# Decided to build a trailer



## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

I have been helping a buddy who is building a couple custom skiffs. Figured I might as well build a few custom trailers.


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

A few more


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Very impressive work!


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

wish I could weld like that. Looks tippy.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Row of dimes...
I love the walkboard placement.


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

Nice to see someone stacking dimes on a trailer! I’m gonna borrow that walk board placement, hope you don’t mind!!!


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Very nice job, nice welding job.


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## bonehead (Dec 9, 2016)

Looks better than a lot of trailers out there. Nice job!


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

Damn.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Looks great! How did you bend the I beams?


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## Pole Position (Apr 3, 2016)

When I saw the thread title, I have to admit I wondered who in the world would want to assume liability should things fly all to hell? After seeing the quality of your work, I dont think that will be an issue. .....really a nice job and love the walkboards.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

bryson said:


> Looks great! How did you bend the I beams?


My guess is they have a vertical press and just bend it with that.


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## FSUDrew99 (Feb 3, 2015)

bryson said:


> Looks great! How did you bend the I beams?


Bare hands.... Man Strength


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## RJTaylor (Oct 4, 2017)

Nice job.

Like the lifetime bunks. Did you pad the top before attaching the carpet?


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

The bunks are carpeted pvc board on 4.5 I beam


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

So where's da boat

Beautiful trailer


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

Cart before the horse


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

Hell Yes. Looking forward to watching this.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Love the Jeep!


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

Will you share some details about the mold? Did you make it? Dimensions? What layups are you going with?


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

Friend built the mold, 19.5’x 70” at rub rail


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

Vinyl ester infused, pvc core


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## firefighter813x (May 14, 2017)

Looks great!


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Well let's see the boat after you pop one


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## Billy moore (Jan 13, 2018)

Tigweld said:


> View attachment 22054
> View attachment 22055
> View attachment 22056
> A few more


Love His trailer.


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)




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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

Tigweld said:


> View attachment 23707


What a tease!


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## TSeck (Aug 14, 2018)

This is going to be interesting.........


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2018)

Very nice work!


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

Great job. You may have missed your calling!


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## firefighter813x (May 14, 2017)

Tigweld- I shot you a PM!


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## al supak (Aug 21, 2018)

Amazing work for a home garage. Following


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Hey Tig,

What is the benefit of bolting an aluminum trailer vs welding it?

I see your cross members are bolted and galvanized trailers are welded.

Thanks, I just don't know and would like to know the benefit.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

welded aluminum trailers develop cracks.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

devrep said:


> welded aluminum trailers develop cracks.


So then by that logic the bolts allow the pieces to move whereby oblonging the holes? Also allow it to squeak, moan and groan going down the road.

Not disagreeing dev, really trying to understand if this is issue is size specific because most if not all of the big trailers I have seen are all welded.


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## Guest (Aug 29, 2018)

DuckNut said:


> So then by that logic the bolts allow the pieces to move whereby oblonging the holes? Also allow it to squeak, moan and groan going down the road.
> 
> Not disagreeing dev, really trying to understand if this is issue is size specific because most if not all of the big trailers I have seen are all welded.


Myco!


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

DuckNut said:


> So then by that logic the bolts allow the pieces to move whereby oblonging the holes? Also allow it to squeak, moan and groan going down the road.
> 
> Not disagreeing dev, really trying to understand if this is issue is size specific because most if not all of the big trailers I have seen are all welded.


In general, bolting tempered aluminum is going to be stronger than welding it -- unless you age or heat treat after the welding process, which isn't usually an easy process.

For example, in the heat affected zone (the weld and surrounding areas) 6061-T6 goes from 40ksi down to around 24ksi yield strength. It's not like steel, where it's relatively safe to assume the weld is about the same strength as the base metal.


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

Bingo


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Metallurgy. Thank you for the explanation gentlemen.

One more question- do the stainless bolts affect the aluminum due to dissimilar metals, assuming ss is used?


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

DuckNut said:


> Metallurgy. Thank you for the explanation gentlemen.
> 
> One more question- do the stainless bolts affect the aluminum due to dissimilar metals, assuming ss is used?


With stainless there is no galvanic oxidation that could affect the aluminum. They are both non-ferrous alloys and have no reaction when together.


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

Deck plug is getting close


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

Hope it fits on the trailer


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

@Tigweld are y'all building the boats in Mt. P also, or just the trailer?


