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Homemade trailer ideas

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77crewcab

1/2 ton status
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Feb 9, 2004
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Location
Lubbock, Texas
Help I need some ideas here. My dad is looking to make a trailer from another vehicle i.e. pickup bed trailers. My idea is to take one of the 15 pasenger full size vans and cut the body at the back of the front doors and then weld in sheet metal to make the front of the "box" then weld in new pieces of steel to make the "A" frame for the hitch leaving enough room infront of the body for a tool box. This would be mainly a cargo trailer but also used for camping and such.
What I am looking for is other ideas, suggestions, or tips from others who have made their own trailers.
 
Here's my Long bed trailer....
100_0851.JPG
 
Bad link, you have to be logged out of WebShots when you post links.
 
re

I thought about the toungue weight issue too thats why I thought the extended length would help balancee it out some plus with the fuel tank in the rear full it should help out. Thinking if we dont use the tank for extra fuel we could at least use it as a water balast tank to address the TW issue.
 
If you can find one of the really long vans with the long rear o/hang, then you could cut it back closer to the axle, and have a better balance, plus it would be 3/4 T or 1T, and haul a bunch more weight.
 
MISF & I built a truck bed utility trailer. Started out as a IH (13 letter manure spreader) p'up frame and bed. Bed was real rusty and he got a Chevy bed that was less rusty so the IH bed had a Sawzall Accident. Then we were given a CUCV bed that is nearly rust free so the first GM bed had also had a Sawzall Accident.
Anyone on So CA want some long bed bedsides? Was a dual tank truck.

MISF had an old coarse spline D60 that we used for the trailer axle. The cross tube from his DD car fit over the D60 tubes after I turned them down a scosh. Welded in a fill and a drain bung near the middle. Cut the axle shafts loose from the flanges and bolted the flanges on using the cone washers. Added a vent fitting to the fill plug and filled the axle tube with 90wt. Idea was to fill it 1/3 to 1/2 full but I couldn't see or feel where the level was until it was full. Thanks for the free 90wt, Jimbo!

The tongue wants to be at least 1/3 of the total distance from the ball to the trailer axle. The longer the tongue, the better it will tow - but the harder it is to back-up.
Std ball height is 18" to the top of the ball. We set the bed slightly tail high when MT with the coupler at 18"
 
re

I am actually thinking of using the really long 15 passenger vans and cut it just behind the front doors so that the sliding door is still functional. It will probably make for a heavier tongue weight but I think it would be okay. There is a guy here in town that has done the same type of trailer using a regular length van and it seems to do okay so one with the rear extension should be able to take even more weight off the tongue.
 
might work...

My brother and I cut down an 80 G10 chevy van to make an enclosed trailer for hauling motorcylcles and swap meet junk--it was nice to just lock the doors and leave the stuff inside until the next trip,rather than have to unload the truck and put it away every time! :laugh:

It towed well,and we often put a LOT more than we should have in it as far as weight!--we put some coil over shocks on it,and some cheapie air bags a guy was selling at one of the swap meets..but it survived fine without them ....it was the "short" version 110" wheelbase,we made the toungue 5 feet long,to make it back up easier without "jacknifing"--we took the rear brakes out to prevent them from rusting and locking the wheels when stored--a "surge" brake should have been used instead,to assist in stopping with heavy loads--but we towed it with an 82 K30 4x4 with a 454 and a flatbed,so it didnt seem to mind the weight..

5 inch "C" channel fit perfect inside the original uniframe rails,it only took us 2 days to cut the van behind the doors and make the toungue,it was more work closing the front in than the rest of the work involved....we had a lot of guys want to buy it to haul their harleys in...he still has it,its been sitting 6 years now,but I told him I want first dibs on it if he decides to get rid of it,as its a twin to my 81 G10,same blue color!--it would make a nice camper,you can box in the "V" on the tougnue and make a "mens room" or a small kitchen there..its probably starting to get pretty shabby now though.. :blush:

I dont care much for the utility trailer I made from a 62 GMC 3/4 ton2wd chassis with coil springs--its a bitch to back up due to the short toungue,and it bounces like a basketball-and the control arms were swiss cheese,had to weld angle iron over them so the axle would not drop out!-

-I'm was tempted to put my flatbed/crane setup from my 74 K20 on it,but I'd probably have to make it dead axle or put leaf springs in instead,and I'm not sure how a crane will work on a trailer,it might tip it over fairly easy--more than once I've had a front wheel off the ground on my K20 when hoisting heavy loads in the bed...sounds scary on a trailer--maybe its not a good idea?? :blush:
 
Thought I would add my trailer to the mix its a Toyota but the cool part is i left the Ebrake in it so the trailer has a brake if you park it somewhere where you may need it.
 
maybe...

I might be able to get a picture from my brother--but I dont have a clue how to put them on CK5 yet--still working on learning the computer!. :blush:

Just pictue a chevy van cut behind the doors,with the front floor up to the engine openinig intact,and plywood sealing the area behind the seats off,and a tounge sticking out! :crazy:

You should have seen my brothers neighbor the day we started building it!--he was out watering his lawn--saw us start up the van,drive it in his garage--

after about a half hour of sawsalling :hack: :hack: later,we openned the door,and rolled the "nose" half of the van out into the driveway using 2 floor jacks!!--his neighbor's eyes were like - :eek1: :eek1: :eek: :eek: :yikes: --he came running over,and had to ask WTF were we doing now!!--we always had some project going,and he always had to have a front row seat! :grin:


Later that night,the neighbor's wife put hot ashes from a wood stove in a cardboard box,against his vinyl siding!--good thing we were still outside fooling with the trailer--the side of his house was going up in flames pretty good before we noticed!!--luckily the fire dept came quickly,but we had already put it out with his garden hose--good thing it wasnt frozen!
 
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