Build your own trailer and make money doing it! Popup camper style
*Just thought to post this when I read another thread about someone just picking up their first trailer. I know its been done many times by many people, but im sure there are some out there that just havent heard/thought of this.
About 2 years ago I was in the market for my first flatbed. Just needed something basic for scrapyard/compost site runs and to haul my new tractor. I was talking with my brother about how I remembered tearing down an old pop-up camper with our dad when we were young to turn into a flatbed, when his wife mentioned she new some freinds who had a pop-up in their field that had been sitting out there for years. After a quick phone call, we were on our way to go pick it up at no cost [$ for actual trailer since I know some on here love to argue the cost of gas ;)] *and actually helping these pPeople who were excited to get this much of thier land back. After a quick fill-up of the tires, we were on our way back with what was soon to be my first trailer in-tow.
* When we got it home, I raised the top slightly, and opened the side door to allow it to air out for a couple days. Upon opening it up, I found (what is pretty standard with most campers, but a nice bonus none the less) a set of leveling jacks, and a full fire extinguisher.*
After giving it the time to air out, it was time to tear down. So, with the roof still slightly raised, I went around with a utility knife and cut away the vinyl that makes the sides/roof around the 2 slide-outs. With that gone, the 4 extending posts that raise the roof were cut, and I removed the top. *
*Next I went through the inside to dismantle all of the cabinets/countertops/beds when it started to dawn on me, I was actually gonna make some decent money while building my much needed trailer. Just some of the things off the top of my head: Sink-stainless, stove-iron, plumbing for sink and stove-quite a bit of copper, the top I had cut off-mostly aluminum, and the siding on the trailer-again aluminum.*
Well moving on, I next went on to hacking off the sides, and toar off everything else all the way down to the plywood floor base. Keep in mind, if you can see that the top of the tire is above where the floor sits, there will be the wheel wells within the floor. If you manage to get everything torn down around these without damaging them, they can remain there as the fenders. Also, leaving the base floor as the floor for the flatbed should be decided on a case by case basis. With my trailer, I was lucky to find that it was 3/4" thick plywood that was still in good condition. I do remeber though, that with the trailer my dad built when I was growing up, the floor was just to rotted to salvage, so he laid a new one using 1x6s (?..not exactly sure on size, they were the type commonly used to build decks... Im a metalhead, I dont know wood)
So with my new trailer just about done, I started moving on to the rest of the things needed for it to be fully functioning. The tongue jack that was originall to it looked to be i sad shape. After raising the front end all the way up with it, it popped apart and wasnt going to go back together. So I turned to my trusty Harbor Freight monthly circular and found a brand new trailer jack that swiveled 360 for $12.99 on sale. *I had also kept the original tail/brake lights to reuse, but they were quite beat up. Harbor Freight also had full trailer light kits for $29.99, but I opted for their magnetic towing light kit since they were LEDs and only $9.99 on sale. I brought the home, disconnected the magnets, and permanently attatched them to my trailer.
*by cranking a handle. This handle was attached to what was basically a manual winch that pulled the cables through pullies and in turn, raised the roof. Since I had pulled most of the cable out without cutting, I now had a manual winch with a pretty decently long cable, that I mounted at the front of the trailer. This has come in handy a handfull of times, especially when I need to roll heavy objects up onto my trailer and I have noone around to lend a hand. Im not positive all popups raise their roof this way, its just one more thing to look for that might come in handy for some of you.*
* *Well I have succesfully killed some downtime at work now:p, and I hope this info can come in handy for some of you needing a trailer, or maybe even just have a popup to scrap, since you can get alot more than scrap value by selling it as a working flatbed than you can for just the price of the steel frame. Questions or comments gladly accepted. Ill try and get some pictures up later when I find em.
* -Craig
