Trailer fail pics

[Country Metals]

Wood makes houses strong, must be strong for a hitch then!

That's about how far that thought went before they started building it.

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[smithdoor]

Who need steel just use wood and no welding need.
It must be safe

Dave

The only thing that makes this deal safe to use are the eyebolts on there to hook the safety chains to

Attachment 1735316

[wquiles]

Not necessarily a fail, but it is trailer related, so I wanted to ask for opinions in this thread. This looks like a DIY version of the MAX couplers, and seems like a potential good project for a lightweight trailer (say 1500 pounds):
https://tventuring.com/under-usd50-d...upler-t65.html

What do you guys think?

[Bruce]

Your right, not a failure!

[California]

Not necessarily a fail, but it is trailer related, so I wanted to ask for opinions in this thread. This looks like a DIY version of the MAX couplers, and seems like a potential good project for a lightweight trailer (say 1500 pounds):
https://tventuring.com/under-usd50-d...upler-t65.html

What do you guys think?

An interesting fabrication project, but I think it's unnecessary. I built HF's tiny trailer that size for offroad use. (In fact that may be the HF half ton chassis under that trailer in the photo). The photo is unrealistic. Our mining claim in the Sierras had several spots with so much side slope that backing a trailer out would be impossible, it would be necessary to unhitch and turn the trailer around by hand, and move it off the trail, to get my first-generation Trooper back out if I reached an impassable spot. Then drag the trailer with a chain until I could get the Trooper turned around and re-hitch. So I gave this some thought, before building a trailer so light that we could rassle it around by hand if necessary.

There's no way that Jeep pickup, or most any highway vehicle, could go over a change in pitch similar to what that photo represents. Tires on diagonally opposite corners of the vehicle would be hanging in air a foot off the ground then add the inevitable side-slope where you would encounter such terrain. If you met such a change in pitch and had a positraction differential to power whatever wheels are touching the ground, applying enough power to climb over such an obstacle would likely move you sideways as well as forward. You would likely need to winch out of such a spot - if you can find something to anchor to.

In summary - that looks like a nice solution in search of a need that is unrealistic. You can't drive over anything where such flexibility would be useful. Twisting of a lightweight trailer's tongue adds to the ball hitch range to give enough range for anything you could drive over. Maybe it would be helpful behind a 4-wheeler or something with huge suspension travel.

Photo - 3-point turn to go back out, at the only wide spot near our camp.

[wquiles]

An interesting fabrication project, but I think it's unnecessary. I built HF's tiny trailer that size for offroad use. (In fact that may be the HF half ton chassis under that trailer in the photo). The photo is unrealistic. Our mining claim in the Sierras had several spots with so much side slope that backing a trailer out would be impossible, it would be necessary to unhitch and turn the trailer around by hand, and move it off the trail, to get my first-generation Trooper back out if I reached an impassable spot. Then drag the trailer with a chain until I could get the Trooper turned around and re-hitch. So I gave this some thought, before building a trailer so light that we could rassle it around by hand if necessary.

There's no way that Jeep pickup, or most any highway vehicle, could go over a change in pitch similar to what that photo represents. Tires on diagonally opposite corners of the vehicle would be hanging in air a foot off the ground then add the inevitable side-slope where you would encounter such terrain. If you met such a change in pitch and had a positraction differential to power whatever wheels are touching the ground, applying enough power to climb over such an obstacle would likely move you sideways as well as forward. You would likely need to winch out of such a spot - if you can find something to anchor to.

In summary - that looks like a nice solution in search of a need that is unrealistic. You can't drive over anything where such flexibility would be useful. Twisting of a lightweight trailer's tongue adds to the ball hitch range to give enough range for anything you could drive over. Maybe it would be helpful behind a 4-wheeler or something with huge suspension travel.

Thank you. That is great feedback

I had also seen this youtube video, which is where I first saw the idea of an overland articulating hitch:



I want to eventually build a tiny/small trailer similar to the one in your photo for some of our camping trips, and in some campsites we have needed both the clearance and 4x4 capability that my 2010 4Runner has, so I have been wondering if I "needed" more articulation at the hitch, hence why I am asking for advice and guidance.

[smithdoor]

A simple just use a pintle hitch.

Dave

https://cdn.mscdirect.com/global/ima...27549AA-21.jpg

Thank you. That is great feedback

I had also seen this youtube video, which is where I first saw the idea of an overland articulating hitch:



I want to eventually build a tiny/small trailer similar to the one in your photo for some of our camping trips, and in some campsites we have needed both the clearance and 4x4 capability that my 2010 4Runner has, so I have been wondering if I "needed" more articulation at the hitch, hence why I am asking for advice and guidance.

