So I'm starting a build thread for my newly acquired 1/4 ton trailer.
It's interesting how these things happen sometimes. I wasn't really in the market for a trailer, but I like to "window shop" every once in a while. I was browsing CL in my state and surrounding states to see how many were in the area and what the going price was - dreaming that the price for one might be feasible. I found a listing for one in Palmer, TN and the seller had it listed for $450 and I'm thinking, this thing is long gone. So I call the seller and this older gent answers after about the 7th ring. He says he forgot to charge his cell phone or it was turned off or something, because he's got 17 VM's. I asked if his trailer was still available. He says, "sure is." I say I want it and I'll call him back in a few minutes to figure out payment - since he doesn't do PayPal. He says OK. I look up Palmer on the map...it's 20 minutes from Jasper, TN...and I know someone from MUD in Jasper!
So I ping Andy (radioridge) online and get a response within minutes. He says he'll be happy to go meet this guy. I offer to Paypal Andy, if he'll pay the seller cash. Andy comes back with an even easier answer. Seems he had just struck a deal at ACC Toyota for a H55 transmission in there warehouse and I spend a great deal of my weekends at ACC (working on my own junk). So I pay ACC the downpayment on the H55 and Andy purchases the trailer.
Original seller pics:
The seller had a spare tire and some booty-fab trailer hitch contraption to go along with the sale, so I cross my fingers that Andy gets it back to his garage without issue. Andy reports back after the sale that its a right piece of equipment that I found. Andy also mentions that the seller realized that he listed this trailer for far too less dinero, but Andy kept his mouth shut and handed him the cash. It had the original 7 or 8 pin deal that Andy converted to a 4pin for me and he checks all my bulbs too. Much Thanks to Andy for making this purchase possible and fixing up the trailer harness & lights!
The tires still hold air (one looks original, one looks new) and the drain plugs work after a little paint excavating. The fore section of the tub looks like something landed on it and it is bent - but not beyond repair. It has some surface rust in the typical high wear areas, but it looks like the 8 layers of paint on it have staved off major deterioration. It still has the original ID plate, but a lot of it is unreadable. I can make out the year of manufacture and the serial number.
We already had a wheeling trip on the calendar up in Jasper, before all this went down, so the timing was perfect. I would mudship his H55 and I would return from the weekend of wheeling with trailer in-tow. The wheeling was epic And I returned home with the trailer without a hiccup. I barely knew this thing was behind us. I rolls super smooth and the narrow width made it hard to see in my mirrors.
Here's one I took when we got home.
I don't really have extravagant plans for it right now. Funds are tight, so for now I just want to put some good treads on it, fabricate a lid and a spare carrier, and tag it. Maybe later on, I'll want to do the RTT thing. There are a lot of great build threads here. Here's one photo I've bookmarked for future design idea:
Heard about this place for military tires. Not cheap, but not disrespectful either.
7.00-16 Specialty Military - m. e. MILLER tire
I'll post up my clean up and progress.
It's interesting how these things happen sometimes. I wasn't really in the market for a trailer, but I like to "window shop" every once in a while. I was browsing CL in my state and surrounding states to see how many were in the area and what the going price was - dreaming that the price for one might be feasible. I found a listing for one in Palmer, TN and the seller had it listed for $450 and I'm thinking, this thing is long gone. So I call the seller and this older gent answers after about the 7th ring. He says he forgot to charge his cell phone or it was turned off or something, because he's got 17 VM's. I asked if his trailer was still available. He says, "sure is." I say I want it and I'll call him back in a few minutes to figure out payment - since he doesn't do PayPal. He says OK. I look up Palmer on the map...it's 20 minutes from Jasper, TN...and I know someone from MUD in Jasper!
So I ping Andy (radioridge) online and get a response within minutes. He says he'll be happy to go meet this guy. I offer to Paypal Andy, if he'll pay the seller cash. Andy comes back with an even easier answer. Seems he had just struck a deal at ACC Toyota for a H55 transmission in there warehouse and I spend a great deal of my weekends at ACC (working on my own junk). So I pay ACC the downpayment on the H55 and Andy purchases the trailer.
Original seller pics:
The seller had a spare tire and some booty-fab trailer hitch contraption to go along with the sale, so I cross my fingers that Andy gets it back to his garage without issue. Andy reports back after the sale that its a right piece of equipment that I found. Andy also mentions that the seller realized that he listed this trailer for far too less dinero, but Andy kept his mouth shut and handed him the cash. It had the original 7 or 8 pin deal that Andy converted to a 4pin for me and he checks all my bulbs too. Much Thanks to Andy for making this purchase possible and fixing up the trailer harness & lights!
The tires still hold air (one looks original, one looks new) and the drain plugs work after a little paint excavating. The fore section of the tub looks like something landed on it and it is bent - but not beyond repair. It has some surface rust in the typical high wear areas, but it looks like the 8 layers of paint on it have staved off major deterioration. It still has the original ID plate, but a lot of it is unreadable. I can make out the year of manufacture and the serial number.
We already had a wheeling trip on the calendar up in Jasper, before all this went down, so the timing was perfect. I would mudship his H55 and I would return from the weekend of wheeling with trailer in-tow. The wheeling was epic And I returned home with the trailer without a hiccup. I barely knew this thing was behind us. I rolls super smooth and the narrow width made it hard to see in my mirrors.
Here's one I took when we got home.
I don't really have extravagant plans for it right now. Funds are tight, so for now I just want to put some good treads on it, fabricate a lid and a spare carrier, and tag it. Maybe later on, I'll want to do the RTT thing. There are a lot of great build threads here. Here's one photo I've bookmarked for future design idea:
Heard about this place for military tires. Not cheap, but not disrespectful either.
7.00-16 Specialty Military - m. e. MILLER tire
I'll post up my clean up and progress.
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