Technical Trailers - Show & Tell

My trailer is not available for other people's use either. Same story: bent fenders, scuffed wheels, and boogered up wiring on previous "rentals". No more.

This trailer is a 20' steel bed dove tail trailer. Electric brakes on both axles with pull out ramps. The neat thing to me is that it now has an electric jack as well as the hand crank model.

I ran 0 gauge wire to the rear of the truck bed for the power cord to the trailer. (Always use a continuous use relay for this type of setup). This power runs the electric winch as well as the electric jack.

There are 2 full lengths of e-track as well as 4 welded loops to make the tie down of nearly anything a piece of cake.

 

Any more Trailer Show & Tell? (bump)

 

I built this one in 1992 and still have it. $1100, all new material . Kind of like a tool to me .You keep tools forever.
On it's 4th or 5th repaint.
I had built other ones, and even bought a few when I was in a hurry.This one has all the features that I liked on my other ones.
102" axles
FOUR wheel brakes
Hidden , slide out ramps, right in back
Class 3 , 2 &5/16 " coupler..(very important to keep your buddies from asking to borrow it)
Boxed , welded tail light housings (same original lights still)
4 & 1/2 ' tongue (keeps it from jack knifing it into the corner of your motor home.)
Curb side, easy access spare tire (usually covered)
1/2 " forged eye bolts on all corners (below deck level)
Flat bed, no beaver are dropped tail (nothing but trouble. Build your ramps a little longer)
So, I guess my point would be , if you're going to build one from scratch, plan it all out before firing up the welder. I drew this one out on a napkin, but I already knew what features I wanted.

 

Here is mine. I live in it while away at work and carry the chassis I am building with me so I can work on it in the evenings during the week. It has 20' of living quarters and 24' of shop. Home away from home. View attachment 3697872

 

That's gorgeous. Very nice work! I'm considering going that route or buying and altering one. Massachusetts is a real PITA with trailers apparently (and they're apparently cracking down on Maine tags), particularly with used ones from out of state that aren't titled, it seems. And homebuilts here seem iffy as well, but I'm going to explore it further.

Wow, that sounds like a pretty great way of life! Are you an oil man?

 

Racinman Rick's small trailer.





And his BIG ENCLOSED TRAILER!



And his BIG OPEN TRAILER. HRP

 

Household furniture is the least of my worries where I live, people borrow trailers to go to the local landscaping depot and load it [overload it] with rocks and boulders.

I built my latest trailer with an open centre deck so only a car can go on it. I can also crawl under the trailer and inspect the underside of my race car.
The trailer has slide-out ramps [with a height limiting chock attached] The Ramps cannot be removed from the trailer and lost.
It has tilt deck, AND dovetail, AND ramps so I can load a low height race car. The deck and the ramps automatically latch in [like slamming a door]
Now here is the best part......The tongue has separate caster wheels on it, I can simply unplug the wiring harness with a plug near the pivot and unbolt the 2 pivot bolts and roll the tongue underneath the trailer with my race car still on it [it will fit inside a normal residential garage away from thieving eyes]
excuse the OT car on it

 

^SA-WEET

 

So, you want to see my trailer! Too bad I can't show a movie of it loading.

 

If you want to borrow my trailer. I pull it with my truck and it will be done when I have time. Plus my insurance will not cover your property. Most all the time I am very busy. . Or you can state I have not repaired it from the last time I loaned it out.

 

Here's my home made trailer -please excuse my OT car loaded onto it in this photo.

it has a steel flat bed, the "under deck" wheel setup is made of two rear ends from a small European Ford "Escort" van -being as these were FWD, the rear end is just a straight axle with leaf springs. I re-drilled the Ford hubs to take 10" diameter wheels. The trailer has long ramps which are stored underneath the trailer deck and pull out from the rear. The hand operated winch is handy for loading all sorts of odd stuff as well as avoiding the potential for burning out the clutch or worse when attempting to drive a racecar with an 80 MPH first gear up the ramps.

 

I bought an 18' version of squirrel's trailer in 1992. It has brakes and self stow ramps, no dove tail, 83" wide.

I have re-floored and painted it once, wired it twice, and pulled it roughly 100k over the years. It is one tool that is not for sale. I do loan it out to close friends... it comes with me, my truck, and my gear. I work for fuel and food!

I added 7 foot aluminum ramps and a 5k winch last year. Fetching a car is now almost effortless.

