Pickup truck trailer

[zieg85]

This thread may inspire someone that would otherwise junk a truck and turn it into a useable, somewhat desirable, or just sell it trailer.  Assuming it is easy enough in your state to obtain a homemade trailer title you would need to know how to weld or know someone that does.  I purchased was a 5000 lb trailer tongue 2" ball, safety chains and had leftover wiring from a trailer light package kit where I just used the wiring but total cost for everything is under $50.

This one started out by a parted out 1987 C10 I bought complete less engine for all the automatic components to convert a stick to an automatic and do everything as it would have been if it was a factory auto.  I had parted out the cab and front clip but the bed although rusty on the outside was decent on the inside and had a working tailgate.  I will put measurements out if there is interest but each 2 inch tongue manufactures them slightly different so I will put together a how I did it with pics if it ever stops raining.  Here is the end result of which I regularly easily sell for $300 without topper and $400 with. 

[slammed79]

I've been thinking about doing one of those, and then lower it to match the truck then use it when I go to shows, camping up north or soon to the beach.

[Armor]

thats great! my friend has one made just like that, and he swaps different beds on depending on what hes doing, if hes selling one at a show or uses a matching painted bed for tooling around, great work.

[PromiseKeeper]

zeig,
do you do anything to the differential so it pulls easy?

[zieg85]

zeig,
do you do anything to the differential so it pulls easy?

The stock diff pulls great with no problem.  I usually take the drums off and strip all the brake hardware but this one still had the parking brake cables still on it.  It sold so fast I hardly had enough time to wire it and put the safety chains on it.   For others I have made I had a new trailer axle custom made for it to go over the leafs for a drop, depends if I needed the rear diff for something or not.

[DustyRusty]

Zieg -
That really looks great.  You did it right by pinching the frame rails together and then attaching the hitch.  There should not be any chance for the tonguoe to bend.  I have seen too many homemade trailers similar to this but with a 2" or 2 1/2" piece of square tubing sticking out about 3 or 4 feet and welded in between the pinched frame rails.  I've seen many bent tongues.  I'm sure you've seen these types and they're usually overloaded.
Rusty

[zieg85]

Zieg -
That really looks great.  You did it right by pinching the frame rails together and then attaching the hitch.  There should not be any chance for the tonguoe to bend.  I have seen too many homemade trailers similar to this but with a 2" or 2 1/2" piece of square tubing sticking out about 3 or 4 feet and welded in between the pinched frame rails.  I've seen many bent tongues.  I'm sure you've seen these types and they're usually overloaded.
Rusty

I cut out just enough with a sawzall and when I draw the two sides together, one weld bead and it is good to go.  The front half I have a rolling engine stand planned.  Another project to post at a later date... 

[Cheyenne]

Maybe I see one of these here in nwi nice work man!!

[fitz]

  The front half I have a rolling engine stand planned.  Another project to post at a later date... 
[/quote]

I'm thinking of doing the same thing. With any luck I can copy yours.

[bigchevyc30]

hey man im from nc and im now thinking of doing that. their are plenty of trucks around here. im going to get help from a local welder when i get it. thing u can give me some details on where u cut the frame and things like that

[zieg85]

hey man im from nc and im now thinking of doing that. their are plenty of trucks around here. im going to get help from a local welder when i get it. thing u can give me some details on where u cut the frame and things like that

I will measure it out tomorrow and post it up.

[velojym]

When I was a kid, we lived in the country and there was no garbage collection. We were also on grassland, and burning was generally a bad idea.
So, we had one of these trailers my uncle set up from an older truck, and it'd usually last a few weeks between trips to the landfill, which ended up being pretty reasonable as garbage fees go.
We also occasionally used it to haul scrap, and I'm pretty sure we had it loaded *far* beyond what the donor truck was meant to carry.