I've just convinced myself to build a trailer to carry 'the' stuff around in. Presently just strap a short board and kit bag onto an old rusty trailer.

From the outset, I'm not a welder by trade but have welded bits-n-pieces on the present trailer to carry what i want at different stages.

I plan to buy a new trailer (6' x 4') with detachable front & back sides. Build a cage from steel tubing and attach it to the trailer.

Initial questions are:
- what size steel tubing would be suitable for constructing the frame?
- you know of any plans on the net that would be a good starting point?
- I'm not sure how to attach this frame to the trailer as yet, I remember reading a post here about it but now cannot find it

I was going to add to the post www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Western-Australia/Windsurfing-Trailer/ but got a "Sorry, that topic is too old for replies - it's old news! Maybe start a new topic?"

Thanks for any advice

Ah, should have also added I presently got
- 2 short boards
- mistral superlite with 1 piece mast
- 'Foxx' kayak

so maybe the long board & kayak need their own rack on top?

Just get one of these ;)

did ya build it or buy it?

gave me an idea of securing the boards down thou

Here's my effort i made last year. I have kept the racking modular (tek screwed together so changing it as my quivers evolve is easy

FWIW found another link

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Windsurfing-trailers-2/

BUT the link to the images don't work.

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Bender said...

Here's my effort i made last year. I have kept the racking modular (tek screwed togeter so changing at as my quivers evolve is easy

NICE effort Bender !!

What size is the steel tubing? What did you paint the welds with to stop corrosion?

25MM square galv tube. I used Zinc it on the welds

Got it made custom.
Room for SUP's up to 10' or so
Racking and supports fully removable
Great tie down system (by Solid Racks)
60ltr water tank and solar powered ventilators
120aH deep cycle battery & 200w solar panel on the roof this weekend :)
Apparently the 12 week old boy & the kit can no longer go in the van together.
Hence a solution to a problem was found!

...more at the other end of the scale...not pretty but effective....








It's main trick is that the entire windsurfing box, contents and all, can be hoisted up by into two over-arching frames, the trailer pulled out from underneath and restored to a conventional box trailer for landscaping and other typical trailer needs. I used 25mm tubing. I am certainly not a welder by trade or experience, but learned along the way. Buy yourself reasonably thick tubing (40mm square x 3mm is a nice size to work with that is easy to weld and hard to blow holes in), have a bit of practice, buy a $60 (on special) arc welder from supercheap auto, and you'd be amazed what a reasonable practical novice can achieve.

TIP - if you want to store your sails in the racks (as opposed to across the floor), buy some 150mm PVC pipe, cut into lengths as long as your sails, cut them in half laterally (so they are semi-circles in cross section, and you have instantly made great cradles that provide full length support and restraint to your sails (instead of having them sit on two cross beams that create localised pressure points on the sails). These aren't shown in the pics - they were a recent addition but can send photos if anybody doesn't get my written description.

Eckas.

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eckas said...
...more at the other end of the scale...not pretty but effective....

hi Eckas, I seen ya trailer there at Primbee. I haven't been there for a month because of me bung knee . It's coming good thou.

How do you secure it to the trailer when you load it on? I see the straps half way along the sides but what about the front & back fastening?

cheers,
Pat

Long Time Ago - The two ratchet straps hold it firmly DOWN. The following arrangement of interlocking tabs prevents any movement fore/aft. (Two tabs protrude down from the box, sandwiching between them a tab that comes up from the trailer).





The trailer sides are a snug fit and stop any movement side to side.

It appears rudimentary, but grab the box and try to rock it, and you immediately realise the box is completely 'at one with' and inseparable from the trailer (as long as the ratchet straps are tight).

It's done a 2,000 km return trip to QLD every year for the last 3 or 4 years without incident...touch wood....

Eckas

If you use square hollow section or tubing I recommend blanking off any open ends and welding them up, making sure they water tight. This will extend the life of the trailer. Stay on top of the rust by wire brushing and touching up any surface rust before it begins to pit.

Bender is correct, touch up any non gal areas with zinc based paint.

This is more of a technical question. Since 25mm tubing seems to be the go, how do you work out how far apart your braces are for your frame.

Say I build a frame 10'L x 4'W x 5'H (only starting point measurements), how far apart do you put bracing? maybe every 2'?

I went 600mm. I wouldn't go much further. It really depends on what material you intend to use to sheet the trailor with. I used .6mm colour bond

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Bender said...
I went 600mm.

thanks for that, what did you use to secure the colour bond? I cannot see any fasteners in the centre of the sheets

ng time
did you see
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/The-new-trailer-on-the-block/?whichpage=2&index=33#659811

pop rivets and sikaflex

For cladding the trailer, consider using Aluminium Composite Panel. Has a few different brand names, but the guys around here buy it from Mister Plywood. They might have a branch down your way. Light, stiff and stays shiny.

I have seen a few guys with colourbond cladding get rusty around the edges. Not sure of the price difference.

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evets said...
did you see
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/The-new-trailer-on-the-block/?whichpage=2&index=33#659811

Mine is at the point where I need to clad it ( see photos in my profile)

Yeah I had a looky at your photos, good of you to up them for us 'builders' just starting out. You know what they say 'picture .... thousand words'

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jamesf said...
For cladding the trailer, consider using Aluminium Composite Panel. Has a few different brand names, but the guys around here buy it from Mister Plywood. They might have a branch down your way. Light, stiff and stays shiny.

I have seen a few guys with colourbond cladding get rusty around the edges. Not sure of the price difference.

And insulated :)

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LongTimeAgo said...

evets said...
did you see
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/The-new-trailer-on-the-block/?whichpage=2&index=33#659811

Mine is at the point where I need to clad it ( see photos in my profile)

Yeah I had a looky at your photos, good of you to up them for us 'builders' just starting out. You know what they say 'picture .... thousand words'

should have asked:

- did you use 25mm gal?
- where did you hide the trailer spare?

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westozwind said...
And insulated :)

I know its not a very nice subject to talk about but ball-park-figure what has it set you back so far

hey man, hows it going, there is a guy in nsw, central coast, lake macquaire, greg, who builds them,, they look good, and alot of dudes have his style trailor, he sails on the gps challenge, nsw, lake macquaire, greg kikaspatchi, you could maybe consult with him, ha, his trailors dont look as polished, ha, as the photos of the first one on this post, that one is sweet, goodluck, ol long time ago

As my better half regularly browses these forums, best not to put a value on the price of happiness.

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westozwind said...
As my better half regularly browses these forums, best not to put a value on the price of happiness.

so no more

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Milsy said...
hey man, hows it going, there is a guy in nsw, central coast, lake macquaire, greg, who builds them,, they look good, and alot of dudes have his style trailor, he sails on the gps challenge, nsw, lake macquaire, greg kikaspatchi, you could maybe consult with him, ha, his trailors dont look as polished, ha, as the photos of the first one on this post, that one is sweet, goodluck, ol long time ago

cheers

Which one Milsy ?