So how do people use these stake pockets? The Hooper trailer pictured below is 18' including a 2' bobtail. Normally, I would be hauling a truck or tractor but I do foresee future loads that have lots of smaller things that are too difficult to tie down. Is it feasible to build a solid wall and, if so, how high can it / should it be? All wood or some combination of steel and wood?

 

Every load needs to be tied down its the law.

Now not knowing what this "lots of smaller things that are too difficult to tie down" is its hard to say on the walls.
May be they can be put in a large tote with a cover and the tote tied down?

B TW that looks longer than "18' including a 2' dovetail" just based on the stake pockets in front of the axles.
Dave ----

 

Most states have laws regarding hauling but they typically use the term "securing." Tying things down with chains, straps, etc. is ONE method for securing a load. Some loads are perfectly acceptable when contained by walls of sufficient strength and height.
My question was a general one but there are all sorts of things that might fit this language such as watermelons, cantaloupes, oranges, gravel and a bunch of taped up totes as you suggested below. Sand would be a special case due to its propensity to blow away w/o being covered with a good tarp.
That would work for some things.
I've measured it. The flat bed is 16' long, the dovetail is 2' long. There are four stake pockets ahead of the fender and two behind it. One of those two is on the dovetail section
Thank Dave.
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i use those pockets to loop the tie down straps through

 

You can use them for a set of side boards using 2X4 in the pocket and best is 1X6 for the boards but plywood will also work, just remember the boards will bulge out the higher you get so may have to run straps across the top. Any load as mentioned before must be secured and covered. In Washington state if you loose anything out of the back and it causes an accident it’s a felony and if you are caught with an unsecured load it’s $690.00 for a non commercial vehicle.

Years ago when I worked for U Haul we had a guy rent a trailer and lost a partial load that caused a fatality. After they tracked him down through the rental record he ended up in prison. Ugly situation.

 

I built sides for my flatbed with stake pockets. I don't use the pockets for straps though because I have a rub rail that I use.

I only use the sides when I'm hauling something I don't feel straps will hold down securely. Otherwise my sides are off and I strap down.
I don't believe it would be too hard to build sides that will float over the fenders, so there is one continuous side but I sure wouldn't want to lift
one by myself. The sides on my truck are about as much as 1 person would want to deal with, without blowing a disc out.
1 side is about 8 L x 4 H and all hardwood. No idea how much it weighs. It's heavy.. For something that long I think I'd look into metal.
Or break it into 2 sections and that presents other issues.
I know with mine they like to sway a bit so I use a bungie to "snug" them up a bit. The sway is because I used mill cut lumber and had to "whittle" my posts to fit into the pockets.

 

EDC8008: Thanks for the cautionary U-Haul story. Agreed that the higher the side, the stouter it needs to be.
dustyroad: I appreciate the modular concept that you described. Sometimes having four good strong sides is best, other times not. Being able to switch from one to the other or even combine them might be what is needed sometimes.

I removed the stake pocket from the middle of the front edge of the trailer bed because it will be in the way of a winch system that I am building. Here's a pic:




The removed stake pocket (center) is made of channel iron as is the stake that went into it (left of pocket). Note the stop bar welded to the channel iron stake. Thus it is removable. One idea that I've been playing around with is to use channel iron stakes like this, place them in the stake pockets and then attach lumber (3/4" plywood, 1 X 6s or 2 X 6s) with easily removable bolts. No single piece would be to heavy for me to lift yet it would be quite portable.

 

I haven't built actual sides for mine but I do have a set of stakes for hauling logs that slide into the stake pockets. Mine are square tube and the stakes I have are 1 1/2"x3" 3/16" wall. If I were you I would just use 2x4 and trim it down to fit into your stake pockets with deck planks or plywood on the inside. I wouldn't go more than 2' probably with wood stakes. It depends what sort of stuff you plan to haul in it and how heavy it will be. Make sure you drill the bottom of your stakes for a bolt to prevent you from losing a side when you're just running down the highway, those suckers bounce like crazy. Also if it were my trailer I would get a piece of 2" flat bar and weld a rub rail across the outside edge of all of your stake pockets. that really is the cats meow when it comes to chaining things down.

 

The rub rail idea sounds interesting. Better than D Rings?

 

D rings are nice but they are expensive and you only have a certain number of them. The rub rail means that you can chain straight across anywhere and hook to it.

