MB Tray Trailer

[ike849]

After actually getting sometime off to complete a few projects I've had on the go for over a year now, i'm actually starting to complete them!!!!

Today I registered my MB trailer it's the rear half of a MB much like the one brayden found a while back...


I thought I would post the details needed to get it registered for others that are thinking the same thing....
Axle Rating = 420kg
Max. Load = 200kg
Tare Mass = 180kg
ATM = 380kg
GTM = 350kg
*Tare Mass,ATM & GTM all will be different depending on how much bracing you use in construction....

Here is rough drawing of the dimensions of the trailer and it's bracing...


I will post pics as soon as I fit all the panels back on and put the rego plates on....

[stevan_istheman]

Sweet...

[greenzook89]

Yah its finally finished Ike!!

[ike849]

can't find my digi camera

here's a pic of it before i painted it in hammer tone blue, and used spray on tray liner....



Inside the front compartment are storage boxes and a 9kg gas bottle, with a dual fitting coming out where the door latch is on the drivers side so I can attach a lantern and bbq... There are two tray's under the draw bar for storage of ropes etc....

Inside the passenger cavity is a lift pump that only gets power when the trailer is plugged in and reverse is selected. This is my "long range" fuel tank when we go to the beach!!! On the cavity cover there is a fuel gauge and isolator switch for the pump.

The handbrake saves having wheel chocks and when on activates the hazard lights so I can't drive off with it left on.

I'm still looking for a water bladder the right size to fit in the drivers side cavity. I have looked at ARB ones for land cruisers but they are too wide...

future plans are to fit the chrome rails and fit a tonneau cover...

for those that are interested the top and front panels are made from industrial a/c ducting...nice and light and cheap from you local demolition yard!!!

[Jermaine]

very nice! iv thought about doin this, as i have 2 wrecked ones, and i made a tobar at one stage for my old mb..

[stevan_istheman]

If that gas bottle is permanently mounted you're gonna need a gas certificate to make it legit. methinks...
Also, I'm not sure about your fuel tank under there... may need some kind if certificate to street legal.

Don't want to rain on your parade, don't want you getting booked either.
Good luck!

[ike849]

don't worry steve all legit... have gas certificate and they said all I have to do is use the std. fuel setup with an isolator switch for the pump and a manual tap on the line. It will be plated when I take it to the trailer manufacturer in the new year....

hondamightyboyrule, aranda make a tow bar for the suzuki hatch (model SU6 from memory), it requires you to drill through the tray and mounts to the right hand rail, centre width running rail and to the rear width rail under the tray.
I didn't want to drill through the tray so I mounted mine by drilling an insertion hole on each rail and sliding the washer + plate + nut along with a magnet till it met the hole and bolted it up....very fiddly but a much nicer appearance overall.

I took mine down to them and showed them what I did and they were happy for it to be mounted that way as it still uses the same rail mounting points and the ball is only rated at 60kg...

[Brayden]

the ball is only rated at 60kg...

Surely that is 60kg loading weight and not towing capacity!

I love the features you've packed into the trailer though, very practical! Its like the swiss army knife of trailers. Well done.

[gadj]

My understanding is that a 'ball rating' is maximum downforce at the towball & the 'towbar rating' is a separate figure indicating the maximum trailer weight.

[ike849]

ball rating is vertical load (60kg), towing capacity is horizontal load (750kg)...

ATM of 380kg is measured from the wheels and towing coupler with a 200kg load.... GTM of 350kg is the same thing just only measure at the wheels. So the most the tow ball will see weight wise is 30kg, half of what it is rated!!!

[stevan_istheman]

Fark! 750kg would be scary to try and pull up...
You'll need elecrtic brakes! haha!

[ToranaGuy]

Very nice work on the trailer dude! It's got me seriously thinking, but I too have way too many projects on the go atm.

I love your feature list, and especially the hand brake. Does it have the spare wheel holder for a stock spare wheel? Maybe you could put the spare up the front & then fit a caravan water tank in where the spare tyre is meant to fit?

You could fit the original drum brakes & an override hitch that activates the brakes like a lot of trailers under 2000 GVM have fit. When you brake in the ute, the trailer slides forward on the hitch & that activates a master cylinder that then works your trailers brakes. Really simple. But good brakes in the mighty boy should pull it up safely shouldn't they?

Cheers & Merry Xmas

ToranaGuy

[gadj]

Never had any trouble pulling up the 8' x 4' unbraked trailer behind my MB.

Over-ride brakes would be a good idea though & they can also be actuated by cable through the handbrake actuators in the drum assy.

[ike849]

adding trailer brakes would be over kill...like gadj said even with the 200kg's it still felt safe (you can feel it pushing the car a bit though!!!)

Remember this is a half MB so the usable area is quite small, unlike a normal box trailer where you could easily reach the 750kg limit, and the MB axle is only rated at 420kg.... (btw. it was hard enough fitting the 200kg of sand bags in the tray let alone finding space for another 370kg to make it to the 750kg limit!!!!)

I think I better explain how only 30kg's is placed on the tow ball with the 200kg load. In QLD a trailer must have a smaller or equal to in length "loadable" section after the axle as before it. Since i'm using the front part (the old parcel tray area) to store the gas bottle and camping kit, the "half MB" just makes this rule (something to keep in mind when you cut the MB in half as without this section your trailer won't be legal, full stop)...

Therefore when you load up the 200kg in the tray the majority of that weight is placed directly over the wheels, with a small amount placed after the wheels. Ideally you want your 'load' as close as possible to the front of the trailer as this helps with control on the highway and aids in safer braking, but honestly the day i'm hitting the 200kg payload limit there is something wrong as this is a big stretch for me.....I prefer to go camping with only what I can carry on my back...

toranaguy I have the spare wheel underneath in std. location and will keep it there as the front lid opens and reveals a 'work' place for cooking etc... that's why I made the a-frame on the draw bar a bit tighter so I didn't have to reach so far to cook or cut up things....

the only other option I can think of is seal up the entire cavity with fibreglass and put a garden hose fill point out the top with a breather and have a normal tap down the bottom...only issue with that is remembering to empty the tank after each trip and keeping it dry otherwise algae will grow!!!

[ToranaGuy]

Very cool man.

What about a 20/40lt square water container that has the tap on it? Could it fit in the front? If it could, you could make a bracket to hold it in, and allow it to be removable when you need to remove it.

I wouldn't use cable brakes acting via the hand brake setup, as i personally hate adjusting cable operated brakes on trailers. I also have a flare tool & proper cutting tool to make up brake lines, because i had to remake some of them on my tandem trailer, and on the caravan as well.

I've got idea's for a neat 6x4 trailer with hydraulic brakes, spare wheel underneath, a water tank underneath, fold down front & rear gates. Space on the A frame to bolt a tool box & jerry cans, with the idea to take it camping. But have to finish the other projects first.

Cheers

ToranaGuy