The Goat saga continues! I can never do something the easy way when it's quicker. Instead, things must be done right.
I had the bright idea to build a custom trailer, which seemed the smartest way to transport Goat by Prius. The caveat is that I have to design and build a trailer too.
A massive thanks to a friend with a sailboat trailer for spending a few hours helping me pick up the metal. I bought four 20-foot sticks of 6061-T6 American Standard 3-inch by 1.4-inch by 0.188-inch structural c-channel. It was going to be super sketchy to transport the 20-foot pieces on my tiny 8-foot trailer, so it was much nicer to use a trailer already set up for things of this length. Thanks Sam!
With the material at home, it was time to start chopping and mitering to make the structure fit the way it needs to.
Here are some close-ups of making the miters for the ends of the center supports.
All of these cross-pieces are inserted as ladder-rungs into the uninterrupted c-channel side members.
I chose to make a new tongue with the material (instead of more cross-members). The tongue plate bolts on just fine. This should work dandy. The tongue pieces will be welded on the bottom of the frame, not exactly as shown in the mockup photo.
Tomorrow will be looking closer at the axle, and then prepping all the lights & wiring. I can't weld aluminum, so it's either asking nicely for a favor from a friend or taking the parts to a welding shop. The more prep-work I do, the quicker / cheaper the welding will be, so I'm going toward that welding as prepared as possible.
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