any good writeups on turning my Ranger into a Trailer?

[OilPatch197]

I'm talking about cutting the frame and turn the pickup bed into a wood hauler/camper trailer.

Anyone know of a good writeup, I would like to know the best technic for this, got the general Ideal, but would like to look at others, specifically info on the hitch area.

 

[AllanD]

I've got a 7foot bed and a currently stripped length of frame, but I'm nowhere near assembling it.

THE thing you need is to toss the factory axle.

IT simply won't handle the load a proper trailer axle will
and it's a royal PITA to make the brakes work, and brakes
are REQUIRED in most jurisdictions.

And even if they were not required if you take a trailer that
weighs 800lbs empty and stick a ton of coal or 1500# of
firewood in it the drive home won't be much fun and
certainly not safe unless you have brakes.

I'm using a trailer axle with 10.5" electric brakes that
is rated for 3550#

An explorer spring swap is more than a good idea.

I'd also strongly recommend you get as much frame rail
as possible to allow you to bend the rails inwards
to mate to an A-frame style female hitch coupler,
I specifically recommend a Bulldog coupler as the ball
coupler will swivel allowing for offroad style (side to side)
articulation.

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[OilPatch197]

Now my "parts truck" that I want to convert is a '83 ranger shortbed. It's all I got and most of what I've seen is done with F150s etc.

I've seen some that popped a camper shell on the bed and made a nice little camper out of them.

Bulldog A Frame Couplers look very good!

Also before I start this project, what tools do you recomend, have have NO cutting tourches, nor can I get one. I got the welder and such.

Will a good Sawzall cut the frame well?

This guy didn't use a A-frame hitch...
http://www.dreamstime.com/homemade-utility-trailer-imagefree1074024

 

[Will]

I built one, but I don't leave the yard with it. I used the Ranger axle. You can get a hydraulic surge brake coupler for $100 if you need brakes. I would look into the master cylinder volume and make sure it has enough.

I cut the frame right behind the front cab mount. I calculated the angle for a standard 60* couple and that's how I decided where to make the bends. At that point, I cut notches in the flanges, bent them together and welded the couple to them. Then I welded up the notches.

The axle in a Ranger is pretty lightweight. It's okay for firewood but I can fit 6x 7ft^3 scoops from my loader into it and by the third scoop it's begging for clemency and by the 5th it's down on the bump stops. A 5,200# axle and a huge stack of Ranger springs would be good. I don't know if the short springs that come on a trailer would work. I use mine way overloaded but it never leaves the yard.

Here are pictures of my trailer.

 

[baxtej44]

Here are pictures [/URL]of my trailer.

nice!

 

[AllanD]

BTW, a couple other things I recommend about making a pickup truck into a trailer.

Retain the rear bumper, it makes a nice step and includes a license plate bracket and redundant license plate lights.

ADD a receiver hitch to it... No, you aren't going to to with a trailer, but it has another use.

Picture standing on the tailgate with the trailer resting on the tongue jack and getting "dumped" because you upset the center of gravity.

what's worse is unhitching a trailer that is unbalanced (to the rear) the whole trailer snaps UP, DUMPS it's load then comes
back down on you!

you can be injured or even killed if this happens, because when the trailer tips up it also tends to roll towards the tow vehicle (where you are standing in slack-jawed shock) as it dumps it's load before it falls back down...

I don't want to see a YouTube Video featuring anyone
here titled "When trailers attack"

a receiver hitch makes a convenient place to mount either an anti-tip leg or simply another tongue jack so the trailer stays STABLE while loading and unloading while
it isn't attached to a tow vehicle.


BTW, my own plans for the trailer include TWO 44gallon fuel tanks mounted under the trailer, but there is another happy fact, they wouldn't only be used to carry fuel for traveling... Imagine if you are hauling a load of firewood and you discover the tongue weight is either too light or too heavy... if both tanks are empty you can simply add fuel to the "light end" or if you have one fuel tank full and the other empty you can, with a little ingenuity, internal pumps and a couple of three-way valves, pump fuel forward or aft to accomplish the weight and balance shift that you need. This can be especially handy if you are dropping off items of
heavy cargo and need to shift "ballast" to maintain a
proper balance (about 200# on the tongue)

44gallons of fuel moved from behind the axle to in front of the
axle is essentially being able to move 250lbs ~3.5Feet this can
have a profound effect on handling.

Remember if your setup is "right" it'll LOOK right.
Vehiches towling that look "wrong" attract attention you
don't want from certain people who like wearing blue
clothes funny hats and have lights mounted on their vehicles...

If the tow vehicle and trailer both look "level" no cop on earth
is gonna give you a second look, if it doesn't look level you will
get stopped and you can technically be ticketed even if you
are within legal limits because you don't have the weight distributed right...
That deadly catch-all "Unsafe operating condition"

If you don't get stopped (and don't crash) you don't get a ticket.


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[Will]

The balance is a good point. They are horribly dangerous if you leave them loaded and unhooked. Definately plan for that rear leg. As Allan said, as a truck body it's designed to carry all of the weight centered over the rear axle. Even the weight of a child could sent it over backwards even with a full load on it. I have a big chunk of log I keep under mine when it's parked.