 

All wood is typical (cheaper)

Aluminum are lighter

I like to label mine

Sticks, stones, dirt, dump runs, furniture, all goes better with sides

 

flowney:

I have read some of your previous posts and I have no doubt you would build in a robust manner.

I have built such sides from dimensional lumber with appropriate hardware for work in the past, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Two feet high is easy-peasy, higher requires reinforcement. Planks or plywood between the 2x in the pockets, price it out and figure how much moisture resistance you need.

When it came time to buy for my own self, I didn't need so much trailer and had it custom built with 2' high expanded metal sides.

LESSONS LEARNED
* You'll want to closely fit the 2x that goes into the stake pocket. Snug fit, no slop.
* Cross bolt on bottom of 2x in pocket, the female portion in 2x reinforced some way or it will wallow out. I like carriage bolt, washer, lock washer, wing nut.
* A means to secure all four corners together at the top to stop the slop. Slop is bad.
* Whitewood vs SYP vs treated SYP depending on needs. My default is treated SYP, but if you are to manhandle it by your lonesome (or yourself and a boy or woman), give serious thought to whitewood. It goes from
"Uh, I'd best call my buddies Bob and Jake to help out," to "Honey, can you hold that steady while I lift this & that?"
* Also, treated SYP can warp as it dries out. Leave it assembled on the trailer for a while until it dries out.
* When you get it all done, prime and paint or waterseal or polyurethane like a madman. Wait a year if treated SYP.
* If you do not make the sides solid/continuous form bottom to top, a big tarp along bottom & sides will allow for transport of sand/gravel. Gravel is hard on a tarp. Plastic sheet can blow out.
* Bolts plus weather-safe glue at joints. Or multiple deck screws plus weather-safe glue at joints. Fillets are not a bad idea. I have used exterior wood glue mixed with sawdust for the fillets. Gonna have plenty of sawdust around.
* I like carriage bolts with the ugly nuts & washers to the OUTSIDE. Best have Grandma's antique wood whatever-it-is rub up against the head of a carriage bolt than the threads. Same with any hardware next to your trailer. As best as you can manage.
* I bet you could make it sorta modular to make it easier to handle, but a bit more complex to assemble. Instead of an 18' run down the side, two 9' runs or three 6' runs that bolt together once in the pockets.

That's about all I can recall. Good luck.

 

jfruser, you shouldn't use treated lumber on metal, unless you plan on not keeping it.
After doing my research I went with untreated hardwood. I'm not going to get into an argument about it.
It's your property and you can do whatever you wish. I do recommend for anyone planning on building sides for their trailer/truck to read up on why you don't use treated lumber.
Again it's yours to do as you see fit. I have said my peace.

 

Thanks for all the good input. I am still ruminating over this so its all quite useful. Current imaginings involve 2" X 8" lumber stacked three high for a total of 24"

 

Your position is valid and I would also suggest folks do some research so they know what they are getting into regarding treated wood and contact with metal.

BTDT.

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I was working with two assumptions:

1. Impermanence.
The wooden sides are not a permanent fixture on an open utility trailer. Ours moved tractors, skid steers, brush, gravel, logs, etc. Sides come on & off depending on the job. Not like an embedded screw or metal roof in contact.

2. Painted / Sealed
Trailer is painted, to include pockets, as well as the wood. Or the wood has some water sealer. I primed and painted the wood on my builds.

OTOH, I only had to see the results of my handiwork off & on for ~6 years until I left the area. Still in use when I left and other than wear & tear, trailer and sides still going strong.

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When it came to buy my own utility trailer, I did not need near as much trailer. I also had it built to my specifications and included 2' tall expanded metal sides. Deck was UNtreated SYP hit with boiled linseed oil from the factory. I treated it with BLO every year, but it finally rotted out, 10 years on. I replaced it with Yella Wood, a treated wood. That was AFTER I ripped out the old wood, wire-brushed the rust off(1) and primed & painted every surface where the wood was in contact with metal. Two years out, stored outside in the elements, no rust where metal and wood meets. This year the deck will get stain and either sealer or polyurethane. I do keep an eye on it.

(1) Good quality built trailer, but they painted AFTER final assembly. The rear lip & pocket, the tops of the cross-members under the deck, and the lip on the front all had no paint form the factory.