Any of y'all ever built a pickup bed trailer?

[letusbuyyourcar]

I've been wanting to do this for years. After I get moved back to middle GA I'll have access to more tools and welding equipment . I hope to find a donor truck in the form of an older F150 or Dodge long bed. Not ruling any models out but I do prefer the 8 foot bed for this project .
The videos I've seen all involved lifting the cab off the frame rails along with engine and transmission . Then you cut the rails so that they will bend to the angle needed to attach the hitch. My question here would be is there an easier way to do this?

 

[otherpapa1]

I've been wanting to do this for years. After I get moved back to middle GA I'll have access to more tools and welding equipment . I hope to find a donor truck in the form of an older F150 or Dodge long bed. Not ruling any models out but I do prefer the 8 foot bed for this project .
The videos I've seen all involved lifting the cab off the frame rails along with engine and transmission . Then you cut the rails so that they will bend to the angle needed to attach the hitch. My question here would be is there an easier way to do this?

I have built several. If the axle is not perpendicular with the coupler it will not track and cutting the frame and bending it to a coupler is hard to get right. Second you don't want to use the truck rear end because the spider gears will make the pinion gear turn all the time. So it makes a lot better trailer if you build an angle iron frame and use a trailer axle. It also makes it lower to the ground which makes it pull better and easy to load. Just my experience.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

I have built several. If the axle is not perpendicular with the coupler it will not track and cutting the frame and bending it to a coupler is hard to get right. Second you don't want to use the truck rear end because the spider gears will make the pinion gear turn all the time. So it makes a lot better trailer if you build an angle iron frame and use a trailer axle. It also makes it lower to the ground which makes it pull better and easy to load. Just my experience.

See that's a point I was wondering about. I'd still like to use the existing rear end but I didn't know how it would effect or be effected by the gear set. I assumed I could take the diff cover off and just ditch the gears. The axles are held in be E clips,right?

 

[Bottoms polaris]

On most 1/2 ton trucks the axles are held in by c clips. If you remove the gears then the axles will slide out because that's the way the axles are held in place. If you got a 3/4 or 1 ton most of them are bolted to the hubs at the wheels so you could remove the gears and leave the pinion gear and yolk in for sealing the axle. You'll still have to leave the axle dope in the differential to lube the bearings.

 

[Rivershot]

Unless you are trying match a tow vehicle to a trailer, I say it's a lot of work for not much trailer.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

Unless you are trying match a tow vehicle to a trailer, I say it's a lot of work for not much trailer.

I have access to junkyard trucks among other things back up in Perry.

 

[jeepnuts]

See that's a point I was wondering about. I'd still like to use the existing rear end but I didn't know how it would effect or be effected by the gear set. I assumed I could take the diff cover off and just ditch the gears. The axles are held in be E clips,right?

Different axles are different. Some are full float, some semi and some c-clip, etc.

Just leave the dope in the chunk and it won’t hurt it to be spinning all the time. That’s what pinions do.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

Different axles are different. Some are full float, some semi and some c-clip, etc.

Just leave the dope in the chunk and it won’t hurt it to be spinning all the time. That’s what pinions do.

Good info right there.

I thought about starting a little more simple and basic like taking a little truck S10/Ranger/ Mazda bed and bolting it down on top of an old boat trailer. I mean since boat trailers are literally sitting around everywhere down here.

 

[jeepnuts]

Your idea sounds cool of putting the bed on the boat trailer frame

 

[jeepnuts]

Although I sold my Toyota bed for $350 I feel like you could just grab a used utility trailer for that