Old and new trailers

[DanStew]

Hello, was directed to the forum a while ago but ended up selling my old trailer. I decided i needed to make another because i was tired of hauling trash in the back of my 4runner. The trailer is a pack mule but also is going to be used for menial purposes.

It all went downhill a long time ago. I furst got a M416 for $100 and the tailgate was cutoff. I just added hinges for the cutoffpart and ran with it for a while then sold it to a buddy, a few years later i got it back and restored it.
I didnt have enough of the old piece to just weld it up and i wanted a opening tailgate. So i used a early CJ tailgate and modified the tub to accept it.

Cut off tailgate

Added the sides and mounted the tailgate.

I also took military tailights and retrofitted LEDs inside for tailights.

I ended up selling the trailer before i moved up to South Carolina.

 

[DanStew]

So I missed the M416 and wanted another. I decided to build my own and change some things. I didnt like how tall the m416 was and I wanted it a little shorter. So I tried my hand at making it from scratch. It was time consuming. I hand formed the lips with a hammer dolly and angle iron. I was very happy with it and helped learn a bit more hand formnig skills. I used angle iron for the frame and CJ7 springs. I retained the pintle lunnet for simplicity. I made the axle with weld on spindles. I do not like using light weight axles fromk northern cause they look wimpy, i always liked how the m416 axles were thick diameter like live 4x4 axle tubes.

Frame

Tub

Here is the finished product

Yes I do like Yellow, and that was the last of the paint (thank god) so i can use other colors next. I ended up sellnig it just because i needed some money. It is owned by a forum member here.

 

[DanStew]

So it has been about 9 months since i had the last one and decided i need one for hauling. So I am making it basically the same as the yellow one. This time i decided to speed things up. For the tub I am using a old metal cabinet I had from work.

cabinet

Here is the frame. I used 2x1 square tube i had laying around. And used CJ7 springs again since i had a few pairs laying around.

Here is the cabinet being made into a tub. I cut down the top of the cabinet and took conduit and clamped it to the top and hammered the sheetmetal to cuve around the conduit and welded it together. It stiffens the sheetmetal greatly.In the rear corners i welded in some 1x1 square tube to brace the corners.

I have to finsih the tailgate and save up for the axle spindles and wheel hubs. I am going with 6 on 6 toyota lug pattern to match my 4runner. I am going to run about a 31 inch tire on the trailer, but it all depends on the tires i find, maybe bigger. I will make the fenders after i get the tires so i can size them up. I made a sheetmetal brake last time but i may have to bend it again by hand since the fenders were a bit larger than the sheetmetal brake. Worst thing bout using this cabinet as a tub is i had cut out the bottom section a bit to run wires so i had to weld in a patch. Still some work but it will get there, and it wont be yellow, i swear.

 

[jeepfreak81]

Looking good Dan!

Sent from my Eris using Tapatalk

 

[Hill Bill E.]

Now that's recycling!

Great work! On all of them!

HB:coffeedrink:

 

[imhsar]

i have also some big trailers.. there really very huge :sombrero:

 

[TacoDell]

You go thru trailers, like a kid goes thru shoes.

Nice work on all of them...
extra points for the recycle work.

what's next ?

 

[DanStew]

It has been a while. I am getting back into the build. a month ago i got all my axle parts. the trailer is going to run 6 on 5.5 lug pattern to match my Toyota's.

I got the axle mounted and now am working on the tailgate situation. At first i was going to make a tailgate that opens down like a pickup, but i didnt like how the tailgate metal was flimsy with the thinner gauge material i was using, and the faact that I didnt use the tailgate much with my other trailer. My compromise was a tailgate that will be pulled up and out to be removed. It does give plenty strength now. It is just a square tubing frame with sheetmetal skin.

The tailgate on the trailer

The tailgate being puleld up off the trailer.

The way it sits on the trailer. i welded on pieces of flat palte to each side to go over the 1x2 square tubing corners. It locks in nicely and i may not even have to put pins on it to keep it in place.

After this I move onto making some fenders.

 

[Wyowanderer]

If you build a trailer using an old cabinet from work-you might be a redneck.
Nice recycling and work.

 

[DanStew]

Well it ROLLS!!!!!!!

Got my tires today for it. I also made my landing leg. Still will need to cut it down and i will get a wheel to mount on the bottom of the leg. Glad I finally got it rolling.

Will get better pics in the daytime.

 

[PAToyota]

Ok, that's too funny! I have one of those cabinets out in my shop I've been thinking about putting on craigslist. Never thought about building a trailer out of it!

 

[greentruck]

Very nice!:exclaim:

Gotta admit I liked the crazy utilitarian lines of the yellow trailer:costumed-smiley-007

 

[DanStew]

Daytime pics

 

[DanStew]

I threw on some paint and It is good to go. BBut i still need to paint the rims black. All in all, it wasnt that hard. BUT I really hate the tub. The cabinet I used was just too thin of metal. I didnt really care about being clean with the paint job, i jsut threw it on. There are alot of runs in the paint. I am going to beat on it and then eventually make a better tub out of heavier gauge metal. The fenders are probably tougher than the tub istelf. Oh well, i tried. now to put it to use.