How to Make a Snowmobile Trailer

Accessing remote trails often requires a snowmobile trailer.

Riding your snowmobile in the white powder of a remote area usually requires a bit of travel. From the vast landscapes of steady climbs and downhill runs to a forest where you can navigate around curves of tree stands, the more snow, the better. But first, you're going to need something to pile your snowmobile on to drag it into the wilderness. Most snowmobile trailers are a box, which is appropriate, because you don't want to have to deice your skis and engine after you park.

Things You'll Need

• Axle
• Flat-bed trailer
• 2 metal channel frames
• Screws
• 1/4-inch galvanized steel
• Plywood frame
• MIG welder
• Plywood or fiberglass
• 1-inch wood screws
• A-frame trailer hitch

Instructions

Craft the Trailer

1. Purchase a standard, two-wheel trailer that can carry large objects. The single-axle flat-bed trailer style has many of the parts you need ready to go. You could craft your own basic flat-bed by yourself, but that costs nearly as much as purchasing one. The standard flat-bed will give you the foundation you need to customize your own snowmobile trailer.

2. Place two metal channel frames along the width of your standard plywood trailer at the top. The plywood, which will provide the base for your trailer, should be two feet larger than your snowmobile in each direction. Bolt the frames down with rivets or screws.

3. Weld an A-frame trailer hitch with an MIG welder. Bolt it to the trailer frame.

4. Bolt down a hitch on a 1/4-inch flat piece of galvanized steel that spans the front of your trailer. Paint the frame with an automotive-grade paint that's rust resistant.

5. Use fiberglass on the interior so your snowmobile won't chip or rot. Attach the fiberglass to the bottom of the plywood bed trailer with 1-inch wood screws, or use nuts and bolts. Bolt down fiberglass top to the rest of the trailer.

6. Measure the width, length and height of the snowmobile then add one or two additional feet to the measurement. A standard size for a trailer is six to eight feet cubed. Use channel steel to structure the frame. Weld your steel to the supports within the trailer frame and panel with fiberglass sheets or plywood. Paint the exterior with automotive paint.

7. Measure the back of the trailer and weld a drop-down gate to a hinge at the back of the trailer. This can also be either plywood or fiberglass.

Tips & Warnings

• Each measurement of plywood or fiberglass will depend on the size of your snowmobile.

References

• Synthesis Engineering Services: Choosing the Right Utility Trailer
• Make: Technology on Your Time