remade 3x3 trailer, they don't normally look like this

[slickrock]

I posted this earlier, but in the wrong section. I salvaged a wrecked 3x3 trailer (one of the home depot ones or Harbor freight specials). The frame was toast and bent from an accident so I rebuilt it and slapped on a Chevy axle and used my old wheels and tires. I fabricate my own lunette ring and lifted the spring mounting point by 3 inches (kinda a body lift) so that the trailer would sit level. I reinforced everything and had to fab some cheesy fender flairs on to keep it legal and pass inspection (but they may come off once I can get a straight answer from the DMV if I need them or not). Anyway, I am building a camp trailer with lights, stove, sink, a hitch toilet, a canopy, twin 5 gallon gas tanks, a RV water tank with pump, and solar battery collectors to run a little fridge (for now a cooler) and a water pump and possibly a small Honda generator. On top of the box that will contain the above, will go a roof top cargo carrier for clothes and other stuff. I also made the lunette ring to adjust the height so I can put larger tires on and move it up or down to keep it level.

The first picture is of the first stage of the trailer build.

The next sequence is of the gas carrier that I built to hold 2, 5 gallon tanks. I used some left over pieces of a wrought iron fence that I put up around our pool this summer and used some all thread as clamps to hold them down. Angle iron is in the front to hold them from sliding and some bar on the sides also secures them. Very easy to make. If anyone wants measurements and can weld, I’ll send them to you. Figure about 5 hours total build time. I used the same type of carrier for my removable rear cargo carrier on the cruiser (it isn’t on right now) so on long trips I can have 2o extra gallons of gas (can’t really seeing ever needing that much) so mostly they will be just on the trailer so I can remove them at camp.

 

[slickrock]

The next stage is to modify my Cruiser's rear gas tank carrier, hi-lift mount, and cooler rack to work at the rear of the trailer. I will remove the gas tank mounts and return it to being a tire rack. This carrier will be a swing out so that I have room for a cooler, my hi-lift, and spare tire. When open, I will be able to have access to the storage box and a fold out table top for cooking and kitchen stuff. Hopefully I will be able to start working on this Thursday evening. At this time, I am not sure how much modification to the carrier I will have to make. In the least, my trailer spare tire carrier is welded the the driver's side roll cage in my FJ40. So guess I will be doing some grinding.

 

[Rock_Hugger]

The tongue is to short if you plan on wheeling with it.

 

[Snook]

Cool!

But be sure to cover your trailer tire with fender fully otherwise this wheel will pick up some gravel and throw back to your rear of FJ 40.

One of our rigs in Death Valley's rear window was scattered on the washboard road. His trailer wheel is only two inches extended sideway or so out of the fender' edge but the result is rather unpleasant surprising.

Look at my photo carefully, you can see some mud splatter on my truck's tailgate! That's from the trailer tire, not sure how it happened but it did.

I did made many modification to my M416 such as adding tailgate, fender protector and gas tank holder.

Be sure that you can swing your future tire carrier without hitting your trailer add on. Is your pintle hook on your truck swivelable?

Regards,

 

[slickrock]

The tongue is to short if you plan on wheeling with it.

It isn't for hard core wheeling, just getting down the rutted fire roads and semblance of a trails up by bass lake and a few other places. I plan on leaving it at camp. I don't like wheeling with a trailer b/c it is just another thing to worry about. My primary goal, as my family added a youngster, is to be able to go fishing in the back woods and have a few conviences with me. Any major wheeling with be sans trailer. I did have the tongue longer at first but I had to cut it down so I could stand it on its butt in the garage and I still can make it longer if I ever to decide to wheel it. My wife isn't cool having a trailer in the driveway all the time or stuck on the side of the house. So my 40 and the trailer have to fit tandem in the garage. I just need ot put the extended tongue on if I ever want to hard core wheel it. So that is always an option.

No the lunette does rotate. Just a standard one. I'll keep the rock flinging in mind and figure out something.

 

[Shahram]

...so I rebuilt it and slapped on a Chevy axle and used my old wheels and tires. I fabricate my own lunette ring and lifted the spring mounting point by 3 inches (kinda a body lift) so that the trailer would sit level...

Slickrock, would you mind doing a write-up on how you put another axle on the trailer? Also, can we see some pics of the underside of the trailer?

Thanks.

 

[REZARF]

Cool Trailer-

I was thinking you could sleave the tongue and draw bar like a trailer hitch one tube that fits into another and then you could adjust long for the trail and remove it when you need to stow it.

Cool little trailer, I look forward to the build up.

Rezarf <><

 

[slickrock]

Slickrock, would you mind doing a write-up on how you put another axle on the trailer? Also, can we see some pics of the underside of the trailer?

Thanks.

I can do that. Give me some time to get the pictures and do the write-up. I can probably have it done tomorrow for you. It was real easy to do, mix of old spring perches and new stuff. I am still at the load rating for the trailer b/c of this (800 lbs plus or minus) but I don't think I will ever be over that. I might later use some spare stock springs from my cruiser and make my own hangers for them if I ever decide to really wheel it.

 

[fj40forlife]

What happen rigth here ?

 

[Living in the Past]

What happen rigth here ?

That's the stock M416 shackle. It's fine for a 1/4 ton trailer.


John

 

[Shahram]

I can do that. Give me some time to get the pictures and do the write-up. I can probably have it done tomorrow for you. It was real easy to do, mix of old spring perches and new stuff. I am still at the load rating for the trailer b/c of this (800 lbs plus or minus) but I don't think I will ever be over that. I might later use some spare stock springs from my cruiser and make my own hangers for them if I ever decide to really wheel it.

Thanks!

