TractorByNet.com - Trailers & Transportation

Refurbishing the Trailer

Egon — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:40:41 GMT

My good old trailer had served me well but was getting aged. Rust was prevalent, the floor boars were rotting out at the ends, a axle was bent and the ugly box was deteriorating.:(

So, on to getting it back in shape. First the ugly overweight box was pulled off. Then the floorboards followed. These were a pain as the self tapping screws would not come out. Had to break them off with the floor boards or pry bar.

Now we have the bare frame and the real work begins. Probably 70 or so hours with a needle scaler and air hammer removing rust. It may have gone faster with a bigger air compressor. Angle grinder and wire brush for a few more hours. Wore out one Makita angle grinder.:( Caught the wiring and wrapped it up with the grinder so much of it had to be rewired. [connections all soldered and heat shrink wrapped] Still picking wire out of myself and clothing.:(

Took it to a shop and had new fenders, a new hitch and ramp holders welded on.:D

Then the finishing part. A coat of Dairy product line cleaner, wire brush it off and do some more scaling. Another coat and wire brush followed with a coat that stayed on. Two coats of Rustoleum Paint, three in some places and then sprayed the under parts with an acrylic driveway sealer. the sealer went on easy, looked good for several days and the flacked off easy. So, back to the messy roofing tar and Varsol mix and two coats sprayed on. Four coats on the fender bottoms.

All this rust removal and painting took place in +35C weather out in the direct sun. In an eight hour day I'd lose about five to eight pounds.

Next cut the pressure treated 2x8 spruce floor boards to fit, then slathered more roofing tar on the cross channels, ends and the ends of the boards, drilled holes and bolted down the floor. Added double row of boards where the tires run.

All done and passed inspection. Now to build a tool box and side add side boards.:D:D

Having problems transfering pictures:confused:

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Need Tie Down Advice

scolba — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:10:25 GMT

Hey Guys,

Been lurking here for a while, and figured it was time I register!

I am going to be moving a tractor for a buddy tomorrow, and while I drag a lot of stuff around (cars, trucks, the occasional skid steer, and various other heavy things), this will be my first tractor. It will most DEFINITELY not be the last one, though!

To start, I am towing with a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 QC, 4x4, with a CTD. The trailer has a 7500 lb max payload and stake pockets about every foot. The tractor is a 1954ish Farmall Super M. The info that I can find says its 5600lbs. Attached is a pic of it....I'll be using 5/16th chain, 2 on the front (hopefully) and 2 on the rear.

So...the rear, I don't really have a problem with. I'll X the chains to either side of the axle and sinch her down. But the front is whats giving me a headache. I had considered looping the chain over the frame rails just behind the front sheet metal, but only if there is a crossmember to keep the chains from damaging the nose. If there isn't....well...then I'm stuck. Is it ok to go through the tires? maybe one on each tire? Im a little hesitant to do that, since that whole assembly pivots for steering, and I really don't want to jack it up.

So yeah...any advice is welcome!

Thanks guys!
Scott

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Silent Armors or Dura Trak

Code54 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:11:27 GMT

Im in the market for a new set of tires for my 07 double cab Tundra long bed. The stock tires lasted about 18000 miles and now I need something new for winter. I was looking at the Duratrak and Wrangler Silent Armors - both by Goodyear. I am mainly on road, some dirt/gravel road and want something good for rain and snow. Anyone have these tires and if so what do you like/dislike about them?
Thanks

loading a bobcat for transport

/pine — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:48:12 GMT

What tires do you prefer on a big truck?

HCJ — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:33:13 GMT

I will soon be in the market for tires for my 06 F 350 SRW, 4 WD. Size is 275/65-20. Looks like its either Michelin LTX A/T II, or Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 2, Dunlop Rover MT, or several versions of the Goodyear Wranglers. BF Goodrich does not make this size, so I would have to go up one size if I choose that brand. Like most, I uses it mainly on the highway, but as this is my hunting and towing rig, I need traction off road as I use it frequently on muddy roads. Not serious 4 wheeling, just getting around the dirt roads on my property, which can be pretty slick. As this is not an everyday driver, I don't need the finest long distance road tire, as this truck is not my primary vehicle. I always have been partial to Michelin, since their headquarters is in my city, and I like to support them. But the Michelin is the least aggressive thread, and I worry about its performance off road. It is also the most expensive. Any of you have experience with any of these or have an opinion? Thanks.

Oasis report??

