Trailers: How to Design and Build [Paperback]

M. M. Smith (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0914483234 | ISBN-13: 978-0914483236 | Publication Date: March 1991

Steps to prepare a custom trailer design is followed with supporting chapters on suspension (axles, hubs, springs, hardware), couplings, fenders, lights & wiring, paint welding and even a few strength calculations. This first book in a series of three is without a doubt, the most complete and only book available to guide you through the maze of putting your dream trailer together. Engineering subjects have been simplified to be understood by most anyone who has a mechanical aptitude.

The processes involved in creating a trailer are more complex than first glance indicates. This book has been written as a response to the ever flowing questions posed by those attempting to build a trailer. Full of guidelines for designing and building the trailer you want, your end result will be much more predictable, something you can now understand and also be proud to own.

From specifications for commonly used parts to contruction how-to's, this book provides a step-by-step approach to arrive at the most desired design. Guidelines for laying out the trailer on paper will give you a glimpse of your future tag-a-long before it is built. For anyone thinking about or planning to build a trailer, this book is indispensible.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It's amazing how much information is crammed into these pages. The reference list alone is worth the price of admission. This book gets down to the real nitty gritty and covers subjects in a really practical, helpful way without all the dazzle." -- Guinn, welder & fabricator, D & G Welding, Littlerock, California. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

This book contains almost 200 pages of text with 150 informative illustrations, photographs, charts and graphs. If you're wondering how to build or where to buy, you can't afford to leave this book out of your library. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Techni Visions Llc (March 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0914483234
• ISBN-13: 978-0914483236
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,158,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this book unless you plan to buy Vol. 2, November 14, 2003

By 

denverd0n (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trailers : How to Design and Build (Basics) Volume 1. (Paperback)

I agree with the fellow who said this book is a bit of bait and switch. Everytime I thought he was going to get into the real details that I wanted, the author just referred to one of his other books. Without Vol. 2 this book will not give you enough information to build a trailer.

It does provide some high-level information, and might get you to asking the right questions, but for the price it ought to answer some of those questions. I cannot recommend this book.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very basic: no detailed information on design or handling, June 16, 2003

By 

Steven H Sawyers (Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trailers : How to Design and Build (Basics) Volume 1. (Paperback)

If you don't know anything about trailer construction, this book will get you started and make you dangerous. But most of the information in this book can be obtained by walking around and carefully inspecting commercially built trailers, looking at component catalogues, then applying some plain common sense.

I was very disappointed in this book. It has a lot of general overview type information, and lots of pictures of what not to do, but not the specifics of exactly what to do or what design rules to follow. It spends an inordinate amount of time plugging the authors other books.

The essense of trailer design is to end up with something that will carry the load structurally and trail properly without adverse handling characteristics i.e. sway, and whipping. This book won't get you to that point.

These concepts are mentioned in the book but the author wants you to buy Volume 2 for the structural information and then buy, the as yet unpublished, volume 3 for the handling information. I see this as a little bit of bait and switch. Three books totaling $$+ retail is a bit much to pay for this information.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars BUYER BEWARE ! ! !, January 21, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Trailers : How to Design and Build (Basics) Volume 1. (Paperback)

This book deserves zero stars. Every single chapter and sub-topic section of this book refers you to Volume 2 for more information. It is misleading to state that you can learn any of the following from this book:
"Table of contents by chapters:
1) Developing a design
2) Overall considerations
3) Suspension systems
4) Basic components
5) Accessories
6) Construction aspects"
Because you cannot not learn to do ANYTHING from this book alone. They might as well charge you $23.99 for a blank book which says SEE VOLUME 2 because this book is useless without volume 2. So unless you are willing to spend over $60 for this information, which I am not. YOU WILL BE STUCK WITH A NON-RETURNABLE USELESS ITEM.
After having been ripped off by M. M. Smith. I will try to educate as many people as possible not to trust this author.