Need some advice on how to turn this into a wood hauler!

[Dan_IN_MN]

Need some advice on how to turn this into a wood hauler! The frame is 68" wide and just short of 19' long not including the tongue. The coupler is 2 5/16 I believe.

Who else has done this?

How much if any reinforcing will this frame need? I don't know how thick the metal is, but I'm fairly certain being it being an older frame it's fairly thick. I could drill a hole..

Should I shorten it? It seems really long. Guys using trailers what length are you using? How does it work for you? MN guys question. At what size of trailer does the license change from being the permanent one to having to renew every year? (I'm sure I could look at MN DMV.)

I'll probably put a 1 1/2 wood deck on it. How much rigidity/strength will just a deck give it? Should I add more cross beams? Should I build short side vertical walls?

I already hauled a fairly good size load on it just the way it sits. I got the lumber from a temporary pool cover. Manufactured floor joists, and 1/2 OSB from a good size pool. I made a deck by laying the joists down first and then laid the OSB on top. The guy just bought the house and was going to burn the wood. (I just need to find a use for that wood now.)

******EDIT***** I should add that I have a very low budget for this project. Probably will have to use materials that I have one hand or get them really cheep.

Looks like electric brakes on both axles.

Thanks for your input!

 

[flyboy553]

You are going to be limited by your axles. Wouldn't want to overload and bend them. They look to be around 3500 lbs? I could be wrong, they could be heavier, considering they are trailer house/travel trailer type axles.

I believe in MN, tandem axle trailers require license plates.

Ted

 

[JeffHK454]

I'd cut about 5' out off the over all length ..between the tongue and the front axle .. enought to get a large majoity of the load centered over the axles like a dump trailer box.

Then I'd start doing a bunch of bracing... camper chassis's are very flexible.

I had a buddy build a car hauler around an identical chassis .. went cheap and didn't add any tube..it would twist and flex all over the road with a 4K lbs. Jeep on it ! I couldn't imagine it with 8K lbs. of Red Oak on it.

 

[ShaneLogs]

Clean all the rust off and paint it first then get a body established for it and make high sides for it so you can haul maximum wood.

 

[farmboss45]

I am looking at doing something similar Dan, one thing i would do is use expanded steel for the floor as aposed to wood. The expanded steel would let the bark, saw dust and whatnot fall through, not build up on your deck causeing it to rot out as quick, not to mention make the trailer lighter. The height is good also so you don't have to climb up to unload or stack.

 

[JeffHK454]

I am looking at doing something similar Dan, one thing i would do is use expanded steel for the floor as aposed to wood. The expanded steel would let the bark, saw dust and whatnot fall through, not build up on your deck causeing it to rot out as quick, not to mention make the trailer lighter. The height is good also so you don't have to climb up to unload or stack.

Bad thing is the cops would kill you around here ..dropping anything smaller than a silver dollar through the floor and onto the roadway is a no-no. Also it takes a LOT of under floor support on a expanded metal deck to keep it from drooping badly and eventually tearing loose.

 

[farmboss45]

Bad thing is the cops would kill you around here ..dropping anything smaller than a silver dollar through the floor and onto the roadway is a no-no. Also it takes a LOT of under floor support on a expanded metal deck to keep it from drooping badly and eventually tearing loose.

True on that, fortunately for my needs, I am not going out on the roads except over to my other place once in a while, but you are right, if you are hauling adistance, that would be a problem. Gonna have to stick with the wood floor and a broom if you have to go any distance from home....

 

[Steve2910]

2x8 PT deck, Stake pockets, 2' removable sides (either steel expanded metal or wood--- your choice), Log bolsters for the stake pockets, Expanded metal ramp gate. Expanded metal "floor" inside the tongue area--- great place to keep chocks, spare tire, ratchet straps, etc. If you don't know about these, get "floor board screws" for attaching the wood decking. They are self-tapping machine thread screws w/ Torx heads. Just drill a pilot hole & run 'em in w/ an impact... Much faster & easier than using carriage bolts.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Just a note: This project has a VERY low budget. Like I said in the first post edit, materials will have to be what I have on hand or can get really cheep!

 

[Steve2910]

Just a note: This project has a VERY low budget. Like I said in the first post edit, materials will have to be what I have on hand or can get really cheep!

Patience & scrounging are the keys to a low-budget project.

 

[WidowMaker]

A little more info on intended use, sounds like its to be a farm trailer, oppposed to an "over the road trailer". ... If thats the case I would just put a deck on it add some stake pockets for side racks and go for it...for over the road I would do a lot of things different..


===


If you do feel the need to shorten it move the axle(s) forward as opposed to cutting the frame in the middle some where. To shorten I would move the rear most axle forward of the front axle, on the same spacing as exist now and shorten the rear over hang, easily done. The current front spring hanger becomes the center hanger for the equalizer bar
and a new front hanger installed..

 

[RAMROD48]

What will you be towing it with?

 

[cantoo]

Your strength will come from the side rails, I would not advise removable sides. I make mine at least 10" tall to help the frame to support the heavy loads. If you want to haul stuff flat then just throw some skids inside to make it level with your side rails.

 

[zogger]

Cool project man!

