Home Made Trailer

[GaryBDavis]

I finally got around to building that 18’ trailer that I’ve been needing. 5200 pound axles with dual brakes, sealed beam lights, sealed wiring harness, 5’ ramps with storage trays, spare tire holder and brake-a-way controller.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Texas Stars welded into the fenders.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Texas Stars welded into the front tongue and custom artwork.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Brake-a-way controller and my own “CAUTION” and “DANGER” signs that I had made for all my welding jobs.

 

[GaryBDavis]

There are three breaks in the main wiring harness. This is the middle one where the brakes and clearance lights on the fender braces come out.

 

[GaryBDavis]

This is the rear wiring breakout. All the connections are soldered and the heat shrink has a heat activated glue that seals out the moister.

 

[SCB]

Great work! I'll Take one /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I like the custom Star.

 

[GaryBDavis]

The rear bumper fabricated from c-channel with a ramp lip, C2 marking tape, recessed sealed beam lights, 2” hitch receiver, and wiring jack for second trailer. Note the rub rails and chain pockets incorporated into the sides and covered with C2 marking tape.

 

[GaryBDavis]

I preassembled the wiring harness and laid it in after painting. The connections are sealed with a heavy wall heat shrink that utilizes a heat melt glue to keep the moister out.

 

[GaryBDavis]

I welded Texas Stars into the tongue and fenders. I marked the position, drilled the holes and welded them in from the back side so no weld bead would be seen on the outside. Bondo was used to smooth the edges prior to painting.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Trailer upside down on the stands in the shop. Once all the frame work was done and the running gear installed, the trailer is dropped down, drug outside and flipped over.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Fenders with the Texas Stars welded in prior to being mounted.

 

[RedRocker]

You're a man after my own heart Gary, that's really nice work.

 

[Egon]

Terrific job. You have a nicely equiped shop too.

Egon

 

[Mayhem]

Great job.

I would like to know where you got the electrical conectors and heat shink from. My cousin's roll off container trucks have rear lights running through the rear bumper and their always rusting and breaking.You did a nice neat job with your wiring, and it looks weather tight.Just what I'm looking for.

 

[Egon]

Chances are you can find all the parts at an electrical shop that has weather proof fittings and improvise from there.

Rear lights are a sealed unit. Have to change out the entire unit for a burned out bulb.

Egon

 

[GaryBDavis]

The splice points are made out of Raychem heatshrink and copper pipe fittings. You can buy ready made "T" fittings that are basically molded pieces of heat shrink, but they are expensive (~$20 a piece). I improvised and soldered copper Ts together, painted them flat black and closed them off with heat shrink. For the straight splices, there is a piece of 1" copper pipe inside the heat shrink that helps it hold a nice clean shape as the heat shrink is shrunk down. I've used this type of heat shrink on several trailers for several years and if you use the kind with a heat activated glue on the inside, it will give you a water tight wiring harness.

On the sealed lights, you may have to replace the whole bulb assembly when the bulb burns out, but the internal fixture will not rust like the cheap, generic type will.

 

[Piedmont3]

Gary,
Do you make these to sell ? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
or just for your personal use? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
If you would sell one, How much? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Thanks,

 

[firtol88]

Great job on the trailer.

Nice tips on the wiring!

 

[GeneD14]

Nice job on your trailer! Everything looks top-notch. I really like the stars.