Help me design at ATV trailer. Lets put the hunting brains together here.

John Y Cannuck

John Y Cannuck

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The Conservative part of Ontario
I need to rework (rebuild entirely), my ATV trailer.

What I want
An ATV trailer that can also be used to transport the ATV behind my vehicle.

Problems

1. Overall width.
Trailer cannot have an overall width that is much more than that of the ATV itself, or it won't fit on the ATV bridges in the bush

2. Low center of gravity
The trail in involves a number of spots where trailers have overturned in the past. Low center of gravity is a must.

3. Bounce control
Following a trailer with no suspension on our trails is quite an episode. You watch it hit a rock and wonder when it bounces up, which side will it come down on, top side, or bottom. (Speed is 10KPH max, rough trail, at many angles)

4. Legal for the highway

Designs that almost work

Walking beam axles.
This design, has two wheels on each side connected by a beam on each side to one central axle. The result is a low trailer that needs no suspension as it doesn't bounce. The front wheel raises the trailer slowly enough to avoid bounce, and the back one carries it over.

Problem, wheels cannot be mounted under the trailer, as it makes the trailer very high, to accommodate the movement of the walking beam.
Can't make it wide, or I can't drive those bridges.

Fixed axle, no suspension, atv tires.
This design is also fairly low, and can be designed with the wheels under the trailer for max width.
Problem:
The ATV tires are not highway friendly, and it bounces like a bastard in the bush.

Same as above, larger highway tires.
problem, same as above, plus too high

Tiny little trailer tires, with short suspension of some sort, and skid plates
Probably the thing I'm gonna get stuck with unless you guys have a better idea.
Problem, it's a bit too high, it will bounce, badly when not loaded heavy.


I have available, a set of leaf springs, two sets of coil springs (one set off my jeep, one set off a Kubota RTV900) and lots of light low grade steel angle iron from shipping crates etc.
 
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Challenge

This does make for a challenge alright.You could go with off set axles to lower the trailer bed.Another way to go is with TorFlex axles.Are You hauling this with an ATV or a SxS? My experience is that most trails are 60" wide so if You went with a trailer with off set axles and narrower tires You might be able to have a dual purpose trailer,just saying.
 
Grizzly Guy said:
This does make for a challenge alright.You could go with off set axles to lower the trailer bed.Another way to go is with TorFlex axles.Are You hauling this with an ATV or a SxS? My experience is that most trails are 60" wide so if You went with a trailer with off set axles and narrower tires You might be able to have a dual purpose trailer,just saying.
Click to expand...

We maintain the trail ourselves, it may be 60" wide, but tight corners and bridges mean it would be tough.
The atv bridges (3 of them) are two logs laid across the openings, the logs being ATV tire width, and 1" planks. The drop below the bridges varies from a couple of feet, to twenty feet. Depending on the water level. cou:
Don't want to go there!

I like the TorFlex design, but my budget, is limited, plus I'm cheap! I've got to give this some serious thought. Maybe I could work out a short coil spring suspension using a half walking beam design (trailing axle) to achieve the same thing. I could make a drive over bump in the trailer floor to narrow it in some and keep it low.
Lots of work there.

I'm hauling this with a standard ATV, a 350 Yamaha Big Bear.

I did have a Kubota 900 RTV into camp a few years back, but I had to find creative ways around the bridges, I damn near flooded out the engine (Had it completely submerged and stalled out at one point, but it started up again), and I got high centered a few times.
Back then, we were taking an army truck into camp, and driving a slightly different route, through water that was three feet deep. I would not want to try that again, it was pretty hairy, and the water is much deeper now.
Besides, the trail has grown in, and we keep it just wide enough for the ATV's to keep out the chaff. Camp has been broken into in the past, so we let the trail be fairly rough.
 
Is it possible to have a slightly larger trailer to tow behind the cat that will cary the atv and a small off road trailer for behind teh atv in the bush? Just leave the larger one locked to the atv at the trail head. Sounds like the easier way to do it.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
Low centre of gravity means the floor has to be low, or has under floor bins and a central hump for the axle.
Click to expand...

True, but a central hump(s) cannot be higher than the ATV's ground clearance.

Hmmm, that's not true actually. It could be done with a higher hump, if the ATV sat on short blocks or false floor when loaded. Blocks removed for bush use.
 
John I understand the reasoning behind Your thinking but sometimes in order to get what You need and want,You might just have to comprise.In My opinion TorFlex axles would probably be the simplist solution. It makes it very simple to have a suspension and the width You will need.Good luck with the build,wish I lived closer to help Ya.Thats the type of fabrications that I like to do.Have My own welding gear.It's a ton of fun next to shooting.
 
