Ranger bed trailer

[Snoranger]

I made up a waterproof junction/fuse block to adapt the factory tail light wiring to the new trailer wiring.

Its a waterproof electrical box and fittings from Lowes and a fuse block I found on ebay. Simple, cheap, effective.

 

[superds]

I've got 6 of them and need to pick up 1 more. 4 for my '95, 2 for the trailer, and 1 for a spare.



I wont be able to do anything on the trailer till the weekend. My wife is away on a business trip and I have to watch the kid after work all week.

Are you going to keep the low-pro tires on the trailer? That will be quite the unique trailer then, especially with awesome 17" wheels, far nicer than the trailer wheels most people run.

 

[Snoranger]

Are you going to keep the low-pro tires on the trailer? That will be quite the unique trailer then, especially with awesome 17" wheels, far nicer than the trailer wheels most people run.

Good question. Here's my options as far as rims:

'99 Cobra wheels... 17x8....I've got 6 of them.

'03-04 Cobras...17x9...Only 4 of them.

'94-95 Cobra wheels...17x8... 4 of them.

'95 Explorer wheels...15x?7.5?... 8 or 9 of them.

'94 Ex Limited wheels...15x???.. 4 of them.


I'm not sure yet... I may be picking up an '03 Mounty that needs a motor or my uncles '01 ranger that needs brakelines. I know my uncles truck is in great shape, he takes care of his vehicles. The Mounty, not so much.


If I get the Ranger from my uncle, I'll lower it (I have a 4/5 drop for it) and pick up a matching bed. I'll lower the trailer and run the '99 Cobras with low-pros all around. (245/45ZR17s) This is my primary plan, I've always wanted a matching trailer for a lowered truck.

If I get the Mounty, I'll put the '03 Cobras on the Mounty and the '99 Cobras on my diesel Ex with the set of 32s I have. Then I'll have to put the "99 Cobras and 32s on the trailer.

Anyway, I'll have a set of Cobra wheels on here, I just dont know which ones yet!


Or throw a set of 35x14.5x15s on and match it to my '94 limited... or....oh hell, I have too many options.

 

[dankhimself]

Throw a pto in your ranger and equal out the gear ratios so you have a powered trailer!! HAhahahahahahHAHAHAHAHA!!! That thing is awesome dude, I should plop a bed on my little 3 row bike trailer.

 

[Snoranger]

Throw a pto in your ranger and equal out the gear ratios so you have a powered trailer!! HAhahahahahahHAHAHAHAHA!!! That thing is awesome dude, I should plop a bed on my little 3 row bike trailer.

I actually thought about an offroad powered trailer, we even had a discussion about it over on Expedition portal.

I though about a dump bed. I have a set of load lever airbags that may go on in the future. I'm looking for a tongue box.

But for now, I'm just building a dirt cheap utility trailer. The truck was free (I already owned it.), the steel was free (got it from work.), the only money I have into it so far is:

Coupler...$14
landing gear and safety chains...$55 (Lowes gift card form Christmas...free)
Trailer and truck wiring and connectors... Free, from one of our customers.
Junction/fuse block...about $20


I'm building the tongue now, just had to get in the A/C for a few minutes. I forgot my camera, so no good pics yet. Let me see how bad they come out with my phone.

 

[dankhimself]

I actually thought about an offroad powered trailer, we even had a discussion about it over on Expedition portal.

I though about a dump bed. I have a set of load lever airbags that may go on in the future. I'm looking for a tongue box.

But for now, I'm just building a dirt cheap utility trailer. The truck was free (I already owned it.), the steel was free (got it from work.), the only money I have into it so far is:

Coupler...$14
landing gear and safety chains...$55 (Lowes gift card form Christmas...free)
Trailer and truck wiring and connectors... Free, from one of our customers.
Junction/fuse block...about $20


I'm building the tongue now, just had to get in the A/C for a few minutes. I forgot my camera, so no good pics yet. Let me see how bad they come out with my phone.

Nice, it looks pretty damn sturdy. The offroad powered trailer would be sweet for dragging stuff through heavy mud, it would look sick with 33s and the same wheels as the truck Hahaha.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[Snoranger]

I got the tongue built today. Here are some crappy cell pics (Its a 5 year old Casio GzOne, dont expect too much from it! But I can take pics under water with it, can your phone? )


The main beam is 2x3, 1/4" tubing. Its 54" from the crossmember to the front of the tube. The front crossmember is cut out and the tube extends through it inside the frame 8" and is braced to the 2nd crossmember.

The side beams are 1.5x2.5, 3/16" tubing.

They meet the main tube at the industry standard 50°, incase I ever chop the tube off and change to a different coupler.

