I often see people towing a trailer made from the bed of a pickup, what years are the same as my 54, don't really want to cut up a good truck just for the back half, what would be the best way to get the rear half, thinking i might put it on air ride as well so as the truck goes up and down the trailer stays the same hight as the truck, has that been done before.

would a trailer like that have to have its own registration, i know a lot of trailers over here need thier own, trailers back home in the uk don't need a registration.

 

The bed itself is the same exactly the same from '53 to '56. Later years use the same bed and fenders, but I think the fender locations moved around on the bedside. Rather than cut up a whole truck just for the back half, you could just order a bed kit and a pair of fiberglass fenders and build your own chassis. For what you are wanting to do, a couple pieces of C channel would work fine. Comping up with an axle would be a snap also. Several trailer supply vendors offer trailer axle kits. Just look for one that is close to 61" from wheel mount surface to wheel mount surface. With air bags, all you would have to really fab up would be the bag mounts, a couple trailing arms, and a simple panhard bar. Another idea would be to find a '53 to '56 chassis for sale, cut off the back end, and install a new bed kit on that. I saw one in my area on craigslist recently that he couldn't even get $100 for - and it was a roller.

As for title and registration, check with your local BMV. It's different in every state. Here in Indiana, they require you to title and register everything right down to a little utility trailer. One state south in Kentucky, they don't title or register any of them.

 

i was thinking of using an original chassis and buying 2 4link kits as i need one for the truck, might get a little discount buying a second, with an extra set of air bags, bit over the top maybe, but then i would put a wood bed in both and have the trailer looking exactly the same as the truck pulling it, even matching wheels, not sure if a second air tank and compressor or run a line like a semi from the truck to the trailer.

 

It kinda peeves me to see a trailer made from a chopped in half old classic Ford truck. If a person really needs a trailer that bad, why not hack up a chev or some other Asian scrap or even a dodge. Just my opinion..........chuckle chuckle.

 

thats why i'm asking what my options are, i don't want to chop up an F100 just to make a trailer, i guess a parts truck with no title or a salvage truck is the only option, i know where there is a 54 sitting in long grass, spotted it when i was loading the other day, might have to see if i can find owner.

 

I built one of these from a wrecked truck, used the front axle on the rear half of the frame and shorty running boards from a later year truck in front of the fenders. With stock wheels and hubcaps it almost looks like a dealer item

 

i just think something like this looks so cool. with everything matching

 

I built one to tag behind my 51 out of the back half of a 52 - pretty easy really if you can weld. I can so I had to pay someone to weld the tongue
But it turned out pretty good!





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I believe they used the 53 - 56 beds through 72, with minor differences - like fender mounting location. But they were all very similar.

I would think it would be a little better if you could get a long box to do it - for both space and suspension

 

i'll have to use a short box because of getting it back to the uk, for shipping i will put the trailer upside down on the back with the towing hitch over the cab, to reduce the hight then i may have to take axle off and put it inside, also a friend wants a couple of 454 chevy engines, so they will be in the back as well if they not to heavy

 

I am using a restored 1965 Sears-Allstate single trailer for my tow behind.
It is a clam-shell design with title and registration and is pearl-like inside as a clam is.

It is large enough for alot of equipment and pulls effortlessly.
Just another idea!!

 

quote-I believe they used the 53 - 56 beds through 72, with minor differences - like fender mounting location. But they were all very similar.-quote
The beds are very similar, the big difference is that the later models don't angle out at the top, they are flat

 

Why would you have to hack up an original truck. There are reproduction boxes you could use. Build a frame work under it using an approbate trailer axle. Make it as light as possible. Using a stock frame and axle will have excess weight.

I saw a '53-56 panel truck at a swap meet once that had a trailer made from the back half a matching panel truck. The guy used a drop trailer axle so he had more floor and storage space and had the inside of the trailer fixed up for sleeping, very cool rig.

I have a '37 project that I'm working on. I ending up scrapping one body because of rust issues but I had already rebuilt the trunk area and kept it. I've been kicking around this idea, something I photoshopped:

 

Bob, DO IT!

 

I have to admit that the trailers pictured above look really cool.