Thread: On road trailer off road

Hi am in the same position. Am currently ordering a box trailer but like to entertain the idea that I will drag it offroad abit.

As I have never busted a trailer offroad I am only speculating but I see three problems. Trailers vary in build from standard to heavy duty to offroad. It's not only the thickness and dimension of steel that increases but the bracing of stuff like wheel arch and corners. Therefore;

1. When loaded you may not have enough structure, meaning the trailer flexes and results in busted welds.

2. Components may not be up to it, such as springs, hubs etc.

3. May bounce like a bunny. IMHO I think a 250kg trailer bouncing behind you is far more dangerous than a overloaded one.

In the end I have ordered a off-road build. all this means is that the sheet metal is a couple of mm thicker, stuff is well braced and I can have sdame diameter rims. Figure if nothing else the trailer should last a fair bit longer. I have had a few old ones, and it's busted welds and rusted through sheets that always bring them undone.

Depends on how hard you are willing to abuse it or skull the chassis of it when it runs out of clearance...

Ive found that on most 6x4 trailers to get them onto the tow hitch properly (level so that its ass isnt on the ground) Ive needed to spring over the suspension on the trailer which gives plenty of body clearances.

my 8X5 tandem is brillaint off road but its on pootrol sized rubber.

We had a 7x4 trailer made up for work a while back. I just got them to put on Heavy duty springs and axles then whacked on some 32" tyres. It has traveled easily through the high country and some tougher off-road tracks. When traveling on off-road tracks you are normally going slower so the trailer will cope. The biggest limiter is the hitch but with enough grunt in the fourby you can drag the trailer anywhere.

I would not use a trailer like this in the outback! Out there it is the corrugations that kill the trailer.

Also, you will have a bit of trouble on some tracks with a 7x5 because of the width.

How much do you want to spend?

How much work are you prepared to have done on it?

I once had a trailer made from a LWB Land Rover. I used the chassis, cut at the seat box (it was damaged at the front). I welded on a 4" square tube A-frame. I removed the axles from the housing so it could be rolled easily. The trailer retained the Land Rover springs and shocks so it could handle a load. I opted to use the original alum tray, so weight was kept low and the tail lights, tailgate etc... were already there. This also gave me the option of fitting a roof (hard-top or soft-top).

the first port of call would be the hitch have a treg type hitch which will out perform a standard trailer hitch

you dont want to scull drag your trailer all the way home cause of a bronken hitch cause it could,nt handle extreme angles

You could take any of the above trailers anywhere it all depends on how fast you want to go. The thing that kills trailers is bouncing. i.e corrugations. Your car might be riding fine but the poor trailer is getting hammered. I guess if the axle is too low it would make it hard to tow in high centred tracks.

Thanks Rangieman, I forgot to mention the Treg Hitch.

Also a long draw bar makes for easier maneuvering.
Maybe consider a reversing camera on the Rangie.

I wouldn't trust standard trailer suspension, the springs are too small, and you really need shocks.

Originally Posted by Michael2

Thanks Rangieman, I forgot to mention the Treg Hitch.

Also a long draw bar makes for easier maneuvering.
Maybe consider a reversing camera on the Rangie.

I wouldn't trust standard trailer suspension, the springs are too small, and you really need shocks.

cool no probs i was suprised it had,nt been mentioned