Truck bed trailer?

[zmoz]

I'm thinking about cutting one of my old 1 ton Chevy's in half to make a bed trailer. The cab is pretty much shot, but the bed isn't bad. I'm sure I can't be the only one here to ever try and do this right? Has anybody got any pics of what the tounge should look like? I'd kind of like to make it big enough to add a locked tool box in the front. Should I just cut off the frame rails straight at the back of the cab?

Also after I unhook the driveshaft, can I just pull it with the stock rear end as is? Or should I take it apart and pull the gears out?

What about brakes...is there some way I can activate the stock drum brakes with an electric brake controller?

 

[Diamondpilot]

My experience with these types of trailers is they pull like crap. They are top heavy, have bad cg, and like to sway.

Chris

 

[Runner]

I don't have any experience with these, but have seen a lot on the road. On many of the ones I have seen, they just notched the frame and bent the two frame members together to make the tongue, then, reinforced the notched areas with plates. I would want to make sure the frame was in pretty good shape, i.e., not too rusty, before I did it that way though.

 

[brandoro]

I borrowed one a few times before I had a trailer of my own. No problems with sway, I think that is mostly a tongue weight thing anyway. If you are working with a short box I think you will have issues, if an 8' box then you should be okay. High CG could be an issue depending on what the load is but really should be no different than having that same load in the back of the pickup when you are driving it.
With the differential in place you will be pulling a lot of extra weight but it will be plenty strong. If it could handle carrying and propelling the original vehicle then carrying only will be no trouble for it. In cold weather there will be some additional drag from pushing the gear oil around.
The one I borrowed used the frame ahead of the box, notched and bent in then reinforced as seemed appropriate for the tongue. Leaving a couple of feet of straight frame in front of the box would give you room for a tool box and help with tongue weight, if more is needed.

 

[JB4310]

I made 2 of them over the years.
The first one out of a heavy duty 1+ ton DRW IH that was stuck/abandoned down in the woods. It was in a hard to get at spot, Took my torches in my old Power wagon and cut the frame as far forward as I could and dragged that thing out of there.

Bent the rails inward to make an A shape and fastened a coupler on. Just used it for utility work, dump runs etc. It was super HD, never saw the thick stack of springs squat, even with the heaviest loads I could put on it.
That was 30+ years ago and up til a few years ago I still saw it in the contractors yard I sold it to.

The second was an S-10 Chevy, that was 20 years ago and I still have it, it works great, I've overloaded that poor thing to where it was dragging on the ground, but it's still light enough to move around with garden tractor for yard work.

I use that little trailer more than my 5 ton dumper and get more comments on it every time I take it out. It was the perfect compliment to the K-5 blazer I had where I had the trailer painted the same color, even the reverse lights hooked up.

I never did anything with the rears, I never did any long distance towing and very little highway towing but for around town they work fine, a Poor man's solution for sure.

 

[Reg]

For the time and trouble you would put into it - not worth it IMO.
The capacity isn't that great and the 4ft or so between wheel wells is very limiting.
OK as a dump run trailer, but not much else.

You MIGHT have problems with registering it; assuming you would officially scrap the truck and then go through the salvage title "process" )-:

 

[JB4310]

they just notched the frame and bent the two frame members together to make the tongue, then, reinforced the notched areas with plates. I would want to make sure the frame was in pretty good shape, i.e., not too rusty, before I did it that way though.

That makes the frame bomb proof, stronger than orig.

OP should cut the frame as far forward as possible, just bring them in and fasten a plate on top, couldn't be much easier, it's a very sturdy design by itself.
That's how I did my first one, with the S-10 the frame was damaged due to front end collision so I had to add my own channel iron, I bolted and welded everything. Good thing it's a small box cause like I said I've overloaded the thing, if the box was bigger I probably would of banana'ed the frame by now

Both of these trailers cost me nothing except rod and couplers.

Couple of other benefits, most have a spare underneath, Lights and and wire harness is already there, some have bed liners, I even keep the reg in the fuel door compartment

use to be no problem registering home made utility trailer, haven't tried lately though.

.

 

[Bedlam]

I have allot of experience in this, Ive had a few . Build and sell them. If you have a pickup its a great trailer to have. Yes it can be a bit top heavy , but Ive never had sway problems even with the one (Toyota) that had no shocks.
One I made was a Mazda pickup bed, it had air shocks on it and a ladder rack its was one of the ones I regretted selling.
If you have a torch, I find if possible to leave enough frame so you can slot the frame and bend the 'C' frame inward. I usually then add a piece of pipe to the mix to accept the connector to.As far as lights they usually already are there.
JB has the dump method down. Toward the end of the toyotas life I would fip it right over upside down to dump it and then back side right.

 

[outinthetalgrass]

Here Are 3 pics of the tounge that i made on an old 70 somthing toyota.
I have pulled it at highway speeds with a load in it, and didn't have any problems with swaying. I now use it with a 200 gallon water tank init to pull around and water trees during the summer.
Frame was notched at the front of the bed, then bent in to center, I welded a hitch from TSC on it and a couple of braces in place and have beeen yanking it around for 10 years without a problem, other than needing to paint the frame again as it is starting to get some surface rust.

