utility trailer

[ColdNH]

So i have been toying with the idea of a utility trailer to increase my scrounging carrying capacity. the truck carries 1/3 a cord max and even then it seems severly overloaded. So scrouning 1/3 a cord at a time while beating away on my truck doesnt give me a warm fuzzy.

Wife was limiting me to how much i could spend on a trailer. ideally to get something heavy duty enough that has dual axles and could haul serious wood was going to cost me 1k or more (used)

I didnt really want to spend more then 500$ for something that was going to get used a few times a year to get free wood. (stops becoming free when your spending 1000$+ on a trailer (heck i can have a grapple load DELIVERED for that price)

Long story short, i picked up this thing for 220$, needs new tires(hoping to find some decent ones for cheap on CL, I already re-did the lights (25$)

I think by the time im done fixing it up, ill be into it 300$ max. Im not sure how much weight it can hold, im hoping to be able to carry half a cord of wood? what are your thoughts on that?

The previous owner said he had it full to the top with green fire wood and it worked just fine but im skeptical.

I figure worse case scenario it doesnt haul as much as i would like and i can sell it for a small profit.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Is that green fiberglass grating I see under the plywood?

 

[ColdNH]

Is that green fiberglass grating I see under the plywood?

something like that not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing.

 

[gzecc]

I personally wouldn't put more than a face cord on that trailer. More than 1200 lbs I think you asking for trouble.

 

[bogydave]

Tires look OK ?
Try a load & see how it tows.
1/2 a cord wet might be a bit heavy , dry wood, might be OK.

Not sure, but looks like a 3/4 ton PU axle/suspension.

1/3rd in the PU & a little over a 1/3 in the trailer, doubles your wood/trip capacity
Good deal IMO

 

[Bigfoot]

That's perfect, small enough to move by hand yet it looks tough enough to handle lots of weight. This is exactly what I need, heck you scored on the price, wow to be under $300 is a killing, you can sell it for double that with a fresh coat of rustoleum paint. The axle looks strong compared to the weak axles I been looking at since I just started poking around craigs list looking for a cheap, small tough trailer and yes even $600 would be a good price.
As far as weight goes look at those springs, there is a bunch of them. Now get good heavy duty tires and a spare, maybe over sized truck tires and I think your styling. or just get one or two spare tires and use those until they are bad...........

Think about this, now if your on a narrow dirt road with little room to turn around once you find your jack pot wood score of the day...... When the trailer is empty disconnect it, reverse the truck so your facing towards the exit, reverse the trailer and hood it back up to the truck, then load it all up. With a tandem trailer its very hard to turn by hand.

Just for fun I think i'll go check out craigslist right now, ha ha -Mike

Scored

 

[ColdNH]

Put a little work into the trailer this weekend, picked up used tires and rims (great condition although they were off a camry and only rated for 1200lbs each so thats going to limit how much i can haul) for 60$, now I have 2 spare's (one with an OK tire), repainted the frame gloss black, picked up a new sheet of plywood for the decking when carrying mulch/dirt/etc. and rewired all the lights (which still dont work, think i have a grounding issue somewhere)

got about $320 invested into this thing now. not too shabby.

 

[nate379]

Doubt it, it's only 5 lug. Looks like a Ford 10.5" that someone installed upside down.

Not sure, but looks like a 3/4 ton PU axle/suspension.

 

[smokinj]

Looks good!

 

[Gasifier]

I would say that is a good trailer there ColdNH. And a good price.

 

[bogydave]

Looks great !

and rewired all the lights (which still dont work, think i have a grounding issue somewhere)

Sometimes you have to run a ground wire to the ground on the tail light fixtures
to a good connection screw/bolt on the metal frame.
They get dirty & corrode easy.

I run a ground in the plug & from the trailer plug, clean a spot & hook it to good metal
Most times the hitch is an intermittent ground, at best.

White wire is ground. I ground it on the tongue,
This is a tilt trailer, so I ran another wire
from the ground bolt on the tongue to a bolt on the tilt part.
Lights started to work better, less intermittent problems.

 

[HDRock]

Lookin purdy now

 

[ColdNH]

yah i was going to try to run a ground wire to each receptacle as my next troubleshooting idea. hopefully that fixes it, anxious to get this thing on the road and test it out!

Looks great !



Sometimes you have to run a ground wire to the ground on the tail light fixtures
to a good connection screw/bolt on the metal frame.
They get dirty & corrode easy.

I run a ground in the plug & from the trailer plug, clean a spot & hook it to good metal
Most times the hitch is an intermittent ground, at best.

White wire is ground. I ground it on the tongue,
This is a tilt trailer, so I ran another wire
from the ground bolt on the tongue to a bolt on the tilt part.
Lights started to work better, less intermittent problems.

View attachment 101478

 

[USMC80]

That trailer is exactly what I'm looking for. Wouldn't take up much room and can move it around easily. Nice score!

 

[ColdNH]

Just an update, endedup running a ground wire to each light and the lights are working great now. now i gotta find a score and test this thing out!