b_boden Overland Trailer Build

[b_boden]

Started to get my "overland" trailer built up this past week. I'll going to do my best to put in as much information as possible and document this process as much as possible. This will be my very first build thread so bare with me and I hope I can answer any questions possible. I plan on keeping a detailed log of parts/materials bought so anyone can get an idea of what has gone into this.

I have a buddy who is a professional welder who will be doing about 80% of the work while I lend a hand where I can. I will probably be limited to grinding, sweeping, grabbing beers and pulling out the CC to buy stuff.

Build Details:
Trailer: 1961 Ben Hur Farm Trailer
Use: Camping, light overlanding. (planning on building the trailer as needed and growing with our adventures) Tow behind 2015 Jeep Cherokee KL. Mount RTT on a short rack on the trailer, use the trailer to haul most camping items.
Plan: Restore/maintain as much as possible of the original trailer. Needs 100% a new frame, 3" of new sides (bottom rusted out), and new front. Tailgate is mostly salvageable, will need to patch rust/cut out sheet metal and replace.


Build/Cost Sheet:
Parts/Materials
- Trailer | $250
- (2) 6' - 1" X 2" .125 wall C Channel | $20.4
- (2) 4' - 1" X 2" .125 wall C Channel | $13.60
- (3) 4' - 1" X 2" .125 wall Box Tube | $31.20
- 2" X .125" X 46" Flatbar | $6.75 (going to cut into 3 12" strips")
- 12" X 47 " Treadplate | $33.94 (for tailgate)
- (3) 4" Mild Steel weld on hinge | $12.81 ($4.27 ea.)

Consumables/Fees
- (3) 5" Sand Disc | $6.93 ($2.31 ea.)
- Cutting charge | $2.50 (4.20.17)
- (2) grinding wheel | $9.20 (4.60 ea.)
- (6) cutoff wheel | $10.50 (1.75 ea.)
- (2) 2 pack 3M respirators $19.98 | ($9.99 ea.)
- Safety Glasses | $8

Materials Total: $368.70
Consumables Total: $57.11
TOTAL: $425.81


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2.20.17

Picked up this trailer after searching online for a while and figuring out what I want to use as a platform. Went back and forth between finding a trailer like this or just going and buying a new frame from Harbor Freight or similar.

Drove about 30 minutes to go look at this trailer after seeing it posted on CraigsList for a day. Guy wanted $350 for the trailer and I was happy to pay it based on photos I saw.

Got to his house and the trailer was in TERRIBLE shape. A LOT of rust everywhere, we had to use a ratchet strap to hold the front down since it was rusted out and was not attached to the frame at all. After looking over it for a while, and talking to the guy he was reasonable and said he basically wanted someone to have it and actually use it. There was some sentimental meaning behind it as his dad bought it for him when he was young, it's been in their family ever since. I told him my plans for it and we talked a little bit more and he came down to $250 for the trailer.

Being as we could use a decent amount of the trailer; Wheels, Axle, leafsprings, tailgate, tongue, lights, and probably of most value it was already licensed so all I had to do was transfer the title. To me all of that listed above was worth $250. Of course I would have liked it in way better shape but it has character and a good place to start.





Additional photos from the other day showing condition










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4.20.17

Cut the tailgate off the original trailer, it still opened and closed but there was no point in saving the original hinges. They were rusted everywhere and we have some hinges in mind to pick up. Also, picked up all the metal for the frame.

- (2) 3" X 6' C Channel (need to remember thickness to add in)
- (2) 3" X 4' C Channel (need to remember thickness to add in)
- (3) 3" X 4' Box Tube (need to remember thickness to add in)

Cleaned up our work area, prepped the box tube for some cutting/grinding to fit into the C Channel as well as prepped for welding.

Going to work on the tailgate first to establish the width of the trailer. It will be roughly 4' wide, but this will ensure we have a nice fit with the sides and tailgate. Dis some light grinding around the edge of the trailer to see what we were working with.










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4.24.17

Today we picked up hinges, 12"x47" tread plate that will be used to replace the sheet metal on the tailgate, and flat bar to replicate the original design of the tailgate as well as add strength since it will be able to be used when folded down.


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4.25.17

Now that I have my build thread going, I am going to keep updating in this first post, but just with hyperlinks to the post below for the actual update. Click on the date above to go into the more detailed post with photos. I will add a little bit of text for each update here but below will have the full write up of that day.

Today we got most of the tailgate done! cut out the sheet metal, placed the new one in, cut the flatbar, tacked everything up and is good to get a full weld all the way around in the next couple of days.


