Car Trailer Rebuild, How to Increase the Load Capacity of your trailer
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- This video is a complete overhaul of my 18 foot car trailer with a bunch of upgrades while I am at it. I have had this trailer for about 6 years and it has served me well hauling my rigs all over the country. But after installing the drive over fenders I decided that rebuilding this trailer is a much better idea that replacing it. At the same time I will be upgrading the trailer using a set of twin 5K axles from Lippert with brakes at all 4 wheels.
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A few things I think you should add:: Gussets to the spare tire mounts. Vibrations can crack welds over time. LED lights inside of the fenders, toward the outer lip. If you've ever lost a bearing on the road at night, well, you know exactly why I'd add them. Last, I'd hang the license plate sideways on the drivers side fender, rather than have it getting trashed on trails and such. Mine is where yours is, but my frame sits higher for the light. It would have been great to end the video with the trailer hooked to your truck with something on the trailer at night, showing the deck lighting and how useful it really is....
I will keep an eye on them
i like the LED’s inside the fender, neat trick.
Nice rebuild. A couple of points to consider. Two 5,000 lb axles does not mean 10,000 lbs of cargo. It means 10,000 lbs pounds including the trailer itself and the load. You need to weigh your trailer empty so you know how much cargo capacity you have left.
Additionally tire pressures are relative to the load which they are carrying to a point. 40 psi is probably good for medium to lighter loads but to access the full weight rating on a tire, you need to use the maximum tire pressure listed on the tire.
Last, the center lights will be a great addition if you only haul rolling loads with center clearance. However, if you haul stuff that would put any weight on the center of the trailer, especially if it is stuff that will slide or have to be drug on or off, all your hard work and money will be quickly destroyed. I’m sure you evaluated your specific intended use when you added that feature. I only mentioned it for others who may be thinking about that modification. For me, I use my trailer for hauling all kinds of stuff from rolling loads, to scrap metal and those lights would be destroyed within the first couple of uses. The lights by the spares will be perfect though. I also add bright back up lights to the back end of the trailer because I always end up backing up in the dark and trailers are miserable to back in dark areas without back up lights.
Again, nice rebuild!
that is only partially correct as well as the tow vehicle also supports some of the load.
One other mention. Just adding bigger axles does not give you more capacity. There were not structural upgrades (in fact cutting the cross brace where the tongue jack is I would say is a down grade, due to additional twist being allowed in the tongue from having only plate replace it. ) Most people have a tendency to overload their trailer as it is, so thinking you can now add more is dangerous thinking. At best he got a bit better braking and made up for the added weight of the winch and batteries and heavier axles.
@ Mark Meier: Trailer capacity ratings have nothing to do with the tow vehicle. The weight rating of a trailer does not increase or decrease based on what vehicle it is attached to. The trailer has its own weight capacity rating based on its construction. It is up to the operator of the tow vehicle to make sure they are using a vehicle with a tow rating high enough to pull the loaded trailer and that the load on the trailer is situated in such a way that the tongue weight also does not exceed the capacity of the tow vehicle.
like reading these mister-know-it-all comments telling the guy how to do it.
@@PeeterPuncher one more of my know it all comments🤣🤣🤣but heavier axles does not change the gvwr the manufacturer put on it. And heaven forbid dot ever checked and you are overweight
I always found it strange that no one ever paints the metal cross pieces under the wood.
Exactly if it's apart paint it... paint is cheaper than repair/replacement once it rusts out
I always do, not going to get another chance later, seems like a no brainer
speak for yourself! ha!
add a 20 amp circuit breaker to the aux power in the junction box...that will protect your connectors and truck wiring in case you try to work the winch with the trailer wires still connected and a low battery
Love that idea!!
I always liked leaving the middle strip open so you can tie down to the cross members when need be.
