A trailer will be a great addition to your kid’s Power Wheels toy, but only a few brands offer trailers in stock that are not compatible with other models.
You can create one Power Wheels trailer in a DIY activity using metal square tubing, wheels, expanded metal/plywood, metal rods, nuts, bolts, etc. First, you need to create frames for the floor, axle, and border(optional), then create a hitch.
The last step is to combine all frames and install wheels. Use protective gear while working on this activity because it involves saw and welding tools.
Table of Contents
Parts and Tools Required for the Power Wheels Trailer
Several parts and tools are required for the DIY Power Wheels trailer. Make sure you have arranged all the parts and tools.
Parts
- Metal Square Tubing
Metal Square tubing is used to create the frame and axle. The tubing should be thick enough to support the weight but not too heavy. The standard gauge for the tubing is 1x1x16, and you can also select a large or smaller gauge if you are comfortable with it.
The standard size for the trailer should be the same as the power wheels; if you want smaller, that is also okay.
- Plywood or Expanded Metal
You can either use plywood or an expanded metal sheet for the floor of the Power Wheels trailer. For the expanded metal sheet, you need extra tubing for support while the plywood can support itself. You can expand metal sheets in one piece, and for plywood, you can choose to install it in one piece or several sheets. Make sure to match the size of plywood or expanded metal sheet with the frame.
- Wheels
The best tires for the trailer will be the same size of tires as the power wheels. It will help the trailer to balance. You can find the tires on amazon; if your power wheels have plastic tires, we suggest buying pneumatic air-filled tires for the trailer to make the grip better.
Four wheels will be a better choice to balance the trailer; otherwise, you can also opt for two tires. Make sure to buy the wheels, which are possible to install in a metal rod.
- Metal Rod for Wheels With all the Parts
A metal rod is connected to the frame, which is used the install the wheels. You will install two metal rods. You also require washers, nuts, and bolts to fix the tires in the metal rod.
First, you need to buy the wheels, and then you can buy the metal rod, washers, nuts, and bolts that can fit in the wheels.
- Hitch Parts
There are two types of hitches that are installed in the trailer. One is the gooseneck hitch, and the other is a simple one you can make by yourself. You require a tongue ball plate and some pipes; the gooseneck hitch is relatively difficult. You can opt for the simple one for which you need an 8 to 10-inch tubing in the bigger gauge, some small nuts and bolts, and a metal sheet to make a stronger hitch connection in the power wheels.
- Hinges and Latch Locks(Optional)
You may need hinges if you want to install a gate on the trailer. Hinges can also be used to make some parts flexible, as the hitch part. A latch lock will be used in the gate.
Tools
- Saw
A saw will be used to cut the metal tubing because the tubing comes in large pieces; a hacksaw will be ideal for that. You can also use an electric hand grinder to cut the metal tubing for easy operation. If you use plywood for the trailer floor, you need a hand saw to cut the wood.
Leave the saw operation to a professional if you have no idea how to run a saw.
- Power Drill
You will make many holes in the trailer to make connections, and the holes will be made in metal tubing, plywood(optional), and the plastic body of power wheels. You can use drill tools that can make holes in these three materials.
- Welding Tools
Welding is required to make the frames. Welding tools require proficiency to use. If you are not aware of welding, first practice on something else, then start working on the frame. You can also opt for a professional for welding.
- Other Tools
Measure tape to measure the tubing and sheets, wrenches for the nut bolts, hammer, screwdriver set. Protective gear is the necessary thing because you are working with saw and welding tools.
How to Develop a Power Wheels Trailer
Using all the parts and tools described above, you can develop a Power Wheels trailer at home. First, you need to make different parts of the trailer and combined them. Let see how it works.
Creating the Frames
You need to make two frames first: one is for the trailer’s floor, and the other is the axle frame for the wheels. A third frame is optional, which is used for the border and gate. Let make them one by one.
Floor frame
- The floor frame will be a rectangle, measure all four sides of the power wheels. A standard Power Wheel is 50×30 in inches. Let’s create our trailer with this size.
- Mark two pieces of square tubing at 50 inches and five pieces at 26 inches. We use a width smaller than the power wheels so it cannot hit anything from the sides. If your kid lifts something bigger than Power Wheels, then you can choose the size of your choice. Cut all seven pieces with a hacksaw or hand grinder.
- Place the vertical square tubing on the floor, then place the five smaller pieces of square tubing in between of the vertical tubing, make sure all the small pieces have the same difference between them and the pieces at both ends are equal to vertical tubing.
- First, weld the pieces at both ends of vertical tubing, then weld the three middle pieces when the frame is ready.
- If you want to use plywood for the floor, you need to make holes in the frame. Plywood sheets should be the same size and or in pieces of the same size. Place the sheet on the frame and make holes with the help of power drills. Use the nut and bolts to fix the sheet on the frame.
