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I'm don't have any of the expertise that a lot of other members here have (In fact, I think a few of them do it for a living), but I'd have to say it really depends on the thickness of the metal you are planning to use. To the best of my knowledge, a tig welder is for thinner steel and aluminum (Body work). Arc welders, or stick welders, when used properly, lay down the strongest beads but mostly when used on flat planes (Don't weld as well upside down). The mig is pretty much the ideal all-around solution and the easiest to use (In my limited experience).
I've built a bumper, snowplow mount and a tire carrier for my Jeep using 3/16" and 1/4" thick steel. I did this with a 110 volt (Normal house current) fluxcore mig welder (No gas). I'm not what you'd call petite, and I was able to jump up and down on the bumper without cracking my welds. Once you get the technique down, the weld is actually stronger than the metal around it. I've found that cutting the steel is a lot more work than the actual welding.
For a trailer, I'd guess you want to build a frame with some 2 x 4 steel of considerable thickness and then deck it with decent plate of at least 3/16" thickness. But then I have a tendency to overbuild. My advice would be to go to the nearest metal supplier and ask to pick through their scrap section. I go to RS Phillips in Vernon; they sell all kinds of scrap steel by the pound. Spend a little dough on some scraps and practice welding. Once you can lay a decent, strong bead, get to work on the trailer.
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