Making a trailer lighter

[John Fitzgerald]

I have an old PJ 5x12 single axle with side rails capped with expanded metal, and expanded metal covered tailgate ramp. It has a 2x6 board floor that will soon need replacement. I need ideas on flooring that will significantly lighten the trailer. It's so heavy that it is a pain to move by hand.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Well it's your trailer and you can do as you like, but there's no way in h*ll I'd put a lighter weight floor on my trailer. I guess it depends on what you use it for. I put a lot of weight on my wood floor decking.

I guess you could tear off all the 2x6 and put down 1/4" sheet plywood? Maybe you could haul bicycles on it?

:laughing:

How about getting a trailer dolly to help move it around with?

6 lb. Heavy Duty Trailer Dolly

 

[Deere Dude]

I had a 8x12 tandem axle with 6k axles and used 3x4 CDX plywood and painted to match. I used it for hauling dirt, 1200# garden tractor, logs or anything else I had. The cross members were a foot apart if I recall. I used it that way for 40 years and had to replace the plywood once or twice. It worked fine.

I used plywood for ease of use and not to save weight, but I am sure it was lighter. When I sold it to a farmer for his bobcat hauling he understood plywood was not meant for heavy single pressure points and needed 2/8s or whatever else that was heavy duty.

It all depends what you are going to haul.

I also have a 5.5x10' two wheel trailer with 2x8s for wood. It is heavy to maneuver around. What I did with that was bought a Harbor Freight item #69779 1500# capacity swing back dolly. Mount it to the hitch and when you unhook it from the truck you can just push the trailer around because the hitch is on wheels.

 

[LD1]

Yea, I guess the real question is what are you hauling?

And why are you moving it by hand? Get a trailer mover for one of your tractors

 

[John Fitzgerald]

Yea, I guess the real question is what are you hauling?

And why are you moving it by hand? Get a trailer mover for one of your tractors

I can move it with the tractor. I have two sheds. The re-built shed the tractor stays in, and an old enclosed dirt floored pole barn the trailer stays in. Trailer stayed outside for 15 years at the old place, until 2013, much better keeping it inside now.

The pole barn is slightly uphill and I can't quite push the trailer inside with my trailer dolly. I have a clamp on hitch for my tractor bucket, but it's kind of a hassle to get the tractor out and put the hitch on every time I use the trailer. I have another place I mow about every two weeks that requires me to haul a riding lawnmower.

When I got the tractor about 15 months ago I hauled it on this trailer, but it is marginal for my tractor and I probably won't haul it on that trailer again. Better to borrow or rent an adequate trailer if I ever have to move the tractor more than a mile or two.

There is a truck trailer rebuilder not too far away. I may see if I can get some of the bamboo trailer flooring they use, if not too expensive, or maybe use cedar 2x6, or just go with untreated pine since I now keep the trailer under cover. Treated yellow pine we get around here is very heavy and usually bowed.

There's not much side clearance for the trailer in the barn and hard to see to back it with the truck topper on.

 

[LD1]

If all you are hauling is a mower, maybe only put boards down where the wheels go?

How far apart are your supports? If close enough....baybe 5/4 deck boards will shed some weight.

Going to non-treated lumber isnt gonna save much weight. Sure, the PT boards are heavier when new, but once dried....they arent any appreciable difference at all. Other than most treated is SYP and it is a tad heavier than average untreated SPF boards

 

[timswi]

I don't know what the roads are like in your area but making it too light could cause it to want to bounce around. Trade-off I suppose.

 

[Deere Dude]

and an old enclosed dirt floored pole barn the trailer stays in.

Trailer stayed outside for 15 years at the old place, until 2013,

The pole barn is slightly uphill

I have another place I mow about every two weeks that requires me to haul a riding lawnmower.

There's not much side clearance for the trailer in the barn and hard to see to back it with the truck topper on.

I would consider just leaving it outside like you used to do. Sometimes putting stuff away is just not worth the hassle. It is nice storing it correctly but a pain in the rear end to do it often.

 

[Ritothebull]

I had a small trailer that I used mostly to haul motorcycles and to lighten it up I replaced the old 2x6s with some 1x6s. The 1xs flexed a bit but they were pt yellow pine and still plenty strong for a couple of 600# bikes.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

I had a small trailer that I used mostly to haul motorcycles and to lighten it up I replaced the old 2x6s with some 1x6s. The 1xs flexed a bit but they were pt yellow pine and still plenty strong for a couple of 600# bikes.

I might try some 5/4 decking. The last few boards that go on will have to be bowed a bit to get the ends under the angles on the front and back of the trailer. 5/4 would be a little easier to bow than 1-1/2 thickness, since it's actually only one inch thick, but plenty to haul lawn mowers, even decently heavy ones.