Malleus
Far west of Siegen
I bought a 68" x 16' tandem axle trailer from a guy who did some tree work for me years ago (both the work and the trailer). The trailer is a home built affair on a box section steel frame, with what appears to me to be non-braked mobile home axles (based on the 494 wheels, which I'm having a fit of a time trying to replace one of - I can't see paying $300 for a trailer wheel to mount on a trailer I paid $1,500 for). It has 2' stakebed sides, and ends, making it a flatbed, between axles, when necessary.
I needed it at the time I bought it, because I was doing a lot of heavy landscaping and needed the room and load capacity. It's carried 6,000-lbs, according to the scales at the dump, without any trouble. OK, the axles flexed a bit, but not permanently.
My problem with it is that the non-pressure treated, non-SYP 2x6s that it was decked with have done all they can do, and it's time to replace them. One wheel leaks constantly (it's leaking at the valve stem and nothing I've done has solved the problem, hence the motivation to look for a new[er] wheel). It has no brakes. It's really long - and I don't often need the load or cube capacity anymore.
So, I'm searching for a suitable , smaller model, to use until I either repair it or sell it. FWIW, I'd hate to lose a 16' tandem axle trailer. I'm not a packrat, but you don't need one until you need one, and then you really need one. Since I lost my F250 Super Duty, this trailer has been all I could ask for and more.
While I was making a list of materials to rebed it (why does anyone use 2x6s to bed a trailer when they could use 2x12s?), I started wondering if I could replace one axle with a 6,000-lb model with brakes and cut the 16' length in half, with a slip-in support rails section to allow me to recouple it with the rear 8' half and have the best of both worlds: A 5'x8' utility trailer for everyday use and a 5'x16' tandem axle flatbed/stakebed when I needed it. The axles on it now are at least 3,000-lb rated, based on past service, so if I couple one of them with a 6,000-lb axle, with brakes, I'd gain in the end.
This is going to be the winter project here at sunny (.93) acres. Stay tuned for all the action.
Photos to follow.
I needed it at the time I bought it, because I was doing a lot of heavy landscaping and needed the room and load capacity. It's carried 6,000-lbs, according to the scales at the dump, without any trouble. OK, the axles flexed a bit, but not permanently.
My problem with it is that the non-pressure treated, non-SYP 2x6s that it was decked with have done all they can do, and it's time to replace them. One wheel leaks constantly (it's leaking at the valve stem and nothing I've done has solved the problem, hence the motivation to look for a new[er] wheel). It has no brakes. It's really long - and I don't often need the load or cube capacity anymore.
So, I'm searching for a suitable , smaller model, to use until I either repair it or sell it. FWIW, I'd hate to lose a 16' tandem axle trailer. I'm not a packrat, but you don't need one until you need one, and then you really need one. Since I lost my F250 Super Duty, this trailer has been all I could ask for and more.
While I was making a list of materials to rebed it (why does anyone use 2x6s to bed a trailer when they could use 2x12s?), I started wondering if I could replace one axle with a 6,000-lb model with brakes and cut the 16' length in half, with a slip-in support rails section to allow me to recouple it with the rear 8' half and have the best of both worlds: A 5'x8' utility trailer for everyday use and a 5'x16' tandem axle flatbed/stakebed when I needed it. The axles on it now are at least 3,000-lb rated, based on past service, so if I couple one of them with a 6,000-lb axle, with brakes, I'd gain in the end.
This is going to be the winter project here at sunny (.93) acres. Stay tuned for all the action.
Photos to follow.
