Transporting large loads is a fairly common necessity in the lives of many motorists. As practice shows, the trunk of a car is most often not very suitable. The ideal solution in this case, a car trailer will be used. It is worth noting that a car trailer is quite relevant not only for domestic needs, but is also actively used by car travelers.
The first thing a person who decides to self-production car trailer, this is that certain requirements are imposed on it, like any vehicle. IN in this case, all requirements are described in detail in GOST 37.001.220-80, which is called “Trailers for passenger cars”. In order not to burden car enthusiasts with reading the primary source, it is worth making a selection of relevant information specifically on the issue under discussion.
So, a car trailer must meet the following requirements:
So, before you start assembling the desired structure, it is worth preparing a number of tools and materials that will be required at various stages of assembly.
Once the entire set of materials and tools has been assembled, you can proceed directly to assembling the structure.
The instructions will allow you to do everything quickly and efficiently.
If you have a car, then you are probably quite often faced with the need to transport all kinds of cargo. There is no way to do this without using a light trailer. It, of course, can be purchased at a store of relevant goods, but it is possible to make such a design yourself.
A homemade trailer, like a factory-type model, must have a frame, which is the basis of the structure. Its rigidity and strength will determine the durability of the trailer. In order to ensure greater reliability, it is recommended to use elements that will be connected to each other by welding. It is necessary to begin work by determining the dimensions of the element being described, or rather, width and length. The size will be determined by the outer edges of the frame components. In order to determine the final width of the frame, the thickness of one wall multiplied by 2 must be added to the distance between the inner edges of the side walls. If the frame will be located between the wheels and not above them, then the gap between the bolt and the tire should be taken into account.
If you decide to make a homemade trailer, then after determining the dimensions, you should try on the frame. For this metallic profile need to be laid out on the surface, maintaining perpendicularity between the components. The elements must be connected to each other with clamps. At the same time, you should check the shape; to do this, use a tape measure to measure the diagonal of the resulting rectangle. The values must be equal to each other, deviations can range from 2 to 5%. The structure must have a stiffening rib, because a square and a rectangle are unstable structures.
A homemade trailer must have a chain ball. To perform this element, it is necessary to remember that a shorter length of the connecting part indicates a quick response when the vehicle is moving. Even a slight lateral turn of the drive wheels will cause the trailer to move abruptly. This may cause the load to become damaged and fall. When making a homemade trailer, you need to choose the optimal length - ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 cm. When choosing a material, it is recommended to use steel sections, which will form the basis of the frame and connections. For the last element you will need 3 pipes. The frames can be connected to the pipe by welding, and for higher strength it is recommended to reinforce them using corners. Before welding, the master must try on the elements so that the coupling is made along the axis of the structure. When homemade trailers for a passenger car are made, at the same stage a safety cable should be installed, which can be replaced with a chain. If desired, you can install a folding wheel in the hitch area for comfortable transportation of the trailer without a vehicle.
Homemade trailers for a passenger car must have installation that can be done using welding or bolts. Before final fixing this component to the frame, it is necessary to check that the dimensions of the frame pipes match the grooves of the gutter. The latter should not be larger than the width of the pipe; the excess in size can be a maximum of 5 millimeters. A welded joint may provide excellent strength, but if damaged, removal will require the use of gas burner. The strength of a connection using a bolt is less. Bolts that belong to the eighth strength class should be used. Less durable ones will not be able to withstand shearing forces. To connect, you need to prepare two bolts, use large quantity not worth it, as this will weaken the frame element, as well as the coupling due to the presence of holes for fasteners.
Before registering a homemade trailer, it must be fully prepared for use. There is a rule according to which the trailer axle is located at a distance of 40% of the length of the structure from the rear side. After you can measure the distance, you need to indicate the location of the axis. It can be installed by placing the frame on the surface. In this case, you need to use two 4x4 blocks, and the spindle should hang freely. In the intended location for mounting the axle, paint must be removed from the surface of the frame. The step between the bushings must be divided into two, the resulting mark is marked on the surface.
A homemade trailer for a walk-behind tractor can be made using the same technology, but the dimensions will be much smaller. In order to check the dimensions, you need to measure the width of the frame again. After this, the wizard can begin the final installation. The elements are connected to each other by welding. It is recommended to use a spring-shock-absorbing suspension for the reason that it guarantees more impressive softness, although it is less durable.
When making a homemade one, it is important to ensure the horizontal position of the structure. As the most suitable option the corners of the frame protrude. It is possible to install only on one side of the structure. If we consider the device from the point of view, it is recommended to use a screw mechanism. It can also be used to replace a wheel.
Homemade, just like for a car, will be able to expand your capabilities. Last option can be used to transport goods, no matter what configuration they have. There is absolutely no risk of damaging the car. Although the trailer may have its own specific features, the recommendations given above are common to all options. If desired, a homemade trailer for a boat or car can be equipped with a braking system, as well as lighting. However, experts recommend trusting professionals to resolve these issues.
