Domestic car enthusiasts have long appreciated the new opportunities that a passenger car equipped with a trailer can provide. With its help, you can transport household utensils, construction equipment and materials, furniture over any distance at a time that suits you. However, for transporting long cargo, such as pipes or a boat, the standard trailer length is not enough. The solution in such a situation may be to lengthen the drawbar of the towbar.
Do-it-yourself modification of a trailer for a passenger car: possible options
Hello, friends! Since a factory trailer cannot always fully satisfy the needs of its owner, many decide to make structural changes to the vehicle. All possible modifications to the trailer are aimed at achieving those characteristics that will suit you.
But what can be created from it and how much can trailers be modified? Let's talk about this.
Legality of modernization
I will not talk specifically about how to do this or that tuning. Is it possible to change the design at all? This is the first question that needs to be answered.
I'll say this. Some changes may not require any adjustments to your documents. But radical tuning will potentially become the subject of disputes with road service employees.
Therefore, before turning your regular car trailer into a camper or using it as a motor home, seek advice from the traffic police.
Tuning requires obtaining appropriate certificates of changes in the design of the vehicle. You will have to go through a number of offices, pay state fees, stand in lines, etc.
Although many simply ignore it. They modernize the trailer the way they want, and on the spot with the traffic police officers they find out how legal it is and how to circumvent such prohibitions. If you want to get rid of unnecessary traffic stops and incomprehensible fines, go through the lengthy but legal procedure of re-registering a trailer. This is the best option, in my opinion.
Well, or instead of converting it to a PVC boat, immediately buy yourself a trailer designed and certified specifically for such purposes. Remodeling is a troublesome task, although it is always nice to see the results of work done with your own hands.
Why is this necessary?
And indeed, why take and change a ready-made trailer if initially its layout or design suited you completely?! The question is purely personal and depends on the individual needs of the car owner.
Let's take a few good trailers as an example:
- MMZ 81021;
- Scythian;
- VSW;
- KMZ 8119;
- MZSA;
- Kurgan trailer, etc.
Good vehicles with enviable technical characteristics for many manufacturers. But if suddenly there is a need to use them to transport boats or to transport a motorcycle, then they will not be able to cope with such tasks.
Yes, any standard trailers are perfect for traveling to your dachas and loading several bags of potatoes collected from the garden. But I want something different and more.
I would highlight several main goals that car owners pursue when deciding to change a trailer:
- increase functionality;
- increase carrying capacity;
- change reliability parameters for the better;
- modernize the purely appearance of the vehicle.
Now let’s go through each of the points separately and decide what can be done in this or that situation with your factory standard towed vehicle.
Reliability
If you are concerned about the issue of reliability, then it is better to immediately buy a more expensive trailer that is resistant to all loads and impacts. Then you won’t have to think about whether it can last 5-10 years.
Technical implementation of extending the overall dimensions of a trailer
Regardless of whether the car enthusiast will do this on his own or delegate the work to specialists, you need to think about a technical solution to this problem. The length of the drawbar may vary, but it is necessary to determine whether it will be folding or solid. A long trailer is more cumbersome to drive, so it is optimal if it can be extended as needed. You will need to think about the folding and fastening mechanism, so such a project will cost more.
The next point that needs to be considered with a trailer on a passenger car is how the drawbar will be attached: using welding or bolts. If you make a completely new drawbar, then the old one is completely removed. As an alternative, an additional fragment of a durable metal profile is welded to the old one. The length of such a drawbar may be different, but it is desirable that the new part be identical in width and thickness.
It is important to carefully select the material from which the elongated structure will be made. Of course, it must be moderately durable and withstand significant loads. It is better not to use flat metal elements for extensions, which simply may turn out to be weak. Experts recommend purchasing a metal corner or channel with a thickness of at least 3 mm.
Once you have measured how much additional length will be added, you need to take care of reinforcing the structure. To do this, a corner is welded perpendicular to the flange on both sides. All work to lengthen the drawbar can take at least several hours, because you will have to weld and attach metal bolts, as well as treat them with anti-corrosion compounds. Everyone determines the length calculation for themselves. Commercially available extension cords are capable of transporting loads up to 5.5-6 meters in length.
Review of beekeeping trailers for passenger cars
Model . These are those designs that fit a factory drawbar of a certain configuration. It is important to understand that caravan manufacturers use literally several basic options of drawbar, which are mounted on different models of trailers. This allows you to use one template to assemble a large number of products. Therefore, identical extensions are offered for the same drawbar from the same manufacturer. The models are made in full accordance with the dimensions and holes for the use of these accessories.
As you understand, I fully and completely support model versions of products in this case.
If you have a different opinion, be sure to write about it in the comments and give reasons. We will certainly discuss this issue and come to certain conclusions.
Material, coating and condition
Drawbar extensions, presented in the form of a pipe with certain dimensional characteristics, are usually made of steel.
Communities › Trailers › Blog › Drawbar extension
I decided to make a drawbar extension for an MZSA trailer with a body length of 2.4 meters because occasionally I need to transport 6-meter boards to the dacha. And paying for the delivery of 5-10 boards is not at all profitable. Delivery is more expensive.
First I will try to answer possible questions. 1- How are things going with the traffic police?
