Tjmartin:
Is this a trailer for hauling UTV’s on the public highways, or is it a trailer to be used for misc. work behind, pulled by, the UTV, out in the sticks or field? These two situations imply different degrees of safety to the general public as opposed to the safety of one operator and a helper in the field, and they should probably have different FoS too. The Consumer Product Safety Commission actually has something to say about the UTV (Utility Task Vehicle) itself, doesn’t it, ROPS (Rollover Protection Systems) and such like? While the same stds. may not apply to a trailer, they may at least give you some direction. Are there any manufacturer’s associations which set some stds. for this type of equipment?
Obviously, you have to design this trailer so that it can be built and sold at a competitive price. But, you should also keep in mind that many users don’t know the difference btwn. a 500# load of soil, loaded with a hand shovel, and a 3000# bolder, and they will drop it into the bed. What sort of loads is this going to be designed for, and how much load? What about stability of the trailer under load, and will it tip the UTV over if it tips? You might have several different Factors of Safety (FoS), one against material yield under loading, with some dynamic factor on the loads; another for things like stability under load or on a side hill. Are there any existing products, which you are competing against? Can you start dissecting one of these to get a handle on strength, capacity, material sizes and thicknesses, FoS, etc? What are the suspension components and the running gear, their cap’y. and life expectancies? If I had to pick a FoS, I’d guess 1.7 to 2, against yield or buckling, for the various components. Then, nice clean detailing to make it easy to build and service, and smart economical material selection should come into play.