Inexpensive reliable trailer

[Hadfield4WD]

So it has taken a while. With the job, kids and their activities it has taken much longer than it should have. Also I am trying to see how inexpensive I could build a good, reliable and safe trailer. My labor is not included in the cost.

I don’t have a ton of progress pictures.

Anyway I bought this. A used travel trailer frame of unknown age. No its not mobile home axles so don’t worry (even though there is nothing wrong with them). These are old demountable rims.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer1.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer3.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer2.jpg

I got a travel permit and borrowed some magnetic lights and drove it 3 hours home.

Plans will be a deckover as it’s too narrow and I’ll lengthen it so I can fit both my xj and the kids buggy.

It sat in the back yard for several months.

As I started measuring and not only was the trailer frame bent, but the axles were welded on crooked. So I started by straighting the frame. This was actually kind of easy.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer002.jpg

Hooked the winch up and pulled it a little, let off then measured and kept doing this until it came out straight.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer001.jpg

I picked up some used steel from a friend and bought some new. I welded the 3.5x3.5 to the sides to add the width and braced it underneath with 4” channel.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer003.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer004.jpg

This is also how I lengthened it. The deck is just shy of 22’. The box tube sticks up 1 ½” in so when the wood is put down it will be flush with the top.

[Hadfield4WD]

On to the brakes.

This had a really old style brake, from my research it is an old style Warner brake. The entire donut is the magnet and sucks to the side of the rim/drum and that it how it stops. I messed with these a while to see if I could make them work as I didn’t want to spend the money if I didn’t have to. Anyway the magnet draws a ton and after messing with it I could only get one brake to work at a time due to the draw. So discretion taking over I bought some assembled brake backing plates and brakes from a local Dexter dealer. At the same time I replaced all the bearings. None looked horrible, but I didn’t want a problem. I’ll keep the old ones for road spares incase I fry one.

Pics.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer006.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer007.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer005.jpg

I don’t have pictures of the new backing plates.

The wiring and lights are all new. New safety chains and jack.

I paid a kid to wire wheel the entire thing, then I primed it with several rattle cans. I painted all the metal that can be seen with hammered black rattle cans.

None of these pictures shows it lengthened. Those will come.

[Gubni]

Looks great so far.

With the new backing plates will you use the same rims and tires?

[Hadfield4WD]

Looks great so far.

With the new backing plates will you use the same rims and tires?

Thanks. I actually just finished putting the deck down so it's done. I just need to finish the write up.

Ironically the hubs work perfectly so I didn't have to buy hubs/brakes, rims or tires. I have 6 good tires and 3 bad. I am getting rid of the bad ones and I will have 2 spares, because of the uncommon size.

[Hadfield4WD]

The fenders are Drive over on just the inside edges. They are 3/16 diamond plate. I scored and beat with a sledge hammer to bend it. I was surprised how long it took. Almost an hour per side. But it is a 5 ½’ bend. My wife was driving home when we were doing it and at about a ¼ mile away she said she knew what I was doing.

We stained the edges, ends and underside of all the boards.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer008.jpg

Here it is before we turn them over.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer010.jpg

We used an oil based stain. This will help me get a good long time out of this deck. They boards are prone to rot where they touch metal, because the water will get trapped in there. The tops are being left unstained until the boards dry out. As I was screwing the deck on the water was running up. In about 2 weeks I’ll stain the top. With it being drier the stain will soak in better and being oil based will preserve it much better. My dad got about 20 years out of his last trailer deck done this way.


Here are the completed pictures.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer013.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer011.jpg

The ramps are 5’ and sit flush with the deck.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer012.jpg

Here is how they are held on.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer014.jpg

And there is 4” channel welded to one end. It slides in here. (Please ignore the bogger arc welds)

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/trailer009.jpg

It doesn’t come off up so they won’t pop up.

[Jeep07]

Awesome Job.

[Horton]

RAMPS!...what you need ramps for?.......Just kidding...Looks good!

[BroncoMike]

That turned out to be one sweet trailer!! Good job!

[SamuraiGuyTN]

Yeah, great job.

[99NCXJ]

Nice job!