 

One interesting "feature" of my old trailer, is that it's made of angle iron, not channel nor rectangular tubing. It's really flimsy. It's also quite low, and I usually have the hitch high enough that the front of the trailer sits up a few inches higher than the rear. Which is fine....when I go to load a car, the rear of the trailer actually flexes down a bit, and the loading angle from ramps to bed is virtually flat. so I can put a really low car on it, without scraping in the middle. You just can't get that with any dovetail trailer, or a trailer that is solidly built and sits up high, unless it's a tilt bed.

Sometimes, it appears as if there is a method to my cheapness madness.

 

Have 3 trailers and could not get around without them. 5x10, 6x12 utility type and my new tilt bed car hauler. I have to move my compact tractor 4000# load form place to place so loading a tractor is different from loading a car. they are tall and top heavy. After nearly having my tractor fall off my old trailer during loadingI decided to get a TILT bed trailer. Much safer. The back 75% of bed tilts to ground level and you just drive on and let gravity take over. Plus no more ramps to mess with and store. Works just as good for my roadster. Get brakes on both axles and you can stop as easy as a empty truck. Tilt beds cost more but are worth it.

 

Mine is a typical 20' enclosed. When not using it to bring a car home, I use it to store my lawn tractor, and wheel barrow..frees up space in my shop. A portable garage.

 

I have the same trailer. It’s been my favorite that I’ve ever had.

 

...interesting thread, it's neat seeing all the stuff you guys haul...mines a cheapy, angle iron frame, wood deck,...I like that it sits fairly low.
...I went to Iowa to buy this then new trailer in 1988, on my way back to Illinois I loaded up a nice original 36 Chevy tudor I'd bought the week before,...sold that car and with the profit, I could've bought 3 trailers like mine,..it's paid for itself many times over,..once you have one you won't be without one again, just so handy. My advice is to never let anyone else use your trailer.
..mine's currently loaded with this 65 Rambler wagon,..hope to unload the wagon at someone elses home LOL/
...here's a few pics...

 

built this one a few years ago, have some change planned for this winter....

 

I finally got some nice hubcaps like yours on my trailer

 

I get the same effect with my electric trailer jack. It raises both the front of the trailer and the rear of the truck. When that happens, the ramp angle becomes less and low stuff goes right on.

The other neat item I added to my winch was a remote control. It comes in handy when you need to steer something at the back of a 20' trailer. The cord was only about 10'.

 

There is also multi use trailers. I had this one for a while pretty cool, or at least that's what I thought at the time.

 

I ain't got anything fancy, but sure would like some of those trailers posted.
I mostly haul parts and unfinished projects, so a full floor works best for me.
There must have been millions of those Big Tex trailers like mine sold over the years.
Only problem I have at time when the darn thing is empty, if I drive off the road say into a gas station, my last axle sometimes when going thru the kerb side dip hitches up and wont drop back down, so I end up driving down the road on only the front pair of trailer wheels until I hit a bump or another dip to free it up.

I've taken to carrying a steel bar to lever the rocker spring shackle back down when this happens as at high speed the trailer can start to shimmy just running on the from pair of wheels...
It never happens when loaded, which is a blessing...

 

It is also a problem if you forget to adjust your electric brake controller after unloading it. The rear brakes try to flip the shackles around.
I did a simple mod on the rocker equalizer to prevent this [it gives a loud bang to remind me of my forgetfulness]
I welded a "stopper" made from 3/8" solid round across the shackles to prevent them inverting themselves.
[ These photos are of a local NZ brand suspension system that is modified]

 

Great idea, I up grade my suspension and I think something dimension wise had changed from the old to the new, as it never happen with the old worn out setup.
I like that idea.
Yes, the brakes wake you up when unload and I forget to adjust them down for no load.

 

I can just about put money on the new springs being either a tad shorter ,or they have a bit more arch in them. [this shortens the distance between the eyes]

 

My brother did something that I thought was clever and inexpensive. He wanted a winch on his trailer. He got one that fits into a receiver hitch Then he welded a receiver to the front of his trailer. Now he can use the winch to pull stuff onto the trailer or remove it and use it on his truck to pull stuff anywhere. He can also move it to his other trailer, which also has a receiver hitch welded onto it.

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Those boys down in TX are not fools. Great winch idea.

 

Jim,..nice trailer you have there,...mine's used but not abused,..needs a new set of tires,so Im usin up my spares rite now til I get the rims repainted.

 

Tires are another fun thing about trailers. Replace them often, if you don't want trouble....