In reply to ClemSparks :
Our driveway has a break to the angle part way up, that conveniently works for loading/unloading, but I also drove the back of the van onto 2x6's. That put the trailer & 4' ramps at the exact same angle, so there were no problems driving off.
The back of the van is actually a bit lower than modern pickups, so rather than using my drop hitch I normally use my straight 3-in-1 combo one. I flipped the ball over on the drop hitch though to raise the tongue a couple more inches & tossed the boards in the trailer, so hopefully that'll solve my problems.
I quickly tried sliding one ramp into the slot on the trailer, but it stopped after about 3'. I didn't check to see if it's possible for it to go any further(too damn hot) but if I can get the angle pretty straight for unloading I can probably get by with shorter ramps.
In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
Did you ever price out what it would cost you to weld up your own trailer? Now I'm a world class cheapskate. My first trailer cost me $35. The Jaguar on there weighed 2750#'s plus whatever tools and spares. I towed it up and down California and then finally home to Wisconsin But I did blow out an old recapped tire near the Salt flats at slightly over 100 indicated. It cost me $25! To straighten out the bent rim and put a new used recap back on. Later ones were lower , easier to load but they are fast and easy to make ( Used a stick welder ). No suspension. Lasted 4 years. And went with the race car.
In reply to frenchyd :
If I had to buy steel new? I doubt I'd have saved much. Plus, while I now have a good welder, I've never used anything more than my crappy old HF flux one, and that's been years ago. So it would take me at least a couple weeks of practice before I could really start building. I certainly considered it though, just to be able to get exactly what I (think I) wanted.
Considering one main reason for the trailer is hurricane evacuation & the higher than normal odds of needing to evacuate this season, getting something sooner rather than later seemed tike the right thing to do. Not to mention the DSM that's still torn apart in the garage & the 10-12 hour days I've been working the past few weeks...
You are absolutely correct and I apologize. Your situation was different. Your priorities were different.
I was ( and am ) a self confident person who can do something for the very first time without fear. Build a trailer with no plans out of junk? Sure!
Normal people don't do that. So yes I'm a wacko. Did I tell you the very first time I flew a plane was the first day of Navy flight school? Not normal.
Landing on a rolling bouncing carrier deck in a storm? No big deal
Design and build my own home in a way no one else ever has. Yep!
Oh, did I tell you I flunked wood shop?
Took a piece of 30 year old junk and went racing against a world champion driver Stirling Moss driving the factory sponsored Aston Martin DBR2 and I won !!!!! ( once) yeh, he beat me for the week but I finished 2nd
So I'm short sighted. I failed to see the problems, priorities you had and problems you faced. I sincerely apologize.
In reply to frenchyd :
No apology required! I designed & installed a septic system in 10-days without any prior knowledge or experience 16-years ago - so I totally get it. However, I've also come to the realization that my actual capacity to complete a project falls way short of what I'll actually accomplish the older I get.
That's why I have no firm plan to do anything cosmetic to this trailer. I'm just replacing the wheels/tires/bearings to get it roadworthy ASAP, and hopefully can investigate the brakes while it's apart & determine a plan to get them working in the future.
just because I hate turning my head sideways...
also, $35 in 1965 is ~$300 in 2020 dollars. I assume your trailer used some kind of truck axle, frenchy?
I think you did ok Pete. good luck with it.
In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :
Thank you! can you tell me how to turn a picture?
But no axle. The spindle is welded to the frame rail. Suspension was tire flex. Works fine up to 100mph. blew a recapped tire slightly over that. Slowed down without drama. ( isn't that what the salt flats are for)?
I didn't start using axles until the 1980's
Worked fine. Whatever car I was towing with I'd go to the junkyard and buy the front wheels, hubs brakes etc and tire from a similar wreck. That way I only needed one spare. I'd also grab the master cylinder and make a surge brake.
In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
Most of what I welded I stick welded from a Sears welder. I'd just turn up the heat to nuclear and to heck with cleaning rust and paint. It'd cook off those and I'd knock off the slag which held the remnants.
No my welds weren't the works of art some guys produced but I always seemed to get great penetration and can't remember ever having a weld break on me. In the late 70's I pulled my unsprung trailer behind my 2 ton truck loaded with the BlackJack through Chicago's pothole covered freeways We'd bounce so badly from the rough roads we spent 1/2 of the time airborne. To and from Atlanta a few times and the worst that happened to that trailer made from scrap metal was a taillight bracket broke off. Just snapped off from flexing back and forth. ( bolted on not welded )
I understand how slow progress is as you age. Climbing up the scaffolding a few times just wears me out and I need to take a midday rest I'm 72 and it's really getting to me. 
frenchyd said:
In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :
Thank you! can you tell me how to turn a picture?
I sent you a DM, I figure it's easier to figure that out there
Question for the hive - the trailer has this odd hitch type that I'm not familiar with. Neither my padlock nor a regular hitch pin will fit all the way through the hole to hold the latched hitch in place. I presume someone makes a lock specifically for this type of hitch, but I don't know what it's called to search for one?
