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Re: Trailers

Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:00 pm
by Farmallgray
Well, I went and looked at a used trailer tonight. It is 6'4" wide by 12' long. I think it will do the job for me and the price is right. I would like to go wider but I'll see how it works out. When I looked at it I thought it seemed fairly well built and not as flimsy as some of the new ones I looked at. When the guy showed me the title, it turns out to be a Pequea brand and is about 10 yrs old. The deck is in good shape and the tires are fairly new. It has a good top wind swivel jack in place of the A-frame jack it came with. That makes it nice cause you can open the truck's tailgate with the trailer hooked up (without the jack denting the tailgate). It even had a home made tailgate lift assist setup that seems to work pretty good. The bad; It will need completely rewired and all new lights. I'll probably go with sealed lights and possibly even LEDs. The tailgate mesh needs some fixing and it needs a paint job. It's currently GREEN! That has to go. I'll post some pics when I get it.

Re: Trailers

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:54 am
by red82s
Good idea on the sealed lights. I just bought a brand new trailer and used it a few weeks ago to go to northern ohio and of course I drove in nothing but nasty salty wet roads. By the time I got back home two of my front marker lights were ruined internally by the salt. They looked like they had been on the trailer for years.

Re: Trailers

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 11:51 am
by SWilliams
I have redone a lot of trailers with sealed LED. You do get what you pay for when you buy LED. I get mine through two places that service OTR and construction equipment. Highly recommend that if you use sealed units that you install weld on light box mounts for them. Then use metal conduit attached to the boxes to run your wires. Run a separate ground for each light and separate feeds as well. Bring them up to a junction box inside the tongue if possible. I like to wire ALL trailers for back-up lights and battery charging (makes a winch/battery/work lights MUCH easier) I also like to make sure that the front corner marker lights are installed so I can see them in the mirrors, if this means installing a set on the front corners then I do that.
If you SEAL all th connections and use good wire that is protected the wiring will hold up for many years. Do it the way a lot of the low end trailers are and you can re-do the wiring every year. Oh and it doesn't hurt to have a small tool/parts box on the trailer, with the tools needed to change out a lamp, and a couple spares. Saves the "Damn I have a light out and need to tow now, BUT it's 2AM and all the parts stores are closed" routine...

Re: Trailers

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:21 pm
by Farmallgray
I know a lot of cheap trailers use splice lock connectors. I hate those and would never use them. I learned a long time ago to solder and heat shrink all my electrical connections. I have spent enough time screwing with bad connections on trailers trying to get lights working at the last minute.

I was thinking about making my own light boxes out of 1/8" steel tread plate. I will be using Trucklite and Grote products that we sell at work. I think I'll go with incandecents rather than LEDs because they are available with integrated reflectors and the LEDs aren't. I will for sure use the sealed lamps.

Re: Trailers

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 5:55 pm
by Farmallgray
I picked it up today.

Re: Trailers

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:32 pm
by Trebor
Todd, You muscle man. I probably couldn't pick up the tongue. :roll: Think it will ripen by spring? Seriously, it looks like a good catch. I see gas cylinders on the tail ramps?

Re: Trailers

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 7:20 pm
by Klapatta
Park one of these babies in the yard and let the neighbors know what kinda man ya really are dontcha know?
DSCN0296.JPG
Actually it's a bit better these days-
DSCN0916.JPG

Re: Trailers

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:28 pm
by BigMike
Todd,nice looking trailer!

I have used the snot out of my 6-1/2 x 12 and everthing I have thrown at it it has hauled.I have had four Cubs,a Bridgeport and a South Bend lathe on it(not all at the same time though).The only thing that has ever caused me concern was when I loaded the mill I had to set it on the tail until I could slide it forward.It almost lifted the back end of the truck off the ground but it held tight.

Re: Trailers

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 9:08 pm
by Farmallgray
Robert,
You probably could pick up the tounge. It isn't real heavy. I doubt you could pick up the whole thing though :lol:
The plan is to paint it black. Maybe some red and white stripes and some IH decals. Those things on top are home built lift assists for the tailgate.
They are made from garage door springs, pvc pipe, some pulleys and cable. Seem to work pretty well. There are a few other things on it that need de-cobbled though. I'll take some more pics when I get it to my place and start working on it.

I was kind of surprised that it cost $105 for tax, title, tag and transfer fee. Ouch!

Re: Trailers

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:25 am
by Scott C.
Todd,
With where the axle sets on that I bet it will tow nice.
The trailer I bought from Paul waaay back was the same way.

By the way, if anyone is looking for a trailer, I think the guy I sold that too is looking to sell it.

Re: Trailers

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 12:19 pm
by Farmallgray
Found a place with good prices on spare tire/wheel assemblies;
http://www.easternmarine.com/

Re: Trailers

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 7:08 am
by albie
Todd, I've used them before for fixing a trailer at work, they have good prices and a very big inventory. I got a set of 6 hydraulic brake assemblies for a large boat trailer and all the wheel bearings, it was all in stock and our parts driver went there and picked it up(they are in Newark,DE

Re: Trailers

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 3:46 pm
by Don T
My Cub hauler Has a 14' deck to put Cubs on. I added reed bar 1" up on the railings to use straps to hold the tractors on. I also added a none slip treads on the loading ramps,new tires and brakes on the front axle.Its has two 3,500 lb axles. its built from 4" channel iron and 2 " channel on 18" centers for the deck. All but the the tail lights are led and the tail lights are a sealed beam light. Led don`t make heat and up here snow will cover the light. Before the improvements .