Even the old beater trailers need love

[mbarasing]

I know I'm not the only one here with a beater... you know, the trailer you use to move boulders around and overload with hay.

Show and tell time: post your beater.

Here is mine. When I first saw her she was loaded with scrap metal and the owner said he was hauling her to the scrap yard and leaving her there. I was re-decking a shredder for the man and traded him the work for the trailer.

I pretty sure she's a home built. Overbuilt and under axle'd.

8" channel frame, boxed and gusseted every 4'.
5" channel crossmembers on 2' centers.
1/4" deck welded solid.

She has been my welding table and material rack, for the past few years. She eats tires from bent axles and worn out suspension. The coupling was getting a bit sloppy on the ball. I would have made the tongue stronger--it's 5" channel--and the frame narrower.

Today she got a new coupler. Coming soon are new 7k axles and suspension. And I may slip a 4" channel inside the 5" channel tongue. I'll probably delete the custom tiedowns and straighten some bent parts while she's in the shop.

[gnewby]

Looks like it is going to be a nice trailer when you get done with it. My car trailer is in my shop and it would be ready for use if not for the fact that I seam to end up sitting everything on top of it which takes awhile to get everything off of it before putting into

[mbarasing]

Looks like it is going to be a nice trailer when you get done with it. My car trailer is in my shop and it would be ready for use if not for the fact that I seam to end up sitting everything on top of it which takes awhile to get everything off of it before putting into

I hear ya... I built a rack to hold the stuff this trailer was loaded down with so I could work on it.

[mbarasing]

Turns out she's a York built trailer. Waiting on hangers to have new rolling gear.

[robson1015]

Nice big welding table....

[farmersammm]

1/4 floor plate is insane.

[mbarasing]

1/4 floor plate is insane.

Yup... i wish it was worth cutting it out and repurposing but it's too far gone to be of use. And, i need a trailer that can take a beating. I figure its 3500 lbs before axles and tires.

[mbarasing]

Off the blocks and back on rubber. Pulled it this morning while the bus full of nuns and children were off the road; straight as an arrow. I have 1/32" difference between hubs on the axles. Figure I'll run her for a month or so and then check all the bolts.

She got a new coupler, new suspension, axles and wheels, and I rebuilt the drop leg on the jack and greased it all. Necessary things left to do: Wire up brakes and lights and add safety chains, (maybe even a breakaway kit.) Unnecessary things to do: replace tiedowns, straighten bent headache rack, drop legs for rear, shelves in rear to stow ramps, paint.

I welded one side like I would normally, i.e. weld the hell out of it. The other side I welded with one pass. I did this after noticing the welds in the equalizer and rear spring hanger--all one pass. Is it enough? Time will tell. (Welding done with ER70S-6 .035 with pulsed spray and 375 wfs, ~200 amps.)

One pass


Three passes

[mbarasing]

Also, I did not add a 4" channel inside the 5" channel tongue. The tongue looked fine after all these years of my abuse so I guess I'll leave well enough alone this time.

My new estimated weight (including ramps, but not axles or wheels) 4,000#.