Box Trailer Buying Advice

[jc109]

Hi guys,

Due to an impending move across country I'm in the market for a box trailer. If I'm being honest, I've wanted one for a while and now's my excuse.

What I'm hoping you can help me with is some tips on the pros and cons of some set-ups and how best to configure it to suit my purposes.

I obviously want a decent trailer for general utility, but I'd also like to be able to throw some gear in it and head out bush with a reasonably practical camping set-up.

I'm currently looking at a locally made (and therefore painted zinc, not gal) 7x5 with 500mm sides and a slightly longer tailgate than the norm. I want holders for jerries either side at the front and gas bottles at the rear. I've been given the option of an off-road hitch, heavy duty jockey wheel, caravan jacks, and water storage and I'm tempted by all of it. I can also go for upgraded suspension, or even match the wheels and track width to my 110 at some significant cost. I'm dubious on the merits of those options. And I'm holding off on brakes for now to keep the cost down.

What I'm wondering is things like:

1. Is 7x5 the best size for this use, or can I go smaller and still fit a tent on top down the track?
2. Should I ask for a swing away tailgate or is the standard fine (or even better)?
3. Is there anything I'm missing from the list that I should consider, or indeed is there anything I should scrub as a waste of time and money?

Cheers guys. I'm running a little blind here so could really use the advice of others.

[Cammo]

If youre going for 7x5, fit brakes. You could probably fit a tent to a 6x4 if you really wanted, but my opinion on that is "why bother going through the same exercise for smaller reward?" All those options sound like good additions to a trailer to take bush.
A drop down tailgate would be easier to remove should you find yourself with a need to do so.

Specify tie down rails all around if its to be used for general utility duties.

Suspension: eye to eye leaf springs (not slipper springs) are fine, shocks are a good idea. Matching your stud pattern and track width shouldn't cost much at manufacturing stage. I'd prioritize electric drum brakes and matched hubs over independent suspension for a lightweight, general duty, multipurpose utility trailer.

My $0.02 anyway

[jc109]

Cheers Cammo.

All good points.

I've had a chat with a trailer parts place and I may buy some gear there and deliver it to the trailer place for fitting.

You don't happen to know what the track width is on a 2010 110", do you?

And you mention electric drums. The trailer parts place suggested hydraulic discs but intertia operated, not electric. I'm not sure which way to go. Is it easy enough to start with one set-up and modify it later?

[DoubleChevron]

Is there any reason you can't run electric drums, but hook the handbrake cable up to an over-ride coupling on the drawbar. You see, electric brakes are nothing short of brilliant. You WILL find iwth a box trailer most poeple that want to tow it won't have a brake controller. In this case they can fill the reverse lock out of place and use the cable over-ride brakes :confused: :confused: :confused: If you have a brake controller you just flip the reversing brake lock in so the over-ride brakes don't work.

seeya,
Shane L.

[jc109]

Correction: I'm after axle width, not track width, as I'll probably not match the wheels until some point down the track.

[Homestar]

Definitely get brakes of some description. If you don't, then your ATM will be limited to 750Kg and that's not much if by the time you take the trialer weight off it, you will be only be able to put around 400Kg max in the trailer. Electric brakes are indeed the best, but you run into the problems with brake controllers if you use different vehicles or someone wants to borrow it (but that can be a bonus as well...;) ).

Over ride brakes work fine on something up to around 1,200 to 1,500Kg and the shorter nature of a box trailer means you won't have as much stability issues as longer Caravans can have.

My 1,400Kg 16' van uses over ride brakes and it's fine. I went this way for the above mentioned reason - I've towed the van with 5 different vehicles in the last 10 months, so it made sense for me. If you have the extra dollars and only plan to tow it with one vehicle, electric is still a superior option.

Unless you plan to go way out bush or touring with the trailer, having a different stud pattern and a separate spare for the trailer isn't the end of the world. These things can be changed later as your funds permit.

Spend your money on a solid, well built base and suspension that will last for years, then do the wheels, and even a brake upgrade later down the track if needed.

[jc109]

Thanks guys. All points noted.

If I hold off on the axle and wheels etc., but go for the better suspension and brakes now, is it a simple matter of swapping those bits around later on without having to redo anything else?

I'd ask the trailer mob but their comms comes a distant second to fabrication.

