Show me your custom trays

[melliott]

Hey guys,

I am getting a custom flat tray made for my D40. It will be 1800mm wide, but unsure weather to go 1600mm or 1650mm long.

Have you got photos of your 1600 or 1650 trays you can show me?

 

[Tms40]

Mines 1800 x 1800. Not the best pics of it but you get the idea.

 

[tweak'e]

apologies to Tms40 here but thats an example of what i do not like.

main thing is length and the extended tow ball. both are causes of the old broken chassis syndrome.
i much prefer keep the tow ball short as possible and keep the tray short as possible. the longer the tray the more people tend to put stuff at the end of it, which has a leverage effect so its acts like a larger weight. then they wonder why the rear end is dragging, put big springs in then wonder why the chassis broke.
for utes load the bulk of the weight should be between the front and rear axles, which is problematic with dual cabs.

and the extended tow ball, standard length gets buried into the dirt as it is, longer just gets worse. plus it makes the trailer weight act as a higher weight, ie push the ute around more and put more weight on the utes suspension/chassis.

 

[tweak'e]

to add, i like the rope rails on Tms40's tray. but classic mistake with the hinges for the sides, something i see a lot. use it with out sides (sometimes even with sides) and you end up with bent hinge pins. the pins should go on the sides and the round part on the tray.

 

[melliott]

I ended up telling the guy to make mine at 1650mm long. Hope it looks ok.

 

[Tms40]

None of that’s a problem for me. For others maybe. I’ve travelled some of the roughest terrain Australia has to offer and never had a problem. Swag, chair, table and fridge. I’d be lucky to have 150kg in the tray. Anything of weight in front of or over axle.
My boat is a 4.2m tinnie that I can drop off banks into remote river systems. Boat n trailer weighs bugger all.
I don’t do ridiculous articulation. I’m old enough to not want to break my vehicle and let’s be honest a Navara isn’t made for that anyway.

I’m not sure to many people put 200kg in the last 200mm of the tray.

 

[tweak'e]

I’m not sure to many people put 200kg in the last 200mm of the tray.

plenty do i can assure you and you don't need 200kg, 50kg is bad enough with that length as leverage effect applies.
even just on a standard ute, stand on the tow ball and see how much the rear of the ute drops, its a lot for the small amount of weight. stand on the tray behind the cab and there is almost no drop.

those with a brain don't put much weight on and you get away with it just fine. however most don't have a brain.