That turned out amazing…..the lights running down the center are genius!! Great stuff as always Ian 👊🏻👊🏻
Use a spare spindle to mount the spare. So you have spare parts when needed
Had that on my old trailer
That's a great idea. Especially as far as he drags this trailer.
Wouldn't this destroy the bearing long term?
@@ShopJock oil bath bearings need to be rotated, so yes. I can’t see how this would be an issue with grease packed bearings.
@@ShopJock
Lock the tire so it doesn’t move.
Amazing work. I have been watching since Power Tv days. You are an amazing fabricator.
what I would have done with the center strip is get a channel iron welded in web side down with flanges up and then put in weld on D rings in the bottom of the channel and maybe some E track mounts too. then a guy would have center tie downs that do in interfere with any load
That would be pretty sweet...but it wasn't a perfect 6" wide...the flat bar covers the edges of th boards
That box is for a Semi Truck. The colors are different for them. The Brown is for running lights on one side of the trailer and Black for the other side. No big deal just different because they use an amber turn signal that needs to be separated from the running light and there are frequently so many lights that they use a separate system for both sides.
thanks for that info
I too am addicted to watching trailer builds. As i've been building out a custom trailer for my needs. Which is not for hauling cars. but my heavy machines as i'm about to move across the country. and eventually for loading logs also. So i've put a crane on the front and a log arch on the back. 2 winches one on crane and one for log arch. I initially hoped to also use it for loading a tractor so i built it w/ drive over fenderish. But i suspect my log arch mounts will prevent me from loading vehicles like i initially planned. Will have to measure wheel bases when i get to that point. Another thing that i added (since i started from what was originally a travel trailer frame that i beefed up) is on the axles i added struts as it helps save your tires especially while your driving your trailer unloaded it'll not be bouncing around so much.
I wanted to upgrade the axles for weight capacity but i was concerned about the structure of the trailer being able to handle the added weight. Since a trailer frame is designed with a certain weight range in mind. So just upgrading the axles doesn't mean you can use that added weight. You might start bending the frame. * something to keep in mind for safety *
Your comment about white being ground made me chuckle.. British (older, anyway) vehicle wiring - black = ground, brown = unswitched +12v. German vehicle wiring - brown = earth, black = switched +12v. You really have to pay attention going from one to the other!
Adding my 2 cents. I think you did a great job but in my openion you missed one impirtant step. When the trailer was apart you should of done some rust preventative maintenance on the frame. Even a rattle can if rustoleum would of been beneficial.
Am I missing the link to where you got the power probe or is it not in the description?
Add a piece of pipe to support the spare tire on mount in order to hold tire while you bolt it to the mount? Use the shrink tubing that has an adhesive that makes the connection water tight?
Living in ohio winter we are more vigilant at coating rust. Surprised you didnt use a rust converting product. There is so many options. I like eastwood products as they have stopped current rust and went thru a winter without it coming back
Great for all the enjoyed the video. When you get everything off, I think I would’ve powder coated the whole frame.
I was considering it..but that was more time than I wanted to commit
Would be awesome to see the tool box build with all the wiring
I’m surprised you didn’t put any rock lights. Or at least LEDS underneath to light up the underside. I’m seeing more trailer’s going down the road with them . Pretty cool idea
I am thinking of adding one inside the fender well, possibly an orange light so I could use it if I needed to change a tire on the side of the road....I never thought of adding rock lights as well...I like that idea
Ian, good to see you're adding brakes! I commented on that last time.
Gussets under the spare tire mounts, because even with them pulled tight against the frame.
Gravity, and bouncing down the road is a major load considering the weight of the tire n wheels, as well the bouncing adds additional energy to the down force applied to the welds themselves and tubing of trailer.
Also on your raw wood edges in the center, I'd use proper sized angle iron to cover those edges, and just stitch welded to frame.
Reason being it saves the edges of the lumber from being chipped or split by something being dropped on those edges, and keeps the lumber from curling as it cures, not too mention it cleans up the nice job you've done everywhere else.
