Developing a Desing Trailers

Designing and building your very own trailer can be fun and very rewarding. To embark on such a project, work through the myriad and numerous questions that inevitably occur and end up with something that will haul whatever bounty you have is worth more than just a pat on the back. But beware … this project is fraught with pitfalls and actually carries the potential for creating a lethal weapon. Yes, if your home-built trailer is constructed poorly, it and your tow-car could be so unstable at certain speeds as to become a life threatening risk—one you cannot control. The information in this book and its Volume 3 will provide many of the keys to avoid such a disaster. TRAILERS – How to Buy & Evaluate also contains a simplified summary in the event Volume 3 is not yet available.

Yes, trailers can be built and hooked to a tow vehicle that are a delight to tow. These trailers don’t just fall together by accident. They are tediously and carefully planned using the principles of structures, dynamics and basic engineering laws. In addition, components are selected to be appropriate and optimum for the job.

Don’t underestimate the size of this task … or the impending responsibility of building something that will not risk your own life or the lives of others. Don’t assume your Motor Vehicle or Police Department will check out your trailer for design, towability and safety. They are not engineers. They are there to enforce the laws, not provide you with design expertise. All you can count on your Motor Vehicle Department to do is verify that what you’ve built is indeed a trailer—not an auto or a truck or a bus—and assign a serial number to it. They also will check for lights and their correct placement, as well as add a serial number to your frame. After you have studied this book and understand its contents, you will know so much more about constructing a trailer that you may well be able to tell them how to build one. However, I don’t suggest you do that.

This book is a record of my experience. It has information in it which can possibly be of help to you. It can guide you through the inevitable challenges and be an excellent reference book, there to answer questions when needed. Designing something can be a lot of fun, especially if you have the energy, enthusiasm and focused will-power to carry through the construction and end up with something useful, something you understand stem to stern because you’ve taken the effort to study the physical laws that affect its performance.