BOOYAH!!!! I got a trailer!!!!!!!!!!! - Page 2

Whoo hoo! NA has a cooler puller now!

Whatcha gonna put your scrap in?

Sirscrapalot - 99 bottles of beer on the wall, take one down, pass it around...one less beer left for you all.

Originally Posted by jord0690

Or if you want to/know how go into it deeper, take em apart, clean/inspect for brown or "rusty" colored grease (means water is getting in and needs the seal replaced) scoring, discoloration of the rollers and or flat spots, re pack with new grease and away you go Worry free for many miles! Once someone shows you how its super easy to remember. Comes in real handy knowing how, cause we charge an hours labor at our shop to clean, inspect and re pack.

That trailer is a beaut. Looks like its in pretty good shape too.

One mistake people make is over tightening bearings. They should be LIGHTLY SNUGGED, I slowly spin the hub when doing this, then with the hub still, back off the castle nut to the first space that the split pin fits. You do not want pressure squishing the bearing together. I once bought a boat on a trailer and the PO said "I just replaced the bearings". I checked them when I got home and the nut must have been tightened to 40 foot pounds. Luckily it was only 5 miles away!
Chris

I carry one of those little floor jacks with a short strip of plywood for a pad in soft spots, good for the truck and the trailer. I also keep a safety stand with a plywood pad for it

Sides on that might not be easy, and I can't see it real good, but two ideas come to mind. Run the sides to the floor inside, that will close in the bottom too but also take a bit off your inside room. Or you could bolt some light angle (such as bed frame rails) to the top of your metal side rails and bolt plywood sides to that. Either one will present a question of how to secure the back, maybe bolt it to the rear gate. It isn't difficult to drill the necessary bolt holes, probably 3 on each side for the light angle and 2 in front, 4 or 5 smaller ones on the sides for the plywood and use flat washers on the wood side.
Either way, I'd look for a design that allows for relatively easy "on-off" for times when you need the top open

Is that a 6x8 New ? I just looked back at the pic, two foot sides might be another consideration, 4ft are gonna be hard to throw stuff over from the outside. Two foot half inch plywood would likely be the easiest, just some small bolts to the side rails would hold it

When I built my trailer, i used a thicker piece of wood on the bottom because that is what took all the beating but then again, yours has the steel edge. That was a really good deal you got. Mine was $300.00 and I had to put it together, buy extra wood, and I still need a spare

If you don't want to drill holes in your frame, use square u bolts.

Originally Posted by Bear

That seems like a good way to go with it New, 1/2" exterior plywood, a 4x8 sheet would do both sides to two ft height. If your yard sells less than full sheets you could get a 2ft rip for the front. A 4ft 2x4 ripped in two, and cut at 2ft would give you 4 2x2 for your corners, just use decking screws to hold it together. At that height(2ft) with those 2x2 corners at the back should be rigid enough to not need a cross member. If you run a 2x2 all around the top it would stay straighter too.
You could use self tapping metal screws(3/16 to 1/4in hex head or torx) to anchor the front and sides to the frame(probly about 4 or 5 on each side rail, top and bottom, would secure it). You'll still need to drill through before you run the tapping screws in. That would secure it, but still be removable( then when you want it back on just use the same holes, same screws etc)

Everytime I look back at the photo I see something different. I thought it was channels too but it's all angles. Screws wouldn't work well, they'd be sticking out the other side, little 3/16 or 1/4 inch bolts would still work ok tho

I used carriage bolts

Originally Posted by scrapping4ever

I used carriage bolts

carriage bolts are designed for metal to metal. Although they're used in lots of places like that, when you pull those down into wood and the wood gets older and the bolts get harder to break they can be a pain to get out

Originally Posted by Bear

carriage bolts are designed for metal to metal. Although they're used in lots of places like that, when you pull those down into wood and the wood gets older and the bolts get harder to break they can be a pain to get out

I didn't think about that but then again, I don't think I'll be taking them off

drilling 3 or 4, 3/16" or 1/4" holes in the rails will in no way compromise it's integrity. Your main concern with heavier loads will be the lone square tube tongue. I'd recommend using some diligence not to overload the front, or get into a slam stop if at all possible when loaded, and doing nothing to subtract from it, and maybe even re-enforcing it if possible.
When I was studying designs for the front of mine (I built it totally from scratch, using angles, bolts, screws, and welds, and it is as solid as a Sherman tank) I was at a Lowes or Home Depot looking at their trailers which were lined along the curb on one end of the parking lot. One was locked up with the rest, and I believe it was very similar to yours, excepting the tongue was bent up sharply in the space between the trailer and the coupler, from just such a thing

Be carefull to NOT overload that trailer. I can't tell what size wheels are on it but they only have 4 lugs. That tells me that it isn't rated to haul heavy loads. Also being a singal axel trailer if you stack things to high and you have a flat the load can shift and flip the trailer over. I don't mean to bust your bubble, I just want you to be carefull with it. Congrats and put it to good use.