Only problem with exposed switches and buttons, is they get pushed by kids, and are people just pushing buttons, and possibly drain your battery.
Then there's the comment accidentally bumping the buttons during the day time, and not realizing that it was done due to the sun making it difficult to know.
Otherwise great job, but dam stuff has more than doubled in cost last couple years, and I really don't understand the reasons why, except people are just greedy taking unfair advantage of everything and everyone
One thing one might consider is the original rated capacity of the trailer as that is what one is legally allowed to carry unless recertified.
Those laws are "guidelines"
@@BigTireGarage
I had the same color problem rewiring mine. Had a buddy tell me the other colors are RV colors. Not sure if that's true. Thought I was loosing my mind trying to get everything to work!
Bunch of people on here have said that...nut when I search RV wiring..colors are still wrong
@@BigTireGarage I blame China LOL! Trailer looks good
I'm with you, I don't know why all the junction boxes use unconventional wiring colors. Drives me nuts
I like the light idea. But I am thinking I will do amber colored lights and hook them to the runtime lights. So that way you can see the load on the trailer while going down the road better.
I was thinking the same thing....it is nice being able to see the load on the trailer.....I bought some amber lights that I could add if I wanted to
Those junction boxes follow rv wireing. great build, did you check your coupler to see if it is rated for the extra weight and is the frame overbuilt enough?
On my trailer we put 4 inch channel down the middle with holes on it for extra places to tie to
👍Like the runway lights, lan. Should put some rock light to.😎
Why not solder connections instead of butt connectors? Just a case of preference or time vs just crimping connections?
I don't like solder connections in automotive applications, just like in aviation (where soldered connections are not done) the excessive vibrations can cause them to weaken over time
Great build. A dose of linseed oil on the wood once a year will make it last a long time.
Second person to suggest that I will do that thank you
Every utility trailer I’ve ever messed with has had the typical colors (left turn = yellow right turn green for example.) When I put a new plug on my camper I was quite confused. There are 2 variations for some reason.
Your trailer has a VIN that tells DOT what the trailer is rated for. Changing axles & tires do not change the trailer capacities. Now you may NEVER be checked by DOT, until your involved in an accident. As CDL hot shot driver I've been fined twice for overloading the original capacity. They are not cheap tickets. I had done basically the same upgrades bigger axles & tires. Also, your registration price IF your state/county will even register at a higher weight. No, I was never in an accident but as a Hot Shot I have to run DOT #s and stop at state scales.
Having personally built numerous trailers, I might suggest that I would NOT consider that a 10,000 capacity trailer , its is only a C channel frame trailer , NOT a rectangle tube frame trailer & I would certainly take the 10K capacity with a grain of salt No comparison between C channel & rectangle tube when it comes to strength heavier weight yes, but not that much & well worth it
You just confirmed EXACTLY why I refuse to buy used, or rebuild a trailer. The cost, if you factor in the sale of the used trailer is VERY close to paying for a BRAND new trailer, with new paint, hitch, ramps, and lights. Plus what about the labor time. Also the brand new trailer would be worth more in 5 years if you went to sell since its paint would be much better, and since the manufactures year is newer the value would be higher due to that. I will continue to buy new, and get my original investment out of it when I sell. This way I never buy brakes or do any maintenance and I never have more invested in trailers then their outright new value, occasionally you replace a few tires along the way, but never any batteries, axles, lights, jacks hitches or wiring. Another thing, you still have a 7k trailer, until you pay someone to do a”modified” trailer title upgrade, until then you still can only haul what is licensed for. There is no way to recoup labor cost, It only makes sense when you get free axles, and/or need video content to pay for the labor.
The 7-way wiring might be rv set up, I think they have a different color coding.
Could be
Great work but I feel like that wheel stop is a little anemic to be winching a rig with.
It is tied into the frame of the trailer so far it has been great!!!
