Box Trailer Revival

Doc Sprocket · May 26, 2013

A couple of years ago, I started building my own 4x6' utility trailer. I got the frame and axle done- and no further- too many projects.

Last year, a relative gave me a 4x8' trailer with a drop-down loading ramp that was rusting out pretty badly. I thunk to myself, "Self, what if you extend that homebuilt frame another 2 feet, and used the sides and ramp from the rusty hulk?"

So, today, I set to surgically removing the body from the frame: that's the weird part- the body panels have a bit of surface rust but no perforation. The frame was rotted so badly that when I lifted the body off (after much grinder work) the frame literally collapsed to the ground! I'll include some pics of before I started (being hauled by the trusty UTLTV I have named the MULE*), with the rotten wooden floor out, the body held up high by the trusty 535, and the frame carnage.

*Mobile Utility and Light Extrication

machinist@large · May 26, 2013

Hmmmmmm.......

toystory_4wd said:
A couple of years ago, I started building my own 4x6' utility trailer. I got the frame and axle done- and no further- too many projects.

Last year, a relative gave me a 4x8' trailer with a drop-down loading ramp that was rusting out pretty badly. I thunk to myself, "Self, what if you extend that homebuilt frame another 2 feet, and used the sides and ramp from the rusty hulk?"

So, today, I set to surgically removing the body from the frame: that's the weird part- the body panels have a bit of surface rust but no perforation. The frame was rotted so badly that when I lifted the body off (after much grinder work) the frame literally collapsed to the ground! I'll include some pics of before I started (being hauled by the trusty UTLTV I have named the MULE*), with the rotten wooden floor out, the body held up high by the trusty 535, and the frame carnage.

*Mobile Utility and Light Extrication

Free parts!!! Gota love it!!! Trailer sides, an axle w/ springs and a coupler. Not a bad score. Which is heavier, your original axle or the new donor? And aren't front end loaders a handy dang thing to have around? We've got two different buckets and the pallet forks for ours with a quick 'tach frame; can swap buckets in about 2~3 minutes. The loader itself is a quickie to; on or off in about 5~7 minutes with NO TOOLS needed. (makes it great for field work or brushhogging.

On the trailer front, we've got a 16' stock trailer, Dad's 5'x10' cargo trailer, an old 4'x5' homemade whatchamacallit utility trailer that's older than I am (Dad got it when he got out of the Navy) and the remains of another 16' stock trailer that was going to be a flat bed but got stalled halfway into the tear down. Oh, and a home brewed 12' beavertail flatbed that serves as our pallet tender when planting rolls around. There is no such thing as a "one does all" trailer......

:thumbsup:

Pat

Doc Sprocket · May 26, 2013

To answer the axle question- I built an axle from 2" Sch40 gas pipe, using the spindles and hubs from the front end of a 1988 Ford Bronco II- thus, giving the common 5 on 4 1/2" bolt pattern, and costing me nothing. I purchased 2000# springs. Since the axle and springs from the donor are rated at 3500#, I have elected to use them instead. Despite surface rust, the axle, hubs, spindles and springs are in decent shape. I will be replacing the U-bolts.

And yeah- I don't know what I'd do without the tractor at this point. Last year, I was re-doing the trailer for a 16' Glastron ski boat. I set up a couple of slings, and lifted it off and on the trailer with that very same tractor!

OzFab · May 26, 2013

FINALLY! It's only taken you a little over a year to get around to this! You were talking about it when I was building my trailer which I re-registered a month ago (registration needs to be done once a year).

I'll be watching this one... :thumbsup:

Doc Sprocket · May 27, 2013

Fabroman said:
FINALLY! It's only taken you a little over a year to get around to this! You were talking about it when I was building my trailer which I re-registered a month ago (registration needs to be done once a year).

I'll be watching this one...

Well... You know. So much to do, so little time. I'll tell you this: I totally fluked out on the width. I build my frame to 50" wide overall, so that by the time I built the wall framing out of 1" SHS, I'd still have 48" inside to carry building materials. This box is exactly 50 " wide!

Basically, I need to extend the frame another 24", and then relocate the spring hangars to center the axle in the wheelwell.

Doc Sprocket · May 27, 2013

Tonight, I extended the length from 6' to 8', and added on a replacement rear member at the same dimensions as the original. I have not yet relocated the suspension mounts. Fortunately, they were only tacked on in the first place.

