Retiring the truck,,, going to move wood around with.....

[pen]

Bought this truck for next to nothing 5 years ago and it's done a lot of hauling. Loved it so much, actually used it as my daily driver for that time also.


In the last week I had a leaf spring give out and then lost a front wheel bearing suddenly. Truck needs a bunch of other work as well and has gotten to the point that it won't fit the boys and I anymore, so it's time to let her go.

Been looking locally for the last several months and wasn't able to find a trailer I liked. Drove 400 miles today to bring this home.



Very pleased with the drive home and now that I've had a chance to spend a few beers looking it over my initial impressions are very good. It should get its first load of wood Tuesday.

Fingers crossed it'll be as good as that ford has been.

Question: Do you guys running a trailer w/ a pressure treated floor find that it holds up well to most use?

pen

 

[JOHN BOY]

So will Red still pull the trailer or you looking for another truck ? I see the axes and mauls hanging on the wall !

 

[pen]

Nissan SUV will be pulling the trailer. It did great today on the long haul empty. I think it should do fine for short trips around here w/ wood,,, but time will tell.

After I get the red truck safe to drive again, I'll put it up for sale. It's 2wd w/ a 5spd and the first gear isn't great for pulling. Thinking of replacing it w/ a sedan. I'd still have a Nissan SUV and Toyota SUV here, but did some math and realized the fuel mileage on most good sized cars would save me at about 150-175 a month in gas.

That's the current plan anyway.

 

[JOHN BOY]

Forgot to ask , trailer looks beefy ! What are the measurements . Do you think it will haul a half a cord ?

 

[fossil]

Had a BigTex tandem axle 12' flatbed for about 20 years. Bought used in San Diego in ~1993 or so. Just sold it about a week ago. Dragged it across the country and back, and hauled everything from firewood to cars. Great trailer. Did an overhaul on it back around 1999. Dexter Axles and BigTex both have websites and parts available.

http://bigtextrailers.com/

http://www.dexteraxle.com/

 

[wolfonahill]

Oooo that frame looks beefy!
I've also been scouring ads around Eastern PA for a trailer and haven't found anything yet. My poor Tacoma's been taking too much abuse. Definitely report back after you test it out with a full load...

 

[pen]

It's a 5x8. Can add 2k lbs to the bed and be legal.

From the bed to the top of the tube rail it's 27 inches.

 

[pen]

Had a BigTex tandem axle 12' flatbed for about 20 years. Bought used in San Diego in ~1993 or so. Just sold it about a week ago. Dragged it across the country and back, and hauled everything from firewood to cars. Great trailer. Did an overhaul on it back around 1999. Dexter Axles and BigTex both have websites and parts available.

http://bigtextrailers.com/

http://www.dexteraxle.com/

Hope I have such good luck. big tex's website impressed me. Not many others shared their exact dimensions in PDF and I wound up going to look at several other trailers and being disappointed.

When I walked up to this one, it instantly reminded me of the late 40's or so Studebaker truck bed trailer that my uncle and grandfather used forever,,, rugged.

 

[lazeedan]

Nice looking trailer!

 

[maple1]

On the trailer bed - there are certain kinds of plastic pallets that have a fairly solid surface, and feet. I got a few of another kind a month ago from a place that had those too. I am going to try to get some next week, cut the feet off them, and use them for the body of my ATV trailer I use for wood hauling. It should make for a solid surface that can't be beat for wear for wood hauling. Not sure their exact size, but in your case 3 of them should do it with one cut in half. And if you don't want them in there for some reason, just take them out. Beats beating the crap out of a new trailer as nice as that, wood can be hard on a body when it's tossed into it.

 

[firefighterjake]

To answer the question . . . my two place snowmobile/ATV/utility trailer that I had my cousin build using stainless steel has pressure treated plywood and it's held up quite well after several years of abuse and being exposed 365+ days a year to the elements.

 

[maple1]

Does it get firewood tossed into it though? Really puts a beating on things. I'd imagine the bottom (& sides) of that Ford bed above has a lot of 'character' to it.

I've got a single sled trailer with treated plywood bottom too, and it was showing it's age after a couple years - getting pretty weathered looking. I slopped some deck stain on it I had leftover from something (color didn't really matter), now I do that every couple years. Really helped hold off the weather - sun exposure can really take its toll. I really need some ski guides for it though.

