3.6 X 2.

0m Flatdeck Trailer

The Flatdeck trailer is a popular trailer for commercial and farming applications. With its larger, un-hindered deck area, slightly raised deck height, and 360 degree
deck access, loading and unloading is a breeze. Whether you are manually lifting goods on and off or using a forkhoist, the flatdeck trailer can handle the big loads,
quickly and efficiently.

Great for builders, roofing contractors, plumbers, farmers, apiarists, orchardists, hire companies, bulk material handlers, machinery
dealerships, in fact for anyone that needs to move the big items quickly with minimal fuss and handling.
This trailer has options for a removable headboard and folding and removable sides and tailgate. The sides can be used as lightweight
ramps if required. Strong, full length tie rails along the trailer allows your load to be quickly secured.

This trailer is suitable to be fitted with hydraulic surge or electric brakes for a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 6600lbs.
NOTE - All dimensions for this trailer are in metric millimetres (mm) - 1" = 25.4mm
Specifications -
- Deck Size 3.6 (142") x 2.0m (79")
- Tandem axle 14" wheels
- Oscillating load sharing suspension
- Fully welded steel chassis
- 17mm (11/16") Plywood decking (options available - See "Trailer Decking" )
- Full length tie rails
- Fully protected front and rear lights
- Optional removable headboard (500mm high)
- Optional folding and removable sides and tailgate (300mm high)
- Tare weight unbraked - 530kg (1170lbs) without Headboard, sides & tailgate
CUTTING LIST & COMPONENTS
The following cutting list uses readily available and standard size steel sections. Components are also standard and should be available
from most trailer part suppliers or auto shop.

Cutting List / Parts Detail

TOP DECK CHASSIS SETUP
Prior to starting, cut all the top chassis components as per the cutting list. Predrill drain holes, if galvanising, where any closed box section
butts up against another. See "pre-finishing" for more details.
Lay both the outer and inner chassis runners together allowing for the 25mm offset at each end for the shorter inner runners.
Clamp together and mark every 400mm along the length and mark across each runner.
Cut and fold up light channel, as per the drawing below, and pre drill for your lights if you already have them on hand.

Fit rod braces to the light channel, one each flush with the ends and the other 2 equally spaced along its length.

On a flat surface, lay out the chassis runners, front cross member and light channel and tack weld into position. Check the frame for
squareness and adjust (see picture below) as required.
Once the frame is square, sandbag or clamp the frame to prevent any accidental movement (25kg bags of cement are perfect for this if you
are building the frame on the workshop floor).
Fit all outer and inner cross members, centering them against the 400mm marks on the chassis runners.
Where the outer cross members may reduce wheel clearance with the chassis, lay the RHS on its widest edge flush with the bottom of the
chassis runners. See the cross section picture below (with reference to the plan above) to see which cross members need to be altered.
For the inner cross members, note the position of the two 50 x 50 sections. These are used to for joining decking material based on
1200mm centres. If your proposed decking material has different widths, you may need to alter the 50 x 50 SHS positions to suit.
Once all the cross members are in position, tack weld into place and recheck the squareness of the frame. Measure diagonally corner to corner from
identical positions. Adjust the frame as necessary - see below for "Adjusting an out of square chassis frame".

Adjusting an out of square chassis frame

Where one measurement is longer, divide the difference between the two measurements and gently knock the longest corner of the frame to match the
shortest side plus the difference in measurement – for example – if the shortest reading is 4100mm and the longest is 4120, the difference between the
two is 20mm. Divide this in half- 10mm then knock the longest corner so your tape reads 4100mm plus 10mm (4110mm) Re-measure and keep
adjusting the frame until both measurements are exactly the same. Once the frame is square, you will need to clamp or sandbag the frame to prevent
any movement while the frame is being welded.
At this stage it is better to leave the welding until the sub chassis and tie rails are in position. Just make sure all the tack welds are strong and secure.
Sub Chassis

Building the Sub Chassis

Cut and lay the main chassis packers at 400mm centres along the inner top chassis runners from the front of the trailer. Tack weld in
position.
Fit and clamp the sub chassis runners to the main packers and tack weld in position.
Repeat with the front chassis packers and front sub chassis cross member keeping all parts flush with the front of the trailer.
Trim the rear angle braces to fit between the sub chassis runners and the light channel and tack weld into position.
There is still a bit of work yet before we start welding up the chassis. The next section covers fitting the suspension.
SPRINGS

