Sources for Trailers?

[NorthWest29]

Greetings everyone,

I would like to know what everbody does for trailers. It seems that there are very few, if any, commercially available. They really seem to be very far a few between.

Are the finished trailers that get posted kits that you folks have had for years or are they mostly scratch built or perhaps rebuilds?

Or are most folks just building without trailers?

[wild_chld81]

Yea I am curious too! I want a dump body trailer and it seems alot of people have them. Are they scratch built or are there kits?

[Jairus]

I go to U-Haul... :?

[Guest Anthony Oteri]

I go to U-Haul... :?

I wish I had thought of that one!

[JdKustomModels]

I wish I had thought of that one!

thats classic right there!

[Aaronw]

There are some out there, AMT / ERTL did several, at the least a tanker, van body, lowboy and I think a car carrier. Italeri also has done at least a van body and "heavy" tanker.

Galaxie makes a series of 5th wheel and light duty trailers for cars & pickups.

Unfortunately nobody does a real eliptical tanker, just round.

Not sure how many of these are actually currently in production but I run across them fairly frequently at hobby shops and ebay.

[mmfaafiremodel]

The Revell-Germany Beall Tanker (kit #07554) is eliptical. It was recently available, but is sometimes hard to find here in the states. I was tempted to pick one up at NNL-East just to have for a future project, but didn't. It's probably the best one to use for a fire service tanker.

[Old Albion]

There are a number of trailer kits available. Many have been re-released over the years. Try the model shops and of course eBay. Look for AMT, ERTL, Revell, Italeri. The dump trailer being refered to is the re-released AMT/Ertl Tri Axle Gravel trailer. This is reasonably priced and a is a good kit to build. Check some of the discussions on this web site for details of what people have done with this and other trailer kits. Also look for the scratch built trailers. There is obviously more work and planning but the results can be very rewarding. Either way what ever you decide to do Have Fun and Good Luck!

[Aaronw]

The Revell-Germany Beall Tanker (kit #07554) is eliptical. It was recently available, but is sometimes hard to find here in the states. I was tempted to pick one up at NNL-East just to have for a future project, but didn't. It's probably the best one to use for a fire service tanker.

Thank you, I have never seen that kit. I will definately keep an eye out for it.

[SpreadAxle]

Trailers, my biggest beef! Not that I don't love the awesome tractors I see built, But it's a personal perference of mine, that my tractors all have trailers, which is why I tend to go on eBay and mostly buy trailers. About 5 yrs ago, Amt/Ertl gave us several reissues, including the dump trailer, lowboy, the tanker,the Wilson livestock trailer, the Great Dane extendable Flatbed, and the Great Dane Dry van, and the single axle car carrier. Since they are recent issues, they will be easiest to find.

As 4 Revell AG, they brought back their tanker and the car carrier.

Italeri has a 48' American reefer, and dry van. And they had a 40" container, but the chassis needs to be Americanized. I wish we could see more updated versions of the older trailer kits. Like more current moving vans, livestock vans, and maybe some different tanker bodies. And of course, for me, flatbeds and dropdecks. Additional trailer manufacturers would be nice too, like Utility. How did the kit makers miss these? As many as there are out there. I will be doing my 2006 Utility from scratch in the future. The pix and measurements are almost ready to post in the 1:1 reference section, just a few more notes to add. I want to share as much as I can for those who wish to try.

Trailers like flatbeds, dropdecks, logging trailers, and some dumps and tankers would be easier to scratchbuild. You would need a suspension, and tires, but you can buy suspensions aftermarket too. Anyway, good luck to you.

[Semi Trailer Mechanic]

What's goin' on...

