CHAPTER 2. OVERALL CONSIDERATIONS

Trailers look very simple and it is hard to imagine anything complex about them. But once you get into the design, you will find a complex menagerie of questions whose answers are not always so easy to find. It is important to understand that questions not answered properly can lead to problems. “He who thought they were simple” and refuses to believe otherwise usually finds an end result of “Its not exactly what I originally planned.” The structural horrors that abound in the paddocks of trailer storage areas are testament to this all too common approach. These trailers often lack the strength and integrity to do their intended job. Most are far from works of art and have pretty convincingly grown from after-thought added to after-thought. Performance is also often reflected in their towability. . . or lack thereof.

How to avoid this? You took the first sensible step by buying this book. Hopefully it will push you to gathering information and under- standing as much about trailers as you can. This book is a record of my experience and can add greatly to your file and library. However, it is not the last word so don’t eliminate other sources. My experience is that understanding the concepts along with the proper use of certain basic tools, you can build a trailer the right way. It is even possible to reduce or eliminate sway-making your trailer a delight to tow. Your trailer can have an opportunity for unlimited life and pleasant towing. Understanding and respecting the capacity of the myriad of components, materials and concepts required to build any trailer has benefits.

Some important questions one might want to ponder are: What causes trailer sway? How and why does axle placement effect towability? Why is CG important? What difference does a frame make? What do I need to know about trailer tongues? What does capacity really mean? Why is a lower mass (or weight) better? How can my trailer have a lower mass and retain the same strength? Are these questions you have vaguely phrased yourself? Probably so. Answers to some of these questions were discussed in TRAILERS-How to Buy & Evaluate. To reproduce that information here in toto would detract from the subject of this book. However, because an in-depth grasp of some of these concepts can effect your end result significantly we will review them briefly and strongly suggest you peruse the Buy/Evaluate text. The discussion in this book is also more directed to ideas and concepts required to understand the design and building of the trailer. Your having a working knowledge of the technical aspects of trailer design will improve the design of your trailer and will go a long way to making it a success. This chapter in particular illuminates a few of the most important overall concepts.