Ya, scrounge some planks and go for it! ya, you could shorten it, but I would just make a box area in the front for saws and gear. You don't *have* to shove all the heavy rounds up there, start closer to the axles. Light stuf front and back, heavy stuff in the middle. why make more work, use the whole thing!

I just used the tractor and dragged my mil trailer out of the weeds to take a look at it a ew days ago, git from my boss.. It will need some work, as in one fflat so far and that wheel doesn't roll. Hydraulic lines are gone,, and the wiring looks to be theoretical. Dented all over. And so on. Another project..like I need more, but man, that baby looks stout! I will try and PB blaster the support tongue wheel free first, no way can you pick that up by hand, well, I can't.

 

[chucker]

my home made tandem was a 24foot travel trailer.. took off 4 feet from the back and 4 feet on the front. the axles are 5 hole double breaking axlesalso. decked with 2x12 fir and a 2"x2" 1/8th angle iron for a ribbon around the outside. the frame is c channel like yours, but with a good solid deck with reinforced welds on the front it should be good to go! i will haul 2 full cords of green redoak with mine and no probleml!! total width is 8' x 16'with 20" sides stacked solid!! extra welds to the c frame that were boxed at the axel weld points for the hangers...

 

[Steve NW WI]

Dan, my wood hauler trailer started with a frame almost that flimsy. I built a "hay rack" bed over it, and it really stiffened it up. 4x4 treated stringers drilled and carriage bolted to the frame rails, and 2x8 treated deck boards screwed (not nailed) to the stringers. If you dig through the "Post pics of your Fab Work" thread in OTF, I've got a lot of pics of the build there. Add some side racks made of 2x4's and you're in business. Lumber was cheap when I bought it last year, probably hasn't gone up much - I had just over $350 out of pocket for lumber, hardware, and misc. on an 8x14 trailer.

On the liscensing, I just had a chat with a guy at work with one of those little trailers the box stores sell, 1990 GVW. He bought it to stay under the 2K limit before annual reg is required in MN. Here in WI there's no registration required at all under 4k :tongue2:

 

[Iska3]

"my wood hauler trailer started with a frame almost that flimsy. I built a "hay rack" bed over it, and it really stiffened it up. 4x4 treated stringers drilled and carriage bolted to the frame rails, and 2x8 treated deck boards screwed (not nailed) to the stringers."

+1 on the flimsy frame... 3 or 4 4x4's would be the way to go for sure Good idea Steve.

Dan, my wood hauler trailer started with a frame almost that flimsy. I built a "hay rack" bed over it, and it really stiffened it up. 4x4 treated stringers drilled and carriage bolted to the frame rails, and 2x8 treated deck boards screwed (not nailed) to the stringers. If you dig through the "Post pics of your Fab Work" thread in OTF, I've got a lot of pics of the build there. Add some side racks made of 2x4's and you're in business. Lumber was cheap when I bought it last year, probably hasn't gone up much - I had just over $350 out of pocket for lumber, hardware, and misc. on an 8x14 trailer.

On the liscensing, I just had a chat with a guy at work with one of those little trailers the box stores sell, 1990 GVW. He bought it to stay under the 2K limit before annual reg is required in MN. Here in WI there's no registration required at all under 4k :tongue2:

 

[Oliver1655]

When you said 68" wide, are you measuring the "I" beams the axles are mounted to or the outside of the tires? As long as the overall width is 96" or less you will be legal in all states but I would keep it narrower if you can. (An 8' wide trailer on some of the rural roads can feel real crowded.) Remember if it is wider than 80" you have to have a set of three marker lights in the middle of the back of trailer.
I took a 40' mobile home frame & cut it into 2 frames. One is 16' & the other is 20'. Keeping to a low budget, I welded short pieces of metal on the inside of the "I" beams to which I bolted treated 2x6 boards to be cross supports to supplement the metal ones already in place. I ended up with cross supports on roughly 2' centers.
I used the metal left over from separating the two trailers to add support arms on the outside of the beams & to make light mounts. I bolted treated 2 x4s to outer support arm to allow me to fasten the floor (5/4" treated deck boards - I can buy them locally up to 20' long.) They run from the front of the trailer to the rear so I would not have to butt any of the boards together. I did not drill/bolt to the metal. (I was in a hurry & planned to go back later to add bolts. However everything is holding well so bolting is still on stand by 2 years later.)
They both have 2 standard 6,000 lb mobile home axles with 14 ply tires. I work them hard & use them regularly. They travel down the highways well without lots of flexing.
The 16' trailer it cost around $350 for the lights & wood. I have more in the 20' trailer as I added 4" channel iron down the sides & welded in stake pockets.
For the winter I turned the 16' into a rolling wood shed & had 8 cords of black locust & oak wood, one year cured after splitting, in it without any problems. I used my 70 hp Oliver to move it around. (Plenty of tongue weight)

 

[D&B Mack]

I am just curious to see it when done. opcorn:

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Wow! Thanks for all of the responses! I haven't done a thing with the frame except to do this.:msp_w00t:

Found this guy just begging for a ride home. And that is just what I did.

If you look close, the trailer is under there. :jester:

I backed the trailer into the garage, centered it, pulled the tires off and went crazy bracing. When I got tired of bracing, I started jacking the trailer up. Either the braces would hold and the garage would rise or I would have to go with plan C or was it G? Well, the braces held, and I drove it home.