- Instead of plywood, you can use expanded metal which can be welded to the frame. Your frame for the floor is ready.
Axle frame
- You have to build two-axle frames for both sides of the mainframe.
- We are making simple rectangle frames; axle frames with slopes on two corners can also be made.
- Our main frame’s length is 50 inches ao we choose 30 inches axle frames. Cut four pieces of 30 inches from square tubing and eight pieces of 8 inches. These pieces are for two frames for both sides.
- Place the pieces on the floor similarly as described above and weld them. When you are finished with both frames, they will be the same in size.
- Place one frame upon another, measure 10 inches vertically and mark, and measure another 10 inches from the first mark.
- Makes holes for the metal road at both marks. Place the frames on one another so the holes can be in the same place, make sure the holes are big enough for the metal road to pass.
- The axle frames are ready.
Border and gate frames (Optional)
- The process to make these frames is also similar.
- You need to make two vertical frames, 50 inches vertically and 8 or 10 inches in height. Just two 50 inches and two 8 or 10 inches pieces. Place them on the floor and weld them on all corners as described above. Do the same for the second frame.
- You need two square tubing pieces to join the front sides of the border frame, and the backside will be used for the gate. You can cut the pieces by measuring the gate at the time.
- The gate will be similar 8 or 10 inches higher. You can measure the gape by placing the border frames on both sides of the mainframe and then cut the pieces for width.
- When you know the measurement for the gate, cut the pieces and make a frame. Also, cut the pieces which will be welded on the backside of the border frame.
- You can also cover this frame with expanded metal or leave it like that.
- Now the two side border pieces, one gate, and two square tubing pieces to weld on the backside of the border frame are ready.
Creating the hitch
Your power wheels do not already have a hitch. Our hitch idea is the simple hitch in which we use a 50-inch piece of square tubing of the same gauge and an 8 or 10 inches piece of square tubing with a bigger gauge.
The operation of the hitch is simple, the smaller size will go inside the bigger size gauge, and we lock it.
- First of all, make holes on both tubings at 5 inches; make sure the hole is on both sides of the tubing. Put the 50-inch piece inside the bigger gauge tubing and check that you can lock it with a pin or bolt at holes.
- Now your power wheels are plastic, so you need some hard enough to hold the hitch. Use two metal strips on both sides of the Power Wheels hitch place.
- First, make two holes on both strips; hitch place when you finish using one strip to mark on power wheels. Make holes in Power Wheels on the marks.
- Now take the bigger gauge tube and weld it vertically right on the middle of one strip. Now you have one empty strip and the other with the tube welded.
- Use the strip with tubing on the front and another one behind the hitch; use nuts and bolts in the holes to tighten the strips in the power wheels.
- The 50-inch piece will be welded or screwed under the mainframe.
- Hitch is ready for the Power Wheels trailer.
Final operation
- Now you have three types of frames, the mainframe, axle frame, and border frame.
- Weld the axle frames on both long sides of the mainframe, make sure the sides with holes are in the down direction. Both the axle frames are welded simultaneously; check them by putting the metal rod through holes.
- Install the 50-inch hitch tubing. Place it at the third tube in the mainframe and weld it from there to the first one. You can use nuts and bolts as an alternative to welding here.
- Install the wheels. Put both metal rods into holes of the axles frame and use washers, locking nuts, and bolts to fix the wheels in the rod.
- The basic trailer is ready. You can check it by connecting to the hitch.
- Now install the optional border frame. Weld the two big frames on both sides of the mainframe. Use the two pieces you cut before and weld them to the border frame on the hitch side, one piece on the downside and the other right on the upper corners.
- Now you need two hinges and two simple latch locks. Weld the hinges on the downside of the gate. Weld the other side of the hinges to the backside of the mainframe. Weld the latch locks on the sides of the gate and border frame.
- Your trailer with borders and gate is ready to go; attach it to your kid’s Power Wheels and let him load his stuff on the trailer.
Cost of a DIY Power Wheels Trailer
This DIY activity includes a lot of parts that are not so expensive. The estimated cost for square tubing is $100, wheels $60, expanded metal/plywood $25, metal rods $30, nuts and bolts $10, hinges $5, and latch locks $8.
Some tools used in this project can get expensive. If you don’t have these tools, you can either borrow tools or get help from a professional like the welding worker.
Conclusion
A Power Wheels trailer will be a great addition to your child’s vehicle; he can load anything he wants. But only a few Power Wheel brands offer a trailer with them. But no worries, you can make one trailer at home for your kid as a DIY activity.
You can create one trailer using square tubing, wheels, expanded metal/plywood, metal rods, nuts, and bolts, etc. You don’t need to be an expert with the tools. Use protective gear while working on this activity.
This trailer will look and work better than a stock trailer offered by some brands.
