Trailer Bumper

[tractorboy5500]

Had my trailer for 5 months now and i bent the bumper pulling out of a ditch, it has 8" channel for a rear bumper, I am cutting it off and installing 4"x8" rect. tubing. Here some before pics, didnt take any pics of the bent bumper, didnt have a camera at the time.

 

[tractorboy5500]

I got this far on it as of know. Plan on working on it some during the week and on the week end.

 

[yooper1]

That otta hold up pretty good

Thanks for the photos

 

[schmism]

i assume you cut the bracket/round stock holder for the ramps off the other one and youll be useing the same mount on the back of the new one?

did you free hand the round cutouts?

 

[tractorboy5500]

Making new brakets also, they welded the bracket to the round bar, i am going to make it slide through and pin it in so it can be removed when or if i need to. Yes i free hand the round cuts, I am not a pro at cutting, the rubber mounts will cover any era's.

 

[DJ4wd]

I had the same trailer for years a Kaufman. Awesome trailer and worth fixing many times over! My was 22ft long dual tandems and I hauled 12 cubes of 12" splitface block! with no problems.

 

[tractorboy5500]

I had the same trailer for years a Kaufman. Awesome trailer and worth fixing many times over! My was 22ft long dual tandems and I hauled 12 cubes of 12" splitface block! with no problems.

Its a Longhorn trailer 30', its a low profile type, it sets somewhat lower than a regular dove tail gooseneck, the flat bed is 31" from ground to top of the boards, not sure how far the dove tail is from the ground, a normal trailer sets around 34" to 36". I looked at the Kaufman trailers, just went with the Longhorn. The Kaufman trailers looked well built and had good paint jobs under the trailer and on the outside, when i ordered mind it was only primed from the inside of the main frame underneth, then primed and painted on outside, and painted it with the boards on it, so i know all the metal dont have paint on it, they primed it without the boards not sure why the painted it with the boards on?? The heavist load i had so far was my Mahindra 5500 4wd, and my cousins 5055 JD, it was a tight fit, or it might of been my 5500 with 10 round bails, it felt about the same.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Nice work. If it were me I would add a receiver tube in the bumper for tandem pulls. It will only cost $10 and you never know when you may use it.

We use ours when we cut wood to tote the log splitter behind the trailer. I also had one on a old 27' boats trailer so I could pull the Jet-Ski we had behind it.

Chris

 

[timswi]

Nice work. If it were me I would add a receiver tube in the bumper for tandem pulls. It will only cost $10 and you never know when you may use it.

We use ours when we cut wood to tote the log splitter behind the trailer. I also had one on a old 27' boats trailer so I could pull the Jet-Ski we had behind it.

Chris

Are you allowed to do that in your state...I'm pretty sure that's not cool here. in fact I've never seen it on the road beyond hay wagons being pulled by tractors, I've never seen one pulled by a pickup. In PA they had a heck of a time allowing tandem tractor trailers..They finally relented on that 10+ years ago.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Are you allowed to do that in your state...I'm pretty sure that's not cool here. in fact I've never seen it on the road beyond hay wagons being pulled by tractors, I've never seen one pulled by a pickup. In PA they had a heck of a time allowing tandem tractor trailers..They finally relented on that 10+ years ago.

Double pull is legal in the majority of the states as long as you do not go over the max overall length rule for that state. It think I counted once and its legal in 43 of the 50 states. I have double pulled over about 10 states with no issues.

According to my book, your state, PA does not allow it so you are right in your area. Its legal in IN, OH, MI, WI, MO, MN, AR, CO, IA, KS, KY, TN, and a few others I travel in. The only state I commonly pull in that it is not legal in is IL.

We see it done all the time around here. 2 of my neighbors do it also and I see a dozen or so at the lakes every weekend in the summer. Usually pulling a 30' 5th wheel and a 18' ski boat behind it with a diesel truck.

Chris

 

[tommu56]

Are you allowed to do that in your state...I'm pretty sure that's not cool here. in fact I've never seen it on the road beyond hay wagons being pulled by tractors, I've never seen one pulled by a pickup. In PA they had a heck of a time allowing tandem tractor trailers..They finally relented on that 10+ years ago.

