flange out and on top. Drill
or torch two holes in this. Lay the ramp in place
and drill corresponding holes in the channel, only
larger. The slack is necessary due to the variable
down-angle of the ramp. Weld ½x1-½-inch bolts
into the ramp holes. These are the hooks that
keep the ramp in place.

There is an alternative way to mount the ramps.

On this trailer, they swing out and stay attached
to the trailer. First, drill the outer hole all the way
through both flanges of the channel. Now a
seven-inch piece of all-thread rod can be put
through the ramp and the channel. Presto, the
ramp is permanently attached to the trailer. Lift
the ramp and swing it in. Swing it out and it
drops in place. When both ramps are in, a short
chain holds the ramps together at the center.
Notice in the photos there is a T-shaped bar at
the center rear of the trailer. This is a rest for the
ramps when tucked.
Tightening the tie-
downs. These are attached with
D-rings at each corner of the trailer.
This type of strap wraps around the
axle or A-frame to secure the car. Four
straps should be used for security.
With only one strap on each end, a
common practice, the car can shift its
weight on the trailer in an emergency
maneuver. This gives rise to the
phrase, “We have lift off.”
A Good Winch for a Long Pull

The money saved on the trailer was enough to

afford one item I decided I couldn’t live without: a
winch. Yes, this is an extra, but too many times
there has been extra damage done to either the
trailer or the car when a wrecker driver has to
hurry to get the car loaded. Tiny clutches don’t
like trailer loading either. Side panels on the tire rack are made
of Coroplast, a cheap, durable item
from sign or plastics suppliers. A four-
I selected a Superwinch Model S3500. It is not
by eight-foot sheet does both sides for
the largest winch they make, but it isn’t the about $10. This puts a finishing touch
smallest, either. If your winch is too small, it can on your trailer. The panels are a good
give you a false sense of security. It can load the place for sponsor names and car
car when all four tires are round and black. For numbers.
those times when one wheel points somewhat
south of the direction of travel, you need a real
winch.

According to Scott Davis of Superwinch, each

layer of cable on the winch spool decreases the
power by 10 percent. Use only as much cable as
you need. Cut off and save the rest to replace a
worn and frayed cable later. A nice touch is the
30-foot cable on the control switch. I can winch The new Superwinch SA3500. Not
the car on and steer it at the same time, all by wanting to have the Superwinch
myself. pilfered, a receiver hitch mounting kit
was employed. A piece of 11/2-inch
square tubing welded to the trailer
My new trailer will have to spend many of its
makes installation and removal a plug-
nights outside. Since the Superwinch could be in affair. The optional 30-foot lead on
surreptitiously removed in the dark, thought was the controller switch allows solo
given to protecting it. A tube matching that of a loading.
trailer hitch receiver mount was welded to the
trailer and a Superwinch receiver-mount kit was
employed. The winch bolts to a plate attached to
a tube. This, in turn, slides into a receiver-type
trailer hitch. This type of mount will fit receiver-
hitch mountings on many vehicles. Removing a
pin allows easy detachment of the Superwinch,
so it can be stored inside and even used
elsewhere.

Lights and Wiring Tongue weight is very important to the

As stated in Part 1, high, forward-mounted lights
are my preference. They are mounted near the
top of the tire rack. A simple light kit from the
local auto supply does the job. But there is more
wiring to be done.
enjoyment of pulling a trailer. This type
of trailer needs a minimum of 350
pounds at the tongue. More is better.
Use all you can stand without
overloading the rear of the tow vehicle.
Bathroom scales work for this. Use two
of them with a two by four across. This
will give you 600 pounds of scale
capacity. Be sure to level the trailer,
The electric brakes need a wire, as does the then move the car until the correct
winch. To operate the electric trailer brakes, it weight is reached. It is a good idea to
will be necessary to buy a controller. The hand- weld in an angle-iron stop so the car is
operated style will be cheaper. One that hooks always in the same place.
into the tow vehicle’s hydraulic brakes is
automatic and convenient, but more expensive.
The choice of how much to spend is up to you.

I welded in a battery box at the front of the trailer.

Since a wire must be run for the brakes, you
might as well run two. One of these will attach to
the positive battery post of the tow vehicle. It will
then attach to the positive post of the trailer
battery. This way the trailer battery will always be
charged. The winch, of course, runs off the trailer
battery even if the trailer is not attached to a
vehicle. This battery can run the winch or be a
spare for the race car.

The battery box was fabricated from a 10-inch

piece of purling and some 1-½-inch angle. It was
welded toward the front and low enough so as
not to stick up above the trailer runners.

Wrapping Up

Having finished this project and used the

Millermatic 185 for every part of it, I am
impressed. In view of the price not being that
much more than my old 110-volt unit and the
aggravation associated with having a small
welder, this should be part of every racer’s
garage equipment. The Millermatic cable with
the welding gun is long enough to reach to the
other side of the trailer while building it, which
means no more moving the welder from side to
side when working on a bulky project. Millermatic
recently replaced the 185 with the Millermatic
210, a 200-amp model. The pricing is about the
same with even better performance.

Virgil Brown’s sage advice to tie the car down at

all four corners was great. I have used M&R
Products belts and nets in our race cars for
years and have been very pleased with its
intelligent service. The Superwinch is just that.
Its portability makes it useable in so many ways
and places. It is a first-class piece.

When loading your trailer make sure the car is

placed so the tongue weight is at least 400 or
more pounds. More is better if it doesn’t make
your headlights aim for oncoming eyeballs. Two
bathroom scales can be used for weighing the
tongue. Lay a 2x4 board across them to spread
the load, then add the two together.

It is never a bad idea to weld an identification

number somewhere out of sight. In the past, this
practice aided in the return of a “borrowed”
trailer. Good luck with your project. I hope this
helps you save a few dollars that you can spend
on your race car.