We have that on the Missuseses' horse trailer. She just uses an extra long hitch pin. I'll go get a photo and post it momentarily.
See, right here on the red horse trailer:
Sorry...I was horsing around with the quadcopterdronecamerathing.
I have that hitch on my utility trailer. They seem a lot more secure. No wondering if the ball is under the lock... just watch your fingers when you close it! I agree with previous poster it's just a long standard hitch pin. Should have it at tractor supply or your local at store.
NYN
In reply to ClemSparks & New York Nick :
Do either of you know if they make locks that will work with this kind of hitch though? I have one that goes in the hitch when the trailer is parked, but I'd like to be able to lock it to the van's hitch too if I'm parked somewhere overnight
In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
I've never locked mine but I would think a long hasp pad lock would fit.
So I learned something today(that I'm guessing most trailer owners learned long ago) - trailers are apparently way more standardized than I ever realized. I was searching around trying to find the correct size inner/outer bearings & seals, and the guy at Advance walks over, grabs a "boat trailer bearing kit" and for ~$24 it has both bearings & races, seal, and cotter pin.
So I bought an extra one to keep in the trailer as a spare, and replaced 3 on the trailer - the LF has a new hub/bearings & the grease still looked fresh, so I just repacked it.
It was too dark to get a pic, but I may need to move the fenders out about an inch for tire clearance.
I also haven't used a lock on that type of coupler. I remember an employer long ago had a type of lock that was like a boot for the coupler (filled the spot where the ball would go) to effectively keep some ne'er do well from being able to hitch up.
Because I'm a cheap SoB I've used a double nutted bolt as a lock for a long time. Just keep two wrenches in the truck. Was recently gifted a lock. Seems I always misplace the key.
That hitch brand/style is called a Bulldog Hitch. One of the strongest. just the hitch is over $100 new! I can recommend a lock, but its a plate/cage that goes over the whole hitch and holds the chains, also, so they cant just chain the tongue to their truck bumper. unfortunately, is quite pricey!
I saw a lock at O'Riley's yesterday that may work - it's slim enough for the hole, but I need to measure & make sure it's long enough.
I made some progress today & I'm calling it ready-to-go(for now).
As I mentioned above I may need to pull the fenders out a bit.
The new tires are a little bit taller, but I think it'll be fine hauling the Miata as-is. Speaking of the Miata, when jacking the trailer on/off the stands it feels lighter than the Miata. Granted, at least 1/3 of the weight was on the other side's wheels & tongue, but I think it's lighter than a full wood-deck trailer.
Next I spent some time cleaning & organizing the box. I also discovered the winch works, which surprised me.
I zip-tied the winch controls to the back wall so they won't get smashed by the ramps. I'm going to extend the battery leads so I can run them down through the floor, forward to the corner where the battery mount is, & back up.
Also, I had an idea - is there any reason I couldn't run the 12v wire from my 7-pin plug to the winch battery so it'll charge whenever I'm towing?
Lastly I used the old wood ramps from my 5x8 enclosed trailer to help fill the gaps along the rear of this trailer so I can load the mower on it without fear of falling through the middle.
On fender width:
When I redid my blue car hauler I went to great effort and expense to order fenders that were a little wider. They are standard fenders, but not THE standard that most trailers use (so had to special order through, I think, Redneck Trailer Supply).
I wanted full coverage of my tires (which is what I think you are going for.
After getting it all together it kind of hit me...it's not bad to have the tires stick out a little when manuevering around in tight spots. having a tire sidewall rub the bumper of a scrap hulk in a yard is better than tearing up your fenders.
Take that for what it's worth...but in retrospect, I wouldn't be so concerned if my tires stuck out like your are (and they did...before I refendered).
I tend to dwell on details and then sometimes I find I was dwelling on the wrong one ;)
In reply to ClemSparks :
I was more concerned about the fender lip damaging the tires when loaded and/or over bumps?
I'm thinking of just moving these fenders out about an inch. They're only welded about 1" in 2 spots front & rear - they're not welded along the inside at all. I could also use the opportunity to hinge the driver's side fender so I can actually get out of the car too.
Ah...I wasn't thinking about that. Probably because my trailer doesn't have enough suspension travel potential for that to be much of a concern.
If you have an opportunity to hinge one I'm guessing that would be pretty cool.
That's awesome that the winch works, by the way. Your plan on winch battery charging sounds good. Some trailers use the running light / taillight circuit to charge a battery or run 12V accessories. That might be advantageous if you leave the trailer connected for longer periods and don't want to run down your starting battery accidentally. (Of course there are isolators but those are kind of expensive if you haven't decided you NEED one.)
In reply to ClemSparks :
Good to know charging it off the tow vehicle could work. The battery I currently have is one I bought to replace the (presumably)dead one in my HF jump-pack/compressor, only to find out the unit was junk. In other words it's not a big battery, but I'm hoping it's powerful enough to pull a car up at least once before needing recharged.
