Truck Bed Project

Vikestand said:

Finally collected on the neighbor giving me a wood hauler. He is in his 70's and never used the trailer when it was given to him 15 years ago. It's a 60's era chevy bed so all of the wood is rotted or gone. The frame actually looks decent and the sides are all in good shape. It needs either new tires or tubes. It needs a new hitch coupler(about turned my day from good to bad when it came unglued behind the truck). And obviously new boards. Question is...how much work and money do I put into this. I mean it could be for just around my place or I could make it street legal with some minor welding and wheels.

Do I run it until the body rust off and use the frame as a base for a homemade trailer?

Decisions decisions.

The least work is about (5) 1" x 6" x 12' treated boards.($40ish)
New 2" hitch coupler($20)
And two tubes($20)

So I am at $80 to get it going to bare minimum.

After all it is just a wood hauler?...

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If it's gonna see use on the road i would put newer tires on it (junkyard used but newer) at least.

It was free so why not put $100 in it and use it as long as you can. If you plan on putting it on the highway make it as safe as possible. You don't want to create a liability issue with an unsafe piece of equipment. If that trailer causes an accident, one piece of improper equipment will make a lawyers day.

If the hitch coupler fell apart [came unglued ] as you said how sound can the rest of it be? You could get some better opinions if you had some pics to post -

The wife got tired of me messing around with my pickup bed trailer. So she made me buy a brand new one. $1600 at the time thought I was getting ripped off, but was told by friends that I would love this 10X6 trailer. Well it tows a better, it's lighter, hauls twice as much wood. I can put a full ton of hay in it. The gate ramps to haul the riding mower or the barbecue. Even hauled a cow. I wouldn't put too much in that old thing as for me the new one (now 10 years old) has paid dividends over the old one. And people don't tend to ask to barrow my truck, as I make them happier by loaning them the trailer.

If I was going to keep that, it'd be off road only. If you tried to register it here in Ct, DMV would jerk you around so bad, you'd give up after a few visits of waiting inline there. Tires, lights, a bed, etc.

mike van said:

If I was going to keep that, it'd be off road only. If you tried to register it here in Ct, DMV would jerk you around so bad, you'd give up after a few visits of waiting inline there. Tires, lights, a bed, etc.

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I wonder how they would figure out the property tax on it ?

I don't know what they'd use for that figure - A man I knew though had a trailer built special to haul a sailboat, it had no serial #, so DMV provided one for about 200.00 if I remember.

I would definitely make it functional around home, and probnably road worthy.

Weld on a new coupler, soak down the bed wood with motor oil or gear oil or diesel fuel so 'slow down' the rot, and throw a 4x8 sheet of green 3/4 plywood over the existing floor. Quck easy fix and you will not feel bad about abusing it. And tires of course.

MN, cut down pickup trailers are common and still bring $300-500. They are titled as homemade, a few dollars, and have permanent licenses.

Mine is a 70 gmc 3/4 ton I have had for 30 years. I added a $15 aluminum topper to keep the bed dry, hinged it on both sides so it pivots up either way or removes. Over the years I also added a $100 modifed pickup bed crane and a rear hitch to pull the log splitter.

Hevily used and abused. Frame broke at the V when a neighbor (without my knowledge or permission) loaded 6620 lbs of dirt across the scales. I rewelded and gusseted and have gotten 10 more years with no issues.

Safety is importyant on the road. Good tires, good coupler, and new LED lights and wiring.