8'x30' deckover (ish?) trailer refresh

[aczlan]

Picked up a trailer tonight, 8'x30' mostly flat deck (has small "fenders" over the wheels), sits about 28" off of the ground.
6 lug 15" wheels, 205/70R15 tires, brakes on one axle, tag on the brake axle says 6000#, but only ~3700# of tire on each axle.
Spring perches are welded to a piece of 3"x6" 1/4" angle that is bolted to the frame.
3"x6" 3/16" (might be 1/4") wall rectangle tube main frame with 3"x3" 3/16" wall square tube running across it every 6', 1"x3" 3/16" wall running across about halfway between each 3"x3" tube.
Has a channel in the front that currently has a lunett ring in it. Borrowed a pintle hitch from a friend to get it home, going to switch it to use a 2 5/16" ball, too much slop and clanking in the ring for my taste.
Needs:
A new deck
Some of the 1x3 crossmembers replaced (rusting)
More crossmembers added (thinking a cross member every 1.5' to go between the existing ones)
Stake pockets (and a rub rail?)
Cur the perimeter 1"x3" at the wheels and move it out (its within 1" of the wheels and I could see it hitting when loaded and turning)
Possibly the frame cut to make a 3-5' dovetail (want to be able to put cars on the deck, will need a dovetail or 8' ramps)

It is framed something like this:


Vertically from bottom to top:
Black is wheels/axles
Red is the main 3"x6" frame
White/Blue striped is the 3"x3" box tubing sitting on top of the main frame (front, first from the front and back have 3"x6" tubing under them)
Green is the 1x3 box tubing sitting on top of the main frame and going around the primeter.

What weight should it be good for with the 3"x6" main frame? It will be towed behind our 2002 F350 SRW.


Thanks

Aaron Z

 

[Tinhack]

Do you have a picture of the frame? That sounds an awful lot like a camper trailer chassis. I would lean on the safe side and say 7K max. That thing is going to flex like a rubber band. Check all the welds before decking it. And I admit; I'm not an engineer.

 

[aczlan]

Gotta take one, was dark when I got it home.
If it was a RV frame, it was a real heavy one.

Aaron Z

 

[Johnkn]

^^ Tinhack suggested it was a camper frame, not an RV frame...

 

[aczlan]

^^ Tinhack suggested it was a camper frame, not an RV frame...

Sorry if I was confusing, I meant RV as in travel trailer, not a motorhome.
I have never seen a travel trailer tongue setup like this one, it has a pintle hitch for one (and a 4 hole channel that it's mounted to), the channel is lower than the main beams, so it could not be used with a weight distribution hitch (unless the chains were a foot and a half long) and there are no marks where a WDH was mounted, or where propane tanks would have been.
I could see it as having been an enclosed trailer (like a big snowmobile trailer), but not a travel trailer.

Aaron Z

 

[Tinhack]

Sorry, I missed the mention the pintle hitch. That's why pictures are worth a 1,000 words. Perhaps it was a work site office or a military work trailer. It's definitely not built like a machine or car hauler. I wouldn't expect that 12+ foot span over 3x6" box to hold much machine weight. I would expect 8-10" C-channel or better there.

And I repeat, I'm not an engineer. But I have hauled a lot of machines and cars on heavy duty trailers.

 

[aczlan]

Sorry, I missed the mention the pintle hitch. That's why pictures are worth a 1,000 words. Perhaps it was a work site office or a military work trailer. It's definitely not built like a machine or car hauler. I wouldn't expect that 12+ foot span over 3x6" box to hold much machine weight. I would expect 8-10" C-channel or better there.

And I repeat, I'm not an engineer. But I have hauled a lot of machines and cars on heavy duty trailers.

Could have been an office trailer, here are some pictures:












Aaron Z

 

[ArlyA]

Aaron, That frame is light for a normal deck-over trailer but if you don't load is heavy, you should still be fine.

 

[aczlan]

Aaron, That frame is light for a normal deck-over trailer but if you don't load is heavy, you should still be fine.

Kind of what I was thinking after bouncing on it today and watching it wobble.
Therein lies the problem, if I keep it, it will get tractors, cars, round bales, etc on it.
Might cut it down to 20' (or 24' with a 4' dovetail) re-deck it and sell it.

Time will tell.

 

[Tinhack]

Yeah, I think you'll be alright if you keep the weight (within reason) over the axles. But that flooring might as well be tissue paper if you haul something heavy. I can't tell how it's fastened to the frame. If there's no sign of walls around the perimeter (holes, shadows, impressions, etc.), that floor was most likely thrown down by a previous owner. Can't trust that. I wonder what the tops of the frame members look like?

