Re: Pickup bed trailer

Posted by IA Roy on July 15, 2018 at 16:55:57 from (72.168.160.174):

In Reply to: Pickup bed trailer posted by John in La on July 14, 2018 at 18:11:05:

First off check the laws regarding home built trailers. When I went in to register my first homebuilt in 1987 they asked if it was a pickup box trailer. It wasn't so I was good. Laws are different in every state. On this trailer I just transferred the registration and plate so there were no questions. My FIL built one in MN 30 years ago. When he went to get it legal they gave him a serial number that he had stamped on sheet metal and then riveted it to the frame. No identification needed in IA.
I used to have a Ford half ton box trailer. Got it for $50. Not pretty. I got a lot of use out of it. However it was light on the tongue. It got to the point that the frame rusted off ahead of the rear spring hangers on one side. When a friend had a 3/4 ton super cab Ford with no box (originally 8') to get rid of, I jumped at it. I took the box off the half ton and decided there wasn't enough left of it to use on the 3/4 ton frame. I took off the cab and front axle and everything else that didn't look like a trailer. This frame was probably 1 1/2' to 2' longer than a standard cab pickup frame. I notched and bent and welded the frame C channels to meet the 3x3x1/4" steel tube coupler mount that I salvaged from the old frame. I made sure the hitch height was compatible to my pickup and the coupler mount tube was on the centerline of the frame square. I used a string line and measured and re-measured. I added gussets where necessary and some that were not necessary. The ball is 50" ahead of the box and about 9' ahead of the axle. The axle is 12" behind center length of the box. The trailer is a little heavy to lift to up so I put a jack with a wheel on it that I had squirreled away in the "Future Projects Parts Bin". I measured the frame and decided to build a wood box. I had a number of good used 2"x10"x10' treated for the floor and enough used 1x6 treated for the sides. I went about 30" high for the sides. I thought about making it 7' wide but my son said you rarely need one wider than the pickup and then you have to remember it is wider every time you go around a corner. It is 6' wide x 10' long.I bought some 4x4 pine treated for the cross members on top of the truck frame. I left the step bumper on it, but wished I had left a little more stick out. I used 3/8" carriage bolts to hold everything together, except I used a few 3/8" lag screws where it made sense
I used 3/8" log chain for the safety chains. Bolted and double nutted to the frame. I used 3/8" quick links instead of "S" hooks on the towing vehicle end.
Since this was a full floating axle, I pulled the axle shafts out and made caps and bolted them on the ends of the brake drums after repacking and installing wheel bearings. This way there would be no gear drag. I left the differential in the housing as no reason to take it out. I suppose it would take a little weight off. I pulled out the brake mechanisms to get them out of the way. If I wanted to at some time, I could buy new brakes and a surge brake actuator. It had 16.5" rims and poor tires on it so I went to a junk yard and bought 3-16" rims and went to my junkyard neighbor and he happened to have 3 good load range "D" tires out of a set that I bought from him. I usually bolt the spare rim and tire thru the front wall out of the box. That way it is always along, easy to check tire pressure and also adds a little to tongue weight. It nests nicely between the frame rails. I bought new trailer lights and wired them in "Conduit" using old 5/8" rubber garden hose. I used plastic pipe and conduit fittings to make junction boxes. All the wire joints were soldered and either taped or wire nutted with electrolytic grease in them. It was a winter project and I think this is the third summer with it. The specs on the pickup said the axle was about a 6000# rating and the tires matched closely to that. With the long tongue it trails beautifully down the road and is pretty easy to back.
I had stake pockets from a yard sale and made the sides removable. I Just took the sides off last week for the first time. My son is getting roofing steel this week and after we put a couple pallets in it, he will be able to slide it forward 3' to 4' of the box front to help balance the load.
I do agree that the load height is higher than desirable. I also had to make some wheel wells out of sheet metal and lumber to get adequate tire clearance. For the money I have in it, I really don't have many regrets. Unfortunately I don't really have enough use for it. My son and I have a light weight 4'x8' trailer that will pull easily behind a compact or midsize car. That saves a lot of gas. However the heavy one is there when necessary.

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