so i have an 87 f150 short bed. 4x4, 4.9L straight 6 manual. needs some work to get it running good again, and a lot of TLC to look good. the body is pretty good with very very light florida rust (i call it florida rust because it's again very minimal, never been in snow or anything.

anyways, i only paid 800 for it, already sold the winch for 200, tool box for 75, and a few other things. rather than trying to sell it as a whole, only getting offers of 800-1000 max, i'm sure i can get that if not more by parting it out, which i don't mind, and to kill time i actually enjoy wrenching and taking it apart to sell the parts.

anyways, i know ill make my 800 back then anything after that is profit, as well as i'm toying with the idea of keeping the bed and rear part of the frame, axle etc and making a trailer, and eventually maybe turning it into a dump trailer on top of that. i often need a dump trailer and i can essentially make one for pretty cheap.

i've seen it done many times, but i'm looking for tips on what to do/not do.

basically i should strip the axle of any things i won't need, brakes, shocks, etc? a few once said it's not ideal to use the truck axle because people forget to check the oil and stuff being on a trailer, but how often to you change the oil in the axle when it's on the truck...not something you do often, so i don't see that being an issue.

i think these sorta trailers look pretty cool, can be done cheap (minus the dump trailer addition), just need the trailer tongue, a bit of welding, etc.

any pointers will be appreciated. i went today to start unbolting the bed just to get that off for now so i can easily see under the bed and start removing the gas tank and other things, but i noticed the bed bolts don't have a way to be unbolted? my super duty has torx head bolts. how do you get the bed off?

also, as i mentioned earlier about stripping anything off the rear end not needed for this project...what all should i remove besides the shocks, brakes, gas tank and any wiring? (i can run new wires to the tail lights/tag lights)....leave the leaf springs as is? i plan to get properly rated tires (possibly those 12 ply or whatever they are semi truck type tires that last forever), but in a smaller size (33s on the truck now, no lift), so it's lower and easier to load things in/out. i haven't really looked, but i assume there is rear blocks, if so, i also assume they can be removed to lower it even more? don't want a low rider, but would def like it lower for reasons stated above.

thanks! i will keep this thread as sort of a build thread as well, and post pics as i go! here are a few pics to start of the truck itself. i bought it to fix up and keep, but i have way too many projects, and just don't have the time for another vehicle, but i always can use a trailer.

 

me i would gut the brakes id let the shocks be. then pull the cab and front end take out the engine and tranny cross members so now you have two rails sticking out. measure 2 feet from the front of the bed and cut a V notch top and bottom on the rails both sides then pull them together cut the excess rail off weld your v cuts and you have a tounge

 

Making the trailer is easy. The easiest way to get a beefy tongue without buying extra material is to make it an A-frame and use an A-frame coupler (and jack). Cut the notch for the bend in front of the cab cross member and gusset to the cross member after you've made the bend and welded the seam up. Brush up on your geometry and make the tongue long enough that a full jackknife will cause the bumper of a full-size truck to hit the tongue instead of the bed. Bolt an old brake disk on the foot of the trailer jack to keep it from sinking in soft ground. Don't be a lazy, use a fuse box at the tongue wire it for 7-way (well actually 6-way since you probably won't use the brake controller wire but 7-way hardware is cheaper, most new vehicles come with a 7-way plug and the truck harness is probably already wired for it) and put a 7-way plug in the bumper (where one of the plate lights goes). For the front running lights I recommend the HF round LED ones that use a grommet. Don't even think about using scotch locks or wire nuts for any of the wiring. Using heat shrink but splices will cost ~$2 more and being able to say "I did all the wiring the right way" will net you more than $2. I used them when I build a pickup trailer and they worked great. I used grease to make the grommet and light easier to install. If you're got some extra leafs lying around add them to the pack. A trailer that rides like a half ton truck will be all over the place with a load in it. Since you're in Florida you should be able to find a used surge brake coupler (very popular on boat trailers) for cheap or free if you're patient (watch CL and ask around).


