Simple, light, easy to load - a trailer for light cars

This was my first trailer. It was amazingly easy to load and pulled like it wasn't there. It was used to tow my Locost around for a while, and was also used for Miatas including the Targa Miata. I'm sharing it in case anyone is interested in building one like it. It was built for sand rails originally.

The angled deck and torsion bar suspension meant there was no issues with breakover angle and the approach angle for loading was never a problem. I used a couple of HF ATV ramps. The open center also made it useful for working on a car at the track, it was basically a four post lift in that regard. It was light enough that I would simply pick it up and drop it on the hitch, and I could lift it up on its side to work on wiring. I do like an enclosed trailer but I really miss just how low-hassle this was.

Problems: 

- it didn't have brakes. Easy enough to deal with if you build your own. It was never sketchy to tow given that it , but brakes are always good.

- a 2000 lb car would start to flex the deck. You could build around this by making the members out of something a little taller than 2x2. I did weld some angle iron to them in order to stiffen them up, but if I were building another I'd use something a little beefier for the rails. Even a vertically oriented 2x3 box would be worthwhile.

2100 lb Miata loaded on. You can see the taller sides from the extra 2" angle iron.

Ramps were attached to the front of the tire rack. Wheels were held in place with a piece of conduit that passed from side to side through the wheel and locked.

How it loaded, and using it as a lift. Let's assume I had the front of the car tied to the front of the trailer here.

I like it 

Like minds...      Colin would approve.

I built mine to tilt, no ramps.  And added brakes.   Maybe red is the color for homebuilts.  

I can't take credit for the design of this one, but it was very minimalist. A little too minimalist at times, but it could be scaled up. Frog, I suspect there's half the steel in my old one but yours could probably carry something heavier than a stripped out Miata  :)

A tilting bed would make setup for loading easier, but could have an effect on approach angle which can be problematic for low cars. Nothing's stopping you from using ramps and just not tilting in that case, of course.

I really want to have a tire rack added to my trailer.  The place I bought it does trailer repairs and modifications.  I may have to discuss this with them.  My new to me rally car has lots of wheels, and I want tire options for different surfaces.  I love the rack on these trailers. 

I did it similar. This one is a little skinny for cars, I built it for an overgrown golf cart. I started with a boat trailer and then made 2 ramps out of a sheet of 16 ga. There is a single bend up on the outside because it has support from the boat trailer frame and a double bend on the inside.  I put the angle in based on what was there for boat structure and there are ramps. I used this old pic because it shows the angle and the sheet metal. I have painted it black since then and added ramps. Like Keith said there is no high point when loading so it never bottoms out. 
It tows excellent due to the larger tires. 

In reply to NY Nick :

Is that a picnic table golf cart?

In reply to tomtomgt356 (Tommy) :

Yea but I have posted that in other threads. I tried to find a pic of the trailer only to not flounder this but I didn't have one. 

Keith Tanner said:

A tilting bed would make setup for loading easier, but could have an effect on approach angle which can be problematic for low cars. Nothing's stopping you from using ramps and just not tilting in that case, of course.

Keith, 

You hit on the design challenge when I built the trailer.   First, the van likes 500 - 700 lb of tongue weight at 75 mph.   Second, Being the car is mid-engine, I had to scale it without me in it to figure out where the "empty CG" was, so I could get that close to the centerline of the axle.  Third,  With the car being 3" of ground clearance, I had to calculate wheelbase, front overhand, to get ramp length.   So... when you look at this picture what you see is really a trailer that the ramps are permanently welded on the back.     Its like 5' from the car's rear axle centerline to the end of the trailer.

OBTW I was off by about a foot out the back.  I needed about 1.5" off height at the very back to keep the exhaust tips from scrapping when unloading.   So, not liking the "portable 2x4" solution, I have since welded hinged extensions on the rear to flip out for loading,  much like heavy equpment railers you see.

Some one commented that at least with all that rear overhang, the car wouldn't get hit in a small rearend accident...

I think you should start a thread showing all the features and design choices on this thing. It could be really useful for someone else working on the same problems.

Also, "since the car is midengined" and a picture of a Bug is excellent.

In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :

With that much van to tow with, I'd have just grabbed a handy trailer, and thrown the car on with the heavy end to the front. But that package looks good, and ought to tow great. 

I'd love to have a trailer like this. The only "realistic" way I can store a trailer is on its side next to my shop. That added to the fact that IL now charges $151 per year just for the pleasure of lending you a license plate is why I don't own a trailer currently. 

There's a great place about an hour from me that rents anything I need for cheap too. But I do agree the 3 hour round trip to go hook or unhook is a bit of a bummer.

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

The ticket is cheaper than the registration, and I have never been pulled over with a trailer.

In reply to Racebrick :

That's hilarious!

I hadn't really considered it that way, but I have been pulled over (in Iowa) for a trailer. I even HAD current registration on it, but I was living in WI at the time, and WI has a rule that trailers under 3k lbs don't need plates. All trailers in Iowa need plates, and the Iowa cops know it's a huge profit center to find WI people as soon as they cross the border. I had a plate on my trailer, and it was registered to me and current, but I guess there is enough "plate sharing" going on that Iowa cops still pull over every trailer they can find with a WI truck attached because it's easy money. I suspect they do the same thing to IL trucks.

I should have sued their asses for wasting my time. 

I purchased a simple tilt bed utility trailer. I then added a hydraulic ram on the front and just added a tire rack with storage shelf. The tire rack can be removed so I can use the trailer for utility stuff.

Needs moar floor. I'd haul more than just cars.

In reply to Appleseed :

Then the minimalist car trailer thread is not the best place for you :)

My minimalist home built trailer. Should've been lower with smaller wheels, but I got the 7k lbs axle for cheap and it matched the bolt pattern of my 1500HD at the time so I used the same size wheel so spare tires are interchangeable. 
 

Aluminum UTV ramps usually secured on the tongue, 2x3x3/16 rectangular tube perimeter frame with 2" angle cross braces. 4" C channel tongue. 
 

Keith, when I had my trailer tipped up,I slathered the bottom with some bedliner.  Cant attest to the results but I thought I was helping.

If you interpret the thread title differently, this counts, haha

In reply to cyow5 :

A friend of mine used to carry his kart on the roof of his yellow E30 M3. I'd love to see that today :)