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

Boat is in Hollywood


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## georgiadrifter (Jan 14, 2009)

Tigweld....thanks for sharing this.

Would you be willing to retrofit aluminum walkboards on an aluminum Float-On trailer?


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

Possibly this winter


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Rick hambric said:


> With stainless there is no galvanic oxidation that could affect the aluminum. They are both non-ferrous alloys and have no reaction when together.


I beg to differ. It may be less of a reaction but it is still an issue. TefGel will kill it before it starts.


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## thepatten (Dec 15, 2016)

devrep said:


> welded aluminum trailers develop cracks.


I'm going through hell right now because of this. Got a new Continental aluminum trailer for my SM1444 last year and this spring noticed a small crack on the outside of the I-beam on starboard side right where the front cross bar is welded on. Continental says they will only pay to have plates welded on over that area on both sides, however after talking to a handful of welders in the Charleston area, every one of them have said that's not a fix and that it shouldn't have been welded in the first place. They've all refused to perform the repair Continental is wanting done. I've been dealing with some other unexpected home stuff lately so haven't gotten it taken care of yet but the other side is starting to crack and so I'm on borrowed time and will need to address it very soon. 

I'd appreciate suggestions on how best to deal with this. The trailer was less than 1 year old when the first crack appeared and the skiff is light and doesn't get towed unreasonably fast (IMO). Do y'all think I need to try to fight Continental, or should I say screw it and have them find someone to weld plates over and just closely monitor over time until I can find a replacement? Wish I'd paid more for a higher quality trailer but I was on a budget and hindsight is always 20/20.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

thepatten said:


> I'm going through hell right now because of this. Got a new Continental aluminum trailer for my SM1444 last year and this spring noticed a small crack on the outside of the I-beam on starboard side right where the front cross bar is welded on. Continental says they will only pay to have plates welded on over that area on both sides, however after talking to a handful of welders in the Charleston area, every one of them have said that's not a fix and that it shouldn't have been welded in the first place. They've all refused to perform the repair Continental is wanting done. I've been dealing with some other unexpected home stuff lately so haven't gotten it taken care of yet but the other side is starting to crack and so I'm on borrowed time and will need to address it very soon.
> 
> I'd appreciate suggestions on how best to deal with this. The trailer was less than 1 year old when the first crack appeared and the skiff is light and doesn't get towed unreasonably fast (IMO). Do y'all think I need to try to fight Continental, or should I say screw it and have them find someone to weld plates over and just closely monitor over time until I can find a replacement? Wish I'd paid more for a higher quality trailer but I was on a budget and hindsight is always 20/20.


Patten,

Not sure what your fight would be? If they welded it and it failed then the fight would be to get them to repair it and they are willing to do that. If the piece if failing because it is just a defective piece of aluminum then it would be at the discretion of their warranty as to how they repair it. So I think your battle is up hill.

The picture you posted does not even look like there is a weld there (but I certainly have been wrong before and as seen by my posts I have no clue on aluminum trailers).


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## flyclimber (May 22, 2016)

thepatten said:


> I'm going through hell right now because of this.


The best "fix" would be to do a full penetration weld. This would get to new clean material but you would still need to add gussets ie the welded plate but this if you add the plate and the crack returns you wouldn't be able to see it. The crack may be from the the C-channel extrusion. 

I would also double check your bunks to make sure you don't have a gap on the bow vs stern side. 

If it were my trailer (I also have a Continental Trailer, hoping to upgrade to a ram-lin eventually), I would do the full pen weld then add vertical gusset so that they lined up with the structure that is on the inside of the frame. That way you add strength without sacrificing the ability to see. Aluminum is a tough material to weld and prove its strength in the weld.


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## thepatten (Dec 15, 2016)

@DuckNut I agree that if the aluminum was failing due to being defective that it would be up to their warranty and therefore if they say welding plates on the side is the correct fix then I should accept that. I wanted to ask because I was alarmed that the welders I talked to about it all said they wouldn't perform the kind of repair that they want done as it isn't a "true fix". After the fourth local welding company told me the same thing I thought I'd ask for thoughts here, so please understand I'm not aiming to just get as much as I can from Continental - just want to trust what I have and not run into a bad situation down the road..

