How do I build a people carrier??

Laminarman · Dec 5, 2003

I have a NH TC40D (taking delivery soon) and am interested in making a people mover to have some family fun. I don't have a horse, so I figured pulling a small sleigh in the snow with padded seats would be fun. Also, if I could convert it into a wheeled wagon for the same purpose that would be fun. Any ideas?? I live in upstate NY so we do get snow and that would be my primary desire if I could only do one "vehicle". I do have a MIG welder, so doing some cuttin' and grindin' is ok.

RonR · Dec 5, 2003

If I were doing it, here's what I would try:

Design or buy a simple two wheel trailer that could be used as a utility trailer. Think you can buy a lightweight trailer for about $250, like at harbor Frt, etc.
Buying it saves you the time and trouble to build the trailer part.

You could easily add some bench seats to this, for family comfort.

I would add some bolt on skid plates for the snow that would ride 4-6" above the ground, so you could leave the wheels on and the skids would hold the weight when it was snowing.
Make them bolt to the bed of the trailer, just inside the wheel spacing, and they could be removed for non-winter use.

End result, you have a utility trailer, a snow sled, and a summer people mover as well.

When you get it built, pls post some pics!
Ron

slowrev · Dec 5, 2003

I have a couple of old Jeep rear bench seats that I screw down in a 4X8 utility trailer for the family reunions and such.

RobS · Dec 5, 2003

Congrats on your new tractor! I've been shopping for a haywagon to handle the people moving chores around our place. Not a big one but an older, smallish one. Something with some character. We had a halloween party but didn't have the haywagon so I pulled my flatbed carhauler trailer. Put some hay bales on for seating. Everyone had a good time, but it is too wide for my trails and just doesn't have that "character".

Haywagons have a high deck though. For easier entry I've seen old flare-side wagons used. The rear is opened up for entry, the floor is lower than a hay wagon and you can put benches along each side at the flare.

I wouldn't bother with sleigh runners. Any snow your tractor can get through, a wheeled wagon/trailer will too. If you had horses, it would be a different story /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

beenthere · Dec 5, 2003

I would avoid the use of a rope or chain to pull a sleigh, as it can catch up to the tractor and get tangled in the wheels easily.

The suggested idea of a wagon or trailer with a stiff tongue would be my preference. Regardless, there is some danger involved in sports like this. There is a tendancy to wanting to go too fast and trying to whip the people off into the snow. Most of the time, it works just fine.

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Soundguy · Dec 6, 2003

Like someone else mentioned.. The pre-built or trailer kits sound like a good idea. Someone already sat down and did load enfgineering on them.. takes ~some~ of the liability off your shoulders.. adding fixed seats sounds neat too.

First thing I would do is up the umbrella coverage on your homeowners plan....

A terrible though.. but in our litegous world.. if you don't think about it someone else's lawyer will.

I at one time planned to offer hay rides at halloween to the neighborhood kids, using my antique tractors and a prefabbed trailer.. bales of hay etc... I have fond memories of this as a child...after I thought about it for a moment.. I popped back into reality...

On the other hand.. we already did rais our homeowners INS due to the fact we have some large livestock.. namely long horn cows, and horses.. cya all the way.

Soundguy

have_blue · Dec 6, 2003

( Any ideas??)

Only thing that crosses my mind is height. Make the sleigh/trailer as low as practical. It's much safer, and more fun riding down low. The snow seems to whiz by even when going slowly.

rdam · Dec 7, 2003

(

I have fond memories of this as a child...after I thought about it for a moment.. I popped back into reality...

Soundguy )

What a shame. I remember taking hay rides on a pumpkin farm on Long Island when I was a kid. It's sad that the thought even crosses our mind.

Tractors4u · Dec 7, 2003

I was at an antique tractor show back in August and one guy was pulling an old old old manure spreader that he had completely refurbished and added two rows of seats in it. The first thing that came to mind was "Hey a politician carrier!"
Everytime I saw it he had it full of people pulling them around with his old John Deere. I have a picture around here somewhere. When I find it I will post it.

RonR · Dec 7, 2003

My fondest memory of tractors as a kid:

When I was in 1st grade, we had a slumber part with 2 other boys at Brad's house. Brad's dad farmed (I was the city kid) and had a ?? tractor and loader. That evening, his dad put us in the bucket and hauled us around the yard, raising us WAY UP in the air and then jiggling the bucket lever like he was going to dump us. It was tremendous fun for us.

