Thread: Building an Off-Road trailer

Anyone built a trailer with independent off-road suspension? Sort of thing you see under Aussie campers etc.

https://www.alphasuspensions.com.au/extreme/

And does anyone in NZ build this sort of thing?
I'm wanting single not tandem, without the axle right thru, to carry around 2 tonne?

Originally Posted by Mistral

Anyone built a trailer with independent off-road suspension? Sort of thing you see under Aussie campers etc.

https://www.alphasuspensions.com.au/extreme/

And does anyone in NZ build this sort of thing?
I'm wanting single not tandem, without the axle right thru, to carry around 2 tonne?

Try Central Custom Engineering in Alexandra. Aiden designed & built his own for his offroad caravan. They have a full CAD design service & waterjet cutter.

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If your not going full hardcore with it would durotorques do just as well?

Originally Posted by Barefoot

If your not going full hardcore with it would durotorques do just as well?

Avoid them if possible for off road type applications. They have a very firm action.

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Originally Posted by Mathias

Avoid them if possible for off road type applications. They have a very firm action.

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Second that, if you start pounding duratorques with a load on they start doing all sorts of nasty like cracking the ends of the axle beam where the rubbers are inserted into the axle... And they take a sag if the load is on them consistently - they prefer to be left fully unloaded and only loaded for a short time then unloaded again.

These guys make one.
https://www.kawekaoffroad.co.nz/mountian-trailer

https://www.blacktailcampertrailers.co.nz/
Christchurch based.


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Originally Posted by ROKTOY

https://www.blacktailcampertrailers.co.nz/
Christchurch based.


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Talked to these guys, excellent so far!

Originally Posted by Mistral

Talked to these guys, excellent so far!

Tom is a clever bugger

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There's also three dog trailers I think they are called. not sure what type of suspension they run tho

Mild steel then get hot dip galved best possible way to go strong can build it reasonably light or heavy depending on the design and hot dip means like what 20years corrosion free if you hose it down after use. It's by far the best way to go.

2T load will be pushing it on a single axle setup like that. It will be serious money just for the suspension/hub/brake setup.

Originally Posted by Savage1

2T load will be pushing it on a single axle setup like that. It will be serious money just for the suspension/hub/brake setup.

Yeah I'd like to stay single if I can. And the 2 tonne is not essential, but the Aussie's like Cruisemaster do them like that.
And you're right about the cost, but I'd rather spend up front & have something that won't give as much trouble.

Anyone of you engineering/fabrication types had much to do with ally trailers? I've seen some big boats, around 7-8mtr on ally trailers, what's the thinking on how well they last? And it's life includes getting dragged around off road by a Unimog.
It's not going to be a winch truck, but we won't be babying it either.

Originally Posted by Mistral

Anyone of you engineering/fabrication types had much to do with ally trailers? I've seen some big boats, around 7-8mtr on ally trailers, what's the thinking on how well they last? And it's life includes getting dragged around off road by a Unimog.
It's not going to be a winch truck, but we won't be babying it either.

Mistrial,

If it was me for an offroad trailer I would go with steel framing. Steel preforms better in cyclical loading and long term fatigue life, less prone to cracking.

Aluminum although lighter and way better for corrosion doesn't have an endurance limit and will be more likely fatigue crack , especially if it gets repeating high loads/stress (think driving over potholes). In addition welding also affects/weakness the properties of Aluminum more so than welding steel.

Even though boats and aircraft frames are made from Aluminum they don't tend to be loaded to max cyclical load range and aircraft frames are typically riveted not welded.

As we use Aluminum more I am sure design will catch up and allow for the shortfalls, the Aluminum boat trailers I now see on the road all have larger structural members than equivalent steel trailers.

Cheers FBD

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