Hoping to Build This Soon.

KennyP

In memory of Alice's Creator
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I am getting a set of springs and a dropped axle soon. The axle is 1.75" square solid (not tube) with a 3.5" drop, 5X4.5 bolt pattern. (Second axle from a travel trailer). Springs are 5 leaf, probably 3500 lb. I can only go 5' wide, so going with 10' long. Here's my drawing:
Screen Shot 03-18-20 at 02.26 PM.JPG
 
If I were widening that axle, I'd try to find a solid piece of the same size, weld it in, then use 2 1/2 x 1/2 plate on front and back, a foot past each butt weld, welding it in along the length only....no vertical welds.
 
If I were widening that axle, I'd try to find a solid piece of the same size, weld it in, then use 2 1/2 x 1/2 plate on front and back, a foot past each butt weld, welding it in along the length only....no vertical welds.

That 1.75 square solid would be real hard to find for me. I really wanted a 6X12, but this will have to do.
 
Nope! I hate those. I plan to put a winch on it (wireless remote). Then I won't have need to hold the back of the trailer down to load!

I always have trailer hooked up to truck when loading otherwise ya that would be a problem. My 4x9 tilting trailer has a boat winch on the front. I don't use trailer much but its occasionally handy. My neighbour built the tilting trailer years ago. Sold it to me along with a boat for $100.
 
Ya. Most of mine are 36” or a bit more or less. Some differ from front to back. My John Deere is wide at the back because of the 26x12x12 tires and wheel weights. So I put a wide back and a narrower front on side by side, some times, at the front of the trailer, or rear. Normally can get four tractors, as long as I do some figurin and depending which ones I’m takin. And have no attachments on them.

Noel
 
Ya. Most of mine are 36” or a bit more or less. Some differ from front to back. My John Deere is wide at the back because of the 26x12x12 tires and wheel weights. So I put a wide back and a narrower front on side by side, some times, at the front of the trailer, or rear. Normally can get four tractors, as long as I do some figurin and depending which ones I’m takin. And have no attachments on them.

Noel
My trailer is only 76" wide, so hard to get two next to each other!
 
Sounds like a good project. I would hold off until you found a way to widen the axle. That's a nice build plan to settle for just 5' wide.
 
If I were widening that axle, I'd try to find a solid piece of the same size, weld it in, then use 2 1/2 x 1/2 plate on front and back, a foot past each butt weld, welding it in along the length only....no vertical welds.
I'm assuming a vertical weld would weaken the axle at that point ??
 
My previous trailer was a 12' tilt bed and got along real good with it. If I didn't have the winch on the front it would stay tilted. Never had an issue loading a tractor with a deck, etc. on it. Handy man jack under the front , load one chain it to the front grab the next one and go. When it was loaded just lowered the jack. Now I have this 16 ' with the 6' fold down and seems like everything I load want to drag on the ramp as it get to the trailer. Have to carry 10' planks & blocks to off load and reload again. PITA. Wish it was a tilt bed and just may end up being one. The expanded metal on the drop down was all tore up from mowers catching. Planks are a pain to have to mess with. If I was going to the expense of making self storing ramps that $$ would go into a hinge and have something. Just my opinion on trailer options.
 
My previous trailer was a 12' tilt bed and got along real good with it. If I didn't have the winch on the front it would stay tilted. Never had an issue loading a tractor with a deck, etc. on it. Handy man jack under the front , load one chain it to the front grab the next one and go. When it was loaded just lowered the jack. Now I have this 16 ' with the 6' fold down and seems like everything I load want to drag on the ramp as it get to the trailer. Have to carry 10' planks & blocks to off load and reload again. PITA. Wish it was a tilt bed and just may end up being one. The expanded metal on the drop down was all tore up from mowers catching. Planks are a pain to have to mess with. If I was going to the expense of making self storing ramps that $$ would go into a hinge and have something. Just my opinion on trailer options.
Have you tried using the trailer jack to 'lift' the front of the trailer while loading? That would lessen the angle at the gate. Doesn't take much sometimes.
 
Have you tried using the trailer jack to 'lift' the front of the trailer while loading? That would lessen the angle at the gate. Doesn't take much sometimes.
Yes but I don't like doing that. Turns the whole trailer loose - no parking brakes on it. I just watch where I park as much as I can and try to make sure the ground at the end of the drop down is high enough to clear the hinge point. Back wheels of the truck higher than the trailer wheels helps too.
 
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