HCJ — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:08:58 GMT

I have read about running an Oasis report on a used Ford truck to see what warranty work has been done on it. Does anyone know anything about these and if so, how does one go about obtaining a report on a specific VIN #? I am the gambler who just bought a '06 F 350 diesel, despite warnings and tales of gloom. I hope I am lucky on this one, or I am going to have to listen to lots of "told you so". Seriously, it would be nice to know my vehicle's history and if any of the common breakdowns occurred in the past.

Triton 16' Tandem.........

Scotty370 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:00:42 GMT

.... flat bed, full aluminum w/alum track plates and wood deck, five years old, with fold down (alum) ramps, stake pockets for future sides, electric brake on both axels, good rubber, very light use, looks like new, $2200-.
How'd I do? The thing I hate about trailers, is that: When you need 'em, ya needed 'em, but they sit 90% of their lives! Now with three tractors, I hate asking to borrow....! Now a question: I'm unfamiliar with elec brakes, (I'm use to surge) Do I need a controller box in the tow vehicle?!?? Yes/ no! If so, is this easily exchanged between vehicles? I've got a 2002 Grand Cherokee, son has a newer F-150, both V-8's. Any other advise w/ a 850# (unloaded weight trailer) with my JD4200 with backhoe! Thanks in advance! ~Scotty

Preferred gas engines for 1 ton pickups

flusher — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:26:55 GMT

I've been getting advice in threads I've started in this forum ( and by reading other threads here) to check out gas engine powered 1T PUs for my needs (pull a 10K GN flatbed trailer, less than 5K miles per year). So far I've been looking at older 1999-02 one ton diesel-powered PUs.

People tell me that since my annual mileage is so low, gas powered one tons are a better bet (diesels have to be run frequently and hard, diesel repairs are more expensive, etc). And since my trailer load is not that great, the torque advantage of the diesel is not that important. And since my annual mileage is so low, the fuel mileage advantage of the diesel compared to the gasser is also not that important.

So, which gas engines should I consider? I'm completely open to suggestions for any brand of 1T PU.

U-Haul 4-flat harness in my Jeep doesn't work

TomOfTarsus — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:38:09 GMT

Hi y'all!

I have gone through the purgatorial suffering of chasing all the gremlins out of my trailer wiring. It's a simple, no-brakes trailer with a 4-wire configuration. About a year ago, I had the local U-Haul outfit wire in a connector so I could pull the thing behind my Jeep, a 1999 Grand Cherokee 4wd, 4.0L straight six model.

I have no power on said harness. BTW, before starting this thread I've searched here and on the Jeeps unlimited forum, where I've also posted and asked for help. On that forum, someone said that the U-Haul harness is not simply a matter of hooking into the tail light/brake light/turn signal circuits, say, right at the light assemblies; instead, there is some kind of a box that may have burned out, particularly if I had a short in my trailer wiring, which does seem to be the case (tail light - brown- shorted to ground). That thread has gone nowhere, but it said before I revived it that this box was cheap to buy and relatively easy to replace.

Since it is a royal pain for me to get the thing to the U-Haul dealer, I was wondering if anyone here might know where the box might be and how to get it, and then where to buy the new one?

Thanks, I sure appreciate it. Keep your wheels down and your ROPS up!

Tom

Can't load my tractor!

Jay4200 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:41:23 GMT

I got a 16' 10k Hudson (non-beavertail) trailer with my used tractor ~4 years ago. Its a really nice trailer, but evidently the previous owner made a poor choice when he decided on this particular trailer model. The problem is that my tractor's backhoe frame (Kubota L4200 w/ 9' Woods backhoe) hangs low and sticks out several feet behind the tractor. The BH frame hits the ground long before the tractor can make the top of the trailer. When I originally brought the tractor home, I had to drag it off of the trailer with the backhoe, and never loaded it again. Now I have to move the tractor to a new house, so I spent all day yesterday trying to figure out a system...but failed.

I built ~5' long sub-ramps (3 stacked 2x planks) that lie on the ground behind the trailer ramps, to lift the rear tires just before the BH frame hits - which almost worked, but the frame was still low enough that it ended up hitting the sub-ramps way before the rear wheels hit the trailer ramps. I could possibly add more planks to the sub-ramps to gain additional clearance, but I don't want to go much higher primarily due to the weight as I want to keep them attached together - I'm not driving up a pile of loose planks.