Spring Setup
From the front of the trailer, mark 1875mm for the centre of the oscillator/rocker unit. This suspension offset is 75mm back from centre and
unless you are fitting heavy rear hinging ramps or have a typical load which will add excessive weight to the rear of the trailer, this offset will
suit most applications.
Set up your suspension rocker so the main rocker bolt centre is lined up with the suspension offset you have marked and clamp in position.
Set up the front spring in its hanger and fit to the rocker unit.

Adjust the spring so that the tail of the spring can move freely when the rocker oscillates without binding or dropping out.
Make sure that the outside spring edges are flush with the outside edge of the chassis rail and once double checked, tack weld the spring
hanger and suspension rocker to the chassis rail.
Once this is completed on both sides, position the slippers over the spring tails allowing for clearance between the spring and the slipper for
the spring to move in and out when loaded.
Again make sure the outside edge of the spring is flush with the outside edge of the chassis and tack weld the slipper in place.

Once all components are in position, remove the springs and fully weld around the hanger, rocker, slipper and packers.

Now is a good time to measure up your axles - Click here for details on "Axle measuring".
TIE RAILS

Fitting the Tie Rails

Measure and mark out along the outer chassis rails, 300mm centres starting 12.5mm in from the front of the trailer to compensate for the
first upright.

Fit the end 25 x 25 SHS uprights and tack weld into position.
Position the 25mm angle uprights at the marked positions with the outer face flush with the outside edge of the chassis rail and the other
facing towards the front of the trailer. Tack weld onto the chassis rail.
Lay the tie rail between the end uprights and tack weld into position. Adjust the tie rail or the intermediate uprights to ensure a nice straight
and level tie rail.
Fit the front tie rails between the front upright and the front chassis packer. Make sure the tie rail is level and flush with the front of the trailer
and tack weld into position.
Once everything is tack welded into position, check that everything is square and looking as it should.
Fully weld up all visible components. The underside of the top chassis (the true top surface) can be done once the drawbar has been fitted
and the chassis flipped over.

TONGUE
FITTING THE DRAWBAR
NOTE - For US & Canadian visitors, "Drawbar" refers to the trailer "Tongue" - apologies for any confusion.

Lay the two drawbar sections down the centre of the trailer parallel with the chassis rails with the long edge vertical. Take one section and
slide the inside end around till the inside edge is resting against the inside upright of the spring hanger and tack weld in position.
Repeat with the second section and then take the protruding sections and work them gently until the inside edges are together, Where the
two drawbar sections meet, edge butt them together, level the tops and tack weld.

At this point it is a good idea to double check that the drawbar is central and to do this take a couple of measurements from the same point
on the drawbar diagonally back to a point on the chassis in a couple of positions and check that both measurements from each side match.

If not you will need to recheck the position of the spring hangers and the lengths of the drawbar sections.

If needed reposition the hangers or grind the drawbar to suit.

At this point you can weld up the drawbar in all the downhand and vertical positions. Do not under any circumstances weld across the
horizontal faces on the drawbar where it intersects the front cross member as shown below.
NOTE - Correct welding of the tongue to the chassis is important to prevent tongue failure during normal use.
The trailer plans on the website have specific requirements for NOT welding the tongue across the top face of the tongue section where it
intersects with the front chassis rail.
The reason for not welding the top face of the tongue and most importantly across the front of the angle gusset is that when steel is welded,
the heat from welding process alters the crystalline structure of the steel and creates a "heat affected zone" or HAZ. This HAZ is generally
weaker and prone to cracking depending on the circumstances the welded section is placed under.
The tongue does a lot of work while towing. Every little bump in the road and every turn you make transfers stress through the tongue and
compresses, twists and stretches the tongue material constantly. The majority of this flexing occurs where the chassis and tongue are
connected and is enhanced when the trailer is constantly overloaded or unbalanced. This repeated loading and unloading (cycling) of
stresses on the tongue can create microscopic cracks within the grain structure of the tongue material especially around the HAZ.
Over time a microscopic crack can grow, and potentially reach a critical size, to a point where the tongue may suddenly fracture and
ultimately fail.

