Trailer Improvements!
-
I got up early today to start working on the trailer I bought yesterday. I started with moving the taillights from the fenders to the back of the trailer that took about an hour
Once that was done I had to re-wire it.
When I bought it all the lights worked except the right blinker. Last night I went to start troubleshooting it. I hooked it up to my car to see if I had power, and as I did that the white ground wire fell off the plug. So I decided to just get a new harness and re-wire it. That started with welding a bolt onto the frame for the ground wire. This was way harder than I thought it would be. This was try #3. The first try I overheated it and the threaded part of the bolt just fell off lol. The second I got slag on the threads and because it was a random US bolt I couldn’t fix it with my metric only tap and die set. Third time was the charm. Yes it looks like ass, I did go back and “fix”the weld so it didn’t look so buggery. I was so scared to over heat it again that I didn’t get a good bead going
Once the wiring was done, I went and got some 1x6 deck board to build the sides.
Here’s the nearly finished product. The last step will be the hardest. Making a 6’x4’ ramp on the back. I’m planing on building it out of 1” angle iron and expanded steel. The are already “female” hinge points on the trailer so I’d just have to make the “male” end to slot into them.
-
You know, this is an opportunity to install some interesting tail lights on it like these rear lights from a Ford Maverick/Pinto/Comet:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-OEM-1970-1977-Ford-Maverick-Pinto-Comet-Tail-Lights-Pair-RH-LH/124452822406?hash=item1cf9f75d86:g:blsAAOSw7AhfuqcX
-
Or better yet, these tail lights from an E21!!!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-BMW-E21-Tail-Light-Pair-Left-Right-1367507-1367778-FAST-DELIVERY/283997715972?hash=item421f953e04:g:WxIAAOSweRBfT4R4
-
Why so big of a ramp? Pick the widest tire you expect to roll up it and make two 1.25 larger. Also make sure they can be firmly linked together without creating an unusable joint that bucks tires off to one side or the other.
Besides a motorcycle or snowmobile what are you planning to load on it?
-
@nomdeplume I’d like it to be full width so that it also acts as a back side. Then I won’t have worry about stuff sliding off the back.
Old how long it’ll need to be, I haven’t really measured or even mocked anything up for that. -
@manwich I did think about getting some neat taillights. But I definitely don’t want to spend money on it.
-
@hfv So make the ramps exact width sides are tall and mount them horizontally.
Second concern is there appears to be no tie down points.
-
@hfv Store bought trailers have the oversize ramp you describe of making. I assume to minimize the angles and avoid anything high centering.
-
@nomdeplume there are some tie downs that are just bolted through the plywood.
That’s a good idea for the ramp/tail gate. -
@vincentmalamute that was what I wanted to imitate.
