A trailer is usually taken as one of the most useful and practical accessory for your truck. It normally helps out in lugging dust to the job site, garbage to the dump or else even facilitates a friend move. Usually trailers are quite expensive. The best and cheap preference here is to pay for a broken or damaged truck and then make a trailer out of the bed. But for this reason you have to know how to build a pickup bed trailer. Here’s we are considered a trailer from 1981 Chevrolet long-bed pickup.
Things you’ll need:
- Reciprocating saw with metal cutting blades
- Grinder with metal grinding disc
- 5-inch c-channel steel, 16 feet
- Tape measure
- Blue butt connectors
- Trailer wiring connectors
- MIG welder
- 3/8-inch ratchet and sockets
- Trailer coupler to match tow vehicle
- 12-volt test light
- Wire cutters
- Wire crimpers
- Jack
- Jack stands
- Open-end wrench set
- Assistant
Step 1:
The first thing you have to do is to find a truck for you. It is not too difficult at all and there are numerous resources to locate a truck according to your requirements. You may take help form craigslist.org for this reason. When you have done with locating a truck then now bring it to your workplace.
Step 2:
Now prop up the rear of the vehicle. Hold up the frame by means of the jack stands. You should support the frame underneath the cab and the area beneath the bed. At this moment you are actually taking apart the two sections.
Step 3:
Next use 3/8-inch ratchet and sockets to unbolt as well as remove the gas tank from the vehicle.
Step 4:
Take a reciprocating saw and cut the exhaust underneath the cab though it. After that take away whatever exhaust is contained there under the bed by cutting it off the frame.
Step 5:
Now use reciprocating saw to cut the frame of the truck. As you have already removed gas tank so don’t hesitate seeing that all the connections should be fine at this moment.
Step 6:
Ask an assistant to help you for taking apart the cab and bed. Now lift up one side of the bed frame and turn it back from the cab, otherwise perform the opposite, what is appropriate for your workplace.
Step 7:
Again use reciprocating saw to cut the c channel steel into two 6-foot pieces.
Step 8:
Now evaluate the distance between the frame end on the trailer and the bed on both sides. Here it is required that both sides should have the same length so for this course use the reciprocating saw for cutting the frame with the on the longer side to go with the shorter one, if the difference among them is more than 1/2 inch. If it is less than 1/2 inch, crush down the longer frame stub by means of a grinder and the metal disc until unless the two sides are equivalent.
Step 9:
Use the MIG welder to weld the c-channel steel into a “V” shape. Here the V center is required to be at the middle of the trailer; so if necessary then obtain measurements.
Step 10:
For more support weld the residual c-channel across the V-shape.
Step 11:
After that, weld the trailer coupler to the c-channel end. The trailer coupler is required to go with the hitch on the vehicle. So verify that they both match as needed.
Step 12:
Now take the wire cutters, crimpers plus blue butt connectors to connect the taillight wiring to a trailer harness. The majority tow vehicles need specific trailer connections so acquire a trailer harness for the bed that goes with it.
Step 13:
Connect the bed trailer with the tow vehicle. After that check it twice that everything is working well. And taillights ought to work as designed.
Tips & Warnings:
You can modify your trailer in any manner you want. For instance it is possible for you to put in a tool box to the end of the trailer on top of the tongue. You can install a winch as well. There are several other options are available for you.