[sgtbriangreen]

you dont need no stinkin ramps. Ask Justin how I do it. Even with a broken steering arm. That is a really sick lookin trailer. Me likey. I need to get started on one.

[Hokie_YJ]

Great job, I love the idea for storing the ramps. :kewl:

[Gubni]

Very nice. You ever thought about doing this as a side job? I bet you could make good money at it.

[Hadfield4WD]

RAMPS!...what you need ramps for?.......Just kidding...Looks good!

you dont need no stinkin ramps. Ask Justin how I do it. Even with a broken steering arm. That is a really sick lookin trailer. Me likey. I need to get started on one.

I could do it without the ramps however it really jerks the tow rig around. That can't be good for it. Also the buggy on 31's won't be able to get up on it. It is a deckover so the back is pretty high. Plus we'll eventually get 4 wheelers and bikes.

Very nice. You ever thought about doing this as a side job? I bet you could make good money at it.

Thanks. As long as I didn't factor my time into it I'd be OK. This really took a while. I could build one faster from scratch. It is easier building than modifying.

Plus I don't think I want the liability.

Thanks for all the props

[Hadfield4WD]

So its been a about 2.5 years since I built this. The trailer has been great. It’s done everything I’ve asked it to. No flats. I did wear out a tire on the way to Harlan last year. It wasn’t running “true” and wobbled all the way. Wore all the tread off. That’s why I carry 2 spares.

I’ve every spring I go repack my bearings.

But there are some things that were nagging on me about it that could use some improvement. First is the ramp attachment. I lost the pin quickly and I just used ratchet straps to hold them on. I never liked it but it kept them on. I had an anchor bolt screwed into the front portion of the cutout, then I cut the head off and drilled a hole in the ramp. This kept the front portion of the ramps from bouncing out. The rear portion still had the strap. So I used the existing hole I had for the pin and made this bent piece. It’s got 3 bends and needs to be twisted all around to get out. It’s held on by a small chain.

You can see the strap here.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Tow%20rigs/060.jpg

New setup.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/100_6691.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/100_6690.jpg

The second thing that was bothering me is I had one board that kept popping up at the end, breaking the bolts, so I unscrewed and flipped it over. Easy fix.

The third item bothering me was my spares. I hated them strapped to the front. But I couldn’t think of an easy way to mount them. The trailer has a short tongue so to put them there meant they were in the way of something. I wanted to keep my deck space, although I don’t really need it as I sold the kids buggy, so all I’m doing is towing the XJ.

You can see in this pic the straps holding the spares.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Tow%20rigs/IMG00488-20111021-1020.jpg

I realized I had enough room underneath in the front for the spares. So I cut out some plates out of ¼”. Drilled and tapped for ¾” – 10 all thread. I threaded the all thread into the hole and welded it. Drilled a hole in the decking. I then used some 1” square tube I had laying around and drilled a hole. Pretty simple and works.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/100_6686.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/100_6687.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/100_6688.jpg

Finally I like to stain the trailer every year but I guess I got lazy so I put some stain on it. Oil based. Soaked up pretty good. It’s more so preserve the wood than for looks but here are pics anyway.

Before

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/IMG00490-20111027-1108.jpg

After

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Trailer/100_6689.jpg

As I sold the reason (kids buggy on the trailer with my xj) for the long trailer (21’ 7”). I’m thinking about either selling this one and getting a smaller enclosed trailer for dry sleeping or mounting a pop up to the front of this one.

[Gubni]

It's nice to have a long trailer for DOM tubing and I like to take an ATV with me when wheeling for the weekend in case of a break down it's easy to get up and down the mountain.

[Hadfield4WD]

It's nice to have a long trailer for DOM tubing and I like to take an ATV with me when wheeling for the weekend in case of a break down it's easy to get up and down the mountain.

True, But I don't have an ATV. Plus I can put one on the bed of the truck if I need to. I have a rack in my mind I could build for DOM on my truck. But that's down the road.

I camp more than I haul DOM. I'm looking for a little more comfort camping. Maybe I'm getting old.

I'm still on the fence about it anyway. I'll not be doing anything anytime soon.

[Gubni]

You can get a popup or truck bed camper and maybe mount it in the bed of the truck?