Gook luck with your new trailer. I didn't mean to sound like I was ragging on it. Honest! Just be safe. :thumbsup:

 

[aczlan]

No offense taken Tinhack, just trying to figure out how much I can safely haul on it and if it will work for what I need to do.
The decking is "well weathered" 3/4" plywood that is screwed down with self drilling screws, I dont trust it to hold my weight in some places. It will be replaced with 2x8 planks (or possibly 2x6 planks) after the new crossmembers are installed. At the front and back there is a piece of angle that looks like it went over the end of 2x? planks (it sits about 3/4" above the plywood), so I would guess that this is not the first or second deck that it has had.
Supposedly the previous owners hauled a skid steer on it with a job box on the front, not sure how that could be done with how its setup.
If the trailer isn't heavy enough, it will get a new deck, new jack and get sent on down the road (might take 8-10 feet off of it first and make it a 20-22' trailer). No sense keeping it around if I cant trust it with a tractor on it.


Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

Pulled the plywood deck off tonight, there were only 2 pieces that I needed a pry bar for, the rest ripped off by hand.
Will load test it with round bales tomorrow, need to move a bunch of them from one barn to the other.

Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

The frame:










10 bales on the trailer:


Aaron Z

 

[GLyford]

I wonder if it was purpose built for hauling porta-johns or plastic irrigation pipe or something like that...?

 

[fried1765]

Pulled the plywood deck off tonight, there were only 2 pieces that I needed a pry bar for, the rest ripped off by hand.
Will load test it with round bales tomorrow, need to move a bunch of them from one barn to the other.

Aaron Z

In my opinion, your best bet would be to sell it, and find a heavier built trailer.
Not a good idea to do a lot of $$ fixin, and then decide it is not adequate for your needs.
I only needed a 10K trailer, but bought 14K.
Turned out to be a very good decision.

 

[aczlan]

In my opinion, your best bet would be to sell it, and find a heavier built trailer.
Not a good idea to do a lot of $$ fixin, and then decide it is not adequate for your needs.
I only needed a 10K trailer, but bought 14K.
Turned out to be a very good decision.

I might sell it and buy something else, but I will get more selling with a deck on it and in a usable condition.
Right now I am into it under $1k, I have the steel on hand (other than possibly the 3/16 for fishplates).
Expenses to finish it should be welding rod, wood for deck, 4 tires (as well as a tire/rim/mount for a spare?), Lights, wiring, conduit (to run wiring in) and a coupler.
If I keep it, it will also get a toolbox up front with leftover 12v deep cycle battery, a solar charger and a small winch (have a 2000# harbor freight one that should be adequate to pull on a non-running rolling load).
I plan to make it into a 8' wide 22+2 or 21+3 dovetail deckover.
I will finally use up the piece of 6" I beam that has been in the way in the shop for the last 4 years as a new center frame rail (in line with the tongue), then add in cross members (pallet rack beams of which I have a surplus).
Here is roughly what I am thinking:



Red is the new back of the trailer.
Purple is the new wheel locations.
Green circle is the current back cross member of the trailer which will go at the top of the dovetail (Green line)
Orange is the dovetail cuts (will actually end up on the other side of the 1x3 cross member).

Aaron Z

 

[fried1765]

I might sell it and buy something else, but I will get more selling with a deck on it and in a usable condition.
Right now I am into it under $1k, I have the steel on hand (other than possibly the 3/16 for fishplates).
Expenses to finish it should be welding rod, wood for deck, 4 tires (as well as a tire/rim/mount for a spare?), Lights, wiring, conduit (to run wiring in) and a coupler.
If I keep it, it will also get a toolbox up front with leftover 12v deep cycle battery, a solar charger and a small winch (have a 2000# harbor freight one that should be adequate to pull on a non-running rolling load).
I plan to make it into a 8' wide 22+2 or 21+3 dovetail deckover.
I will finally use up the piece of 6" I beam that has been in the way in the shop for the last 4 years as a new center frame rail (in line with the tongue), then add in cross members (pallet rack beams of which I have a surplus).
Here is roughly what I am thinking:
View attachment 676672

View attachment 676675
Red is the new back of the trailer.
Purple is the new wheel locations.
Green circle is the current back cross member of the trailer which will go at the top of the dovetail (Green line)
Orange is the dovetail cuts (will actually end up on the other side of the 1x3 cross member).

Aaron Z

THAT sure seems to be a LOT of work and expense (tires/decking etc.) to still have a light capacity, non branded trailer.

 

[Fuddy1952]

If it were mine, say I paid $900 for it, I'd rather sell it now if I could make $150...or put $100 and a few hours in it if I could make $400...but not put $2,000 and 40 hours in it thinking I could get $3,500 for it.
It has to be figured out like that (I'm pulling numbers out of the air).
Sometimes just cleaning it up, maybe getting lights working, rattle can paint: let the next person fix it up their way and you made a little money. It may make a good farm wagon...not road use.

 

[Norm W]

It looks as though there are brakes only on one axle. Some states require brakes on all axles. The only exception I know of is for transport of mobile homes and temporary buildings such as construction offices.

 

[aczlan]

It looks as though there are brakes only on one axle. Some states require brakes on all axles. The only exception I know of is for transport of mobile homes and temporary buildings such as construction offices.

Correct, NY only requires them on one axle. The other axle has a backing plate where brakes could be installed, but no brakes on it.

Aaron Z