New trailer for a project base.

[Whitemage25]

This was never going to be a light trailer, the service body alone is probably 800+ lbs and that's only because two boxes are chopped off, typically they are 1000-1300lbs from the factory. I knew that when I decided to use a service body as a base. I know I can cut at least 500lbs of scrap off it but it's still gonna be a heavy trailer by design.

I don't see any reason to keep the body if I the trailer won't work. I can find a better body if I'm gonna start from scratch, I was just hoping to thrown on a new suspension and axle under this one and get going for the season while making the modifications as I went.

I'm in Salt Lake City, UT and have access to a welder and pro at work that was going to help with it on the weekends. I don't really have the money to drop a big lump sum on a custom frame or full trailer, that's why I jumped at this deal.

 

[Anak]

That thing certainly looks sketchy as it is built, but if you are willing to put a bunch of labor into it and have someone with experience to guide you then it should be a feasible project.

If it were me I would want to take the thing entirely apart and rebuild it from the new suspension on up. Take the box off, cut out the old truck frame, rearrange the new frame to properly match the new axle(s), hang the new new suspension and then re-mount the box. Aside from the suspension you probably have more material to work with than you need. It is just a bunch of labor, and it needs to include more knowledge than was brought to the table by the previous builder. You will have to decide for yourself if you have the right resources to make this work.

I hope you have something more than a gas V-6 with which to tow this.

 

[RichJacot]

I'm going to echo some things that have already been said. I wouldn't use that trailer. You'd be miles ahead either having a frame built by someone locally or finding something else with better... everything on it.

x100

 

[SGNellett]

Weird, I can not see any of the pictures on this thread, it doesn't even try to load them, as though they do not exist...?

 

[cheepsk8]

the more I think about this, the more I think this could be a good project. Yank out the old frame, weld in new cross braces, put a new axle kit under it and use it. Leave as much of the frame alone as possible. Learn what you like about it and don't like. Then decide, after this season, what you want to do. If you only use it 2-3 times a year, it's not worth spending a bunch of money on a lighter trailer just for fuel economy.

 

[cheepsk8]

Have you had any progress with your trailer?