[LandyAndy]

Avoid the china imports,lots of horror storys.
Definately braked.Electric brakes are much better off road,you dont get shunting from the overide brakes,you can apply electric brakes manualy down hill without the tow vehicle braking.
Get landrover stud pattern,defender is easy.
I would go 8x5,you can never get a big enough trailer.
Get an "off-road" version,better quality materials and heavier duty springs.
Consider a tregg hitch,a must if you intend off-roading later.
LED lighting is a must,once you have used LEDS,you wont ever go back.
Have a google for the custom builders,there are several around Perth.
ENJOY
Andrew

[jc109]

Cheers Andrew,

Yeah, the major reason I'm going painted and not gal is the import v local thing. I'd much rather buy Aussie made. I'm looking at the major player, JP, and another I just lucked onto tonight called Loadstar. We'll see how they compare. I'll be supplementing via Martin's.

8x5 would be great, but that's one big trailer, and it'll be a fair bit wider than my vehicle, won't it? I also have to keep in mind that I'm about to move into a house with a tiny single car garage into which this will probably go.

The LEDs are a given and I'm leaning towards the VC DO35 hitch.

The only thing that's giving me pause is the brakes. It's another $650 (for electric - trailer only) that I don't think I need to spend just yet at a time when I'm bleeding money. Can this be easily retrofitted down the track?

[Homestar]

Yes, electric brakes can be retrofitted later. $650 extra for electric brakes s a little steep IMO. You can get an entire brake upgrade kit for about $420, take off the dollars for hydraulic over ride brakes and it should only be a couple of hundred extra. Or did that price include the controller? That's anoth cost to be taken into account.

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[Outback 1]

Cheers Andrew,

Yeah, the major reason I'm going painted and not gal is the import v local thing. I'd much rather buy Aussie made. I'm looking at the major player, JP, and another I just lucked onto tonight called Loadstar. We'll see how they compare. I'll be supplementing via Martin's.

8x5 would be great, but that's one big trailer, and it'll be a fair bit wider than my vehicle, won't it?

No wider but 1 foot longer

Sent from my SM-G900F using AULRO mobile app

[Cammo]

It is true in one sense that you can never have a big enough trailer - but its all horses for courses. 8x5 would be very easy to overload - especially if you don't uprate the axle. I get the feeling JC has at least some limits on funding. Hence I suggested 7x5 as a sensible compromise.

I suggested electric drums JC as they're low maintenance, and simple. If you break brakes in the bush, I'd reckon finding something to macgeyver the show back onto the road would be easier for electric drums. Drums are also easier and cheaper to source in LR stud pattern.

It is easy enough to swap out a trailer axle for a heavier duty one, but then you've paid twice. Likewise leaf springs. You can go from leaf springs/solid axle to fully independent, but it's an exercise in fabrication and I'd imagine a costly one at that.

If you look in the classifieds here, im sure you could find a set of rims with serviceable tyres you could buy for not much more than a weeks worth of beer. Delete the wheels/tyres from the price of the trailer to easethe wallet pain of electric brakes. You can then run the tyres ragged and buy some new rubber and paint up your rims nice, or onsell them for a marginal loss and buy some flash new ones down the track when finances permit.

Doing this with the DO35 (good choice btw) and the LED taillights (another sensible option) could even save you a bit more. Worth looking into anyway.

Hope that helped

[jc109]

Spot on Cammo. The limit is kind of arbitrary and imprecise, but having just bought a house and facing a none-too-cheap relocation across country I need to save every penny I can within reason.

Just found another custom mob down Mandurah way. Seem pretty switched on and not quite the same cookie cutter approach of some of the others. We'll see how we go.

Looks like 7x4 (and a bit - they said they can easily go 1250 to avoid having to grease up pallets, Gyprock, etc.) is it. Seems to give me the best of both worlds.

Going double eye 65mm leaves, but the other bits and pieces of the running gear and brakes is all TBC. I'll be guided by the fabricator and by the advice received here before I make the final call.

All this advice so far has been greatly appreciated guys. Thank you.

[DoubleChevron]

I'd search ebay and find a well made existing trailer used ..... A lot just sit around so slowly rust away un-used. Register it in Victoria if you can. they are only $50 a year regardless of size.

If I wanted it for shifting across country I'd go look for something like this ...