 

[pen]

Does it get firewood tossed into it though? Really puts a beating on things. I'd imagine the bottom (& sides) of that Ford bed above has a lot of 'character' to it.

I've got a single sled trailer with treated plywood bottom too, and it was showing it's age after a couple years - getting pretty weathered looking. I slopped some deck stain on it I had leftover from something (color didn't really matter), now I do that every couple years. Really helped hold off the weather - sun exposure can really take its toll. I really need some ski guides for it though.

Yea, the truck's floor has a lot of character alright! A couple of holes too.

I have an extra gallon of water seal around and was debating doing the trailer w/ that, but the temps not high enough.

I do have some water based olympic that might be less fussy. I know if I were to put the thompson's on it now, it'd be a slippery mess.

 

[Trktrd]

I use the Olympic for everything, decks, trailer floor etc. Lasts a whole lot longer than thompsons. Once a year I put some in a sprayer and douse the trailer floor, been holding up great for the past ten years.

 

[Gasifier]

Nice trailer PEN. I am a firm believer in "You get what you pay for." And those pics look like you got a nice one.

 

[gzecc]

Bought this truck for next to nothing 5 years ago and it's done a lot of hauling. Loved it so much, actually used it as my daily driver for that time also.
View attachment 114274

In the last week I had a leaf spring give out and then lost a front wheel bearing suddenly. Truck needs a bunch of other work as well and has gotten to the point that it won't fit the boys and I anymore, so it's time to let her go.

Been looking locally for the last several months and wasn't able to find a trailer I liked. Drove 400 miles today to bring this home.

View attachment 114275 View attachment 114276

Very pleased with the drive home and now that I've had a chance to spend a few beers looking it over my initial impressions are very good. It should get its first load of wood Tuesday.

Fingers crossed it'll be as good as that ford has been.

Question: Do you guys running a trailer w/ a pressure treated floor find that it holds up well to most use?

pen

Pressure treated 2x6 is my floor of choice.

 

[Jags]

The PT floor will work just fine. Nice looking trailer.

I am not gentle loading this thing and it has been doing the job for 10 years or so - so far.

 

[pen]

Pressure treated 2x6 is my floor of choice.

This trailer is the PT 2x8's. I gave them a coat of olympic this weekend. Took me 6 or 7 beers making a plan for using PT plywood on hinges that could be lifted up for firewood and protect the sides, be left down if I wanted so gravel or similar wouldn't go through, yet still have access to the d-hooks, etc........

Then this morning I had the choice of going to lowes and making a super-ultra protected trailer, or going to the woods and getting a load of wood saying to heck w/ dings and dents......

That was a load of wood that I had measured out between posts so that I knew what 1/3 of a cord (face cord) looked like in the trailer and how it rode.

I was very happy with the 12 miles trip. Went to the grandmothers and moved about a 1/2 cord from her woodshed over to the house, and it didn't look like it was squatting too bad.

pen

 

[Jags]

Being a 2000# trailer you are about right on. Mine is a 3500# and I get about 3/4 of a cord on it before it really starts to show.

 

[Bocephous]

This may sound silly, but could you spray the wood with a spray on bed liner? I'm pretty sure it's sold in a dispenser that would allow you to spray it on yourself and then the wood would not only be protected from the elements but from some of the abuse as well.

 

[pen]

Being a 2000# trailer you are about right on. Mine is a 3500# and I get about 3/4 of a cord on it before it really starts to show.

It's a 3500lb axle, trailer is rated at 2,995 since there are no brakes. The trailer comes in at 950 for weight, so the carrying capacity is 2,045. That the same as yours?

In looking under it I see there are no bump stops for the axle at all. I have some 1/2 in rubber and think I might make some up.

 

[pen]

This may sound silly, but could you spray the wood with a spray on bed liner? I'm pretty sure it's sold in a dispenser that would allow you to spray it on yourself and then the wood would not only be protected from the elements but from some of the abuse as well.

I thought about that for the sides as well.

 

[Jags]

It's a 3500lb axle, trailer is rated at 2,995 since there are no brakes. The trailer comes in at 950 for weight, so the carrying capacity is 2,045. That the same as yours?

We don't have the "no brakes" rule, so my 3500# axle minus trailer weight is the load capacity. I know that I have had well over 3000# on it, but that is the exception, not the rule.