I found this on cl this morning for a decent price. It crossed my mind that I could modify it a little and use it as a firewood trailer and only hand wood once. It would act a mobile firewood rack. I could then spilt and stack onto the trailer during the spring time, store in a barn during the summer, pull to the heater when winter approaches. The trailer sits at 26ft long now. I could shorten it to 20 feet and stack wood down both sides. It would still be a huge amount of weight that would stay on the trailer almost year round. Anybody have something similar?
Building a firewood trailer? Need opinions
- Thread starter Glen2504
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TreeTangler
ArboristSite Guru
Are you talking about leaving the years firewood on it all year round?
Yes. I would load it going into spring, pull it 250 yards to a barn, let it sit in a barn until late oct, pull it to the heater and unload wood off it until its empty hopefully at the end of winter. Trailer would only move 500 yards a year. I could easily jack trailer up and set on blocks to save tires, springs, and I could support in 4 places to help the steel from load year round.
If it will work like this I will barely have to handle the wood. Split, stack on trailer, load into heater. Vs split, load onto trailer, unload onto wood pile, then load heater.
If it will work like this I will barely have to handle the wood. Split, stack on trailer, load into heater. Vs split, load onto trailer, unload onto wood pile, then load heater.
TreeTangler
ArboristSite Guru
It's a fine idea. How much do you burn in a year? I just can't see it working for more than a cord or two max.
This was my first winter with an owb. I burnt at least 4-5 cords maybe more, but this was on a house under construction that was uninsulated. I would guess between 3-4 cords next winter. I would think the trailer could easily hold 3 cords space wise, but the weight might break it apart in no time.
I could weld in 2 10ft dividers, or make 3 8 foot dividers stack wood down each side of the trailer, and just turn the trailer around when needed. Sounds like a pretty good idea. The weight of that much wood is the only concerning part to me.
I currently have 4 trailers that each hold a cord. It really works slick, stack the wood in and a year later pull it up to the wood boiler.
Beefie
Addicted to ArboristSite
It seams like a good idea. I would add some bracing or it will do what everyone else has already mentioned. Keeping it off the tires and springs should make it last a long time. Let us no what you decide on.
Beefie
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Start by seeing how much weight that trailer was rated to carry and also the tires you have on it. It's a travel trailer frame and not rated for much, and a lot of the strength comes from the side walls that are removed. I used lots of them to build trailers over the years. You will need to jack it up and block the frame in several places to keep the weight off the tires as they will never hold the weight you are planning to put on it. Lots of people do this around here but use manure spreaders or hay wagons for the trailer.
It's a 5" c channel frame. It only has 5 lug axles that I'm sure are rated at 3500. I have a pair of 8 lug axles laying here that could be used. I also have some angle iron I could cross brace it in 4 sections. I'm afriad the frame isn't gonna be strong enough without some major bracing.
Beefie
Addicted to ArboristSite
Since it is only a 5" frame build it to hold about 1.25-1.5 cord and get another trailer to put the rest on. Might take up more room with two trailers but don't need to use the heavy axles under a light weight frame. Another plus is you no 1/2 the wood would stay under roof until the other is needed thus not getting wet and stuff. Just my 2 cents worth.
Beefie
Beefie
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