So I scored this old (1981) trailer for 50 £ and got to it.
Trailer.jpg 57.79KB 2 downloads
Stripped down:
Chassis.jpg 78.59KB 1 downloads
I bolted on an old fiberboard, made four anchor points and bent some old galvanized tubing to support the front wheel. The tube bending was a bit of a learning process. I borrowed a hydraulic tube bender, and after a number of kinks and collapsed tube walls I developed a feel of the minimum radius achievable. Filling the tubes with compacted sand before bending yielded a lot better results, allowing smaller radii.
Chassis 2.jpg 159.6KB 0 downloads
Sandblasted and painted rims:
Rims.jpg 88.87KB 0 downloads
Loaded and ready to go. Good balance, with 40 kg on the ball. Plastic fenders saved 5 kg over the old steel ones.
Loaded 1.jpg 150.34KB 1 downloads
Got new taillights and made a lightweight, hinged and easily detachable lightbar.
Loaded 2.jpg 70.22KB 2 downloads
Test ride was good, it seems to be quite stable with a low center of gravity. Fun also to have those angry looking headlights so close up in the rear mirror.
Left to do:
- Change a possibly dodgy wheel bearing, a teensy bit of slack in it.
- Fabricate or buy a loading ramp.
- Trim off a few non-essential bits and pieces to get the total weight safely below 300 kgs, then it can legally be hauled in 80 km/h instead of 60 (due to no brakes).
Edited by Norwegian, 07 May 2020 - 11:14 am.