The color code for a seven ways standardized across the industry so the colors actually will be like you had on that printed ticket, flat, four uses a different color code than the seven round bargeman plug
Interesting....but this trailer was a pin from the start of it's life and brown was always running lights who knows...trailers are always a mystery
They make a 7 wire cable & thats the colour code!
Price wise, if you sold your trailer for $4k which it’s worth. You probably would have had a limited warranty, drive off the lot and an extra $1,000. Cause you didn’t factor in the steel or original trailer purchase. Since a “new” trailer also includes a brand new frame
Considering the "garbage" that I have seen sold lately by trailer shops...no way would I be ahead...add to that..this trailer would of sold for maybe 1k
Would like to see some pics of how you mounted the winch plate and its final design, didn't really cover that after cutting it on plasma table. Any concerns with that top tube flexing when pulling vehicle onto trailer?
No...that tube is attached to the frame at that location from the factory
Great Content as usual. Ian have you tried the solder heat connectors? When you use a heat gun it melts the solder ring around the connection, I still throw an extra insulation wrapper around it, but was curious what your thoughts are on them?
great job Big E. easy peezee
When is the video when you show the reinforcements for the Trailer jack plate? Using 1/8 plate with no reinforcements are just asking from trouble especially with the original cross bar missing from the trailer jack. The winch plate worried me so I looked it up. Rugged Ridge specs a minimum of 1/4 plate from a 10K winch.
There was another cross member under the original jack mount that I did not cut out, and thIS winch plate design I have done before...it ha weld washers under each foot (look up my video installing winch plate on a rock crawler) you need to understand why that is speced, and the loadscin the system.
Ian, will you please do mine? I loaned mine to an In-law and he abused it, bent axle, destroyed fenders, blew out tire etc… etc….
PLEASE!!!
❤
Why would you not sand off the rusty tops of those joists and repaint then before putting decking over them?
If I was gonna paint the trailer I was gonna go all in and powdercoat the entire thing..and I didn't want to invest that much time...plus its only surface rust...
Extend the tung 3 foot, it will tow and turn better
Tows and turns amazing
Tongue jack plate seems a little light for a loaded trailer
Nope...works fine
Just remember if in your house black wires are hot white is neutral, maybe that's the reason
Did anybody notice the shackles were upside down when he put the wheels on? I hope he fixed that before pulling it
They self correct when the trailer is under its own weight
Put them underneath the deck sence you are going to redo the deck anyway. You definitely need the 12000lb winch
Under the deck spares don't work for trailers that go to offroad places
Your junction box is more than likely use for RV trailer not a car trailer. Thats why ground is white and power is black.
Would an RV not still use the normal stop, turn, and running light color code
No, RV / 5th wheel / camper are different to trailer… yet another NA oddity… 🤣
Mounting the spare tires where you did, did it take away the turning radius in tight spots before you hit it with the bumper
Nope
Is 1/8” strong enough to support the jack???
Your junction box wiring seems normal to me. Matches the one on my trailer. Granted, that's a 12 ton trailer, not a car hauler.
i’m curious, after moving the jack forward, can you still drop the trucks tailgate with the trailer attached?
Yep
As a lifetime upper midwest resident, I gotta ask, why didn't you address any of the rust while you had everything torn apart? It would have added a couple hours of work, but extended the life of the trailer by 10 years.
It was just a little surface rust....nothing to worry about here in the south....and to do it right it would have taken quite a few hours
Still looks like a back hand buster with the handle to latch protrusion. Ouch.
Nope clears easily....trust me that was my first concern and why I moved the jack forward about 1.5 Inches
@@BigTireGarage Great! Did I miss the axles and brakes install, just finished watching. I've done a zillion upgrades on a free car trailer over the years myself. Rescued friends many times.
The reason the wires are the wrong color is its trailer house colors white is ground in a house black is power green is neutral. Red is a second power like 220 of a three way switch. So you are not crazy they are.