Speaking of couplers... Where is it???? Kurt at the trailer shop said it would be in on tuesday. Today is saturday.... and its still not in!!

Added a pair of tabs to help support a tongue box. All 3 beams and both tabs are level across the tops, that will give me plenty of support for whatever I bolt there. The crossmember in this pick should stick out from under the bed by 1/8". I've got aluminum diamond plate to make the front look all pretty.

 

[Snoranger]

I got a little more done this weekend. I didnt have much time, you know, the whole family thing. I did manage to find a little time to make a convertor for my tail light wiring. As we all know the 2nd gen Ex has separate stop and turn signal bulbs... trailers dont, neither do 2nd gen Ranger trailers. I needed a way to convert from 3 wire to 2 wire, and as with the rest of this build, it must be done right but as inexpensive as possible. I figured there had to be a way to do it with just a few relays.


I sat down and did a little thinking and came up with a way.
Parts needed: (total cost...$0.00, I had everything already.)
3 Bosch type 5 terminal relays
3 pigtails
1 fuse holder
assorted elec connectors

I have a schematic all drawn out, but no way to post it. Here's the pin outs for each relay:

R-1 (brake relay):
85- Input from vehicle stop lights
86- ground
30- fused power from battery
87- to terminals 87a on both R-2 and R-3
87a- to terminals 87 on both R-2 and R-3

R-2 (Left turn relay)
85- input from vehicle left turn signal
86- ground
30- output to trailer left turn bulb
87- from term 87a on R-1
87a- from term 87 on R-1

R-3 (Right turn relay)
85- input from vehicle right turn signal
86- ground
30- output to trailer right turn bulb
87- from term 87a on R-1
87a- from term 87 on R-1

I figure with the stop lights off the blinkers will flash in sequence with the tow vehicle. With the stop lights on, the blinkers will flash alternately of the tow vehicle. The trailer lights are all powered off the fused input on R-1, the only thing the vehicle wiring has to do is turn on the relays.

I dont have any pics, and I'm not going to take any tonight. It was too hot and humid today... The power was out for over 6 hours... NO A/C ALL DAY!! . I'm going to bed.
I'll come up with some pics tomorrow.



Oh yeah, I ordered my tongue box today:

And a coupler handle:

 

[superds]

My 99 Explorer is already set up for trailer wiring. All I had to do was purchase the less than $10 adapter made by Hopkins. Something to think about....takes less than 5 minutes to install. Here's a link: http://www.hopkinstowingsolutions.c...95-00_mercury_mountaineer_w_tow_pkg96-01.html. Works for 95-01.

If your Explorer doesn't accept this harness, they also make a taillight converter similar to what you did, I have seen this recently for $10 at Mills Fleet Farm: http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/pr...ccessories/hopkins-12-in-tail-light-converter. Mfg link: http://www.hopkinstowingsolutions.c...light-converters/tail_light_converter_12.html.

 

[Snoranger]

My 99 Explorer is already set up for trailer wiring. All I had to do was purchase the less than $10 adapter made by Hopkins. Something to think about....takes less than 5 minutes to install. Here's a link: http://www.hopkinstowingsolutions.c...95-00_mercury_mountaineer_w_tow_pkg96-01.html. Works for 95-01.

If your Explorer doesn't accept this harness, they also make a taillight converter similar to what you did, I have seen this recently for $10 at Mills Fleet Farm: http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/pr...ccessories/hopkins-12-in-tail-light-converter. Mfg link: http://www.hopkinstowingsolutions.c...light-converters/tail_light_converter_12.html.

My Ex doesnt have the tow package, so it wired for the plug in harness. If it was, I would have just wired up the 7 pin connector I have.

I was offered a free convertor, but I decided to build my own.
It was free, I had all the parts needed.
Mine can handle a LOT more then the 2.1 amps on each circuit that the one you listed can.
I like building things.
Did I mention it was free?

 

[Snoranger]

Tongue box and handle came in today.

Still waiting on the coupler....

 

[stegomon]

must be nice to have an employer to let you have all of this crap all over the place....as in crap i mean great rbv goodness!!!!

 

[Snoranger]

must be nice to have an employer to let you have all of this crap all over the place....as in crap i mean great rbv goodness!!!!

It is, but I earned it. Shop foreman, about 15 years on the job, on call 24-7/360 (we have a few holidays that there is no chance of a call.), etc.

If you only knew the whole list of stuff I have there.

 

[kevinsranger]

It is, but I earned it. Shop foreman, about 15 years on the job, on call 24-7/360 (we have a few holidays that there is no chance of a call.), etc.

If you only knew the whole list of stuff I have there.

haha i have some idea

 

[Explorin94]

Some nice welds from the stick welder right there. Been welding with it for a while I see.