 

[Cami]

I've been toying with the idea of a pickup box trailer since, as it's mentioned above, the price is right. If the trailer is made from the same model as your prime mover, the lines of both are the same and can look pretty slick.

I thought an advantage would be that I could put an old canopy on to enclose it for hauling tools....then one day I saw a trailer in town that was made from a chopped van! It was cut just behind the front doors, so it retained the sliding door on the side, and capped at the front with a piece of sheet metal. Unless you did it with one of those stubby vans, you could end up with a fair bit of tongue weight....now I have to have one and am waiting for a free van to come along.

How about this? Instead of a hauling a tidy tank, what about slinging tank under the frame and installing a transfer pump? Keep that bed free for other stuff. I stole the idea from an ore trailer I saw with big belly tanks fitted. The truck would haul ore out then carry diesel back on the return trip.

 

[AMP762]

I'm thinking about cutting one of my old 1 ton Chevy's in half to make a bed trailer. The cab is pretty much shot, but the bed isn't bad. I'm sure I can't be the only one here to ever try and do this right? Has anybody got any pics of what the tounge should look like? I'd kind of like to make it big enough to add a locked tool box in the front. Should I just cut off the frame rails straight at the back of the cab?

Also after I unhook the driveshaft, can I just pull it with the stock rear end as is? Or should I take it apart and pull the gears out?

What about brakes...is there some way I can activate the stock drum brakes with an electric brake controller?

Just pull the axles,no drag.You could use a surge brake.

 

[zmoz]

I've been toying with the idea of a pickup box trailer since, as it's mentioned above, the price is right. If the trailer is made from the same model as your prime mover, the lines of both are the same and can look pretty slick.

Yeah, I have two matching 70s Chevy 1 tons...thinking an extra box behind it would look cool. I also like the idea that they share spare tires, and the truck box already has two 20 gallon gas tanks. I'd like to keep those and add a pump. I may even add another 25 gallon rear tank out of an old Suburban.

My 'other' truck is rated for 3300# in the bed and 12000# towing, so I think it should handle it well.

Think I'd get pulled over if I tried to hitch my boat up behind the second box?

 

[BHD]

as far as pulling, the short beds are more problematic than the long bed, you want the axle behind (towards the rear) the center line and make sure you load front heavy. If you have tongue weight it should pull reasonable, if you do not have tongue weight you will probably have trouble.

 

[Pops15]

Go for it. Cheap, easy and fast build. Just be sure to make the tongue long enough and add some gussets where you notch and bend the frame.
Only real expense will be the surge brake coupler.
Like Amp says just pull the axles. Find a racing parts supplier to get some dust covers. The wide five racing hubs use the same bolt pattern for dust covers and drive plates as your 1 ton axle flanges.
Not sure about the registration process where you are. No problem here. I built one for my BIL many years ago. I think it had to be registered at 3500 GVWR.
Paint it to match your tow rig. It'll look cool. You can add a cap to keep your cargo dry.
My wife's cousin built one out of a Datsun. His had a cap. Made for a cheap hunting camper.
The only first hand knowledge I have pulling one is the one I built and it pulled like a dream.
Post pictures when you get it done.

 

[Pops15]

Think I'd get pulled over if I tried to hitch my boat up behind the second box?

I saw a class A motor home pulling an enclosed car hauler pulling an open car hauler in Florida. That had to be tough to back up!

 

[dcyrilc]

Think I'd get pulled over if I tried to hitch my boat up behind the second box?

Depends what state you are in. Some allow it, some don't!

 

[zmoz]

Are most of you guys that made them just going without brakes? Or hooking up a surge hitch?

As I understand it my 14 bolt Chevy axle weighs about 500# by itself, starting to think about replacing it with something lighter. They're worth good money on craigslist too.

 

[zmoz]

Another question - does anyone think it would be worth the trouble to make it a gooseneck? My other truck has the hidden type that pops out from under the bed. That would put the tongue weight right over the axle...

 

[Cami]

My father's truck-bed trailer and my single axle utility trailer don't have brakes. A rule of thumb I was given and use is that if the trailer weighs less than half that of the truck then brakes aren't necessary.

Even if you don't hook up the service brakes, one thing you might want to do is use the existing parking brakes; just install a handle from the junk yard near the coupler. I remember seeing a lot of small utility trailers in Holland with this feature, but never over here.

As for ride height, I believe that if it doesn't need to be dock height then it should be built low as it can go. If loading a small trailer, I find a lower trailer easier. Of course we come back to the matter of the low cost of these trailers; for their price, a lot of faults can be forgiven.

 

[zmoz]

As for ride height, I believe that if it doesn't need to be dock height then it should be built low as it can go. If loading a small trailer, I find a lower trailer easier. Of course we come back to the matter of the low cost of these trailers; for their price, a lot of faults can be forgiven.

One thing is I need new tires anyway, so I'll probably get the shortest ones that look/work well. I may even look into lowering the bed a little, I know lots of guys like to make lowriders out of these trucks and there are some simple backyard ways to do it.