This weekend I saw a a Dodge dually (not sure of size) with a ≈32 ft tandem axle travel trailer behind it was a ≈25 ft boat single axle surge brakes it wasn't licensed in PA but was in PA on RT 80 headed east, I definitely did the double take when I passed it.

tom

 

[timswi]

We see it done all the time around here. 2 of my neighbors do it also and I see a dozen or so at the lakes every weekend in the summer. Usually pulling a 30' 5th wheel and a 18' ski boat behind it with a diesel truck.

That would scare the beejeebers out of me. Personally, I'd make 2 trips.

 

[Diamondpilot]

That would scare the beejeebers out of me. Personally, I'd make 2 trips.

The guy who lives down the street from me pulls his 35' 5th wheel and 18' boat all over. He as gone as far as Florida with it from Indiana. All this is done behind his 2006 Dodge Cummins 3500 SRW 4x4.

Longest double pull I have done was a 28' boat and a 10' Jet-Ski behind my truck. The boat was 32' long on the trailer and the Jet-Ski was 13' plus my truck at 20' for a total length of 65'. I did it on a 4 state 800 mile trip without any issues.

I have also double pulled 2 stacks of 4 16' landscape trailers across 3 states, about 400 miles. This was only about 60' long.

Chris

 

[Willl]

Looks good.

You going to do an 'eyebrow' or something around the tail lights ?

 

[tractorboy5500]

Yes, I will put an eyebrow over the light bar, and i am installing two license plate lights, and i will put 2" angle iron over them also.
And Chis, I thought about installing a hitch tube, maybe i will after thinking about it more.

 

[timswi]

This weekend I saw a a Dodge dually (not sure of size) with a ≈32 ft tandem axle travel trailer behind it was a ≈25 ft boat single axle surge brakes it wasn't licensed in PA but was in PA on RT 80 headed east, I definitely did the double take when I passed it.

tom

Good grief...On I80? I don't even like driving on that road, let alone that. I pulled a 32ft bumper pull travel trailer up there going to Clarion and thought I was going to die. Got blown all over the road, not to mention the washboard effect of the road itself. I had all the anti-sway stuff. The truckers are nuts up there. The older guys know what they will do to travel trailers and behave accordingly..The younger ones, not so much. Have to have 1 hand on the controller at all times.

Went across a bridge near Knox with the trailer, a micro burst almost blew me into the Jersey barrier. I had 200# of liquid oxygen in the bed for my daughter along with a portable oxygen tank in the interior. Figure the 2 trailer mounted propane tanks and the gas in the truck, dental records wouldn't have helped identify us.

Needless to say, I put a hurtin' on a 30 pack once we got to the campground, and that was before the camper was set up.

 

[tractorboy5500]

Worked on the trailer today, welded pat eyes for ramps and more bracing under main frame and bumper, drilled and tap 1/4" 20 bolt threads for license plate and license plate lights and light bar. This week end i will be buffing and grinding to prime and paint.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Nice work. Is there going to be a issue installing the lights? Also, did you opt not to do the trailer hitch receiver at this time?

Chris

 

[tractorboy5500]

Nice work. Is there going to be a issue installing the lights? Also, did you opt not to do the trailer hitch receiver at this time?

Chris

Re-using the orginal led lights, they are rubber mounts. I made a wiring harness for inside the bumper, using a regular 4-plug male and female, if any problems i can pull the harness out to work on it, all the lights just plug in. Not going with the reciever hitch, i dont think its legal to double pull in Tx, least i havnt seen it. But it was a good suggestion.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Re-using the orginal led lights, they are rubber mounts. I made a wiring harness for inside the bumper, using a regular 4-plug male and female, if any problems i can pull the harness out to work on it, all the lights just plug in. Not going with the reciever hitch, i dont think its legal to double pull in Tx, least i havnt seen it. But it was a good suggestion.

You are right, its not legal in TX. That really surprises me since just about anything goes in TX.

Here is a copy of the Texas laws from my towing guide book.

Texas:

Maximum Speed Limit: 55
Maximum Dimensions for trailer:N/A'L x 8'6"W x 13'6"H
Maximum Length with Trailer:65'
Minimum Weight requiring Separate Trailer Brakes:4500
Trailer Equipment Requirements:
Safety Chains:Y
Brakelights:Y
Taillights:Y
Clearance Lights:Y (If over 80" wide.)
License Light:Y
Turn Signals:Y
Reflectors:Y
Flares:Y
Breakaway Brakes: Y (Over 3000 lbs.)
Tiedowns:Y
Two Trailers:N
Insurance:Y
Wide Trailer Permit Phone Number: 800-299-1700

Chris