 

[slickrock]

You can see here how I used some dumpster dived steel to make a box that extended the spring mounting point 2.5"s. It raised the solid mounting point of the spring. I did the same to the slide end of the springs. This type of trailer does not have shackles. it has a spring that is curved back on itself that sits inside this carrier that allows it to slide forward or backwards to allow for axle movement. I'll take some pictures of that later.

 

[sine80]

cool deal dan. I like the gas tank mount. I see whats being said about rocks, dirt and junk that could be thrown to the back of your rig. if its not one thing, its the other. Ive been there, and had to deal with that factor. keep going

 

[slickrock]

OK here are some pics of the trailer axle. The first is a close up of the lift “block” I made to give me 2.5”s of clearance. I took apart the trailer’s original frame mount and welded this block on. Welds aren’t pretty as I just got my new Lincoln stick welder. But they are solid as hell.

Another angle of the lift block

Here is the shackle-less spring hanger. As you can see, it slides forward or backwards for “flex” it is held in place with a grade 8 bolt. Again trailer’s original hardware.

Longer angle of lift blocks and springs

To mount the axle, I used some ¼” (I think) flat stock and drilled a hole for the center pin and 4 holes for the u-bolts just like a normal spring plate. I then figured out the center of the axle and welded on some spring perches the same width as the frame. Just like installing any axle. Tightened down the u-bolts and it is ready to go. I do need to make some new spacers as my u-bolts are too long. I have temporary ones on it until I can get some round stock next week.

I made sure that I turned the pinion up pretty high for clearance but I made sure that I didn’t turn it up so much as to starve the gears of oil. I can actually put about twice as much oil in it.

That is about it for installing the axle. Nothing major. I am also throwing in a few pics of the carrier I made for the back of the cruiser. I used the stock carrier and welded on some 1x 1 square stock and put a foot on the driver’s side of the cross member for added support. This is a modified carrier as it was originally just for gas tanks and no tire, but now that I have the tanks on the trailer, I can put the tire back on. I need to move over one of the cooler racks cross bars to even it out and move the “o” hooks to the bottom as I had to cut it down a bit so the cooler just fits. To strap it down, I will have to do it form the bottom.

 

[slickrock]

cool deal dan. I like the gas tank mount. I see whats being said about rocks, dirt and junk that could be thrown to the back of your rig. if its not one thing, its the other. Ive been there, and had to deal with that factor. keep going

Thanks Mike, I am sure you will get to see it in action this comming spring. I am doing some extra work so lockers and steering by xmas hoepfully.

 

[slickrock]

I built a tire carrier out of an old stock FJ40 carrier and I also posted a new post about how much longer I should extend my tongue. Take a look and feedback would be good. sorry about the sudo-crosspost.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?p=1368618#post1368618

I put the carrier so far forward b/c I am going to put 33s on the trailer when I put new tires on the rig and the sapre will be a 33. I needed the room so the tires don't hit the spare.

 

[slickrock]

I took the advice on redistributing the weight around. I moved the spare tire to the rear. I will have to rethink my kitchen plans, but I think I can make it come out the front side. The weight is much better now and when I lengthen the tongue 2 feet, I should have much better weight distribution. I’ll also think of some type of mud flap for the freeway.

 

[slickrock]

and todays figiting . . . I picked up some cheapo fog lights at Harbor Freight for a few bucks and made my utility light bar. Sorry about the pictures, so much stuff going on and I am not done yet but the wife made me come inside. Lights will be hooked up to the cruiser’s toggled backup lights and they are angled out so I will have a good work area setting up camp. They swivel up and down and rotate on a 270 axis. Should be enough to see at night setting up camp or turned back onto the cruiser if I need to make trail repairs at night or jsut loading up gear. I still need to wire them up to the trailer wires but like an idiot, I cut the back lines last night putting on the tire rack so I have a date with my butane torch and some solder tonight.

I hope that the cruiser will block anything that might hit the light bar. I am thinking that it will. If not, I have it set up so that I can cut the welds and make it hinge at the bottom so I can swing it up and use it. For now, I will see how a solid mount works and it will not seem so tall after I build the storage box which will be 2.5 or 3 feet tall.

 

[slickrock]

Did some more work last night. Nothing major. I made a front foot with a 3 inch castor wheel so I can pull the trailer around and have the weight taken off my back. Nothing special, just a 1.5 x1.5 square stock that uses a bolt as a pivot point and another bolt to lock it down. It rotates up so it sits parallel to the frame so it is out of the way. I also made a foot for the rear of the trailer that adjusts up and down so I can work with the ground even if it is not flat. This has tow bolts to hold it in place, one is structural to keep it form moving around and the other holds it in place. This one keeps the trailer from falling backward. It is very balanced at this point and will fall forward or backwards with a little pressure so the legs are need when loading or working on it. I will have to see how it balanced after the storage box is made, the rooftop carrier on it, gas and water. It should be ok as long I place things equally. Sorry no pictures.

My wife told me that she would beat me if I was out in the garage for another night. So I will not be doing anything until next week. I'll post up then.

 

[slickrock]

Ok I extended the tongue and will post pics tonight It is extended something like 4.5' past the original length. It tracks really well and it is easy to back up. The weight is about perfect at this point so I will have to take that into consideration when I build the box. I think I will have to name the trailer Frankentrailer after using scraps of steel that I find, borrow, or dumpster dive for. The only two things I bought for the thing were the axle and the extended tongue. I wish I could have simply replaced the original tongue, but I would have had to cut out most of the work I have done on it and part of the frame. That was too much of a project at this point, so I had to weld the extension to the bottom of the original tongue and then box the end of the original and end of the front. Not pretty, but hey, pre tty creative for using scrap.