• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

Well, I suppose it's an RBV....


AllanD

TRS Technical Staff
TRS Technical Advisor
Joined
Jun 1, 2001
Messages
7,897
Reaction score
134
Points
63
Age
62
Location
East-Central Pennsylvania
Vehicle Year
1987... sorta
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
'93 4.0
Transmission
Manual
Spent part of yesterday stripping a frame.

I'm taking a frame from a 1985 Longbed Ranger to make a trailer.

Someone already removed the cab mount brackets and leaf spring brackets
(saving me the effort) as I have new spring mounts anyway.

What amused me most was that the frame when stripped
(it's already cut off 4" forward of the transmission crossmember)
only weighs 140#

I already have a clean 7' bed and a 3500# electric brake trailer axle.
The last part of the package is Explorer Springs rebuilt onto an Explorer
Sport mono-leaf main leaf.

Basically I've wanted a Ranger based utility trailer, because with the simple addition (or removal) of a cap you can have an open or an enclosed trailer.

Open for hauling Coal, firewood, Top soil or manure, enclosed for carrying auto parts, etc....

AD
 


rickcdewitt

New Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2007
Messages
2,075
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
nor-cal
Vehicle Year
1991
Make / Model
ford
Engine Size
4-0 swap
Transmission
Manual
i was thinking about doing that with an 88 long bed,but i was told that tongue weight and weight distribution might be screwy.the guy who said that made his from a short bed though and i suppose the distance of the tongue from the bed has an impact.i don't know? it would be cool to pull a rbv trailer behind the ranger with some mudders on it.kind of a matching off road trailer?anyway good luck.
 

compleckz

New Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
1,328
Reaction score
3
Points
0
Age
38
Location
Western Mass
Vehicle Year
97
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Automatic
a local guy did the same thing with an old s10, and he's got one of those TALL caps on it.. cheap little rugged trailer
 

AllanD

TRS Technical Staff
TRS Technical Advisor
Joined
Jun 1, 2001
Messages
7,897
Reaction score
134
Points
63
Age
62
Location
East-Central Pennsylvania
Vehicle Year
1987... sorta
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
'93 4.0
Transmission
Manual
Yes tongue length has an effect on tongue weight

But so does WHERE you put the weight in the trainer.

I also have a York Load-Lok bedliner for it and I'm
nearly OCD about adding cargo tiedowns..

In addition I'm mounting a fuel tank TO the tongue
I have a big aluminum Crossbed fuel tank for an F-series
that is almost exactly the same width as the ranger bed
so that's going on a fabricated bracket made of 2-1/2" 3/8"
thick angle iron.

That plus a pair of 40gallon econoline box van tanks that'll be mounted under it
will give me a pretty good ability to shift balance anywhere I want it.

The plan to mount tanks UNDER the trailer wasn't the prime
motivation for using a real trailer axle (to resolve axle Vs tank
clearance issues) but it was a close second....

the fact that I don't have to deal with exhaust or a driveshaft
frees up all that SPACE....

AD
 

rickcdewitt

New Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2007
Messages
2,075
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
nor-cal
Vehicle Year
1991
Make / Model
ford
Engine Size
4-0 swap
Transmission
Manual
Yes tongue length has an effect on tongue weight

But so does WHERE you put the weight in the trainer.


AD
if i had a personal trainer ^^^ i know where i'de put my weight in her:D.seriously though,did you say that you are using a long bed?it would be a pretty long trailer with enough tongue to not mash that gas tank mounted on it when its jack knifed.sounds like a cool idea for a base camp supply trailer though.
 

AllanD

TRS Technical Staff
TRS Technical Advisor
Joined
Jun 1, 2001
Messages
7,897
Reaction score
134
Points
63
Age
62
Location
East-Central Pennsylvania
Vehicle Year
1987... sorta
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
'93 4.0
Transmission
Manual
Somewhere around here I have a carpet covered polyethylene "bed mat"
and that would actually let me use the trailer as a mini-camper

Back in my 'yota days we'd go camping and I'd sleep in the truck bed after
all the gear and tents were offloaded. It was jokingly called "Al's aluminum tent"
Buy my "tent" never blew over, got a flooded floor...etc.

In this case with the trailer on a 7foot bed I have a fiberglass cap for it
for when I intend to sleep in it, fiberglass caps are far less prone to leaking
and I hate sleeping under a leaky roof.

I also have a 1-1/4" receiver hitch I'm putting on the trailer frame.
No, not to tow anything behind the trailer, but to mount a support
in to keep the trailer from tipping over backwards when it's unhitched
and light in the front...

AD
 

racsan

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
TRS 20th Anniversary
TRS Event Participant
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
4,968
Reaction score
4,441
Points
113
Location
central ohio
Vehicle Year
2009
Make / Model
ford/escape
Engine Type
2.5 (4 Cylinder)
Engine Size
2.5/151 I-4
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Tire Size
235/70/16
My credo
the grey-t escape
ive seen that done before, the box of the trailer matched the tow vehicle, even had the same style rims.
________
Honda CBF500 picture
 
Last edited:

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Truck of The Month


Shran
April Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top