Fitting an angle gusset over the tongue top face gives addition area for supporting the load placed on the tongue and reduces the potential
for tongue failure.

TONGUE COMPONENTS
This section covers the all important drawbar angle gussets which provide additional strength to the drawbar as well as preventing metal
fatigue as the drawbar does its work.
With the flatdeck trailer there are a couple of coupling mounting options and these are detailed below.

DRAWBAR ANGLES
Where the drawbar meets the front crossmember, fit a piece of angle 40 x 5mm approximately 100mm long over the exposed section and
weld around the angle on the crossmember (Never weld across the top of the drawbar) and a couple of welds under the angle where the
top edge of the drawbar meets.
Round off the outside edges to prevent any injury to your shins.

The angle will give the drawbar and chassis a stronger and stiffer structure at this point

COUPLING MOUNT
There are a couple of methods of mounting the coupling to the drawbar, and due to the way the trailer is built, the coupling base needs to
be level to the base of the drawbar to accommodate a standard towing height of 450mm.
The mounting method is determined by the type of braking the trailer is to have - hydraulic surge or electric.

The fabricated box is ideally suited for hydraulic surge braking or electric brake
couplings with an attached manual park brake lever.

It gives reasonable protection from knocks to the hydraulic master cylinder, but does take a bit of effort to line up and fit to the drawbar.
The coupling box can be either folded or fabricated from 3 plates.

Accurate alignment of the box within the drawbar is critical and time should be taken to check and double check measurements prior to
cutting the drawbar.

Click here for more details on the coupling box.

The second, more commonly used option is fitting a section of 90 x 90 x 5.0 SHS under the drawbar, and mounting the coupling on top.
 This setup is suitable for both unbraked and hydraulic braked
couplings, as well as electric couplings with a separate park brake lever.
This style coupling mount is very quick and easy to build and fit, but care does need to be given to good quality welding (as you should do
with all the welding on the trailer).
Compression tubes need to be fitted within the cavity of the coupling mount to prevent the deformation of the SHS when the coupling bolts
are tightened. A rear drawbar brace gives added strength.

Blanking off the open ends of the drawbar make for a nicer looking trailer.
Click here for details of the RHS coupling mount
FENDERS

FABRICATING & FITTING GUARDS

Get a couple of your mates around for a quick beer and to help you flip the trailer over right way up. Beware that the chassis will be very
heavy and unbalanced, and there are plenty of sharp edges to catch yourself on.
Once flipped over, set the chassis up on some sturdy trestles or axle stands to allow you to finish welding the top of the chassis and fit the
suspension and axles.

Fit the wheels and tighten all nuts and bolts on both suspension and wheel hubs.
Fold up 4 guards as per the diagram below using 2mm panel, notch out the lips where the guard bends, fold, and weld together at 45
degrees.
Position guard so that there is good clearance around the tyre - 75mm is a good guideline.

It is an advantage if you are able to get the top edge of the guard to contact a cross member.
If this is not possible, cut and weld a couple of tabs to secure the top of the guard to the nearest cross member.

Clamp the guard in place, check your measurements, stand back and eyeball the guard both from the side and front/back to make sure all
looks good and square.
Tack weld in position.

Mark the guard where the bracing rod will sit. Trim the rod brace to fit. Once happy with the brace and its angle, cut the other 3 to match.

Tack weld the brace in position and take a couple of measurements of its position on the chassis so you can weld the other guard braces in
the same position.
TRAILER TRIMS
There are always the last little bits that need to be added on to make finishing the trailer that much easier.

FRONT MARKER LIGHT MOUNTS

Cut a couple of marker light plates to suit the size of your proposed marker lights.

2mm plate is suitable and predrilling for both screws and cable is recommended before fitting.
Weld the plate to the back side of the front tie rail and cross member to give maximum protection to the light.