Did you put a battery in the box or not? I didn't see a battery listed in the breakdown.
Yes...I had an old Duralast laying around the shop
Bro. Y didn't you paint it? Even rattle can
It’s not 10k capacity, you have to allow for weight of trailer also in California you should tag it for under 10# or you’ll have to have an upgraded license
Just one of the 1000 reasons I don't live in California
That steel plate is not heavy enough for the jack leg
Wrong...plenty strong
You should chage it over to axel less trailer that can kneel lol
Axle upgrade doesn't do anything to upgrade the gvwr. It's still a 7k trailer, not a 10k
What about the cost to have someone CNC cut those pieces for you?
I do that myself
I get that but what about the people who don't have a cnc table....that is all I'm asking. Great video
You could do it by hand
..just takes longer
The reason why trailer manufacturers and I don’t put our spare tires there is because you never know when you’ll have to cut the wheels hard to maneuver the trailer into or out of certain spots. Your bumper will need that corner space.
Nope clears completely with my tongue length
@@BigTireGarage Good to know it clears your tongue, it's just some trucks don't have a long tongue. Didn't know if you were thinking about other trucks pulling your tailer with a shorter ball mount. Love your videos Ian. Was watching you and Jesse from early on and Loved all of the FAB stuff.
Should’ve added marker lights to the front of the fenders makes it easy to see how wide the trailer is at night and really not gonna paint the cross members while it was bare?!??
Surface rust on those....and they were painted from the factory...I didn't have the time
I’m really not understanding how you can increase the capacity of this 7000lb trailer to a 10,000lb trailer without upgrading the frame.
The frames on a 7k and 10k trailer from this manufacturer are identical
Love the content, but music is so annoying sory maybe it's just me.
You do t just throw new heavier axels and thats it.. it has to be inspected and approved for the heavier loads you want to haul.
Not in my state...not a commercial trailer
You're really going to splice those wires out in the elements, when you have a junction box sitting rt there? ok dood
Also, You didnt save $3000, you could have sold that trailer for 4k, and bought a new one, saving you more than 3k. Time+5300=8k
Although, you now have a trailer that you partially designed to your liking, and it does look good. gave me some ideas for mine.
I might hit up Lippert, I have a 28' stainless steel trailer frame that needs axles.
When I wire up grounds, I bolt the ground wire from lights to frame. I also bolt a wire from frame to plug. beats running more wire that could get damaged. Grounded thru the ball hitch and wires.
The heavier axles are great, but if the frame was rated for 7k, you still have a 7k trailer. Yes, you can overload it, and on smooth roads you could get away with more weight. But, if you load it heavy and hit a washboard and get it hopping, the frame might not like it.
He could have ran a support down the middle of the trailer from the tongue to the rear of the trailer, it helps ten fold, mine works really nice with two pieces of 2" pipe running front to back
Just a little picky but 2 3500 pound axles cannot haul 7000 pounds, you can only haul 7000 less the weight of the trailer. Likewise 2 5000 pound axles can only haul 10,000 less the weight of the trailer. Thanks for your video! Gave me the push to rebuild my trailer.
are you "certain"? HA!
I could watch trailer modification videos on a never ending loop. Nothing like having a great trailer setup & I love seeing other people’s ideas & execution.
Great job on this one, I really liked the lighting setup!
So far it has been a game changer!!!
I see someone else said many people don’t paint the cross pieces under the wood but why when you had the trailer apart didn’t you take a couple extra hours to apply a rust converter to all metal surfaces & paint them? That would have truely been a rebuilt trailer that would look like it is new! Other than not giving it a coat of paint,nice job!
Super cool Ian...keep the awesome videos rolling man!
I might have been inclined to run some plastic loom on the wiring going through the drilled holes on the frame...I hate wiring issues too. LOL
Or run it through garden hose..
MY first thoughts of seeing this was where is the pipe to run the wires in ?
