Trailer Plans for Dummies

Box trailer

"Contributors," as the people at eHow.com called their stable of hack freelancers (as well as the few who were actually qualified), were required to document their posts with "references" and "resources." The so-called content editors, in theory, verified that the citations were valid and contained the alleged information. We say "in theory" because too often the editors were as ignorant of the topic as the writers, and therefore woefully unqualified to fact-check. Contributors like multiple award-winner Michael Straessle must have loved this loophole because it let them publish rubbish like the eHow.com article, "How to Build a Box Trailer."

The current version of the post includes a single reference, to a post titled "7 Steps to a Highly Efficient Trailer." The original (found via the Wayback Machine at archive.org) included a "resource," a guide to building a boat trailer. Straessle shamelessly cribbed instructions from his reference, but he apparently didn't read all the way through it. Although Mike's reference said, "I used 2" X 4" X 1/4" box steel for the frame..." he apparently decided that wasn't necessary. Here's what Mike said to use for your frame:

"Measure and cut the box frame from the 2-by-2s."

That, dear reader, is all we needed to see before we realized that Straessle had decided to reinterpret the OQ's question to read, "How to Make the Box for a Box Trailer," and that he made up his version out of whole cloth.

The reference and resource he cited? Neither has plans for a box framed with 2-by-2s. In fact, neither has a box at all! Both reference the use of steel or aluminum for the framing members, not wood. Most interesting, however, is Straessle's final step: remember that the question was how to make a trailer, but after assembling a plywood and 2-by-2 box, Straessle finally instructs his readers to,

"Install the box on the trailer."

Yes, some moron content editor actually let our Dumbass of the Day get away with "building" a trailer that didn't have a frame, tongue, or – get this! – an axle and wheels!

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