Custom off-road trailer

Congratulations to Justin Messenger, winner of the Bordo drill and tap and die set, for his custom off-road trailer project using Edcon Steel RHS and SHS products.

Justin, a boilermaker and metal fabricator, has since started Fabrite, his own metal fabrication business, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Working on everything from houses to boats, Justin is skilled working with full structural steel down to pressurised stainless steel.

The inspiration

Towards the end of 2019, Justin planned a road trip adventure from Sydney’s Northern Beaches to Cape York in Far North Queensland.

The 3,500km journey required a sturdy and reliable trailer to accompany his 4WD, yet he was struggling to find a trailer that met his needs.

“I couldn’t find a trailer that was exactly what I wanted, and the cost to value difference was astronomical,” Justin says.

“I figured I could make something that was exactly what I wanted, with the materials I wanted, for far less money.”

Justin’s planning of his custom-built trailer was minimal, so his skill in metal fabrication was put to good use.

“That was actually the first trailer I’ve ever built,” he says.

The project

The trailer needed to be strong enough to withstand long distances and off-road environments, while light enough to make towing easy.

“Carrying my dirt bike was one of the most important factors, but I also needed to be self-sufficient while on the road,” Justin says.

“So, it needed to be strong enough to carry a fridge, water tank and other equipment.”

Purchasing all the main trailer sections from Edcon Steel’s Brookvale store, Justin constructed the steel chassis using RHS and SHS and the body was built using alloy RHS and 2/3mm flat alloy sheet, guillotine cut by Edcon staff.