The theme here if you didn't notice is that very little extra work and $ separates the quickest, cheapest, half *** way from doing things well. When everything is done right it makes it a lot easier to sell too.


With some sort of brakes, beefier springs, and a trailer plug in the back you'll have a trailer that can haul one cord of firewood and trailer your log splitter behind which about doubles it's value (at least it would in Maine).

 

thanks for the info guys. like i said i will post pics here as i go, i plan to do this hopefully soon.

****, you mean having the hitch behind the f150 bed to pull something with that as well?

 

Some states it is legal to triple tow.

 

Check your local laws on home made trailers

 

99x out of 100 they'll register it if some other state did. So worst case is you pay one of those "online Maine trailer registration" places to register it for a year (or however long you want). Then take it to your local DMV and have it transferred. You may have to get your brother or friend to write a bill of sale selling you the trailer. Using loopholes isn't illegal. If they wanted it to be illegal they'd close the hole.

 

I know PA no longer allows homemade trailers. so you can knock your 99 out of a 100 to 98 out of 100

 

I wish I had trucks that looked that good to fix and drive let alone make trailers out of!

Sigh....., I can always dream.

But the question is making trailers. I have seen a lot of trailers made from pickup beds and the one thing that I notice is the frame does not lend itself well to a level towing stance because of the drop in the frame rails where the cab sits. Usually, this is bent inwards to form a hitch.

Another issue is the use of the live axle as a trailer axle. Yes, it works, but it is not ideal as the drag of rotating gears is completely unnecessary. Still, it is functional.

I have made a trailer frame with a real trailer axle and springs that I mounted a pickup box to. It turned out very nice, but I no longer have it. It was a lot more work than simply cutting the frame and bending the rails inwards and really was no more functional, but I liked it.

 

Recent changes in Maine Trailer registration ...

EFFECTIVE 1-22-2015

An inspection of the VIN number will be required on all homemade trailers and all 1981 and newer model year manufactured trailers with a less-than 17 digit VIN, as a pre-requisite to registering the trailer. The Inspection of Vehicle Identification Number form (MVT-10) must be completed by a law enforcement officer.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

Few people in Maine goes through the homebuilt trailer process for a pickup trailer. That's more for building your own trailer from scratch. You get a friend/relative to write you a bill of sale for the trailer. I'm sure lots of stolen trailers go through Maine because of this. The bill of sale say for a pickup trailer says 1987 Ford utility trailer.. The VIN can be anything you want (but the truck VIN is suggested). In Maine you either say it's home built and go through that process. If it's a pickup trailer you just say it's a utility trailer, not home built. Ford made it after all. I could walk into the town hall with a bill of sale that says Osama Bin Laden sold me a 1987 Ford utility trailer for $1 with a serial number that says 5UCK-M3 and register my trailer (well maybe not him and that number but you get the point). They'll photocopy the bill of sale and I'll walk out with a plate in 5min. For good measure I could stamp the truck VIN on the frame/tongue but I just do a riveted aluminum plate for all my trailers. I don't think you'd have problems unless your trailer details (vin, year, etc) match someone else's and even then you'd probably be good for a few months until they figure it out.

IIRC all the online registration places are still willing to do homemade registrations. Trailer registration is a cash cow for Maine (the states that don't like it should lower their prices to be competitive) and they're in no hurry to tighten it up.

If your locality doesn't allow pickup trailers towing one with an out of state plate will probably get you screwed just as bad as towing one that's got registration details that aren't 100% accurate.

 

It's just the law, I didn't write it, I didn't say it couldn't be done!

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

It's been a pet peeve of mine seeing a pinion flailing away on a trailer using a diff as an axle. On the integral type, I remove the plate, unbolt the ring gear, cut it in half and remove it. If it's the removable type (9''er) I'll pull the pinion and install a block-off plate. Maybe the drag doesn't matter that much but still aesthetically...

 

thanks for all the information guys!

and unfortunately i looked it up, triple towing in florida is not legal

oh well, i put a sad face but i likely would never do it. since the bed does have a hitch, i'd leave it and probably try once just to see how it works. i could put a step in the hitch or something also since it's already there.