If you are thinking about how to make a trailer, then you should be interested in the task of registering it. The design must undergo an examination, which is what the All-Russian Society of Automobile Enthusiasts, abbreviated as SAI, does. Each region has its own society. To pass the examination, it is necessary to make sure that the device complies with the existing GOST. You can check out state standards in document GOST 37.001. 220-80. Before registering a homemade trailer, you should know that the above standard applies to all types of trailers that are intended to be towed by minibuses, as well as cars on public roads. The standard does not apply to those devices the design of which was carried out before approval technical assignments the mentioned standard.
Before you start making a trailer, you should familiarize yourself with state standards so that you don’t have to redo the design later. The weight of the device should not exceed that permitted by the manufacturer. The weight must not exceed the curb weight of the vehicle. This figure is 1800 kilograms. The length of the device should not be more than 1.5 car lengths or a limit of 8 meters. These requirements must be taken into account at the trailer design stage, otherwise it will be impossible to use the design.
Sometimes the trunk capacity of a passenger car is not roomy enough for many motorists, especially if transportation of large cargo is required. A trailer is best suited to solve this problem.
There are two types of trailers, manufactured by a specialized factory or home-made:
If viewed from economic point point of view, the cost of a homemade trailer, taking into account all registration costs, is significantly lower than buying a new one.
It is also worth considering that a homemade trailer will be of much higher quality than a factory one, if only because the entire manufacturing process will be controlled by the car enthusiast himself.
The first thing you need to make your own trailer is a drawing.
It is also worth noting that the drawing must correspond GOST standards 37.001.220-80.
This standard specifies all the requirements that are necessary in order to obtain permission to operate a trailer and its further registration in the Interdistrict Registration and Examination Department.
In addition to the drawing, the following materials will be required to make a homemade trailer.
To make a homemade trailer you will also need the following tools:
After all necessary tool and the material will be purchased, you can proceed directly to the assembly process itself without deviating from the dimensions indicated in the drawing.
Materials for trailer assembly are cut according to the dimensions indicated in the drawing.
Assembling a homemade trailer consists of the following steps:
The trailer wiring is laid according to the same principle as in a car: the negative wire is attached to its frame (ground), and the positive wire is attached to the contact of the lighting fixture.
To register with MREO A technical passport and product number are required.
Of course, a homemade trailer cannot have either the first or the second.
Therefore, in order to register a homemade trailer for it, it is necessary to provide documents that confirm that this product complies with GOST standards and is safe for use on roads common use.
In order to obtain a document on the safety of a homemade trailer, you need to contact an accredited testing laboratory. After conducting a series of tests, the laboratory staff will issue (if the tests are successful) a certificate of the ability to safely use the trailer on public roads. With this document you can go to the MREO and to legal grounds register the trailer.
Also, do not forget that you will have to contact the office that deals with stamping numbers on vehicles, and only after the number is stamped on the frame of the trailer can you begin the process of registering it.
In order to register a homemade trailer, you will need the following documents:
The trailer registration process consists of the following steps:
It should be remembered that if the trailer was purchased new, then 10 days from the date of purchase are allotted for its registration. If the trailer is not registered within the specified period, the owner will have to pay a fine.
Oddly enough, you also need to purchase an insurance policy for the trailer. But, according to the law on compulsory motor liability insurance parts 2 and 3, not everyone is required to take out an insurance policy. Private owners of trailers for passenger cars who used them for personal purposes have the right not to purchase an insurance policy.
As for the list of trailers for which the purchase of an insurance policy is mandatory, it includes the following vehicles:
In order to issue an MTPL insurance policy, the trailer must undergo a technical inspection. Otherwise, the policy will be denied.
If factory trailers for cars do not suit you in some way and you decide to make a two-axle trailer for a car with your own hands, then this article is for you.
If you want the State Traffic Inspectorate to allow you to operate your homemade trailer, you need to make it yourself in accordance with the requirements of GOST 37.001. 220-80 “Trailers for passenger cars.” For those who do not want to read the original source, we will briefly outline the main restrictions imposed by this document on trailers for passenger cars.
If you decide to make a trailer for a car with your own hands, you will need the following parts and materials.
From the tool required welding machine, grinder and electric drill.
Fold the channel sections to form a pipe rectangular section, and tighten them with clamps. Boil the joints. Weld the hub axles to the ends. Attach the resulting bridge beam to the springs using stepladders.
Cover the sides with sheet iron. Make the floor by attaching the plywood to the crossbars with countersunk screws. Cut the wings from sheet iron and attach them to the sides on brackets. Prime and paint the structure. Attach the lights and run the wiring. Make a towbar insurance from a chain or cable. Only after this can you begin registration.
Want a dual axle? Weld 2 bridge beams, buy 4 short springs and install everything so that the distance between the axles is no more than a meter.
A homemade trailer that you can use without fear is necessary. To register you must have:
If you present all these documents, you will be allowed to undergo technical inspection. A positive inspection result will be the basis for registering a self-made vehicle.
