Tool Talk

Yeah, we have always just gone up and got issued a VIN. Its no big deal, you just stamp it into the trailer and fill in the rest with whatever you like. Victoria puts the responsibility back on the owner for responsibility of roadworthiness of a trailer.

Given the price of metal these days, I doubt I could build a trailer for the price of one like Bobs .... However it would be MUCH more heavy duty for similar money :)
QLD is the same. If it's under 750kg and within the maximum prescribed dimensions, it's a simple self-assessment form. You just calculate the GVM off the load rating of the tyres.
I've built a couple of light trailers over the past couple of years.
Registering them is a piece of cake. They just hand you a data plate, take it home, break out the punch set, stamp in the details, rivet to it on, and job done.🤷‍♂️
 
Customer service counts....
during last week I rang a few places and emailed others etc.... Just looking for a new trailer, the only mob that wanted to talk to me were Lyal Eales....
so they got the money.... :)

Bob
Hi Bob, is that a tilt trailer? Can see a couple of latch type gizmos at the front. Could be handy for the odd movement of a ride-on mower, or loading a compactor, or that sort of thing. But would be dodgy for tipping out a load of sand, blue metal, etc, unless it is well-balanced.
My first thought was also - canvas canopy, queen mattress, still room for bits and pieces🙂.
Good trailer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bob
Shane, it doesn't say where it's "made", just branded "Big Man Trailer" - their website doesn't state outright either. I suspect 'made in Oz from local and imported stuff'. It still had to pass ADR no matter where it comes from - haven't measured the section thicknesses but they "feel' close to 3mm.


Bob
Their website says they are hot dip galvanized. When I was looking to buy trailer, all the galvanized trailers from China that I saw, were cold galvanized, that is painted on instead of hot dipped. They are usually easy to tell apart, because hot dipped is quite uneven colour, where as the painted finish is a cleaner look.
 
Have you seen this from Qld?
Yeah nothing has really changed for home built trailers under 750kg. You just apply to RAV for a VIN instead of Transport issuing it like they did previously. Otherwise it's just a self-assessment form, and take the VIN number supplied by RAV with you. No inspection required on a trailer under 750kg GVM.
 
QLD is the same. If it's under 750kg and within the maximum prescribed dimensions, it's a simple self-assessment form. You just calculate the GVM off the load rating of the tyres.
I've built a couple of light trailers over the past couple of years.
Registering them is a piece of cake. They just hand you a data plate, take it home, break out the punch set, stamp in the details, rivet to it on, and job done.🤷‍♂️
6 x 4 here you dont' even register. I've built them in the past ... you just throw the cars number plate on it. Its entirely upto the owner to verify its safe and legal. Larger (eg: my box and car trailer). I just got issued a VIN, stamped my own plate and registered them. Don't worry I'm sure those chinese imports pass all the regulations :clown:

I'm sure there is a way around any insane crap the goverment as regulated. As soon as you talk "engineers" ... you might as well just give up. Its going to cost you thousands of $$$ to engineer something that has cost a fractoin of that to build. Maybe they are trying to kill the few trailer builder we have left, so there is only chinesium crap left available ?
 
Last edited:
There are trailer builders in Sydney. Trailers are designed by the rules, use Australian materials, and can be supplied hot dipped. If you supply the info and documents needed for registration, and payment, they will register a trailer and you just come and tow it away. You get a choice in fitments like jockey wheels and most other attachments.

They aren't hard to find. Unfortunately this costs a bit more than the Chinesium so easily found in yards and hardware places..

I have always been amused by the tyres that come with new trailers - mostly second hand, aged, but with tread.
 
I have always been amused by the tyres that come with new trailers - mostly second hand, aged, but with tread.
My mum and dad bought a brand new 30' Travelhome caravan in the mid '80s. It was a big square jibbed thing with high ceilings, mirrored walls, glass table, gold velour lounges and curtains, chandeliers in the lounge and dining rooms. It was 8' wide so road legal, it had triple axles with independent suspension, and a coil and shock absorber on each wheel. $30,000 nearly 40 years ago.
The tyres, although new, all had a big "REJECT" stamp on the sidewall.🤦‍♂️
 
Just on tyres for trailers, I still have the trailer that I built in 1983. It has had two sets of tyres so far. the first set were bought new by me and lasted 20 years, were replaced because they started to perish, still had 90% of the tread left and also never had a puncture. The tyres that are currently on the trailer were also bought new by me about 20 years ago and come off a car that I owned. they would still have about 70% of the tread remaining and also never had a puncture.

I would say that this would be true for most of the trailers, caravans and horse floats etc around Australia.
 
Hi Bob, is that a tilt trailer? Can see a couple of latch type gizmos at the front. Could be handy for the odd movement of a ride-on mower, or loading a compactor, or that sort of thing. But would be dodgy for tipping out a load of sand, blue metal, etc, unless it is well-balanced.
My first thought was also - canvas canopy, queen mattress, still room for bits and pieces🙂.
Good trailer.
yep.....
135829589-scaled.jpg

:) BUT - manual :unsure: could be scary for the unwary.... Modern refinements like swiveling jockey wheel mount [how many of them have you seen come loose and beating themselves to death on the tarmac] with a sprung pin lock, little welded in pocket for the plug to sit in while you man handle the thing, tyres are light truck probably cheap as but look new. Ladder rack would be handy but not on offer at Eales

Shane, the old 6x4 now needs to be max 200kg to be exempt from rego !! don't have a spare wheel.... :)

Bob
 
6 x 4 here you dont' even register.
QLD was the same a long time ago.
Back when large trailers, caravans and motorcycles didn't need RWCs either.
Those were the days, buyer beware.😁
 
yep.....
View attachment 237773
:) BUT - manual :unsure: could be scary for the unwary.... Modern refinements like swiveling jockey wheel mount [how many of them have you seen come loose and beating themselves to death on the tarmac] with a sprung pin lock, little welded in pocket for the plug to sit in while you man handle the thing, tyres are light truck probably cheap as but look new. Ladder rack would be handy but not on offer at Eales

Shane, the old 6x4 now needs to be max 200kg to be exempt from rego !! don't have a spare wheel.... :)

Bob
that is cool, how do you make it tilt? Do you have to put bricks behind the trailer wheels and push it backwards?
 
