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Old 08-09-2011 | 03:19 PM
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has anyone made their own aluminum trailer ? thinking of building 1 for my cat .I have access to lots of equipment so it doesn't look to be that hard . Any thoughts?
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Old 08-09-2011 | 05:32 PM
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I agree...they buy everything and bolt it onto the trailer frame..
we may do it this winter ourselves...!!!
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Old 08-09-2011 | 06:40 PM
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O boy
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Old 08-10-2011 | 09:09 AM
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Originally Posted by tinman565
O boy
care to elaborate ?
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Old 08-10-2011 | 09:53 AM
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You can make your own and issue it a "homemade" VIN at the tag office. The problem with doing it is its almost impossible to declare a true weight rating. If there were to be an accident and the insurance deems it *could* have been trailer related and they see it was homemade, you could be ponyin up some bigtime coin on your end.

With that being said, trailers are NOT that hard to make. We've made 4 or 5 in our shop for different things since I was a little kid. Everything from flatbeds to seadoo trailers. But my advice is to buy a rolling frame with a VIN and weight tag from a trusted manufacturer. Then you can bolt bunks, winches, toolboxes, wheels, lights, paint, etc on to it and still save yourself a chunk of change..

That one little tag really will make a big difference. Especially on resale or states that don't allow registration of homemade trailers..
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Old 08-10-2011 | 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by vette131
care to elaborate ?
What do you do for a living sir ?
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Old 08-10-2011 | 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by waterboy222
You can make your own and issue it a "homemade" VIN at the tag office. The problem with doing it is its almost impossible to declare a true weight rating. If there were to be an accident and the insurance deems it *could* have been trailer related and they see it was homemade, you could be ponyin up some bigtime coin on your end.
Don't you subtract the frame weight from the axles capacity for a weight carrying rating?
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Old 08-10-2011 | 12:17 PM
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Originally Posted by tinman565
What do you do for a living sir ?
shop foreman at a ford dealer. I have access to a frame machine, machine shop, mig, tig, band saw, chop saw & champion trailers is nearby. why do you ask? I'm not concerned with can I do it, but should I. I also have the old trailer to take measurements off of.
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Old 08-10-2011 | 12:22 PM
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Originally Posted by waterboy222
You can make your own and issue it a "homemade" VIN at the tag office. The problem with doing it is its almost impossible to declare a true weight rating. If there were to be an accident and the insurance deems it *could* have been trailer related and they see it was homemade, you could be ponyin up some bigtime coin on your end.

With that being said, trailers are NOT that hard to make. We've made 4 or 5 in our shop for different things since I was a little kid. Everything from flatbeds to seadoo trailers. But my advice is to buy a rolling frame with a VIN and weight tag from a trusted manufacturer. Then you can bolt bunks, winches, toolboxes, wheels, lights, paint, etc on to it and still save yourself a chunk of change..

That one little tag really will make a big difference. Especially on resale or states that don't allow registration of homemade trailers..
thanks for the response. this is my second go round with building cat trailers. the last one I got lucky & found a v bottom trailer to convert over. that was 8 years ago & it's still on the road. my boat hangs in the hoist except for a couple trips a year to destin, so I hate spending money on a trailer.
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Old 08-10-2011 | 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by US1 Fountain
Don't you subtract the frame weight from the axles capacity for a weight carrying rating?
Yes, thats how the weight is figured before its stamped on the plate. But without a plate and manufacturer tag, its a crap shoot when it comes to insurance..

Im in the process of converting a V to a cat trailer now to get away from this bouncy ass aluminum trailer. I looked at building my own and once the math was figured, I came out ahead upgrading an older trailer.
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