There is a cross-bar welded on the inside of the I-beam directly on the other side of the crack in that picture. This is where the front half of the bunks are being held up. Including another old picture of the trailer so you can understand better. 

@freeclimber I have no idea about those welds you're mentioning but it sounds like you have some experience so thanks for your thoughts. When you mentioned checking the bunks to make sure there isn't a gap on the bow versus stern side - can you be more specific about where this gap is?


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## flyclimber (May 22, 2016)

thepatten said:


> @DuckNut
> @freeclimber I have no idea about those welds you're mentioning but it sounds like you have some experience so thanks for your thoughts. When you mentioned checking the bunks to make sure there isn't a gap on the bow versus stern side - can you be more specific about where this gap is?


When the boat is sitting on the trailer you could run your finger along the bunks and make sure that they are the same port and starboard. Trying to eliminate the potential of the alignment being off. If the front of one bunk is too close it would put some odd/wacky stresses on the trailer. Causing the crack.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

See this http://mcclaintrailers.com/crossmember/

in 2009, being an MX freak my whole life I had a 2003 CR 125R aluminum frame modified to accept an CR500R 2 stroke engine. A lot of cutting, bending and welding was involved. The guy in California who did the work was an artist at welding and was the only one who would have the frames heat treated at completion. He took them to a specialty shop where they did heat and cool cycles in an oven and then did the final cooling with a saltwater mist. It is known that Honda does some type of similar treat after factory welding aluminum frames also. I still have this bike and its gone thru a lot of abuse over the years with no cracks or failures. And somehow it hasn't killed me yet either


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

The pattern give me a call tomorrow, I’m in Mt p
Marc 843-478-6706


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)




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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

Deck tooling


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

It fits


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

LOOKING GOOD!!!


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

I come back to this every so often just to gawk. That's all.


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## jonny (May 1, 2007)

devrep said:


> See this http://mcclaintrailers.com/crossmember/
> 
> in 2009, being an MX freak my whole life I had a 2003 CR 125R aluminum frame modified to accept an CR500R 2 stroke engine. A lot of cutting, bending and welding was involved. The guy in California who did the work was an artist at welding and was the only one who would have the frames heat treated at completion. He took them to a specialty shop where they did heat and cool cycles in an oven and then did the final cooling with a saltwater mist. It is known that Honda does some type of similar treat after factory welding aluminum frames also. I still have this bike and its gone thru a lot of abuse over the years with no cracks or failures. And somehow it hasn't killed me yet either


Service Honda? If so I sold those guys a cr500 off my Swift formulaE shifter cart. A buddy I raced with owned a Honda dealership. He built that motor from NOS in 99. I went back to the 256 twin Rotax. And called em up and they jumped on that motor. Wonder if you have it?


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

not a Service Honda. Better. Service Honda doesn't heat treat after welding.


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## Marsh Pirate (Sep 15, 2016)

bryson said:


> Looks great! How did you bend the I beams?


I would also like to know how you bent the I-beam.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Marsh Pirate said:


> I would also like to know how you bent the I-beam.



I searching the interwebs I have seen people using hydraulic presses, repurposed log splitters, and rolling machines. A rolling machine is big bucks and that's a bend and not a curve he has in the I-beam so I am guessing he used a hydraulic shop press.


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

I used a hydraulic press . I’m going to make 2 more trailers in the next few weeks, I’ll post pics


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## Marsh Pirate (Sep 15, 2016)

I've been considering building a trailer for my aluminum skiff. I would really appreciate pictures. and information.


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## Tigweld (Oct 26, 2017)

It will be a few weeks, I’ll post up


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## Marsh Pirate (Sep 15, 2016)

Tigweld said:


> It will be a few weeks, I’ll post up


I would really appreciate it, thanks!


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

As a follow up to my other question:
Why do aluminum trailers "stop short" of the transom and just let the boat ride suspended on bunks- like this:









and galvanized go all the way back - like this:










????

Thanks


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## southerncannuck (Jun 27, 2016)

You got skills


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Tigweld said:


> View attachment 22175
> Cart before the horse
> View attachment 22174


Great looking trailer wished I had seen it before.

Gotta question......where did you find the LARGE roller in the back?????? The largest I found was 12"
thanks


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

etrailer has them. Overton
s etc





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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Sublime said:


> etrailer has them. Overton
> s etc
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks....overtons has it


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