5x8 Enclose Trailer in VIC | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/5x8-enclose-trailer-/221947053016?hash=item33ad1343d8:g:TFUAAOSwcBhWUHe Y)


sell it when I get there (they are ALWAYS worth $$$ ) and I've all finished, then buy a box trailer for general use. Box trailers SUCK for moving houses with.

If you work it out right, you buy trailers where they are cheap and tow them to the destination where they are hopefully worth more. eg: a heavy duty trailer will be worth more and easier to sell in remote areas (I'd imagine).

seeya,
Shane L.

[Cammo]

If you're going to go for leaf springs, another option is landcruiser 70 series rear leaves. (Hey, toymota have to be good for something, right?) Take a few leaves out to suit the reduced weight of camper trailer... available anywhere for cheap. Theyre relatively long for a leaf spring and so will be good for a compliant ride and help support the weight of your trailer/load more evenly.... just a thought about bushability/dollar saving. Any 4WD accessory shop should have a couple out the back they'd let go for a carton and/or a bbq lunch for the boys.

[jc109]

All good points Shane. Cheers.

The problem is that I need the trailer more for renos and tip runs at this end before the removal. The only things actually being 'moved' in this will be the tools and materials I need to retain for work on the house. Anything else I can shove in there to maybe keep the removal costs down will be a bonus.

Yeah, there are other ways I could probably do this, but this seems to be the best of the many options to suit my particular purpose. And I'm VERY time poor so I'll happily pay a premium to avoid any stuffing around at either end. And that stands whether I'm moving or not.

[jc109]

Cheers Cammo. Good tip.

[JDNSW]

Only additional point I can make - my box trailer is fitted with a front gate as well as a tailgate - which allows carriage of long loads, and in my view is well worth the extra cost for general use.

John

[4runnernomore]

Have you considered a heavy duty builders trailer opposed to a offroad one? I went through this myself around 5 years ago. As soon as you mention offroad the price heads north quickly.

I ended up with a 7x4 high wall builders trailer with longer draw bar, eye to eye springs, removable builder racks on top, led lights all round, mounts for a tool box on drawbar (supplied my own box) tie down rings into the trailer floor x4 along with tie down rails all round and supplied my own offroad hitch on 14 inch rims with th ingest wall height tyres that could be fitted in a 14 inch.

I was pleasantly surprised by the ride height of the trailer when I went to pick it up as I thought I would need to convert it to spring over to tow behind my lifted D2 and Sportage. In this case I didn't need to as it rides level which is great. I haven't grounded it yet driving around in this setup. I hope that the added strength built in been a builders trailer will assist if I was to go offroad regularly with it.

I found all this was cheaper than a standard 6x4 'offroad' trailer with no options.
Could be something worth considering to save a few dollars and it is a general purchase trailer with taking offroad to that camping spot every now and then .

Cheers, Chris

[jc109]

Cheers Chris. I'll look into that. Although, the way things are going in terms of customer service I might not be buying anything in the short term. Small business must be booming as no one seems to want my money.

[jc109]

G'day guys,

I'm almost sorted. The array of options is mind-boggling, but I think I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger.

The wheels/hubs/etc. are still a bit of a sticking point for me and I'm wondering where you guys recommend I look to source suitable wheels.

Is there a cheap source for Defender alloys? I'd be after three (ideally). Alternatively I'd go for Defender steelies, but then they're not interchangeable with the vehicle (not if I want to keep things even all 'round) so it kind of defeats the purpose. What do you guys reckon?

If I just go with the manufacturer's spec'ed gear I'm looking at $605 for two new wheels and tyres and $308 for second hand. It can't be that much more for me to supply my own.

[LandyAndy]

Gavinbrow has a set of Defender alloys,but they are over east.
Depending on the hubs they use you may run into issues with them not fitting over the hub nose,Gavin had the same issue.
Defender steel rims may be the go,still interchangeable to the Deefer if need be,the alloy wheelnuts have the chamfer to enable them to be used on a steel wheel if need be.
I wouldnt have thought steel rims off new Defenders were rare.If you look in the Vendors section there was a parts person from Barbagallos posting,see what he can do,they should have them available ex new Defers.
Andrew

[eddy]

If you live north of Perth give Peter at Rolliston Engineering in Wangara a call.Some 20 years ago they made a trailer for me,off road,could carry 2x44gallons side by side,a fishing freezer,dinghy rack and racks for 4 jerrycans.Strong as,they had previously made trailers for the Army.Since those days I see they have grown considerably but may still have designs on their CAD program.