As far as trailer kits go over the years Ertl AMT offered several trailer kits. The most common kits found these days are U.S. Mail truck/trailer kit,tri axle Loadcraft,CCR Trans tanker,tri axle dump trailer and a few of the Great Dane van/flatbeds are still out there. Italeri has a few kits out there as well as R/G. I recommend not using Italeri trailer kits mainly they're geared more towards Europian models and the only North American trailer kit that's out there isn't that good in my opinion. The only good thing about that is the Thermal King refer unit. Check out local hobby shops,EBAY,word of mouth,shows, and so on for kits. I like to use a kit for a donor and then scratch build the rest. Don't just rely on EVERGREEN SCALE and Plastruct products to work w/. Try looking outside the box. Example. I built a chemical tanker using PVC pipe for the barrel.

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?...&p=74037117

If you got any questions you can email me . I've been a (1:1) semi trailer mechanic for nearly 15 years. It might be a while before I reply but I will.

scottwp1972@yahoo.com

[SpreadAxle]

Scott, I downloaded an in progress pic of that tanker a long time ago form Tim's website. I finally see what it looks like finished. I agree that AMT brought back a handful of kits, but as for the Italeri 48ft van, I say it's better than nothing for the exact reason you mentioned. It's the only American trailer we ever got from them. I bought 3 of their container trailers a long time ago knowing I would be scratchbuilding a chassis that is American. Revell AG gave us a few as well, like the Beall tanker. I will say this, I've noticed that the trailer kits seem to go quickly when they are stocked, and they are the first thing dropped by the manufacturer, it seems.

Speaking of the Italeri 48ft boxes, I know that no OEM is listed, any ideas as to what this trailer most closely resembles? Wabash, American, Utility, any ideas? I know you would be the best to ask on this one.

[Semi Trailer Mechanic]

What's goin' on...

I believe it's a Wabash or an "OLD" Timpte. Tim and I threw opinions back and forth about what trailer this is a while back in another discussion group a while ago. It's one of the two makes. The only thing good about this kit is the refer unit. That has details on it in both 24th and 25th scale. As far as the rest of the trailer goes I might use it for a donor.

I thought about getting the Container kit but I just can't justify spending 50+ greenbacks for something I can scratchbuild. Years ago I built a 20ft chassis/container trailer from scratch it turned out ok. In the future I plan on building another one. Those tri axle chassis' w/ the beefed up necks there at the coupler plates are kinda cool I'm not sure what company builds them.

As far as the R/G Beall kit goes I picked up two of those right when they were reissued. To date I have no plans to build that.

[SpreadAxle]

I kept thinking Wabash myself, as it did resemble some of the trailers I pulled at Marten Transport. They use lots of Wabash trailers, as well as Great Dane, Utility, and the occasional Trailmobile. I never knew about the kit being in 2 scales. I wonder how they pulled that off. I'll have to get out the scale rulers. I would scratchbuild some vans, but I don't know where to begin to get the right material for the horizontal ribs that run the length of these trailers. I looked at Plastruct and Evergreen, but I'm not sure what would be best to use. As to the containers, they looked right in the catalog. I should've known. When the box arrived, I was disappointed. I knew I could find containers easy enough to study, as I went to a lot of ports at that time. By the way, I saw your chassis, nice work.

[SpreadAxle]

I have to find them, but I have pix I took of what could basically be called a "flatbed" container. Works with any container chassis, but the container itself is just a thick deck, with a wall at the nose, and the wall at the tail. No sides, no roof. I think those end walls fold down also. If I find the pix, I will put them in 1:1 reference. These were taken last summer, I just have to find where I hid them.

[SpreadAxle]

By the way, I posted some pix in 1:1 reference of the 2006 Utility flatbed that I pull. More will be posted with some measurements. It's a 48'x102" trailer with a 10'2" spread axle suspension. These will give a starting point as far as looks. I figured it would give you a good scratchbuilding project. I will be building multiples of these, as I plan to model the two trucks I've owned, which have both pulled this trailer. Who knows, maybe somebody with casting ability could make a kit for us. Anyhoo, I hope the reference material helps. Northwest and Wild Child, you will find that most of the trailers in kit form are 70's models, like me. Although the Great Dane van can be updated with minimal work. Lengthening it to 45 or 48' is one option I have going for future projects. Very little that I can see changed with that trailer thru the 80's and into the early 90's. Semi trailer mechanic is probably the best friend we will have on this subject. check out his builds. trust me, he knows his stuff.