DECK EDGE PLATE

The deck edge plate gives protection to the decking material, particularly if the trailer is to be side loaded with fork hoists or tractors. It also
gives a good base for welding hinges, if you are fitting sides to the trailer.
The deck edge plate is ideally positioned 1-2mm higher than the proposed decking and is stitch welded along the full length of the trailer.
CONDUITS
To help support the cable along the back side of the light channel, weld, at regular spacing, 3 or 4 tubes (1/2" pipe or 25 x 25 SHS or
similar).

Before welding to the trailer, remove all burrs and sharp edges.
Prior to fitting the cable, glue in a split section of plastic gardening hose with silicon sealant or similar to prevent any chafing of the cable
against the steelwork
HEADBOARD

Fitting a headboard, sides and tailgate give the trailer added functionality as well as giving additional security to your load. Filling the trailer
with loose material like aggregate, blocks, bricks or even firewood is nearly impossible to transport on a flatdeck without sides.
Being fully removable (you can even use the sides as lightweight ramps) gives the trailer versatility that your standard trailer could never
have.

Even if you think you may never need a headboard or sides, consider fitting the headboard sockets and hinge pins now. It will certainly
make life a whole lot easier if you change your mind in the future.

HEADBOARD CUTTING / PARTS LIST

FABRICATING THE HEADBOARD
Building the headboard is pretty straight forward. Cut and mitre 40 x 40 x 3.0 SHS for the main frame and uprights, drill the uprights for the
horizontal rods, square all the components and weld together.
The 20mm rod can be replaced with pipe or smaller diameter rod if required. The antiluce positions are finalised when the sides have been
manufactured and fitted.

SOCKETS
For the sockets, cut to length, 2 sections of 50 x 50 x 5.0 SHS, file out the seam weld running on the inside of the hollow section.
Drill 13mm holes for the M12 locking bolts to go through.
Once drilled, locate 12mm hex nuts over the holes, clamp and weld.

Line up the sockets so they are flush with the top of the front chassis cross member and vertically flush and in line with the sub chassis
packers.
Clamp the sockets well and gently fit the headboard into position. Get a mate to help you slide the headboard up and down and re-align the
sockets if there is any binding or tight spots.
Fully weld the sockets to the trailer once happy with their position.

SIDES
SIDES
The sides are basically cut and weld frames (mitred corners or square butt as shown) with hinges and latches attached.

Because of the length of the sides, care needs to be taken that the framework does not twist or bow while building. Stagger the welding
around the frame to help spread the weld heat.
 Once the frames have been welded together, fit the antiluce latch plate 25mm
down from the top of the top rail and flush with the outside face of the side.
NB - Remember to reverse the positions on the opposing side so you get two unique sides rather than two left or right sides!

Make up 8 sets of hinge straps and gudgeon pins for the sides as per the details below.

NB - Please note that the height of the hinge strap shown below is for a trailer with 17mm thick decking material - adjust the height to suit
your proposed decking thickness.
Weld the first hinge strap flush with the front end upright (the latch plate end). At the rear end, weld the hinge strap 52mm back from the
rear upright to allow room for the hinge pin. Equally space the remaining 2 hinge straps along the side. Tack into position, the side latch
tube and packer plate, 82mm below the top of the upright (see Latch/packer details below) with the slot facing toward the rear.
TAILGATE FABRICATION
TAILGATE
Build the tailgate as you did with the sides (mitre corners if preferred).
NB - The height of the tailgate uprights is dependant on the deck material thickness. For a 17mm plywood deck as this trailer is shown, the
end uprights measure 317mm high to allow for the deck.
This ensures that the hinge pins mount correctly on the rear light channel
The hinge pipes are 15NB Medium pipe cut at 50mm long. Fit the left hand side flush with the end of the upright and the right hand side
pipe 32mm offset from the end. Position the other 2 hinge pipes evenly along the bottom rail.

All hinge pipes need to be flush with the inside, vertical face of the bottom rail.
The latch top tube and packer plate can be welded into position, flush with the top of the upright with the slot facing the rear. (See Latch
and packer details below)

Make up four hinge pins for the tailgate using the details below.
FITTING SIDES AND TAILGATES
Cut some decking offcuts and short 5mm flatbar packers and set these along the outer chassis runner to give the correct height for the
sides.
Position the sides on the deck and steel packers and line up the front upright with the headboard. Allow a clearance between the side
and headboard of around 2-3mm.

