Portal Axle Offroad Trailer

[Java]

Pretty cool, looks very well built. I just wonder how much weight it can handle at that height w/o becoming tippy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3LPPOXtGMM&feature=related

[Cr33p3r]

That is a nice small trailer, I would go a bit taller on the sides if it was mine, just to make sure things stay inside the bed of it. I hopefully will get around to building the old Toyota bed trailer into something similar to that this year.

[Patrolman]

Looks like CO license plates. Personally, I wouldn't be concerned with "how much" weight it can handle, but how high it needs to be. If you are carrying a fair amount of weight, but all below the short bedsides, I bet it is fairly stable.

[Brody]

Yeah, I wouldn't be too concerned with the weight, either. The couple of trailers I have had have been Toyota truck beds (maybe one was a Nissan or something....same size, at any rate) and I did spring overs on both of them and ran the same size meats as on whatever 4x I had at the time, which usually meant 35-39s. Used them for camping and construction ****, with a standard ball and hitch. Aside from the problems associated with a short trailer/longer tow rig, I had no issues.

Just a FWIW, this style axle on trailers is actually called a 'torsion' style or 'underslung' axle. The torsion style usually incorporates a rubber bushing (hence the 'torsion') to allow flex, and the underslung style simply refers to an axle where the center line is offset. Northern Equipment sells a 3500 pound(rated) one for around $300. There are other versions of this same style kicking around, but the basic design is called a torsion or underslung rather than portal. A 'portal' axle usually refers to a geared axle...(someone correct me if I am wrong here....:D) Weight is a serious consideration when using any of the non geared style axles as it doesn't take a degree in engineering to see that the inherent design has a serious weak point....or two...You exceed the weight limit of the axle and no prizes are going to be given for guessing where it will break.....

Sean and I priced a custom military style trailer (ala Adventure Trailer style) for Dave Nay last year or the year before and when we were discussing suspension options, torsion style axles were brought up as were leaf springs, control arms, etc. His trailer design was about 20" longer and about 6" deeper than your basic M101 style military trailer, had capacity for gas, water, fridge, stove, RTT, etc., etc, with a multi axis hitch. Priced according to Dave's dimensions, out the door with 35s and steelies, was in the neighborhood of $8k...

[Popsgarage]

someone correct me if I am wrong here....

You are correct, my friend!

[Java]

Thanks, Pete, that is all new info for me. :thumb: I wondered about how much it could hold and not flip offroad when one tire went into a rut or off camber, it still looks tippy to me. I agree with Jeff about load height, it's the height of the box itself... looking at the video it seems to me that you could go to a spring under and make it lower and much more stable without losing any clearance since the lower end of the shocks are mounted below the axle anyway. it'd be easy enough to adjust the fenders too. I'm considering building one and I like this one a lot.

[Brody]

Give me a shout when you have questions. I may be able to offer advice and good sources as I did a lot research and pricing doing Dave Nay's trailer estimate. You are welcome to whatever information I have.

[Java]

This is on sale for $209.00, it might make a good base to build on. It might also be too small for a RTT, haven't looked onto that enough yet to know.
http://www.harborfreight.com/1090-lb-capacity-40-1-2-half-inch-x-48-inch-mini-utility-trailer-with-12-inch-four-lug-wheels-and-tires-90153.html

[Brody]

This is basically the same trailer that my friend Bren has been using for years for small projects. For the most part, it has done really well, but I have also had to do a few beef ups on it, one of which was to replace the axle with a heavier version (It has been overloaded quit a few times...) with a standard 5 on 5.5 wheel pattern. I also had to weld a lot of the bolted corners, added some gussets, and added returns to the single trailer arm. The standard ball hitch, even though I have used the off road, has some draw backs. The deciding factor should be the weight you want to put in of and the kinds of off road use you want to put it through. If you are going to use it for off road use with heavier loads or a RTT, you may well want to stick a heavier axle ($130ish) and a multi axls hitch ($225ish) on it. The standard wheel pattern will allow the use of the same wheels and tires you have on your Jeep (gaining clearance) and the multi axis hitch will allow for a wider range of trails.

Keep in mind, too, that this is a bolt together trailer pretty much designed with the home owner in mind and not necessarily for a lot of abuse. Not saying that it isn't a good base for the price, just that you can expect to pay for some beefing up. Go to Northern Tools

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_trailers-trailer-parts

and take a look at what they offer. It may well be worth it (as far as price) to get a good base model with the axle upgrade, and just have it shipped here. BTW, Northern has the same trailer for $229 minus shipping.

