More than 20 years ago I built a small trailer to haul lawn mowers on. Just built it out of stuff I had laying around. The axle is a 3500 LBS one out of a rusted out stock trailer. The tongue was part of a shipping bracket that a MoCo came in. The angle iron came out of an old factory that was being torn down. I got several loads of steel from the wrecking guy. The floor was some 1 inch oak left over from building some fence. The fenders came off an old boat trailer my brother scrapped. I think the paint and ball hitch was the only things I bought at that time.
The trailer served its purpose for a lot of years but it had things that where not handy. I did not put any tie downs on it. I figured you could tie to the top rail. That did not work well as it would pull in with a ratchet strap. I just used two wooden ramps to load things. Not the best either. The I inch floor was getting thin and rotten. The youngest boy loaded a motorcycle and broke a board.
So the improvements I wanted:
1) Tie down points. Wanted to be able to tie anything anyway.
2) A fold down tail. Heavy enought that a motorcycle or heavy mower loaded safely.
3) Heavier floor.
4) A winch to help loading non-running mowers with and to tie down with too.
5) Lights and license. Never bothered as the old trailer started out just going between two farms that where a mile apart. Over the years it got pulled all over the place.
So here is the finished project.
The ramp is five foot long rather than the four most of the boughten trailers are around here. Used 1 1/2 tubing over the angle iron the boughten trailers mostly have.
There are 7 tie rings on each side and four on the front. The boys laughed when they saw all of the ones I made and put on the trailer. I made them out of 5/8 bar stock and tempered them so they will not bend easy. The opening is 4 inches wide and 3 inches tall. A 2x4 will slide through them easy. Stop board??? They ended up that size as I have a jig made to make that size. I used 3/4 and 1 inch bar to make tie downs for heavy trailers.
Installed a new boat strap winch. I have not used a strap style winch before but like the fact that you do not have a cable to fool with. It is rated at 1200 lbs. which should pull any dead lawn mower up the ramps.
The ramp bars do double duty. The act as drop legs too. The one grandson had a little light S-10 pickup. He will use it a lot. His little truck rares up when loading easily. These legs should stop that. If they have load on them after you are loaded you can just pull ahead and they will come loose.
I did floor it with treated 2 inch lumber. It is much stronger than the old floor was. Should last well too if it has to set out some.
Well there it is completed with new paint and ready to go.
The trailer served its purpose for a lot of years but it had things that where not handy. I did not put any tie downs on it. I figured you could tie to the top rail. That did not work well as it would pull in with a ratchet strap. I just used two wooden ramps to load things. Not the best either. The I inch floor was getting thin and rotten. The youngest boy loaded a motorcycle and broke a board.
So the improvements I wanted:
1) Tie down points. Wanted to be able to tie anything anyway.
2) A fold down tail. Heavy enought that a motorcycle or heavy mower loaded safely.
3) Heavier floor.
4) A winch to help loading non-running mowers with and to tie down with too.
5) Lights and license. Never bothered as the old trailer started out just going between two farms that where a mile apart. Over the years it got pulled all over the place.
So here is the finished project.
The ramp is five foot long rather than the four most of the boughten trailers are around here. Used 1 1/2 tubing over the angle iron the boughten trailers mostly have.
There are 7 tie rings on each side and four on the front. The boys laughed when they saw all of the ones I made and put on the trailer. I made them out of 5/8 bar stock and tempered them so they will not bend easy. The opening is 4 inches wide and 3 inches tall. A 2x4 will slide through them easy. Stop board??? They ended up that size as I have a jig made to make that size. I used 3/4 and 1 inch bar to make tie downs for heavy trailers.
Installed a new boat strap winch. I have not used a strap style winch before but like the fact that you do not have a cable to fool with. It is rated at 1200 lbs. which should pull any dead lawn mower up the ramps.
The ramp bars do double duty. The act as drop legs too. The one grandson had a little light S-10 pickup. He will use it a lot. His little truck rares up when loading easily. These legs should stop that. If they have load on them after you are loaded you can just pull ahead and they will come loose.
I did floor it with treated 2 inch lumber. It is much stronger than the old floor was. Should last well too if it has to set out some.
Well there it is completed with new paint and ready to go.
