My long trailer build

[dlbrunner]

OK- Early this year I bought a wrecked 89 Toyota pickup, my plan was to find a truck with a decent bed, frame and rear axle. I found this rollover on craigslist:


my plan is to build a utility trailer for house projects and just to keep large and dirty stuff out of the back of the 4-runner. The trailer should also serve double duty as a camping trailer too. I chose the toyota chassis because I thought I could keep the rear axle in place, and utilize the spare tires. the axle "could" serve as a parts source in case anything fails on my truck. A snag- apparantly you cant pull a trailer with a differential in the axle. So.... I will have to find a 6 lug trailer axle to swap in. At the end of the day it is all good because I now have a front and rear toyota axle in the yard for a down the road project.

The bed is a little rough, but I am not complaining, the proceeds from selling parts has already paid for the wreck.

Shortly after I dragged the carcass home, I started to dismantle, this is where the project sits now:


I am at a little bit of a standstill currently, I need to load the chassis on a dolley and tow it down to the welder to have the tounge put on. I plan to put a 2" reciever on the trailer tounge so I have the option to use a ball hitch. I plan to get a lock and roll hitch for when camping.

Before I move the trailer I need to install a transmission in my truck, currently I am running without first gear and I don't want to tow without it. Once the weather cools a little more I'll get the tranny in and haul this puppy to the welder.

I plan on reinstalling the gas tank so I will have 18 additional gallons + the 16 in the runner, so 34 gallons total. That should get me close to 500 miles cruising range.

[cyclic]

Who told you that you can't have a regular axle there? I've seen it done plenty of times. Hell, just how would you tow a regular vehicle like a jeep behind a RV? Most just put the transfer case in neutral. No different than a drive axle with no drive shaft.

I'd simply take that frame, cut it, then bend the frame rails in to form the tonge for the trailer. Have fun. Place a wedge style trailer box on it. Make/buy a tank for water storage, and place it under the front of the bed. Lots of room there. Save the rims and tires for spares.

[dlbrunner]

From the small amount of research I have done I found that to register the trailer as a "home built". It will have to be inspected.

In AZ they follow California rules as far as custom trailers, thats what the AZDMV says. The CA rule does not allow a diff in a trailer axle. with a regular vehicle, the diff is still connected to the drivetrain via the drive shaft.

You do see a lot of pickup bed trailers with a diff still there, but they were probably built some years ago and have permanent tags or were grandfathered in.

Heck I will probably take it down to DMV after I get the tounge on and see if it will fly, but I am anticipating getting rejected due to the diff. I may get lucky, who knows.

When you look at the diff, it is a big lump of metal that may hang up in certain situations, and the axle plus diff is proably a good 100#s heavier than a similarly rated trailer axle.

I plan on putting a tounge box on, provisions for water etc... I even thought a camper shell would be cool

As for wheels and tires, I have a total of 9 factory toyota rims, so not only are my wheels interchangeble they all match.. BLING!!

[Willman]

Great idea for a trailer!

I have seen many home build trailers around here in Ut that people use for hauling trash etc.....

It would be cool to take a DC bed and make a trailer out of it!!!!!

[FortyMileDesert]

You can buy a BRAND NEW eight foot utility trailer for about $700.

Comes with lights, wiring, ball hitch, new wheels and tires, steel side rails, already certified and approved in your state - - -

[CYi5]

That is exactly what I would like to do eventually. I hadn't thought of the extra fuel idea, more just for general use trailer. I'd like to get a front end collision tacoma with a 6 ft. bed, however, and then move my canback onto the trailer.

[dlbrunner]

You can buy a BRAND NEW eight foot utility trailer for about $700.

Comes with lights, wiring, ball hitch, new wheels and tires, steel side rails, already certified and approved in your state - - -

Where is the fun in that?!?!?! I got to dismantle a car in my front yard like a chop shop, part of the fun for me is tinkering.

I looked at a few utility trailers in that price range and they looked cheesy, all bolt together with little wheels. If you have a link to what you are talking about I will check it out.

This trailer must be able to run at least a 2.5 rated trail. Also I want the option to change the tow point. ie use Pintle or Locknroll or ball style. And check the first post, I initially wanted interchangeable parts for emergency field repairs etc...

And the bottom line, After I parted the truck out, I made up the cost of the wreck. The only out of pocket costs will be the hitch parts. Wiring for the taillights is there, spare is mounted underneath. Gas tank will be mounted. I will be able to get this puppy on the road for less than $300

Plus I get some flexibility, I could pull the bed and fab a flat bed.

Also I would cry a lot less if I trash a free toyota bed on the trail vs trashing a new utility trailer.

Forty mile Desert:
Where did you get the "Trans Nevada Trail Boss" Name from. My friend and I coined "Trans Nevada Trek" in 1997 for a trip we did trying to cross NV from Cali to UT without hitting pavement. We scouted the first half of the trip in 97 (turned back after Midas,). I missed the next two years, but in 98 I had to pick the guys up outside of Gabbs, they busted a tie rod on the Cruiser they were in. They took the nothern route to wendover then dropped south of the 50 for the return journey, like I said, they made it to gabbs then disaster struck. I also heard Tad Dunbar and some other dude tried the same trip in a hummer, but had a tough go of it.
I have never seen the phrase outside of the group of guys I rolled with up there. just curious

[highlandercj-7]

There is no reason not to run the toy axle, I do so in my cj trailer for the spare parts factor. With Toy axles it's even easier to trail fix, you blow the ring gear and you can swap the entire 3rd member in no time. Just make sure they are the same ratio. If your 30 miles out in the back country and break I'd rather leave the trailer out there and fetch parts for it than the Jeep and have to walk out. I have hauled 1250 LBS of trash off the trails, durning trail cleans and it never gave me any troubles with the diff hanging down.

If johny law forces you to buy a 6 lug trailer axle, they are available every where.

[archtimb]

I looked at a few utility trailers in that price range and they looked cheesy, all bolt together with little wheels.

Agreed! A little life story; I had a fellow work for me some years back. He bought one of those bolt together trailers when he decided to move his family back to Alaska from PA. I believe they got about 500 miles into the trip when it imploded. They had to sell everything on the trailer that would not fit in the car and continue on.

This was on the paved road. Imagine how long it might last on a dirt road. Disclaimer: I never saw what they had on the trailer or how it was loaded, so take it with a grain of salt.

I thought of this story the other day when I was behind a seriously overloaded trailer. The poor thing had splayed tires from all the stuff piled on it. I backed off when I noticed it was a bolt together!

Mitch

[ntsqd]

A friend & I built a trailer from a full size pick-up bed. Well, actually it was 3 pick-up beds (2 had Sawzall Accidents), but that's another story. I call it the C.U.T., Cheep Utility Trailer.

It's possible that the CA-DMV gal looked under the CUT at the axle during the registration process, but I doubt it. She didn't even ask if the lights worked, much less ask for a demo of them working.

Downside to keeping the whole diff in there (or at least the R&P) is that it will be some parasitic loss.

When the CUT was built my idea was that it might be taken to Baja so I wanted to make sure that it would also make it home. We used the stub spindles & wheel hubs from a junk Dana 60 to build the axle.