My 4x8 utility trailer build.

[Ainsley]

I had been looking for a basic frame and axle to build a utility trailer from for quite some time, finally a friend of mine ended up with a scrap pop-up tent trailer and we decided to strip it and make a basic, light utility trailer.
As typically happens with my projects I get carried away and I'd estimate the finished weight to be somewhere around 600lbs.

(not me, my buddy's cousin)

Stripped the excess framing off and hydro blasted the steel

Decided to make the bed a hair over 4 x 8'4". added square tube down the centre and some flatbar along each side along with some other reinforcements.

I'm not awesome at welding overhead so it was handy to have a bridge crane

Sides started:

rest of the sides, front (which drops down) and tailgate (which is removable)

Fenders and steps:

cleaning up and making sure I didn't miss any welds before paint:

Primer, SW corothane mio-aluminum. Sprayed

Top Coat, SW Acrylon 218 2-part polyurethane. sprayed

wiring fished down centre square tube with LED lights, reflective tape, tie downs, fender boxes, etc all mounted, no deck yet

Decking painted and installed, primed with oil based wood primer and top coated with flooring epoxy (hopefully it holds up to the UV alright)

Working on the frame for the removable, 2-piece drop down tailgate/ramp

If you noticed the 3" ABS mounted on the side in the one picture it holds tent poles to support the tarp:

tarp on, bungees sized

Working on some rear stabilizer feet

Turned some brass bar stock to make guides for steel cable for my tailgate lift assist.

 

[Ainsley]

Sorry about the pictures, not sure why imgur decided to be a b!tch

 

[HOTFR8]

Imgur will not allow photos to be hot linked to the GJ. All this due to the fact the GJ has a classified section. You will need to find another photo host like here on the GJ so we can see your photos.

Have a read of the following two topics so you understand.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=326137
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=324287

 

[brianh]

I see them fine looks great.

 

[Ainsley]

Fixed the photos, changed the host to photobucket... found it to be a bigger pain to link photos than imgur as each photo has to be resized and the url link for each photo has to be removed when pasting the address but at least it works.

 

[zmotorsports]

Trailer has turned out very nice. Great job.

Mike.

 

[Ainsley]

looks great.

Trailer has turned out very nice. Great job.

Thanks, it was a pretty good chunk of work but I learned a lot and enjoyed figuring out the details.

 

[steel 35]

Nice choice on front / rear drops and the fenders

 

[ambenz]

Wow...nice build!
So what is the intended use for this trailer?
Usually see these hauling lawn maintenance tools and equipment.
With the tarp and no rake bins, maybe hardware store supplies? ...firewood, camping gear, moving furniture, home appliances.
The reason I ask, is I was thinking of buying one of those Harbor Freight foldable trailers but most of the things I could use it for can be handled with my Ford Ranger truck, so never got one.

 

[Ainsley]

Nice choice on front / rear drops and the fenders

Thanks, I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to do the fenders but I like how they turned out. A bit heavy as 1/8" plate was all I had on hand.

Wow...nice build!
So what is the intended use for this trailer?
Usually see these hauling lawn maintenance tools and equipment.
With the tarp and no rake bins, maybe hardware store supplies? ...firewood, camping gear, moving furniture, home appliances.
The reason I ask, is I was thinking of buying one of those Harbor Freight foldable trailers but most of the things I could use it for can be handled with my Ford Ranger truck, so never got one.

I'll be using it for a bit of everything. Landscaping and renovation supplies for the house, helping people move, etc. I had a mazda B4000 before I had kids and really miss having a pickup but this trailer should do me good for a while.


Few pictures of the tailgate lift assist I dreamed up.
there is a spring on each side, 1 spring when using just 1 gate and both springs when using both gates. I used a fishing scale to ballpark the forces the spring would need to apply then worked out the extension and spring constant to choose a spring. I ended up with a 5/8" OD spring, 54" long with 0.08" wire.
1/2" SS plug tapped for 1/4-20 to hold the spring. I tapped the 3/4" top rail for the plug.

The guides i turned held in with a 1/4" sholder bolt. the cable is 1/16" coated and I used aluminum crimps and a swivel to connect it to the spring inside the tube.

I ground down a 1/4"ID, 1-1/2"OD SS fender washer to fasten the gate to the cable. a ball detent hitch pin holds it onto the gate and also holds the two gate sections securely together. I'm still tweaking the second gate section so I haven't painted the frame yet... I might even get both sections powdercoated

This picture kinda shows how the second gate section hooks onto the first and is retained. I used another 1/2" SS plug to receive the ball detent pin. I put lanyards on the pins so they don't get dropped.

 

[saceone]

crafty build, I like it!

 

[HOTFR8]

Fixed the photos, changed the host to photobucket... found it to be a bigger pain to link photos than imgur as each photo has to be resized and the url link for each photo has to be removed when pasting the address but at least it works.

Looks great now I can see the photos.

 

[rattle_snake]

Nice work, I have stolen some ideas..... Just needs some >=35" mud terrain tires!

 

[Ainsley]

crafty build, I like it!

Nice work, I have stolen some ideas..... Just needs some >=35" mud terrain tires!

Thanks, I have a few more brainstorms I'm working on for the trailer. One involves mounting a winch. Not sure if I'm going to go electric powered by a battery booster or just hand, I have both already so cost comparison isn't an issue.

Rattle_snake, just let me know if you have any more questions on the details. Which ideas are you going to incorporate into your own trailer?

 

[Ainsley]

Working on a multi position winch fairlead / guide system that will be mounted to the front drop down gate.
1-1/2" SS round i turned into a roller guide.

4"x2" aluminum channel I milled for the fairlead. I'm going to roundover the cutouts and find someone to TIG some flat bar on the cutout on each end for mounting.

 

[4EyedTurd]

Lol, yeah I'd say you have a little overkill on the build. Here's my popup camper trailer that still needs a floor and tags.

 

[Ainsley]

4eyedturd, your trailer was my original thought for the trailer then the OCD took over.

Worked on the winch fairlead a bit more tonight. Rounded over the edge on the cutout in the aluminum channel. 1/8" round over in the Bosch colt palm router worked great. A bit of chatter in the finished surface but some file and Sil-carbide wet/dry should clean it up:

 

[Ainsley]

Got a shovel and heavy bristle broom mounted on the front left side of the trailer

Clamps are called quick fist and got them off amazon.ca.
Saw them in another trailer build thread by f150skidoo.

 

[Ainsley]

Got the winch mount mocked up today and tried it with the guide/fairlead setup. Needs a bit of adjustment to get the winch strap and the guide square but I think it will work well. Winch handle even turns with the trailer Jack down, I thought I might have to put the jack on the other side

 

[vekster]

great job on the entire set up