Grizzly Guy said:
John I understand the reasoning behind Your thinking but sometimes in order to get what You need and want,You might just have to comprise.In My opinion TorFlex axles would probably be the simplist solution. It makes it very simple to have a suspension and the width You will need.Good luck with the build,wish I lived closer to help Ya.Thats the type of fabrications that I like to do.Have My own welding gear.It's a ton of fun next to shooting.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I do like that design. But, I also know that there are tons of very smart folks here. Being cheap, I want to see what we can come up with.
:cheers:
 
We have a little trailer, about 4'x4' that we tow with our ATV. It was once a highway trailer that we got from a relative, and fixed it up. I think it was from CTC or the like.

It has leaf spring suspension, rated for 1,000 lbs, and is about the same width as the ATV. Using something like that as a basic design could be a reasonable start.

What type of deck/sides do you want? If you want sides, then you could make them removable/foldable to get the ATV on the trailer for road transport. You could also make the deck area over the wheels higher to go over the wheels and the ATV would sit on top of the wheels for road transport. Or (as above) leave the wheel wells as a "hump" and have the wheels of the ATV sit lower in front and behind the trailer wheels for road transport.
 
I would go with torflex axle as either a solid or the bolt on model such as the ones listed in princess auto catalogue. Make it as wide as the quade to drive in and use the back as the loading ramp. Hopefully it stays under 60" for you.
Keith
 
Being cheap
Click to expand...

hey stop using my name:eek: :p

so you want a trailer that sits low and about 60 or less wide..that almost sounds like my little trailer..its the same one you helped me with some wiring a few years back at our deer camp...
if thats what your after...im sure we could clone it up;)
were you want to build it?in your back yard?i can probly round you some stronger angle...
you have access to torch and welding machine?if not i think i know someone who does..;)
 
fogducker said:
hey stop using my name:eek: :p

so you want a trailer that sits low and about 60 or less wide..that almost sounds like my little trailer..its the same one you helped me with some wiring a few years back at our deer camp...
if thats what your after...im sure we could clone it up;)
were you want to build it?in your back yard?i can probly round you some stronger angle...
you have access to torch and welding machine?if not i think i know someone who does..;)
Click to expand...
I'll likely put it together evenings at work when I figure out what I'm doing, and scrounge up the stuff. I've got nothing at home for cutting and welding.

The ATV fits inside 46", so a box width of 48 inside should be good, and will allow transport of plywood into camp on occasion.
My current highway trailer is closer to 72" wide with a 48" box. Way too wide.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
I need to rework (rebuild entirely), my ATV trailer.

Fixed axle, no suspension, atv tires.
This design is also fairly low, and can be designed with the wheels under the trailer for max width.
Problem:
The ATV tires are not highway friendly, and it bounces like a bastard in the bush.

Same as above, larger highway tires.
problem, same as above, plus too high

Tiny little trailer tires, with short suspension of some sort, and skid plates
Probably the thing I'm gonna get stuck with unless you guys have a better idea.
Problem, it's a bit too high, it will bounce, badly when not loaded heavy.
Click to expand...

You could check into the wide,low profile tires made for snowmobile trailers and the like, I think they're 20.5x8-10
 
Here are a few pics of my buddies ATV trailer he uses pretty much the same way. ATV rides on it to the bush, then it gets hooked to the ATV to haul in the boat and fishing gear. With the boat on top it is top heavy but he has only rolled it once.

I don't have the measurement sheet I took but I know the trailer is just wide enough for the ATV to fit in side.

Trailer001.jpg


Trailer007.jpg
 
as crazy as this sounds..i would build a it bigger then the trailer you have now...lets say with a inside box the width of the widest width you want the bush trailer..
once you have your big trailer made ...make up a ramp that will act as aramp for the big trailer and will serve as a bush trailer:D

just pull two pins and the two units seperate..
just tossing a crazy idea out therecou:
 
How a bout just building a 48X60 deck with AVT tired under and straight axles and quick release for the suspension. Just stick that upside down in your current trailer, drive our ATV on it, put the axle in front or behind the ATV, tie down. Voila. 5 minutes when you get there to reassemble the axle onto the deck with ATV tires and you are done.
 
I would suggest the tires pictured above, but lose the axle. If you use torsion half axles you'll get max ground clearance and the most stable suspension available. I've seen them at Princess Auto for ~$85.
If you run the half axles and cut reliefs in the floor for the tires, this thing could be a lowrider worthy of dingo balls.:cool:

good luck
 
A friend of mine had one the CDN Tire atv trailers. It worked ok for a year or two then needed a total rebuild. So thats what we did, heavier axles, springs, and we re-enforced the sides and trailer neck.

The trailer fit just the width of the quad, but the quad could also pull the trailer. We hauled many animals out in one piece with this method. This trailer had a good design, it was just poorly made with economy materials.
 
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