Honestly, I don’t have much to say here, because I only use the extension cord to get from the construction site to the dacha. This is only 2 km along the extreme road (see photo), where the traffic police are not private guests and can only be on May 9th. Well, I tried to make it not too collective farm-like, so as not to attract attention. But! I can assume that nothing will happen because, firstly, the MZSA plant itself sells an extension cord (the current price for it is 8-9k), and secondly, this is a modern trailer with OTTS in which it was approved for everything at once (at least this is what I saw in on the Internet, I didn’t feel like checking mine now) where I even saw two axles and an extension cord. Which naturally suggests the conclusion that operation with an extension cord is possible. As I understand it, now the base comes from the factory alone, and on top it is already mounted (I could be wrong). But when I registered the trailer, I asked the inspector if I could remove the sides from the trailer and put a cabin/camper/house on it (the documents say it is a passenger trailer for transporting cargo). To which he gave a positive answer, provided that it is not stationary (sewn together with the frame/platform) and does not exceed the permissible dimensions and weight. In my defense, I can say that they stopped me several times and with an extension cord, they checked ONLY the documents for the car. He asked about a trailer, and in response - What can we get from it? It’s new, I see the electrician is working, it’s registered. Bon Voyage. All! It may not work like that in other regions.
Algorithm for lengthening the drawbar of a car trailer
Domestic car enthusiasts have long appreciated the new opportunities that a passenger car equipped with a trailer can provide. With its help, you can transport household utensils, construction equipment and materials, furniture over any distance at a time that suits you. However, for transporting long cargo, such as pipes or a boat, the standard trailer length is not enough. The solution in such a situation may be to lengthen the drawbar of the towbar.
Is it worth converting a trailer?
If there is an official service within reach where they modernize vehicles and issue official certificates that do not raise questions from government officials, then yes. If the alteration is carried out “on the knee” in the garage, then no. Or, at a minimum, make contacts at the local MREO or find out exactly in an official manner how and whether it will be possible to formalize the planned changes.
What you definitely shouldn't do is modify a trailer and then hope that it won't be noticed. By the way, the word “worth” has another meaning, namely cost! To buy an ordinary passenger trailer, modernize it, register it, repair defects and pay fines every time you get caught, you need money, and not little. And it won’t be possible to do such a “restyling” in a day or even a week. So maybe it’s better to immediately purchase a specialized model, paying more at first, but saving yourself from unnecessary investments and neurosis in the future?
Transport trailers
Nowadays there are many types of transport trailers. All of them are divided according to the following criteria:
Special purpose - this allows you to take into account the maximum load of the trailer. These include: cement trucks, panel trucks, log trucks and others.
General transport equipment – includes varieties of curtainsider trailers.
When working with such trailers, it is necessary to take into account in advance the weight that the trailer will carry. This measure will help avoid a traffic accident.
Varieties
First, look at the equipment of the trailer you purchased. There are examples when an extension cord is included with the vehicle.
A good example is the Kurgan Trailers company, where the presence of an extension cord is a standard feature of their products.
Owners of a variety of caravans may need an extension cord, including:
- SST;
- SAZ;
- Vector Love;
- Batyr;
- Trailer;
- MZSA;
- KMZ 8136;
- Strong, etc.
There are separate materials about many of these brands on our website. Just go to the section with passenger trailers, or use the convenient field to search for information.
I think each of you understands why a motorist might need such auxiliary elements.
Therefore, our main task now is to choose the appropriate option, having understood the varieties and some of the nuances.
In fact, extension cords differ in their purpose and manufacturing features. Don't forget about the dimensional characteristics and materials used.
Classification by manufacture
Essentially, a motorist has two main options. This is to buy a structure that complements the main trailer, or to assemble it yourself.
I’ll say right away that the second option is not the best idea. Yes, structurally it can be an ordinary pipe with several holes. But even here there are some nuances and manufacturing features that can only be implemented in specialized production conditions.
If you want your passenger trailer to operate equally safely and reliably with or without an extension, choose factory-made products. In addition, many manufacturers offer the required designs as spare parts, and some, like Kurgan Trailers, standardly equip their trailer models with them. It turns out that you won’t have to look for anything, saw or drill anything. You just need to purchase a finished product and install it on the vehicle according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Yes, some people successfully assemble extension cords with their own hands for their own car trailer. But here you will need to calculate the length, take into account the changing load, compare it with the load capacity and other characteristics.
Roughly speaking, you won’t be able to weld the first pipe you come across. This can have serious consequences.
By purpose
Based on their purpose, such products can also be divided into 2 subcategories.
People choose between them quite often, although objectively only one of the two options will be the most correct.
Universal . These are extensions that, in theory, fit a wide variety of caravan models. Versatility has both its advantages and disadvantages. A conflict between the parameters of the device and the trailer itself can provoke a sudden breakdown, violation of the integrity of the product, or destruction of connections. Many universal models are not made in the best way in terms of design and materials used. Therefore, I would advise you to abandon this idea.
The only exceptions are those situations when it is simply impossible to purchase the second option.
In general, I have a negative opinion of universal accessories for passenger caravans. In my experience, I have encountered many frankly low-grade products.
Yes, in theory they are suitable for a large number of trailers. But in practice everything is not so simple. Poor quality metal, connection holes that do not correspond to the trailer, the need to make additional holes in the metal, etc.