As a Trailer parts supplier I have helped thousands for people do what you are doing, One thing i see all the time is a hub failing because of lack of maintenance , one thing I did on my trailer for the spare tire is use a spindle and an idler hub for the spear tire mount, therefore I have a ready to go hub in case I have a bearing fail on the road and i catch it before it destroys its self. You put your springs on backwards, the strap that goes around the spring needs to be pointed to the front because under breaking that strap holds the spring pack together the way you have them it will shorten the life of the spring and break over time. Why not go with 6k Axles same fitment and if you ever wanted to upgrade the tires the hardware would be ready. Why not rewire to industry standards? That spare is most likely bad because of time in the sun look at its color it is grey that means that tire does not have the elasticity is needs I Have seen many spare tires on trailers separate just because they were on the carrier in the sun and never ever run.
I seen the same thing on the springs. And the shackles were over center but I’m sure that was corrected when it was set down judging by the wheel to fender clearance.
But I agree with changing the wiring how Ian did. If you ever have to replace your 7 pin plug and wire it by the colors on the new plug it won’t match whatever that RV standard is. I’ve noticed all RV wiring is like what came with that junction box and it defies all my trailer logic. Wish they would all just pick a lane and stick to it.
After 20 years of working on over the road trailers with the 7 round pin ATA plug, and G'ds color code; I took a part time job at an "Auto and truck shop"... A car trailer came in needing new tailights... It was wired in the "RV" "standard... The Satanic wiring drove me insane...
I have seen People do stupid stuff to wires. In my time of services. One guy even went as far a hooking his brake wire to a reverse wire so if something tried stealing his trailer. The moment he reversed it would lock the brakes up 😂
Not to mention, if the tire psi says 65 psi on the side ,then 65 psi is what you run all the time . They are not like car tires.
@joshuavanalst2365
An upgrade option I have found useful is under trailer reverse lighting place a couple of flood lights aimed back at a 20-30 degree outward angle from the tongue as well as a pair just under the tail lights that can be powered on in when in reverse or switched to turn on constant. Another add on option would be a removable telescopic tower light that could be stored in the tongue box as well as a drop light (you could wire up for multiple power spots and tower mount locations (could use the stake pockets as tower mounts) as well universal power ports for the tower and drop light).
Some people make a center strip of removable boards so they can use the trailer like a lift so they can work on the underside of the car if necessary. This is handy if you need to do repairs at the race track. If you don't have a trailer brake disconnect, sometimes it is easier to mount the junction box closer to the trailer lights behind the rear most axle, to shorten wiring runs to trailer/running lights and brakes. After finishing the wiring in the junction box, fill the interior of the box with regular wheel bearing grease. This will prevent water and salt from getting to the connections and shorting them out, particularly where they salt the roads. It is also a reservoir of grease that you can use if you have to repack a wheel bearing out on the road.
This is a great addition. Thank you for this.
I love the honesty in the axle part but honestly we are all stoked that you have people that support you. I love the onx content also. Rooting for Nate and Dave!
Love it
Ian
Can you show how you strap up your rig with this configuration
And maybe some pictures of the trailer at night with the lights on.
Keep up the content ❤
Another note on the wood decking, mount the boards with the crown up. So if your looking at the end of the board, the growth rings will make a "C" shape, you want the top of the C at the top, and the 2 ends facing down. This will help prevent the wood from holding as much water, prolonging the life of the wood. Also for people that don't know, just because you put a higher weight capacity axle under your trailer does not increase the "legal" capacity. If you get stopped of checked by DOT they are only going to go by the data plate/sticker on the tongue of the trailer and they could punish you with anything from a ticket to impounding your trailer or anything in between. (Not saying I agree with that, just a warning to those that may not know.)
To add to this comment, speaking of the DOT,
ANY TRAILER rated 1 pound over 10,000 lbs, pulled by
ANY VEHICLE UNDER 26,000, lbs., is required the driver to be licensed with a Class A, CDL.
