Utility Trailer Rebuild

A couple of years ago, I started building my own 4x6' utility trailer. I got the frame and axle done- and no further- too many projects.

Last year, a relative gave me a 4x8' trailer with a drop-down loading ramp that was rusting out pretty badly. I thunk to myself, "Self, what if you extend that homebuilt frame another 2 feet, and used the sides and ramp from the rusty hulk?"

So, today, I set to surgically removing the body from the frame: that's the weird part- the body panels have a bit of surface rust but no perforation. The frame was rotted so badly that when I lifted the body off (after much grinder work) the frame literally collapsed to the ground! I'll include some pics of before I started (being hauled by the trusty UTLTV I have named the MULE*), with the rotten wooden floor out, the body held up high by the trusty 535, and the frame carnage.

*Mobile Utility and Light Extrication

Wow the rust sure did get to that frame.

Looks like she needed some TLC many many years ago. Nice to see you made use of something that would have been melted down otherwise.

I'm big into recycling/scavenging. Or, I'm too cheap to buy new stuff... LOL

It's gonna be a battle, but when I'm done, I'll have a dang cool trailer that didn't cost me much at all. The steel that I built the 4x6' framing out of is some 2x2" that I found at the side of the road one day, without a speck of rust!

I have some tricks up my sleeve for this trailer, stay tuned!

It gonna be road legal, or strictly offroad/ yard?

Totally legal. And here's the funny part- it's SO easy to register a homebuilt trailer here in Ontario that it's already registered as a new homebuilt, and I have a shiney new license plate for it! -And I haven't even built it yet!

I totally fluked out on the width. I build my frame to 50" wide overall, so that by the time I built the wall framing out of 1" SHS, I'd still have 48" inside to carry building materials. This box is exactly 50 " wide!

Basically, I need to extend the frame another 24", and then relocate the spring hangars to center the axle in the wheelwell. Then I get to address the finer points of what will make this my own.

Is the axle/leaf spring pack still good in it? the tongue looks kinda ok, what will you use the trailer for?

Aside from some surface rust, the axle and suspension are still very good. I am replacing the U-bolts (so I will feel better...LOL) and probably the leaf spring bushings. I will clean and examine the wheel bearings, but they feel good.

The main part of the tongue (3" square) is good, but the two side struts that come off it and brace to the corners of the box were bad. I may re-use the 3" tongue section, I'm undecided.

The trailer will be street legal, and used for hauling anything and everything. Our go karts and tractors will go on it, as well as for dragging projects home. I will also use it to haul plywood, drywall, and other materials to job sites. In addition, I am thinking about how to make a removable upper deck- kinda like a double-decker, for if I want to haul more than one wheeled toy at a time. I could have a go kart on the main floor, and then my son's kart up top, for example.

Tonight, I extended the length from 6' to 8', and added on a replacement rear member at the same dimensions as the original. I have not yet relocated the suspension mounts. Fortunately, they were only tacked on in the first place.

I didn't know you were a dad, you must be pretty cool father! Haha, as for the trailer-looks great! I like how you primed the welds, I do the same. coming out good!

Yup- I have 2 boys- one's about to turn 13 this week, the other will be 11 in July. My older boy is showing a love for what I do, he's constantly wanting to help. Last year he did his first engine work, pulling the governor out of his go kart engine and all I did was guide him. This year, I'm going to teach him to weld.

It's a good thing I primed the joints. I actually put the original 4x6' section together maybe 2 or 3 years ago, and it sat outside, covered- but outside. Held up nicely.

It's still going to be awhile before I get this one done- too many projects- but I really needed to get a start on it. There are going to be some elements that will be very time consuming...

Its looking like a trailer again.
Also looks like it will be a strong trailer.

Thanks! It will indeed be strong. I'm often guilty of overengineering things, and I'm sure this will be no exception. Unfortunately, I'm looking at rain for probably the rest of the week, so I doubt I can do much.

Doc Sprocket wrote:

Yup- I have 2 boys- one's about to turn 13 this week, the other will be 11 in July. My older boy is showing a love for what I do, he's constantly wanting to help. Last year he did his first engine work, pulling the governor out of his go kart engine and all I did was guide him. This year, I'm going to teach him to weld.

It's a good thing I primed the joints. I actually put the original 4x6' section together maybe 2 or 3 years ago, and it sat outside, covered- but outside. Held up nicely.

It's still going to be awhile before I get this one done- too many projects- but I really needed to get a start on it. There are going to be some elements that will be very time consuming...

teach them while there young doc just like my grandpa did to me 7 yrd and i helped him rebuild the engine in his 1957 Chevy Belair was a nice car till he sold it :l a bit off topic lol but what kind of engine does your son run on his gokart?

He had a 4hp Kohler clone in it, and I recently bought him a Honda GX160 off a jr race class kart. Hes going to be installing in in the next couple weeks. I completely scratch built his kart a couple years ago with parts from a lawn tractor, motorcycle, industrial ventilation fan, and scrap steel. All wrapped up in a John Deere theme. If anybodys interested, I will post a couple pics in the appropriate section...

Im interested in see this kart sounds awsome

Doc Sprocket wrote:

He had a 4hp Kohler clone in it, and I recently bought him a Honda GX160 off a jr race class kart. Hes going to be installing in in the next couple weeks. I completely scratch built his kart a couple years ago with parts from a lawn tractor, motorcycle, industrial ventilation fan, and scrap steel. All wrapped up in a John Deere theme. If anybodys interested, I will post a couple pics in the appropriate section...

Please do sir. Everything I build is "rat" so yeah, let's see it!

Okay- posted in "Off Topic".

Today was a good day. It was supposed to rain all day, and didn't. Got some good work done...

I took apart all the suspension components and relocated the axle according to the wheelwells on the box. I got new U-bolts to tie the axle to the spring packs, new bushings, and new hangars and shackles (bushings, hangars and shackles were NOS from my original trailer build plans. U-Bolts brand new).

Did the ol' hack and whack to recover the beefy 3" tongue from the "tetanus trailer" and reconfigured the tilt mechanism I'd cooked up to suit. Some detail on that-

I wanted a tilt trailer, but didn't want an uncontrolled tilt, where you had to break your back heaving it up, or gravity slamming it down hard. Didn't want the cost, complexity, or weight of electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic.

Used a bottle jack from an old Toyota pickup truck and built mounts and pivots from what I had. Seems to work very well, and there's enough stroke on the jack to put the back bumper of the trailer on the ground. Simple, light, goofproof, and requires no power. The crank handle you see is entirely temporary. I will figure out something better, later.

Wow! That's a very cool design. Those yota jacks are great for the telescoping, and the tilt looks great! Its such a great idea haha, really I woulda never thought.

It looks good doc i like the idea of using a jack i never thought of it befour.

Thanks! I'm pretty proud of myself for not only scheming it up, but actually getting it to work without spending a retarded amount of time trying to work the bugs out. Right now, it lifts completely effortlessly, so I think it will handle weight just fine.

Man, I could really use a trailer like that. Lookin great Doc!

I think I mighta screwed up, but I can't quite figure out how...

Doc Sprocket wrote:

I think I mighta screwed up, but I can't quite figure out how...

Looks fine! Hahaha, are you doing metal work to the bottom?