It was one of my first nice tastes of being around a tractor.

Of course, in retrospect, I realize HOW DANGEROUS that was! I wouldn't think of putting mine or other kids in a bucket and moving them around.........

I'll always remember Mr. Evans for that fun ride though! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Tractors4u · Dec 7, 2003

Here is the picture of it after he first hooked it up.

missourihick · Dec 8, 2003

I saw a trailer like you get from the farm and home store
( cheap 4x8 with 8 inch tires) someone had built a covered wagon on.It had pvc bows canvas top and two narrow bench seats from sone small car. It was cute. Everything lifted off and he still had a trailer.

RobertN · Dec 8, 2003

I just hauled 12 Cub Scouts in a Christmas parade. I used my 16' flatbed trailer. I had a sleigh in the middle, and four hay bales around it. I did have a zero-tolerance for anyone who did not SIT the whole time. I had parents walking with us too to watch the kids.

If you use a trailer, make sure your break-away switch is hooked up. At least you can stoiop the trailer if the tractor can not. You might hook a second wire to it, so you can pull the switch from the operaters seat.

have_blue · Dec 9, 2003

( My fondest memory of tractors as a kid:
I'll always remember Mr. Evans for that fun ride though! )

What were the odds that there would be an accident?

I think Mr. Evans knew what he was doing. He knew it was safer than riding a bike.

I think I'll make a sled some day to pull my grand kids behind the tractor. It's waaaay safer than a bike!

Soundguy · Dec 9, 2003

Great idea on using a manual trip for the breakaway switch for the trailer brakes.. even if the trailer doesn't break away.. you could, in an emergency, use the trailer to stop the tractor.

I've seen others even install a cheap brake controller in their tractor... that way they have running lights and brakes.. either via the manual button, or sometimes by an easilly contrived magnet/switch setup ( like a security system switch ) on the brake pedal.

Takes a bit of extra wireing to hook up the lights / brakes as there is no 'harness' to attatch to.. etc... but is a nicety if you pull a trailer alot.

Soundguy

rambler · Dec 9, 2003

Sleigh's are just inherently unstable & want to tip over if you are trying to follow the ruts of a tractor. Do _not_ put runners on the inside of your wheels, you need wide & stable, not narrow & tippy! A horse would either sense trouble & stop when you tipped, or panic & finish you off when you tipped - not leave you in-beween, ground up, like a tractor operator would..... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I'd just not do the sleigh idea at all. They get caught in tractor tire ruts & pitch people out.

If there is any chance of unknown people riding with you some day, that flair box idea listed above is the _only_ way to go. A 2-wheel trailer likes to pitch around banging people up or pitching them out, and anything like a hayrack folks get the idea to hop on & off anywhere, turning an ankle now & then if not falling under the wheels. In this world, we always, always, have to think of liability. It's sad, but how it is under current law.

The flair box has 4 wheels so it is stable, the sides & front are high so no one wants to enter or leave on the danger sides - little tots will walk up to the back side where it is open not the front side where you don't see them & mow them down, and the back has a low floor so it is relatively safe for people to eneter & exit. With the 2 bench seats running fore & aft, people are looking across the wagon and are not as likely to drop something outside the wagon or drape body parts over the edge - getting caught or wrapped or pulled into something. The high sides hold people & kids in when they try to walk on a moving wagon & fall. The rear exit means if people fall out, they get bumps & brusies instead of a wagon tire on their rib cage. Medical costs for scrapes & brusies are high; lawsuits for broken bones & worse are out of this world.

Really would be the olny way to go if you were serious about hauling people around other than your very own children. Our laws are set up so you can mostly get away with maiming your own kids, while stupid people doing stupid things can sue you for all you own.

My view of it.

--->Paul

SPIKER · Dec 9, 2003

That trailer above looks to be a midified manure hauler! so unless the people didn't know they were riding where the **** used to I guess the won't mind! lol

Mark /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Tractors4u · Dec 9, 2003

That is exactly what it is, a modified manure spreader. It was clean though. The guy completely restored it.

ELMO67 · Dec 9, 2003

Yeah, trying to whip people off into the snow- in the snowstorm we just had, in Ct., a man riding on a snow tube, pulled by a pickup truck, smashed into a utility pole.....