Clamp into position on the antiluce latch plate and check along the length that the side is vertical and in line with the chassis side edge
plate.
Position the hinge pins into the hinge pipes and level before tack welding. The hinges should be setup so that the side needs to slide
forward to be removed.
Once all the hinges are tacked into position, gently open and close the side and check for any tightness or binding. Adjust where required to
ensure a smooth open/closing action.

On the headboard, mark the centre of the latch plate and drill through and fit the antiluce latch. If welding the latch on, double check the
latch orientation before welding.
To fit the tailgate, clamp a couple of steel offcuts to the side top rail at the rear so that the top of the tailgate can butt up to.

Get a mate to help you lift and position the tailgate up to the offcuts and centrally between the sides. Clamp to the offcuts and once sure of
the tailgate position, tack weld the hinge pins to the light channel.
As with the sides, unclamp and gently operate the tailgate, looking for any binding or stiffness.

Adjust the hinge pins as required to ensure a smooth open/close operation.

Check the latch positions and that they are functioning correctly. Re-position if needed.

Fully weld latch tubes and hinge pins on both tailgate and sides once you are happy with the setup.

Cladding of the sides is best done once the decking has been cut and laid in situ.

TAILGATE LATCHES
TAILGATE LATCHES
The latches for the rear of the sides allows the tailgate to open freely and to support the sides when closed. They can be fabricated in the
workshop if you have a drill press, vice and a bit of patience. Otherwise, take the plans down to your local machine shop to build for you.

LEFT HAND LATCH

RIGHT HAND LATCH
TOP LATCH TUBES
BOTTOM LATCH TUBES
To align the latch tubes correctly on both the tailgate and sides, 25 x 3mm flatbar packers, 75mm long, need to be fitted between the tubes
and the uprights.

LIGHTS & WIRING

Note
Before doing any cable fitting, it is advisable that the trailer is fully prepared and painted or galvanised and at the bare minimum, has a
primer coat applied.

Running the light cable

From the front of the trailer, slide a semi-rigid section of mild steel "pull" wire down the drawbar until it comes out an oversized hole drilled
on the inside of the drawbar close to the spring end. Tape the trailer 5 core cable (seven core if you are fitting electric brakes) to the end of
the "pull" wire and pull from the spring hanger end until the cable comes through.
Gently pull the cable through until you have around 200mm free cable.

Allow another 600mm extra at the coupling end of the drawbar for wiring into your plug.
Fit a junction box just above the spring hanger (see diagram above) and wire in the main cable to the strip connector. Run a 5 core cable
from the junction box down the length of the sub chassis rail to the light channel and tee off (LH & RH) the cable in another junction box.
For US and Canada 7 core wiring click here (http://www.trailersauce.com/download_file/view/1106/276/) For 4 core wiring click here
(http://www.trailersauce.com/download_file/view/1104/276/).

DECKING
DECKING
Plywood decking is a versatile and hard wearing decking material. It is relatively cheap and easy to replace if it gets damaged. Plywood
normally has two graded faces, with one face being of better quality than the other. For other decking options, see the "Trailer Decking"
page.
For trailer purposes a "CD" grade of plywood is more than suitable. It does pay to handpick your plywood from the merchant if possible, as
there may be a few imperfections that pass the "C" grade but would look un-slightly on your trailer.
Before positioning your plywood on the trailer, mark the positions of your cross member centres along the side edge plate of the trailer
above the level of where the plywood will sit.
Mark out evenly across the lines spacing the hole centres at approximately 200mm apart both along the cross member marks and down the
outer edges and the join.

You may need to chamfer the outside bottom plywood edge to compensate for any raised welds along the side edge plate.

Fastenings
There are a couple of options for fastening your deck to your chassis. Rivets have been used for many years, but after a couple of years of
carting loads around, rivets tend to fail and pop out. By far the best option is self tapping countersunk screws and if you have a good grunty
electric hand drill, this job will not take long. For a 17 to 19mm deck thickness, 8G x 25mm screws are ideal. A 3.5mm hole needs to be
predrilled and then the screws can be driven in by either hand or with the electric drill and screw attachment.