Got that? You must be legally licensed to operate a semi down the highway.
Wait, there's more! IF your tow vehicle + trailer combined gross over 17,000 lbs. Your required to have a Combination licensed plate on the tow vehicle $500. + plate.
If you fail to aquire and pay for this and get stopped, they take your truck weight, add your trailer and the contents weight, and add those figures to total gross weight overload fine on your tow vehicle. Basically, you're going to jail, and you might as well handover the title of your rig to pay the fine.
On my 10,000 GVW trucks, I pull 7,000 lb trailers to stay under that magic 17,000 Combination number.
One more thing, yes, there's more!
If you have one of these fancy crew cab, 4x4 dually, loaded for bear tow rigs with a GVW over 10,001 lbs, DON'T CROSS ANY STATE LINES w/o a
DOT # with the sticker numbers on the doors. You'll have some face 2 face time with the judge about you being in business.
Just stay under the 10,000 limit. This is why you're seeing these newer trailers rated at 9,950 GVW now.
Hope this helps.
Old boss of mine put lights down the center of trailer and every time some one threw and chain across the deck they broke a light. flat leds might work but they were not available then. great stuff keep up the good work.
Great job on this one-of-a-kind trailer build! As you broke down the $3,000 savings to build it yourself vs. bying a new one loaded out I couldn't help noticing one thing missing in the calculation... you would probably sell the existing trailer for at least $3k if you bought a new one.
That said, this trailer turned out better than a new one and it's the only one just like it. It was still worth it!
Like some others have mentioned, using spindles to mount the spares gives you a little backup if ever needed. You might think about getting some spare tire covers to help the spare last a little longer by blocking the UV. I think I'd have either stained or varnished the decking too just to help keep it looking good, plus it'd be easier to clean up if you get grease or oil on it. Great video, thanks for showing how to get things done for a great price, now if I only had a shop full of killer tools like you have.
I like adding some tubing to the center of the wheel mounts to support it while you line up the bolt holes. You can use round or square, just so long as you place it after mounting the first time so that it supports the rim instead of the lugs.
did that when I mounted tires inside the enclosed trailer on a rack. Makes it a lot easier to place it on and then spin it to line up the holes. I did use welded-through bolts. being the same thread, if you lost a lug nut, the spare had 3 available.
I really enjoyed the episode of your rebuild.
The lights in the floor were a game changer.
Keep up the great work, and as always, be safe in your adventures.
Nice trailer. I am surprised the jack mount is 1/8" material. The one you cut off was way more beefy. Hope it works.
Here where we have lots of snow, those wires run cross-member to cross-member would get loaded up with snow and ice and pulled down and apart. We have to run the wire along the "C" channel here.
Wood planking will last a long time if you do nothing. If you put a coat of linseed oil on it every year or two, it will outlive you.
Lights down the center are cool enough. But they are clearly not flush mounted. You will hate them when you drag frames and pieces of vehicles up onto the trailer with your winch, getting hooked on them and ripping them out of the trailer.
I was confused on the 1/8" plate also. Don't know I would trust it for the winch mount.
I have a 1/4" plate, and two 1/4" wall 2" tubes on my winch mount (10,000 lb). It's gotten all bent up over the years. My trailer sits alot higher, so there is probably some additional stress added to the plate...but there is no way 1/8" would survive. Seems sketchy, to save maybe $30 in steel.
@@jonathonschram3429 I wasn't as concerned for the winch plate, since the forces are along the plate. But 3/16 would be my minimum.
For the trailer jack however, the forces are up in the middle of a significant span, and the 1/8" plate will bend right away.
I'm sure Ian figured it out off-camera. Maybe all he had on hand at the time of the filming was 1/8.
Excellent video with clear and valuable advice. Thank you for taking the time to educate us. One little suggestion, if you connect a small white led marker light to the inside of the toolbox, you won't need a flashlight to search for items at night. Keep safe.
