Pick up bed into a trailer

[sam5570]

i'll get me another one at some point it will be off of a 3/4 ton this one can't load to heavy the reason these things are not toeasy to find now is the price of scrap metal is so high there all getting crushed

 

[Dr Dave]

73 to 86 Chevy/GMC are easy to find and make, get an old p/u cut frame near the front of the cab, then cut notches in the top and bottom of the frame in front of the cross brace at the front of the box. Bend both frame rails in, to form a V, add a peice of heavy wall square or rectangled tubing from the cross brace, out past the V and install a hitch. Add a trailer plug to the factory wire harness and some safty chains and your set. This is an easy project, with very minimal welding and materials required.

Dave

 

[flyerdan]

I made one out of an old Datsun some years ago. Had a chunk of 3x3x.250 for the tongue, little overkill but it was free and available. Fortunately Oregon doesn't require a license on small trailers so it not only didn't cost much to make, it doesn't cost anything to keep, as I don't use it much. Last use was past summer, needed to haul some 12' railroad ties. Shimmed the front so they'd clear the pickup and strapped them down on top.
(Hope this doesn't double post, internet dropped out for a minute)

 

[two_bit_score]

Good idea with that camper shell.

 

[skipmarcy]

I made one out of an old Datsun some years ago. Had a chunk of 3x3x.250 for the tongue, little overkill but it was free and available. Fortunately Oregon doesn't require a license on small trailers so it not only didn't cost much to make, it doesn't cost anything to keep, as I don't use it much. Last use was past summer, needed to haul some 12' railroad ties. Shimmed the front so they'd clear the pickup and strapped them down on top.
(Hope this doesn't double post, internet dropped out for a minute)

I can't hardly believe it, I've got a trailer made with the same bed - exact same color even !! I've had mine about 25 years, bought it from a guy when I lived in Virginia. The tongue on mine is made differently and is longer. You have to be very careful about weight distribution when loading one of these as it's easy to get too much weight behind the axle and it will scare the heck out of you when it gets to wagging the back of your truck. I've hauled mine at 70 mph on the interstates for thousands of miles though, when properly loaded. I love the tie-down hooks along the bed and tailgate.

 

[cockeyedMFer]

Wonder how hard it would be to make one into a dump trailer like the M105s - the tongue is hinged about halfway back. Manually lock the brakes, release the hinge pin and back up, and the trailer tilts back. You could use the emergency brake cables on the truck axle for brake actuators, and attach the A frame of the tongue under the truck frame rails with a sturdy hinge.

 

[kevin37b]

Do you guy's take anything out of the differential ? Do you leave the gearlube in ? Just curious .

 

[cockeyedMFer]

You'll need lube since there's still components spinning inside which generate heat and friction. Someone once told me that he removed the pinion and put in a plug to fill the open space in the axle snout, but I can't imagine why that would be necessary.

 

[5picker]

Do you guy's take anything out of the differential ? Do you leave the gearlube in ? Just curious .

No need to take anything (parts) out of the differential. It doesn't care whether the wheels turn the ring & pinion and yolk -vs - the yolk driving the ring & pinion and wheels.
You just unbolt the drive shaft from the yolk and let 'er spin.
You DO have to leave/keep gear lube in the housing as was mentioned.

 

[firefighter jim]

you could remove the spider gears in the differential. this would keep the ring and pinion from turning however I think that leaving everything intact would aid in lubrication (ring gear picks up gear lube while turning and helps throw lube around). and yes, you need to keep gear lube filled to normal level.............