Joining The Tire Trailer Club - Wisdom Needed

So, I want to be like the cool kids with tire trailers at autocross events. I also want to have something to transport my shifter kart easily. I'm trying to configure my 40"x48" trailer to accomplish both and I have some questions.

I'd like to be able to mount and dismount the bins I have quickly, while still securing the bases. I've considered rivnuts in the plywood, but I'd like something even faster. Are dzus the solution? Or is there something else that would work? I would like the deck to remain flat, if possible. 

Apparently whoever bought this car failed to select the tow package, so it does not have a connector for lights. I'd rather not have to splice into the 911's harness. Is there a way to install a removable t-fitting on the taillights or something else? Maybe I need to make one with junkyard parts?

Finally, I made a hitch that uses the bumperette brackets for support. I have enough aluminum to make another one. I want to document and share the process of making it, and offer the finished product up for sale, but I'm concerned about the potential liability of each of those things. I expect that it will work for my light-duty purposes, but it could obviously be misused. Would a disclaimer suffice, or is this just not worth it in a litigious society?

The plywood will be a consumable on a long enough time span.  I would not plan on rivnuts being anywhere near permanent.

I have been thinking about how well square receivers (like hitches use) would work for quick release in this case.  I have seen people embed recievers in their garage floors so they could have pedestal mounts for bench grinders, tubing benders, and the like, and then remove them and park their car over it when they were done working.  Something similar could be done for the trailer where you could plug in the storage bins, insert a latch pin, and go, and then remove the latch pin and take the bins off when you needed the full space.

Knurled. said:

The plywood will be a consumable on a long enough time span.  I would not plan on rivnuts being anywhere near permanent.

 

I have been thinking about how well square receivers (like hitches use) would work for quick release in this case.  I have seen people embed recievers in their garage floors so they could have pedestal mounts for bench grinders, tubing benders, and the like, and then remove them and park their car over it when they were done working.  Something similar could be done for the trailer where you could plug in the storage bins, insert a latch pin, and go, and then remove the latch pin and take the bins off when you needed the full space.

 

 

Not exactly the same thing, but I use a vertical hitch receiver on my trailer to carry our hitch basket (which we use at rally events to take our toolchest to remote service areas).....

How often would you be switching between autocross and kart?

Honestly I'd suggest ratchet straps. It's not as cool as bolted down bins, but it's better for modularity.

K.I.S.S.

Do yourself a favor and check the welds on the piece that connects the tongue to the trailer.

Better yet, weld all the connections and put the nuts and bolts in a bucket for future projects. 

I dunno about the druze fasteners in tension.  Shear, maybe, but don't think having them in tension is a good idea.

The bins will be strapped in addition to bolts or screws or whatever I secure the bottom with. The straps would likely be sufficient, but I would worry less about the combination.

Using pins is an interesting idea. I'll have to think on that one.

The only welds in the tongue are basically non-structural. Welding the whole thing sounds pretty silly. If I was going to weld something together, I'd start with more metal and less paint.

How do you have that metal attached to the car?  There are a few tow hitches out there specifically for 996's, the Will Wood one that I have and another one called Sport Tow.  They both bolt to the bumper beam support and then pop out behind the license plate, which you hinge up.  You do have to cut the bumper skin a little. 

As far as your tail light wiring harness, you're out of luck, you need to splice into it somehow.  You also need to add a convertor....

white_fly said:

The bins will be strapped in addition to bolts or screws or whatever I secure the bottom with. The straps would likely be sufficient, but I would worry less about the combination.

Using pins is an interesting idea. I'll have to think on that one.

The only welds in the tongue are basically non-structural. Welding the whole thing sounds pretty silly. If I was going to weld something together, I'd start with more metal and less paint.

I wouldn't trust bins to only have straps.  They will shift from under the straps, unless you install D-hooks right next to the bins to positively locate them.  The trailer will bounce around a lot and anything not very well secured will work its way loose like a soapy cat that doesn't want to be held.

Trailer is loaded to juuust about its capacity, and it still bounced around to where I saw it soar high enough to completely fill the vew through the rear window.  At least the truck behind me stopped tailgating after that   The bin is held down by about six bolts and everything on the rig has support blocks screwed through the decking so nothing shifts.  Nothing shifted, although one of the heavy blue cross-straps did cut halfway through.

I semi regularly inspect the area where the tongue bolts to the main frame and so far everything looks just fine.  I did use washers on both sides of all fasteners, since I have a philosophical objection to washerless installation of anything.  (Shouldered nuts/bolts are preferred of course, but if you thought buying a 100-pack of 3/8" washers was expensive...)

white_fly said:

The only welds in the tongue are basically non-structural. Welding the whole thing sounds pretty silly. If I was going to weld something together, I'd start with more metal and less paint.

Your trailer.  However, many people say those bolts and lock nuts loosen up over time, so, if you want low maintenance, weld it.  Unless you can't weld, then whatever.  Maybe find a friend with a welder and bring some beer.

Also, if you don't need the full weight capacity of the trailer, take the extra leaf spring out.

In reply to Dr. Hess :

Upon inspecting the area that apparently failed for.... I forget who it was, I am not sure welding would even help.  The end of the tongue bolts to an unsupported piece of thin angle iron, not even a box section.  It can easily be flexed by hand.  If you welded it, it would still want to flex, but now it is flexing against possibly weakened steel, and the only good way to weld it is along the tongue's axis so flexing would tear the weld anyway.

I don't disagree with welding, but I'd want bolts in there too.  With washers, not 6 sided stress riser creators.

I don't know about other peoples' kits, but mine came with Nyloc style nuts.  Should not loosen up.

In reply to docwyte :

My hitch is attached to the bumperette brackets. I am aware of the Willwood hitch. It's undoubtedly superior in terms of strength, but it's $600+ and requires removal of the bumper cover to install it. I'm in for about $26 and I did not need to remove or cut the bumper cover.

Removing the bumper cover takes 10-15 minutes.  I'd just be concerned with how strong that mounting is...

In reply to Knurled. :

I might put some kind or reinforcement in the areas the tongue attaches to the trailer and I'll definitely inspect it frequently, but I'm not going to be using it at anywhere near its rated capacity. The kart weighs about 200lbs, same for wheels and tires. Even with some tools and gear, it shouldn't be unduly stressing anything.

I rig ropes for a living, so I'm confident I *could* make anything on the trailer stay put, but securing the bottoms of the bins is a quick and simple thing to do and unquestionably better than straps alone.

Dr.Hess, I don't weld. I expect the nylock nuts to be fairly secure, but I'll be inspecting them regularly. If I have any trouble, loctite seems like a better solution than welding. Taking a leaf out is a really good idea. I'll definitely do that.

In reply to white_fly :

My trailer build thread is here.

Normal load-out:

(Six mounted rally tires makes for a lot of tongue weight, BTW)