Like that idea as well...
Rad!! Most people unfortunately would probably toss it and buy new. Glad to see someone promoting reuse rebuilding etc.
No swnse replacing when rebuilding better is an option...
@@BigTireGarage The center lights was the best part can you show how it looks at night?
I don't know where u live but if someone tried to throw away a trailer like that around here there would be a line a block long trying to get it. Typically insurance companies are the culprit for that kind of nonsense.
i've been a fan of using junction boxes for trailer wiring for a while. they are nice for diagnosis as you said and for repairs and also upgrades should the need arise in the future. the term that I've best heard applied to using them is "future proofing" and it works out great. In addition to that I have also started installing reverse lights into any trailer I rewire because I am flat tired of people rear ending my trailers when I am backing out of a spot. Also as a semi professional grease monkey myself, I have to recommend the butt connectors I've been buying for years now. they are in effect a non-insulated connector that has heatshrink pre-installed on them. they make them in butt connectors and fork lugs and ring lugs and spades and even bullet connectors too.
I did the same as trucks, mounted the spare under the trailer using the system from a pickup.
Next upgrade will be onboard air compressor. the box already has solar charger for the onboard battery. The trailer is pretty much self contained.
That would be a cool idea as well
you will prob regret that decision.... when your first blowouts occur. in the rain and mud! HA!
Damn! You did it again Ian. That was a great video!
Besides my current interest in rebuilding a trailer, you touched on every aspect and continued throughout the whole process (as you do on all your vids). ✌️😁👍
The added center lights are "flipping" BA!
Just an FYI- something I learned a while ago is your axle cap is 10k Gross. Meaning 10k minus the weight of the trailer. 10k worth of axles minus a 2500lb trailer (guesstimate) means you have a 7500lb capacity trailer.
Just wanted to make mention of it as it was something I learned, and something I noticed you say in the video more than once. Otherwise great build up! Love trailer mods
Nice Job. I did a similar thing with my 24' 5000 lb flatbed trailer. Double framed (long story) added brakes to the non-brake axle. My axles are still 3500# rated but my concern was just because I made the frame stronger, added additional brakes, etc... the 2" ball still exists and most 2" hardware is 5000lb rated. I know you can by better but the hitch on the trailer is still 5000#. In your case up to 10000# so wouldn't you need to change that hitch to a 2-5/16" for safety?
Its 2 5/16's already
I would use a drop leg jack. An impact will beat a jack to death. A speedwrench or electric rachet will save a lot of wear. Then jack by hand. Also put a loop for the winch hook so you can use a blockon the winch rope. Not to double the capacity but ease the strain on the rope and make the pull smoother. Not as fast but smooth and easy. 10k winch with a block equeals 20k capacity, half the load on the rope at same load.
36:03
Humbly, I would suggest a C channel down the center, with lights and extra tie downs. You can NEVER have too many straps. I agree with the hub for a spare tire holder and i would suggest spare tire covers. I live in the Midwest and road salt is hell on everything. The tire cover will also help deter rust on the lug and rim of your spare.
I never thought of that until it was suggested and its a great idea
You are beyond belief amazing even though you put everything on a video I don't believe I can follow all that video introduce such an amazing job as you have you're amazing you're amazing now the lights in the middle of the floor you know it got to love it
This editing style of video is the way to go. Less focus on talking into the camera and use b-roll footage while talking. LOVE THIS VIDEO IAN
Every video is different
I always rewire in to an electric box. Keeps things simple and easier to just wire in a new plug if you need to.
I ran into the same problem with my trailer junction block. There is a trailer standard and an RV standard and they are not the same for wire color coding.
Great video, my trailer rebuild started as a deck replacement and ended up like yours short of new axles. I think the most important thing I did was add reverse light under the brake lights. I also added, like I see on yours, a metal trim, 1/4 angle, around the lights to protect them from damage by "friend using the trailer".