mobile home trailers

[Mudduck]

i been looking allover the internet about converting a single wide mobile home into a car trailer... i know people say it weak  other people say it should be sturdy enough and i figure if it an I beam trailer it should be sturdy enough compared to a 2 inch by 6 inch box beam so guess i could turn in to the wgm fellow and see your opinion. the trailer i might be picking up is at 14 feet wide by 52 ft long and i plan to cut off all the side wings off and it might ended up around 10 ft wide (120 inches) which i would love to go for that but that's illegal gotta be 102 inches and i also plan on converting it to a goose-neck and cut the frame from 52 into 40 footer w dove.  i have a feeling that trailer has 3 axle on it already i m thinking adding 4th just to help bracing the trailer better so lets hear your opinion... remember don't mind what other is saying it an opinion so no bickering at each other lol

[Chevy Racer]

One problem with some mobile home axle, the brake set up on the is riveted to the backing plate and designed for a one time use.  The multiple times you use it chews up the pads and they are not replaceable so you end up changing the backing plate to soemthing newer with replaceable parts.  Bosses son just went through that on one of his trailers.  Also 3 axles would be more than enough if they are placed properly.  Set the hitch location then look at the position of the axles.

[BigFrank]

my grandpa  made one years ago for hualing fire wood  it worked good  only thing he did was take 2 d 60 rear axels    cut the center section out       and put the whole thing inside another tube and made his own 8 lug axles and ran the brakes thru one off those hitch brake  things like what boat trailers have on them  it worked out good  and could haul 2 1/2 full cords of wood no problem    maybee ya could make some kinda brackets for the side like on a low boy tractor trailor  has on em for hauling wide loads  like a boat bogger lol

[BIG DOG]

i think you may roll the tire off the bead with 4 axles     it may try to slide around a short turn in stead of rolling around it  "bivit point".    just brace it up.

[73chevytruck]

I would go ahead and use it. There's strong frames knows a couple people using them have a buddy that made one to haul farm tractors and equipment on and hasn't had any problems with it. And i Believe ranger dave had his trailer built using q mobile home frame.

[ToughBowtieTruck]

Never again will use a mobile home frame, ever. Considering my GN trailer has 12" I beam for the frame rails, there's a serious difference in structure.

Remember, mobile home frames rely heavily on the home structure above it. Take that away and the frames are susceptible to bowing under loads, especially as long as you plan on building it. It's going to take a lot of bracing work to make it sturdy enough so it won't flex and pull halfway decent down the road.

This is my old trailer, made with a heavier Channel frame. The axles don't like 14,000 lbs, and I bent the frame pretty good as well. Figure 2 mud trucks at 7,000 lbs a piece is going to be a lot of weight, such as this D-6 dozer frame . . .



As for the brakes, Backing plates on any axle are pretty much one time use. You change the whole backing plate/magnet/shoe as an assembly on most trailers.  

[ToughBowtieTruck]

Check this build thread out, and this is a 30' goose. Lots of strength differences between these and mobile home frames.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=749914