Mounting a trailer on a trailer

bdog · Dec 6, 2015

I have this crazy idea. I have a 6x12 enclosed trailer that is set up as a mobile office. The front 10' or so is the office part with a desk and computers and the back 2' is seperated by a wall and is storage for tools an other things. It has never really pulled right because the tongue is too light and we always have to remove stuff from the back and place it inside at the front when on the road to maintain proper tongue weight. The trailer has two 3500' axles and probably only weighs 4-5k loaded.

Everywhere this trailer goes we also have to haul a kubota UTV that goes on a separate trailer.

I have a 24' 14,000lb gooseneck lowboy that I no longer use and was thinking of selling.

I got this idea to take the axles and fenders off the enclosed trailer and cut off the tongue and permanently mount it on the gooseneck slid all the way to the front. This would leave 12' behind it on the gooseneck where I could haul the kubota. The kubota weighs about 2,000 lb so the enclosed trailer and kubota would only be about 6-7000 lb and I doubt the gooseneck trailer is much over 4000 lb so it should be all ok weight wise though the tongue may be on the heavy side with the enclosed trailer at the front. Then again maybe not because the enclosed trailer is rear heavy as it is.

This would be a big plus for me in that one trailer could do the job of two. Thoughts?

RedNeckRacin · Dec 6, 2015

Sounds like a great idea. I would set everything up and weigh the ball to see what kind of weights you are dealing with. Also, how would you get into the enclosed trailer? Steps or turn it around so that the door faces the rear trailer deck?? I might be inclined to remove the front deck boards to eliminate water laying under the enclosed trailer and to weld brackets to the gn to bolt the other trailer to.

bdog · Dec 6, 2015

The gooseneck has a diamond plate floor. I was thinking of cutting holes in it to be able to mount the the other trailer. Probably run 6 tabs made of 3/8" X 4" strap between the frames.

As to getting in the enclosed trailer has swing open doors on the back to get to the 2' storage area and a man door on the side near the front to get to the office area. The gooseneck is wider than the enclosed so I was thinking I could build some steps attached to the gooseneck that fold up against the enclosed while in transit.

RedNeckRacin · Dec 6, 2015

Sounds good to me. I think the tricky part will be the attachment though. The gn trailers I have see run an I beam main frame and would be more difficult to secure the 2nd trailer too simply using flat stock. I would def try and tie into the outer frame of the trailer or the main frame. The wind loads on that thing are going to be pretty substantial. Yeah I didn't think there would be a problem with the rear space but the office part was what I was curious about. Fold up steps would be fine as long as they could be secured and we're strong enough. I vote for pics of the build though!

dieselcrawler · Dec 6, 2015

Sounds like a good idea to me!

I agree, we want pictures.

Stimw · Dec 6, 2015

I think I would extend the tongue on the enclosed trailer to let the UTV ride in the front. Then remount the axles for correct balance.
Since you will be removing the axles anyway relocating won't be that much more work.
AND, you can sell the goose, AND be towing 4000# less weight. Less is more.

RedNeckRacin · Dec 6, 2015

Stimw said:
I think I would extend the tongue on the enclosed trailer to let the UTV ride in the front. Then remount the axles for correct balance.
Since you will be removing the axles anyway relocating won't be that much more work.
AND, you can sell the goose, AND be towing 4000# less weight. Less is more.

Not a bad idea except the fabrication would be easier the other way. Cut off the extra on the smaller trailer, cut some access holes and secure them together, drive the utv and secure it. Done. Also, loading the utv becomes more challengingon the front of a trailer. I wonder if the 2k utv would overload the trailer axles after all the additional steel that needs to be added to account for the longer tongue, extra deck and the utv load? I like the idea I just think it would be safer/easier to go the gn route. The money of selling the gn would be nice, but atleast it's not an additional purchase cost.

OP, do you have vehicles available to tow the gn/backup vehicles or a need to have large items in the bed of the pulling vehicle??

dieselcrawler · Dec 6, 2015

The UTV is likely more than 6' long (the width of the box trailer) and likely longer than 8' as well, so parking it perpendicular to the length of either trailer is likely out of the question.

Diamondpilot · Dec 6, 2015

Only down side is getting up and down to the office and tools.

Chris

Green Power · Dec 6, 2015

Sounds like a good idea, instead of cutting the tongue off, if you go under the trailer, maybe it could be unbolted?

KylePatton · Dec 9, 2015

Certainly it is a very good idea. I liked it so much. If you can post the pictures then it would be easy for all of us to get an idea over what you have actually done. I have never done such kind of a thing as I always prefer to hire a company for hauling things.

DT86 · Dec 9, 2015

Saw this back in the summer.

As far as getting up to the office/storage you could mount some pull out camper steeps.

bdog · Dec 9, 2015

Well guys we did it. Spent yesterday removing the axles, fenders, and tongue and today we mounted it on the trailer. I welded nine 1/2" thick 4" x5" spacers on the bottom of the enclosed trailer frame spaced around the perimeter and then welded it down on the gooseneck.

I am going to build some fold up stairs to get into the door on the front part of the trailer and getting in the back for the tools is actually easier now. You have to walk up the ramps on the gooseneck but once you are there the enclosed trailer is lower than before since it has no wheels.

The UTV is 10' long and really no way to put it sideways or anything like that. With a few inches space from the back door of the enclosed the rear of the UTV bed is about 10" past the rear of the trailer. I think the legal overhang limit is 3 or 4' so all good there and the tires are completely on the trailer.

All in all I am pleased with how it turned out. A little more grinding and some pain and it will be done.

KB9UDE · Dec 10, 2015

Looking good!

RedNeckRacin · Dec 10, 2015

NICE JOB! have you pulled it yet? That is so low you might only need a single step!

Diamondpilot · Dec 10, 2015

I would order a set of camper fold up steps.

Chris

aczlan · Dec 10, 2015

How much space is there from the edge of the enclosed trailer to the edge of the flatbed deck?
It looks almost like you might want to put on a fold up landing to allow opening the door without knocking you off of the steps.
(a smaller version of this: http://ameri-fab.com/downloads/AF_InfoSheet_FoldingTrailerSteps.pdf perhaps?)

Aaron Z

bdog · Dec 10, 2015

There is less than an inch of trailer deck between the edge and the enclosed trailer. We built the ramp leading to the door today. It is permanently mounted and swings up for transit.

We had several other projects going so we didn't get as much done as I wanted but it is coming together.