small heavy trailer?

Your biggest hassles will be legal ones. Find out first if (a) the electric brakes will still satisfy the authorities, (b) if the registration change from "Horse" to "Equipment" will present any problems, and (c) if the insurance company will insure it after it's rebuilt. You don't want to spend time and money building instead of buying if the whole thing is going to be a nightmare. I sure miss the good old days...

Dan

Don't know about your State(s), but this is no problem in MN. Just go to the local DMV office and tell them you want to register a home-built trailer. Lotsa folks build trailers! I brought a photo of mine but they didn't even want to see that. They just asked how it cost to build, told me how much they wanted, and gave me the plate and sticker. They don't even use plates anymore in MN, just a permanent sticker.

I don't think they ask about brakes. Brakes are required on trailers hauling over 1500 lb in MN, but nobody checks unless there's an accident or a trooper sees an obvously-overloaded trailer on the road.

As regards insurance, why would you insure a $300 trailer? You already have liability coverage with your auto insurance.

A horse trailer should make a good starter for what you want. They are build to haul some heavy, concetrated, and spookable loads. (At least your mill doesn't go nuts when it is placed next to a snake!)

You may find that the frame is not as robust as you would think: The body on most of these is quite stiff, adds to the overall strength.

Registration should not be an issue: around here these have the designation as "utility trailer", no way to tell what body is on it. The ID marks are on the frame.

Many automobile > I sold my boom truck awhile ago when I realized it just didn't make > economic

I just saw what you want today, the guy had 3 hoops made of "I" beam with a hoist beam down the center, and extending out back about 3 feet. He had a chain fall on it, and was delivering a "Vacuum cleaner/air pump" to a gas station. It was mounted an a small trailer with a counter weight on the front. No reason you couldn't scale it up to move 2500lbs. gary

I'd like to watch while you bend those I-Beam hoops :) Sounds interesting though. Chainfall on a trolley, with some sort of stop at the back?

- - Rex Burkheimer WM Automotive Fort Worth TX

Gary Owens wrote:

Saw a somewhat similar setup once. About an 18' flatbed type trailer that had several framed "hoops" (not bent, just welded square) supporting an I beam down the middle and out the back a few feet. Small chain hoist on a trolley. The rest of the trailer was outfitted with storage for several large coils of AL stock and a forming rig for seamless gutters.

Pete C.

You will have to beef up the frame for this to work.

If you go and look at one you will soon see that if you rip the body off all that will be left is some 2 1/2" or 3" leg angle iron for the frame. The main part of the load is taken up by the body on these type trailers.

Wayne Cook Shamrock, TX

Dad built one a long time ago for local delivery of levee rollers, about 4500 lb of concrete spool and angle frame. It was short with a very heavy angle frame, pivoting bed, and comealong for winching the roller on and the bed down. The bed locked to the tongue / frame with a very substantial clevis pin. He used an old truck axle and tires for the load. It would be more difficult to load and unload a machine tool, but a piece of cake with a forklift. The back was open. We chained and boomed down the roller once aboard.

Pete Keillor

Pretty common out here in California for septic tank installers as well as poor boy machine tool movers. I know of one sitting unused right now in Van Nuys California a guy could get fairly cheaply. I think it needs engine work. Shrug.

Gunner

"Considering the events of recent years, the world has a long way to go to regain its credibility and reputation with the US." unknown

On Tue, 17 May 2005 14:32:27 -0500, the inscrutable Rex B spake:

Sumpin' like this, no doubt? ;)

I agree; that horse trailer idea sounds interesting.

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I believe he is looking at trailers since they don't require extra insurance and are cheap on taxes.

Pete C.

Sounds like a winner to me. On the road means secure loading. Mechanical linkage of frame to axles is important...

Martin - thinking of something like that myself.

I think the best trailer of a remake type would be a Telephone or Power company trailer. Sometimes these are available during the burning of the troupes in the power company supplier and transmitter transformation. I know a number of PG&E boom trucks that are now in tree service and saw one as an independent telephone/electric installer.

Martin

Yea - Gunner could make one on the BIG shaper - then add Hydraulics to it... Or maybe explosion form the beams. :-)

Martin

Cut the cab off, put on a tongue, and you have a trailer

Gunner

"Considering the events of recent years, the world has a long way to go to regain its credibility and reputation with the US." unknown

Grant, have you looked at mobile/manufactured (new term nowadays!) axles? Stout as hell, plentiful as sin, and dirt cheap. 'Lectric brakes, too. Some time after the home is set up, the axles aren't needed, so folks either pull them on the spot or let someone else round them up. Don't know who to call, but someplace that does mobile homes and offices ought to be able to tell you.

Piece of cake on equipment like this:

but the BIG stuff goes through the hot bender: I'd like to watch while you bend those I-Beam hoops :)