Thread: New trailer

Originally Posted by Tote

I had interesting experience getting a 10 x 6 box trailer built by a small "business" on the central coast. It ended up being reasonably priced for what I got but it did prove that good welders don't necessarily make good businessmen.

It ended up being registered with a 3.5 tonne GVM but the bloke making it didn't realise that it needed 4 wheel brakes so I got those for free, I'm not sure he made much money from it and I suspect He folded shortly after I dragged him to the consumer affairs tribunal to get either my trailer or the deposit back.

There seems to be a heap of cheap trailers around rated at 2 tonne with override brakes, as soon as you want to go over that they seem to get inordinately expensive given that the difference is really only electric hubs and a battery box.

Have a good shop around before you buy, there were a couple of mobs in Sydney that seemed to do enough volume to be reasonably priced and weren't scared by the extra capacity requirement.

Regards,
Tote

Bigger (electric) hubs, axles, springs, wheels, tyres, hitch, breakaway system, trailer frame. There is a bit in it.

Originally Posted by shack

I initially posted this in general chat,

Deleted that one. We don't permit duplicate threads. This question should have been in Trailers, Vans and Campers: https://www.aulro.com/afvb/trailers-vans-and-campers/

Originally Posted by p38arover

Deleted that one. We don't permit duplicate threads. This question should have been in Trailers, Vans and Campers: https://www.aulro.com/afvb/trailers-vans-and-campers/

Thanks for that,I must say I've never realised there was a trailers vans and campers thread, I'll go searching now....

I can move this thread to there with a redirect.

Originally Posted by p38arover

I can move this thread to there with a redirect.

Sounds good...

Try Butko Engineering in Albury / Wodonga - built a long trailer for the company I work for .

or , Eagle Trailers in Adelaide .

I know nothing of ----
I bought a custom, braked, high-side, wider single-axle 1.5 tonne trailer from a mob called '----------, ACT.
I wish I hadn't!
Their initial price was cheaper, but I've spent twice that on 'repairs' since. Remedial work was done by me on the trailer on the day I took delivery. Things like 'screws through the metal, poking into the box'. Tie-down points were wrong/weak, etc.

The proprietor spun a good line of BS, comparing himself to 'Old Hank, of Village Trailers, Hall, ACT'. I've still got my original 1-tonne trailer built by Hank. Which had more of better welds, no weak spots, etc - I've used it above and beyond spec for years, which was why I bought this one.

Both of the metal-working shops I've taken the trailer to for repairs have simply laughed. "Had one of his in here yesterday..." You'd think they'd get better over time but apparently not.

Look at things like, 'how many welds, how long each seam weld, are the welds to structure or skin, are things like spare wheel, drop front, removable back, etc - actually well engineered? And rust-proofing, and adjustability for brakes.

I'm in for a major 'overturn the trailer' to get to the linkage point to get the brakes so that they can be tightened to 'actually work' on the cable.

As you can guess, all of the things in the above list were issues on my 'custom' trailer. I'd have done better off-the-shelf at a more expensive shop.

Originally Posted by Phideaux

I know nothing of----
I bought a custom, braked, high-side, wider single-axle 1.5 tonne trailer from a mob called '--------- ACT.
I wish I hadn't!
Their initial price was cheaper, but I've spent twice that on 'repairs' since. Remedial work was done by me on the trailer on the day I took delivery. Things like 'screws through the metal, poking into the box'. Tie-down points were wrong/weak, etc.

The proprietor spun a good line of BS, comparing himself to 'Old Hank, of Village Trailers, Hall, ACT'. I've still got my original 1-tonne trailer built by Hank. Which had more of better welds, no weak spots, etc - I've used it above and beyond spec for years, which was why I bought this one.

Both of the metal-working shops I've taken the trailer to for repairs have simply laughed. "Had one of his in here yesterday..." You'd think they'd get better over time but apparently not.

Look at things like, 'how many welds, how long each seam weld, are the welds to structure or skin, are things like spare wheel, drop front, removable back, etc - actually well engineered? And rust-proofing, and adjustability for brakes.

I'm in for a major 'overturn the trailer' to get to the linkage point to get the brakes so that they can be tightened to 'actually work' on the cable.

As you can guess, all of the things in the above list were issues on my 'custom' trailer. I'd have done better off-the-shelf at a more expensive shop.

We had exactly the same problem with a custom ordered trailer from one of the biggest manufacturers in Adelaide, a 5x12 tandem, as my brother was picking it up, the sales guy said "oh, you might wanna change all the wheel bearings as soon as you get home, they'll be stuffed"

You might ask why we still took it, especially seeing as how they didn't even build it to the spec/design we had given them and they had quoted on,

The answer to this is
"I honestly don't know"
I ask myself every couple of weeks, it's one of those naval gazing moments every time