It pays to start at one end of the trailer and work your way down to the other end to prevent any buckling of the deck.

As with all timber, the plywood deck will swell and shrink depending on how wet or dry the environment is, and you may find over time, the
occasional screw breaking from this action on the deck. If this does happen, increase the size of the replacement screw to a 10G x 25mm.
Once the deck is screwed down, give the deck a good going over with an orbital sander to take off any high spots. Apply a good quality
decking stain to give added protection and appearance.

FINISHING

Go over the trailer carefully checking all components are fitted correctly.

Fit the coupling and complete any wiring required for electric brakes.
Double check your spring hanger bolts and "U" bolts on the axle that they are secure and tight and the wheels to the trailer.
Hand tighten the stud nuts to help align the rim on the hub and tighten the nuts in sequence as below. Ideally use a torque wrench to
ensure that the nuts are tightened adequately.
Torque Settings for wheel nuts are

7/16" UNF 110Nm or 80 Ftlbs

1/2" UNF 125Nm or 90 Ftlbs
Put a dab of grease on the towball and hook the trailer up to your tow vehicle and double check that all the lights are working.
Grab a new vehicle registration form from your local vehicle registration centre, fill it out and register your new trailer. Attach your new
license plate to your trailer and book the trailer in for a Warrant of Fitness, Certificate of Compliance, or whatever your local transport
authority requires to deem the trailer serviceable, safe and road legal.
Once all the paperwork is done, the trailer is ready for loading!
For the first couple of outings with the trailer, take extra care to get used to the trailer and how it handles on the road.

Every trailer trails differently and getting a feel for how the trailer handles takes time.

After the first 100 miles/kilometres, go around the trailer and check all fittings, nuts and bolts and connections are tight, secure and in good
condition.

Good luck and happy trailering!

Drill through any cross members or chassis runners not already drilled to allow the cable to be threaded through. From the rear
mounted junction box, cable can be routed through the rear conduit and angle braces to both rear lights.
All other cabling required for both the front marker lights and electric brakes can be taken from the junction box to their required positions.
Wherever any cable passes through any steelwork, apply silicon sealant or a similar fixant around the hole/cable to prevent any chafing or
wear on the cable.
Fitting Lights
Make sure that your number plate light is in the correct position and that the light will shine on the plate. Keep your lights as wide as
possible in the light channel, but do not place lights directly behind the rod bracing.

Mark out your light position on the light channel and drill the mounting and cable holes as per your lights instructions or template.
There are a couple of ways of joining the wire together behind the left hand light. Using a strip
connector inside a sealed junction box is one of the best ways of keeping the join secure and weather tight and also gives the option of
easily changing lights should they get damaged, etc.
Other options include soldering the wires together and sealing with insulation tape and a heat shrink tube or using crimp connectors and
covering again with heat shrink tube. These options take less time to do than the first option, but will cause a bit of a headache when
maintenance needs to be done at a later date.

FRONT MARKER LIGHTS

For front marker lights, an additional two lengths of 2 core cable need to be run from the junction box, back along to the length of the trailer
to the front marker light positions. The "P" clips used for the main cable can be used to support these cables.
Crimp connectors are the most convenient method for joining the wires to sealed lights with attached wiring.
PLUG
Pass the plug end cable through the cable hole drilled in the top or side of the drawbar and slide a suitable sized rubber grommet over the
cable to prevent any chafing of the cable where it passes through the drawbar.
Trim the length of cable so that the cable can move with the trailer behind the tow vehicle without being stretched or kinked, but not too long
that it will dangle too close to the ground.
Slide any plug sleeve or nut, that came with the plug, over the cable, then strip each end of the plug wires leaving approximately 10mm
bare wire, fold the bare cable in half and enter them into the plug connector in the correct sequence as per the chart above. Tighten the
screws snugly but do not over-tighten. Screw the cable clamp down to prevent the cable from pulling out and fit any sleeves, nuts or covers
that came with the plug

If possible, check all your lights by hooking the trailer plug up to your tow vehicle. If you don't have a mate to help you check your brake
lights, grab a mirror and position it behind the trailer where you can see it from the tow vehicle.