OzFab · May 27, 2013

Isn't it great when things just work :thumbsup:

Doc Sprocket · May 27, 2013

You betcha! As of right now, the new frame exactly matches the dimensions of the old one. Or what they would be, had it not completely biodegraded...

machinist@large · May 27, 2013

Rust in piece(s)

toystory_4wd said:
Tonight, I extended the length from 6' to 8', and added on a replacement rear member at the same dimensions as the original. I have not yet relocated the suspension mounts. Fortunately, they were only tacked on in the first place.

So you didn't give it a road test to see if it tracked straight following your truck? Just in case you had to make adjustments before you burnt it in for good? :bannana:

Fabroman said:
Isn't it great when things just work

(Shhhh...... He's not done yet!!!!) :devil2:

toystory_4wd said:
You betcha! As of right now, the new frame exactly matches the dimensions of the old one. Or what they would be, had it not completely biodegraded...

So you're saying it flunked the scientific RUST test? :lolgoku:

OzFab · May 27, 2013

machinist@large said:
(Shhhh...... He's not done yet!!!!)

Doc Sprocket · May 28, 2013

Hey!

machinist@large · May 28, 2013

toystory_4wd said:
Hey!

So; how is the new, latest rust test going. It's raining cats, dogs,and taxi cabs in the lower peninsula (Michigan). So how fast is the biodegradable Rust Bug advancing in your neck of the woods? :ack2:

Doc Sprocket · May 28, 2013

machinist@large said:
So; how is the new, latest rust test going. It's raining cats, dogs,and taxi cabs in the lower peninsula (Michigan). So how fast is the biodegradable Rust Bug advancing in your neck of the woods?

Dunno- I forgot where I put it, and can't find it. It may have dissolved. :lolgoku:

Yeah- lotsa rain here, too. Major PITA- I was hoping to do a few things tonight after work. All I managed to do was get a tube into the right front tire of the MULE- had a bead leak that was driving me insane, and Princess Auto had the tubes on sale for $2.99. Since I would have had to completely dismount the tire to dress the rim and fix the leak anyway, I just partially dismounted it and slammed a tube in...

B.M.800 · May 29, 2013

^^Ever use that slime stuff? Put some of that in this lawnmower tire(rough looking thing) and it holds air great. It did get flat after several months just sitting there, but the tire still have air in them after about a week so far.
Ive had pretty good luck with the stuff anyways...

Doc Sprocket · May 29, 2013

I'm not much for "miracle cures in a bottle". Yeah- it may work- and then I'm up to my elbows in goo the next time I want to change the tire or wheel.

B.M.800 · May 29, 2013

The stuff worked for me...
Ofcourse, its never been used since then... at that time my dad was supposed to help me get it running and that was years ago. :ack2:

And ofcourse now theres something wrong with the carb, something with the needle valve. I have another one sitting around and it looks like someone took a big ole greasy crap in the carb. :ack2:

And ofcourseI launched a part out of the briggs carb that might have worked on that tec engine... still have a welt... :roflol:

Doc Sprocket · Jun 2, 2013

Today was a good day. It was supposed to rain all day, and didn't. Got some good work done...

I took apart all the suspension components and relocated the axle according to the wheelwells on the box. I got new U-bolts to tie the axle to the spring packs, new bushings, and new hangars and shackles (bushings, hangars and shackles were NOS from my original trailer build plans. U-Bolts brand new).

Did the ol' hack and whack to recover the beefy 3" tongue from the "tetanus trailer" and reconfigured the tilt mechanism I'd cooked up to suit. Some detail on that-

I wanted a tilt trailer, but didn't want an uncontrolled tilt, where you had to break your back heaving it up, or gravity slamming it down hard. Didn't want the cost, complexity, or weight of electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic.

Used a bottle jack from an old Toyota pickup truck and built mounts and pivots from what I had. Seems to work very well, and there's enough stroke on the jack to put the back bumper of the trailer on the ground. Simple, light, goofproof, and requires no power. The crank handle you see is entirely temporary. I will figure out something better, later.

Kelly Wood · Jun 2, 2013

Love the JACK!

machinist@large · Jun 2, 2013

?

Are you still going to pin the tongue and frame together for transport, or are you just going to trust the jack? From the few Bulldog brand heavy jacks I've torn down, the buttress thread design is strong under compression but pretty weak under tension loading.......

:cheers2:

Doc Sprocket · Jun 2, 2013

I have a latch for that, I just haven't installed it yet. Believe me, I thunk o' that...

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