[NorthWest29]

Thank you all for you're posts. Many provided real solid information that I find helpful and I'm very appreciative of your replies.

I felt this to be a serious and legitimate question I have no idea why some thought it was humorus. :?:

Again, thanks for the real info.

[SpreadAxle]

Oh it is a legitimate question. No one's picking on you. I myself had trouble finding trailers for kits. I don't even start tractors without having an idea for a trailer. I discovered that trailers tend not to stick around as long as an offering from the kit mfgrs. Also, the vast majority of available American trailers are AMT's trailers, which are all of 1970's vintage. Not too many more modern trailers were ever made in kit form, except by Italeri and Revell AG. And many of Italeri's kits were based on European trailers. One thing to do is start shopping around.

[SpreadAxle]

By the way, here is an idea for you. In the late '80s early '90s, AMT offered 3 race car tarnsport trailers. These are nothing more than the AMT Trailmobile moving van trailers of the 1970's with race team decals, and tools for in the trailer. Model express has 2 of the 3 available for less than $40. Go to www.jbot.ca, and you will find he has a set of Allied van lines decals for their pre 1980's color scheme, when the bottom of the trucks were gray. Gooche decals, if he is still around, makes the North American decals that were in the kit from years ago as well. You have to be creative when it comes to trailers. For more late model stuff, scratchbuilding is still the way to go on a lot of them. Good luck. This is my biggest beef with kit makers is trailers, lack of availability, lack of American trailers, and lack of modern trailers. Think about it, if say, a Camaro came with just a different gearshift knob from one year to the next, we would see a new kit. A little exaggeration, but close. lol. Go to TRUCKMODELER.com, and check out Tim's trailers. He inspired a few upcoming builds for me.

[Old Albion]

One thing thats always puzzled me is how do the model companies carryout their research in determining what the market wants? Where do they get their information from. For example one of the most popular modern trucks in the North American market is the 379 Peterbilt. Yet no model company has produced one instead they go to the expense and trouble of manufacturing tooling and producing lesser known and less popular models ie 377 and the 378 Peterbilt. If anyone knows the answer I would like to know. Just as a matter of interest I wonder how many 379s 377s and 378s Peterbilt have sold?? Maybe there would be a similar ratio of model kits sold if the model companies produced a 379. Who knows?

With regard to trailers I have plans to build a Michigan truck trailer that I saw on ebay sometime ago. The truck was a Mack R700, it was pulling a 5 axle dump trailer. I don't know what make of trailer this is. That Mack must be a beast of a truck, it really looks like its built for the job. What would a truck trailer like this gross?? I reakon 100,000lbs?? I have no real details of sizes etc so I will be using a lot of "Artistic License" and trying to gauge from the photo's. Either way I intend to have some fun building it, it looks a bit of a challenge.

PS I hope the owner doesn't mind me using his photo.

[SpreadAxle]

The 379 question has always been a head scratcher for me. Why not make that kit??? And the later versions of the W900 Kenworth have also been ignored unless you go to smaller scales for either one. As to the trailer, I would go to www.truckpaper.com and do a search on dump trailers. You can search their website by state. I found a Michigan train to download for reference on this project. I'm not sure what you can legally carry with that trailer there. One has to take into account the bridge law, which is a very confusing regulation on how much weight you can carry in reference to the distance in feet between your kingpin and your trailer's rear axle. Tri axle trailers that are shorter in length aren't even allowed 80,000# if I remember right, but I would check on that one. That's according to some dump drivers thatI've talked to. I'm not sure about that 5 axle, and Michigan's weight limits are different, so you may very well be allowed 100,000#