Adding length to my trailer....need opinions

First off, 2x2 tubing (probably only .120 wall at that) is pretty wimpy for a trailer frame that long. If you trust your welding capabiltity to just butt weld it, it MIGHT be just as strong as an intacct tube. (Doubt it!) At the very least you should have an insert on the inside or diamond shaped fish plates on the outside. I would be much more comfortable with adding a 1/2" trus bar from the front to the back with a 6" to 8" riser in the middle.

A bigger deal is that your load balance is likely to get shifted too far back. Any small trailer MUST have at least 10% (15% is better for lighter loads) on the tongue. Violation of this will cause it to fishtail all over the road at highway speeds, it may take the tow vehicle with it. NOT FUN.

If you just add length to the back, you will likely have to shift the axle back about half the amount you added.

Jamie Arnold (W) wrote:

"Roy J" wrote

I disagree. Except for the lower towing speed, trailers like that are handy. You just pop the hitch, and the trailer instantly stands on end for unloading. When the load is taken off, it drops instantly and automatically back down on the hitch. It takes a little experience and training to operate one safely, but it can be mastered in a short time...................

HTH.

Steve ;-)

The wall thickness is close to 3/16 on the tubing. Trailer seems to be very well built and sturdy, without being thrown together (no excess parts welded in)

I had intended to weld a plate from the outside of the exising frame tube to the new one spanning the two thuis welding them together externally. Some 1/4" strap was to be my choice of material. I'm assuming that this would be sufficient to handle any load?

I had hoped to add a foot to each end, thus keeping the balance as it is now (roughly 60/40). I try to load any utility type trailer heavy on the tongue and light on the tail as a rule of thumb.

Thanks

Jamie

Steve:

This one has a tilt bed. You pull a pin and the bed tilts with the trailer still attached to the hitch. It' doesn't tilt on it's own, but requires a small amount of force to tilt it.

I have one of the 4x8 trailers with the tilt feature and the fold up /caster wheels to allow nice storage. Works great. I have used mine for about 18 years and counting, includes some 300 or 400 miles round trips with full 1000 pound load and freeway speeds.

But the construction has nothing to do with how well it tows. If you take ANY trailer and do not have enough tongue weight, it will wag.

The OP talked about adding length to the back end and loading a

You can do a quality splice if you use a backing ring and leave a 3/16 gap at the joint. Bend up some small strips of steel into "U" shapes that fit inside the tube. Set them in one end so that they protude halfway. The two pieces of tubing should now socket together. Do not fit them tight. Leave a gap so that you can weld both edges and the backing strip in the root of the joint. For such light tubing 1/8th by 3/4 inch flat bar would be suitable. An alternative is a short piece of tubing that will fit inside loosely. To hold the joint straight clamp a second piece of tubing across the joint and check with a straightedge as you tack it up. If you want to fishplate the outside of the tubing go ahead but it is really a belt and suspenders situation. Randy

Thanks, Randy...The tubing is not open on the trailer, so it would be difficult (not impossible) to use a splice joint. I like that idea very much, though. Another idea I had was to make a doubler to go under the existing frame piece and extend out under the new piece. Maybe some1 1/2" angle? Would it be best to have the angle welded with the open mouth of the "V" up, or should it be welded as a "L" with the "L" upside down??

Thanks

I understood that you were actually splicing the tubing. If you are simply adding on by making a tee joint to existing cross tubing then there isn't much of a complication. When adding angle to stiffen you try to set the angle so that it extends as far as possible away from the other member. It is hard to say in your application since I can't see it in person. Randy