[California]

A simple just use a pintle hitch.

Dave

Yeah. A pintle hitch is what is really used in an application that needs it.

Relative to towing with that 4-Runner - I had thought the little 8 inch wheels/tires on the little HF trailer wouldn't give enough ground clearance. But what I found in actual use was the trailer is so small that both tires climb over the same obstacle. I don't remember a single time that the axle scraped a high spot. And, I decided the trailer was light enough that the axle would just toboggan over any obstruction, without damage, that the vehicle could drive over.

Kinda related: I put an IBC Tote (275 gallons) on an identical HF trailer for watering new trees in my orchard. 8 inch tires were a nuisance over plowed ground, the trailer ran embedded several inches in the soft dust. My little 18 hp tractor struggled to pull that 2400 lbs, loaded, uphill on soft ground. 12 inch skinny boat trailer tires would have been only slightly better. I put on 12 inch car tires (Chevy Vega?) that are far wider. That works better to reduce the plowing effect.

8 inch tires


12 inch automotive tires

[wquiles]

A simple just use a pintle hitch.

Dave

https://cdn.mscdirect.com/global/ima...27549AA-21.jpg

Thank you Dave - yet another option I was not aware off - much appreciated

[bfjou812]

Here's a different approach. Possibly a cheaper version of the swivel hitch.....................

[chuckt62]

...so that's what those chains are for.

[Lis2323]

Here's a different approach. Possibly a cheaper version of the swivel hitch.....................

That should be posted over on the “Unistrut Thread”. lol


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[Willie B]

That should be posted over on the “Unistrut Thread”. lol


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That is not Unistrut, that is stolen signpost. Somewhere, there is a wreck because a warning sign wasn't there.

Actually, the price of strut, It'd be cheaper to buy a proper hitch than using strut.

[Lis2323]

That is not Unistrut, that is stolen signpost. Somewhere, there is a wreck because a warning sign wasn't there.

Actually, the price of strut, It'd be cheaper to buy a proper hitch than using strut.

Actually it is a Unistrut product. Telestrut. Used for signpost applications as you mentioned.


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[smithdoor]

It could work
I would keep the speed to 5mph just safety.

Dave

Here's a different approach. Possibly a cheaper version of the swivel hitch.....................

[Country Metals]

Here's a different approach. Possibly a cheaper version of the swivel hitch.....................

They have no idea what they are doing. Your supposed to use the stop sign you stole it from and bolt it top and bottom so no one knows you stole it in the first place.

And is that my dog chain they used?


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[smithdoor]

Just go slow 🐌 it should work OK might on a good day. OK 200 pound trail and 3 mph maximum speed 😳 and 🙏 🤲 🕍 🕌 ⛪ 🛕 🙏 to all.

Dave

They have no idea what they are doing. Your supposed to use the stop sign you stole it from and bolt it top and bottom so no one knows you stole it in the first place.

And is that my dog chain they used?


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[bfjou812]

When all else fails............................

[idacal]

My dad was going to use some of that telestrut to make jack stands for for the track underneath doublewides for when your pulling the 2 halves together. i threw a walleyed fit over that, told hime he had better buy life insurance for his guys because he was going to kill them and i wasnt going to help build them. he finally got the message and is doing it with timber stacks now which is industry practice. Most of the time its powdered butt syndrome and i just let him do it his way until it fails multiple times, but that one scared me.

[smithdoor]

Just think of time it took to the tong jack
I like using the same size rim on both the pickup and trailer

Dave

When all else fails............................

[California]

I can't figure out how to link this, but it belongs here.

Guy is towing a box trailer with a pickup. Some fool crashes him from behind and runs up inside the box trailer. They overturn and skid into the wall. Funny title, too.


https://www.reddit.com/r/IdiotsInCar...g_steptrailer/

[Sberry]

I like that jackleg repair for a spare, thats clever.

[arcflash]

I can't figure out how to link this, but it belongs here.

Guy is towing a box trailer with a pickup. Some fool crashes him from behind and runs up inside the box trailer. They overturn and skid into the wall. Funny title, too.


https://www.reddit.com/r/IdiotsInCar...g_steptrailer/

There are no words to describe this!

[Willie B]

I can't figure out how to link this, but it belongs here.

Guy is towing a box trailer with a pickup. Some fool crashes him from behind and runs up inside the box trailer. They overturn and skid into the wall. Funny title, too.


https://www.reddit.com/r/IdiotsInCar...g_steptrailer/

Looks like a domestic dispute to me.

[SlowBlues]

...and THAT is how baby harbor freight trailers are made.

Trailer sex ed 101

(Life uh, finds a way)