I was thinking of getting a mutli-tool for the youngest for his birthday this year .... Yeah, those things are expensive! I spotted this one on Vevor


I grabbed one to see what its like. You know, for the money if very impressive. I like the chunky knife (its very sharp, and just had to swipe it down the steel a couple of times ... and its excellent). I've been carrying/using it for a few days now. For $38.00 you can't go wrong. Compared to the leatherman/SOG/swiss army tool ... its pretty bloody alright.

I'll grab another for his birthday no doubt. I'm not buying a $250+ multitool for a kid to loose, but $38 ..... :)

us%2FDGNQ440ABXG10UZ8FV0%2Foriginal_img-v3%2Fmultitool-pliers-m100-1.2.jpg



I htink I might just keep carrying this one now .... see how long it lasts. I tend to get a few years from multi-tools before I break them (usually by doing something stupid with them :clown: ).
 
how do you make it tilt?
If the load is balanced over the axle you can make these tilt wwith little effort by lifting the tow hitch. You can back the trailer with the wheels chocked too.

I can't tell from the photo though, is the axle centred on the trailer bed?
 
I buy light trailers second hand and still registered from other farmers. No inspections, no transfer fee, no registration fee.

By light trailers I mean towable by a car or ute. Heavy trailers for towing by trucks are a more complex matter.

Roger

So all you need to do is buy something trailer shaped that is registered, and like magic, your new trailer is registered by "rebuilding" the old trailer into the new one :dance:
 
  • Love
Reactions: bob
If the load is balanced over the axle you can make these tilt wwith little effort by lifting the tow hitch. You can back the trailer with the wheels chocked too.

I can't tell from the photo though, is the axle centred on the trailer bed?
get the trig tables out.... :)
The box is biased towards the hitch with about 1320mm in front of the axle and about 1170mm behind, the A-frame pin is around 850mm in front of the axle. So an evenly balanced load requires a bit of effort to tip, until the load starts to move.... and the axle/wheels will travel towards the hitch a little during the process, assuming that the hitch is restrained.

Bob
 
Has anyone found anything similar to this for sale locally ?


and air fed mask where you aren't breathing compressor air. Before I paint another car, I was a decent air fed mask setup, and this would be ideal. boss women keeps asking me what I want for my birthday ... so I'm thinking something like this ( well maybe ... birthday ... and christmas ... for the next 5 years running :clown: 'cos it sure isn't cheap!).
 
Sundstrom sell range of painting respirators, but the ones I have seen make the one you linked one look cheap

Carbatec have a respirator type /helmet/sealed face shield with air pick up at the back of the helmet for woodworkers. They are not cheap either. Luthier mate of mine got one and thinks its great for his application.

If you are looking for such helmet for use with 2 pac paints, might be worthwhile to research the paints. I have been told they have come a long way in since early days, particularly the primers and colour paints. Last I heard, the clear was still nasty, but I have not looked into it for some time.
 
Sundstrom sell range of painting respirators, but the ones I have seen make the one you linked one look cheap

Carbatec have a respirator type /helmet/sealed face shield with air pick up at the back of the helmet for woodworkers. They are not cheap either. Luthier mate of mine got one and thinks its great for his application.

If you are looking for such helmet for use with 2 pac paints, might be worthwhile to research the paints. I have been told they have come a long way in since early days, particularly the primers and colour paints. Last I heard, the clear was still nasty, but I have not looked into it for some time.
the main thing is I want supplied air from a different location. Isocynates aren't really filtered by a standard mask. Any paint iwth an activator is pretty bad. All of the good paints .... well they have activators. Even being around them "gassing off" or "curing" makes me feel crook in the stomach.

About 10years ago our local office was attached to the big industrial shed that did the Iglass manufacturing. It would make everyone feel really sick whenever they made the Iglass.... there was all sorts of exotic air tests done and we were told "its all fine"..., that all came back negative... the fact it made everyone feel sick means they just weren't testing for the right chemicals. But I'm certainly hyper sensitive to chemicals since I worked from that office. I don't like being around paints at all.... so air fed is certianly the only way to go. Breathing air that has been through my 25year old compressor (that is also running a spray gun) is far from ideal.

I really like the idea of a small fan driven unit that is just grabbing the outside air and supplying it to you under pressure. I only found "hobbyair" as it was mentioned by this guy


who was feature on vice grip garage this week.

i find bodywork relaxing .... if not massively time consuming. My next project will be to repaint the old CX .... I'd liek to paint my fathers DS23 as well... and eventually the ID19 here. Also the shitbox needs fixing up in a few places where its been damaged. All will be activated paints with hardeners.

seeya
Shane L.
 
Having been around quite a bit of asbestos and masonry dust, etc, way back when I was a youngster helping my plumber father, I try to be very vigilant regarding anything I breath in. I mask up even when painting the house, even though the doors are wide open.
 
Top