[Java]

I saw the one at Northern, it would be easier to have it delivered for sure. It's only $20.00 more but I bet I'd save the tax if I ordered it online, maybe it'd be cheaper in the end. I've had a Harbor Freight trailer before, I used it to haul around my boat for a couple of years, sold it with the boat. I'd give it a B- overall. It was the one that folded, and the wheels it comes with to move it around when folded are small plastic furniture wheels. Aside from that the bearings were crap, I put buddy bearings in. It also needed some paint touch ups right out of the box. Aside from that it was pretty good, I even dunked it at the boat ramps w/o issue. Bolting on a plywood deck stiffened it up a bunch, and I also put 12' detatchable carpeted runners one either side to support the boat that really loced it together when they were on, especially the joint it folds up at. I like the idea of welding it up a lot more. I'm making a list of things I'd want in it / on it and trying to add up the weight. A big cooler, a nice sized water tank, deep cycle battery / inverter, tools, spare jeep parts, spare trailer tire, firewood, camping gear, etc... I don't think I'll go over the trailer's rating but it does add up quickly. I might swap the axle just for the bolt pattern so I can use Jeep rims. I'd love to put it on 33s. You can buy adapters too, http://www.airbagit.com/Billet-Wheel-Adapters-Adaptors-Spacers-p/aa-4108-5450-fl.htm for example, but at that $$ I may as well just swap the axle and gain the extra durability. We'll see, it's still just speculation at this point...

[Popsgarage]

Remember to think of the trailer and load as a triangle. Keep the load centered and low. As long as the vertical leg of the triangle from the centerline of the trailer to the top of the load doesn't exceed the length from the top of the load to the point where the tire touches the ground you should remain pretty stable. And it should really be center of gravity not to top of load!

[Java]

That's it, COG is the ticket. The axle in that video is underslung, not torsion as I now understand it, a torsion axle wouldn't use leaf springs. Northern Tool has a cool independant style torsion setup, but it can only handle 500lbs. I STILL think the trailer in the video is too high, it has more clearance than what is towing it too. The bulk of my towing experience is with boats in FL, slow and flat on the street and into the boat ramps, and I've towed waverunners on and off the beach with a Bigfoot trailer. I've never towed anything offroad in CO, but it looks to be about the same, slow and careful FTW. I think I might actually do this, it looks like a fun winter project.

[Popsgarage]

Need to look into the possibility of making the tongue of the trailer extend and retract. Longer for highway driving and short for offroad. Even a couple feet would help with highway stability immensely. I really don't like towing short, badly balanced trailers. They tend to throw you around.

[Brody]

Amen to the shorty trailers, but the trailers I have used off road have all been short and with a basic ball and hitch. No fancy multi axis hitch or pintle (either of which would have been nice and would certainly be high on the list for another trailer if I built one), but I never had issues. Being able to adjust the arm would be a nice feature and not all that hard to do. I am not sure that it would be a necessary thing, though.

[Popsgarage]

I've just had to many short length trailers want to drag me all over the place. Can make for a fun ride.

[Brody]

HAHA....and all the time I thought that it was MY driving......

So what would be a good way to make the arm adjustable? Would you build it out of 1/4-3/16" stock sleeved like a regular receiver and have a couple of 9/16" pins through it, with the trailer side short and triangulated? Haven't tried this before, but sounds reasonable.

[Popsgarage]

That's kinda what I was thinking, Pete. Add a couple of grease zerks to keep sliding and relatively rust free and at least one hitch pin, two would be the preferred method.

[Java]

I think this is how Tom Sawyer got his fence painted.

[Brody]

HA.....you had better come up with a real good line, and let us see what you have in your 'poke'. It had better have at least one cats eye shooter in it, too, or we will never talk....

I had to look that reference up because it had been so long since I had read Tom Sawyer....Maybe about 50 years....For those interested to this reference:

http://ensign.ftlcomm.com/people/TomNhuck/ted.html

That was good, Paul:lmao:

[Popsgarage]

I think I'd like a one eyed cat!:lmao:

[Rob]

I think this is how Tom Sawyer got his fence painted.

:lmao: By the way, I like your Lamont Cranston avatar, Paul.

[Java]

Rob wins at references!! :thumb:

I agree with Jon about the longer tounge, but I also agree with Pete that it might have minimal gains on that particular trailer. I appreciate the input! In FL guys used very long tounged trailers with their 2wd trucks at the boat ramps. There's a really greasy type of algae that grows around the tide line that has zero traction that they try to avoid by not having to go down as far. Just some useless info for your morning. I think I'm going to get the gear together first, atleast in list form, so I can see just what I need to haul around before anything else.

[Popsgarage]

Good idea! Always start with a plan.:thumb:

[glacierpaul]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzrnR1ynkP0&feature=related