I can probably put on a higher hitch, which will drop the rear end of the trailer somewhat, which would obviously help. The back of the trailer is up pretty high (close to 2') and the ramp stops are at least 6-8" off of the ground when the ramps are flopped down.

Another option (which I almost tried but chickened out) is to unhook the trailer from my truck, then drive the tractor onto the trailer. The front of the trailer would fly up in the air, the back would drop onto the ramp stops. I could probably drive the tractor right on that way, or maybe still need my sub-ramps, but I think it would probably work. I don't know how violent the dropping of the front end would be once I drove up enough to make the trailer tip, or (possibly even worse) what would happen once I pulled back off the trailer ramps when it falls back down empty. Seemed like something that would end badly, so that's why I chickened out.

I'm open for ideas.

JayC

Trailer wiring help

Robert F. — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:29:01 GMT

Hi Folks,
I have just bought an equipment trailer and am trying to get all the electricals to function. It is a 2006 Hudson trailer with what appears to be good wiring. The former owner said that everything worked fine. It has a 6 prong plug. My towing vehicle is a 2003 GMC 1500 with towing package and a 7 blade RV type plug. I bought an adapter to convert from the 6 to the 7. Everything seems to work fine as far as lights are concerned. When I plug in the trailer, the brake controller tells me that the trailer is disconnected. All functions work on the truck end except the contact on the truck plug that is for battery does not light my test light. When would this contact have power to it? Should it be live all the time or only at certain times? I have not tried the brakes yet since the brake controller gives me this error message. Thanks in advance for any help.
Bob

Maiden pull with my new to me trailer

joecdeere — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:23:19 GMT

This was my first pull with my Allis Cane tractor to our local show Saturday.
A little over 7,000 of tractor and 3,500 of trailer, my 15 year old truck pulled and stopped it well, but this load will only go to very local shows. With my other tractors it has been a BIG improvement over my bumper pull trailer. Just my opinion, but anybody buying or building a trailer without a 8-10,000 lb winch or hydraulic ramps is crazy. I hurt my back on a ramp several years ago, and now just pushing a button and watching them rise is worth every dime and will be more so as I get older.

Big Tex 70 PI where is the VIN stamped?

nickel plate — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:09:56 GMT

Just bought it (2006) from the original owner. Where is the VIN stamped on the trailer? Please give me a heads up on this before I engage the California DMV on Monday. No problem with the paper work.

My Trailer ....Stolen by Low Lifes

brin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:21:49 GMT

Someone stole my trailer ..Our property is on a corner of two roads and the trailer was parked 50 ft. off the road along a line of woods between my son's house and mine, so someone had to actually come onto the property and hook it up and off they went..6' X 12' Landscape Trailer with all mesh and mesh ramp. I just had put new tires on it for them too.

Now I post this just to give a heads up...Things I did not do and shoulda, woulda & coulda... I should have had it chained to a tree, I should have had it parked where it was not visible at all from the road, I should have had a lock on the hitch coupler...so I had gotten into a comfort zone and never had a problem and I suppose things are changing so keep your trailers and for that matter all equipment secure. I doubt I'll ever get it back..they will no doubt ditch the plates and grind off the serial No. and repaint it - at least that is what the sheriffs deputy told me..BEWARE !

Help me decide on F 350 please!!!

HCJ — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:58:48 GMT

I was not really shopping for a truck but ran across a 06 F 350 (SRW) Lariat 4 WD diesel with 175,000 miles. I will trade my '96 F 250 4 WD (195,000 mi). I use it primarily for hunting, so not an everyday driver. I do tow a gooseneck pulling a 8,000 lb Kubota M 6800 and implements, which probably is close to the limit for my old truck. I tow this 3 or 4 times a year, never more then 75 miles. I can do this deal for $12,500 after trade. Advantages are getting a 10 year newer truck, much nicer interior, etc. My questions are: is this F350 superior to my old 250 for towing this gooseneck (total trailer weight is probably 13,000 loader). What is your opinion of this 06 F 350? It apears to be in excellent condition, is a one owner, drives much better than my old one. My justification would that a 10 year newer truck would be less likely to have issues. I just spent $1800 on a tranny rebuild, but never had any engine work done. My interior is beginning to look pretty rough, as it was not great when I bought it 3 years ago. I fear that with a '96, those minor repairs that cost $500 to $1000 are beginning to happen. This seems like a pretty good deal. On, the new one has 4 doors whereas my old one is the 2 door version with a back seat.