Almost every car owner has a need to transport cargo. large sizes, but not too much weight. The trunk is not always suitable for such purposes, and then a trailer comes to the rescue. But it is absolutely not necessary to spend money on buying such a necessary thing in the household; you can makeDIY car trailer.
The basis of any trailer is its frame. Its service life is determined by the strength and rigidity of the frame. Greater reliability of the connection can be guaranteed by the use of welding for assembly into single design constituent parts.
But it is recommended to start work by clarifying the figures for the length and width of the fundamental structure. Its size is calculated by outside frame. When determining the width, you need to add twice the thickness of the wall size to the digital distance indicators along the inner side walls. If you plan to place the base between the wheels, you should add to the obtained indicators the distance between the wheel and the side of the trailer.
Once you have decided on the dimensions, you can make the first fitting of the frame. To do this, the metal profile must be laid out on a leveled surface in the room, while maintaining strict perpendicularity of the frame components and connecting them using temporary clamps. With these steps you will control the frame configuration of the future trailer, for which you will need to use a construction tape to determine the frame distances along two diagonals in a rectangle. The lengths must be equal; a discrepancy of 3-5% of the resulting value is allowed. By performing this work, you can reinforce a car trailer with your own hands with a stiffener due to the fact that geometric figure rectangular or square shape is not very resistant to load.
If you also use other towing devices on your car, then for a homemade trailer you should select a clutch ball of the same size in order to avoid additional difficulties.
When manufacturing this coupling part, it should be remembered that with the shortest length of the coupling parts, you get an increase in the trailer’s response time to vehicle maneuvers. That is, even if the drive wheels have moved by a small amount, the trailer will quickly repeat the maneuver, which can cause the things in it to fall or become deformed. The best length is considered to be from one and a half to two and a half meters, taking into account the purpose of the device.
To make a tow hitch, a square-shaped steel pipe is suitable; you will need three of them. It will be better and more durable to connect all the pipes by welding and, to increase strength, reinforce this unit with a metal corner. Before starting welding work, it is advisable to carry out additional fitting to ensure that the middle of the joint falls strictly along the tow axle.
Then you can begin installing a chain or cable for safety purposes. Its length should be such that when the trailer moves, it does not crawl along the road. To make it easier to move a trailer without a car, a folding wheel of not very large size is often installed in the hitch.
When installing the connection coupling, you can use the fastening of the parts by welding or secure them with bolts. Before moving on to the final stage of fastening to the frame, it would be a good idea to check to what extent the grooves of the gutter coincide in size with the base pipes. You should know that the width of the groove should not exceed the width of the pipe by more than half a centimeter.
If you secure the coupling by welding, the trailer will receive additional strength of this unit, and for dismantling work you will not need a gas burner. If the coupling is fastened not by welding, but by bolts, the strength is significantly lower. For such work, it is recommended to use bolts with strength class 8, since fasteners of lower classes show themselves to be weak elements under such loads. The connection itself will only need two bolts; if you take more of them, then due to the need to make extra holes at the attachment point, you can weaken the trailer frame.
By existing rules The axle on the trailer should be placed at a length that is equal to 40% of the entire length of the trailer itself from the rear side. Having carefully measured the length, you should mark the place where the future axis will be located. It can be installed from top to bottom, with the frame positioned upside down on flat surface table on two blocks with an edge of four centimeters, and the spindles should hang freely and not interfere with work. From the area where it is planned to install the axle, paint is removed from the surface of the frame. The distance between the bushings is measured, it must be divided in half, and a mark is made on the axis with a felt-tip pen.
Control measurements are made as follows: the size of the frame width is divided in half, the resulting value must be marked from the center of the axis (at the same time, the position is adjusted) and only after these actions can the final installation begin.
The connection of the component parts is made by spot welding along the entire contact length. It is best to take a spring-shock-absorbing suspension, although it does not have increased strength, but with it, a car trailer with your own hands will acquire a soft ride when driving.
They are needed to keep the trailer in a horizontal position. Optimal places their locations are internal corners frames, but you can install them only on one side. For use lift It would be more correct to use the principle of a screw mechanism; it can also be used when replacing one of the wheels.
When making side walls, you can use wood boards, metal fragments, plywood panels or polycarbonate, the choice of material type depends on the purpose of the device. Due to its low weight and convenient form of processing, wood or plywood is most often used; initially, a flooring made of boards is attached to the base, it must be bolted, and the main box is also bolted to this base. But to add reliability, it is recommended to attach steel corners to the corners of the box.
Let's sum it up
Even a self-made trailer for a passenger car can significantly increase the potential use of a vehicle. It will be possible to transport cargo of various shapes and configurations without fear of causing damage to the interior or trunk. There are many trailer options, and the above recommendations can be used for any of them. In addition to the described components and elements, the trailer can be equipped with a braking and lighting system. But it would be better to entrust this type of work to professionals from the service center.