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5.15.17

A couple small updates, started on the frame and got it basically all buttoned up.

 

[Art]

Definitely interested in this trailer. I saw a Ben Hur for sale locally and thought it was interesting.

 

[b_boden]

Definitely interested in this trailer. I saw a Ben Hur for sale locally and thought it was interesting.

It's a cool trailer! Not sure when you saw it posted, but if it is better condition than this one then I would say to pick it up.

If it was posted in Feburary, then there is a good chance this was the one since I drove up to Woodinville to pick it up! haha

 

[Art]

It's a cool trailer! Not sure when you saw it posted, but if it is better condition than this one then I would say to pick it up.

If it was posted in Feburary, then there is a good chance this was the one since I drove up to Woodinville to pick it up! haha

Its this one on craigslist and looks to be in Redmond and has a green color. Little pricey for what I see though at $600 considering how much work I see you having to do.

 

[b_boden]

Its this one on craigslist and looks to be in Redmond and has a green color. Little pricey for what I see though at $600 considering how much work I see you having to do.

That looks like in a lot better condition than the one I bought!

The only thing is that the sides are really short. They are about 12" tall, so if you have taller items and you don't want them sticking up over the sides then you would either want to extend them taller or find a trailer with taller sides. Right now I don't mind the shorter sides. Maybe down the road I will want them taller and we'll have to do more work but since this will be behind a 15 cherokee and not hauling a lot of gear I think it will be fine for our use.

 

[Graeman]

You are one lucky man, if my wife would have asked me how much I spent for the trailer and seen that much rust she would have killed me right there on the spot. But, living here in the Arizona we don't usually see rust, either.

 

[Art]

That looks like in a lot better condition than the one I bought!

The only thing is that the sides are really short. They are about 12" tall, so if you have taller items and you don't want them sticking up over the sides then you would either want to extend them taller or find a trailer with taller sides. Right now I don't mind the shorter sides. Maybe down the road I will want them taller and we'll have to do more work but since this will be behind a 15 cherokee and not hauling a lot of gear I think it will be fine for our use.

Yeah the short sides are definitely the killer for me. Im actually looking at a small enclosed trailer to modify but being your so close I might have to hit you up about some questions/help down the road.

 

[Graeman]

You could build a shell/top for the trailer to make up for the short sides. If the price is right for you then go for it. Have you seen what people are paying for new trailers? It's ridiculous and as long as the demand is there the prices will just keep on climbing. Since when did the trailers start becoming more pricey than the vehicle pulling it???

 

[Art]

You could build a shell/top for the trailer to make up for the short sides. If the price is right for you then go for it. Have you seen what people are paying for new trailers? It's ridiculous and as long as the demand is there the prices will just keep on climbing. Since when did the trailers start becoming more pricey than the vehicle pulling it???

Yeah the price is the hardest thing to overcome. I found a enclosed that im in the process of buying (making the owner get their title figured out) that is a good starting point for a good price. The other option I was looking at was a old military jeep trailer but it was priced at $1k which isnt bad but more than I want to spend. Still tempted to get it though.

 

[b_boden]

You are one lucky man, if my wife would have asked me how much I spent for the trailer and seen that much rust she would have killed me right there on the spot. But, living here in the Arizona we don't usually see rust, either.

Yeahhhh, I think I got a little lucky. The Fiance was a little more okay with it since I saved a good amount! I "think" the front is so rusted out because it was tilted towards the nose and there was no water drainage. Since the front is the worst I am guessing that there was some sort of puddle stewing in there for the longest time.

Yeah the short sides are definitely the killer for me. Im actually looking at a small enclosed trailer to modify but being your so close I might have to hit you up about some questions/help down the road.

That's a good way to go! that way you have basically all you need and then you could add larger tires if needed.

You could build a shell/top for the trailer to make up for the short sides. If the price is right for you then go for it. Have you seen what people are paying for new trailers? It's ridiculous and as long as the demand is there the prices will just keep on climbing. Since when did the trailers start becoming more pricey than the vehicle pulling it???

I've thought of this as well! I like the tops/lids that people are making for the M416, and it might be something I take into consideration down the line. That way I can have a little more clearance for some items, something to lock AND full weather protection. I just have to keep weight in mind, could always do the lid out of aluminum to shave some weight off.

It's crazy how companies are selling trailer for over $10K. Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful/awesome trailers. I just couldn't justify spending that much on a trailer.

 

[b_boden]

Today was a pretty productive day on the build! The tailgate is about 80-85% done!

We cut out the entire "belly" section of the tailgate. Instead of trying to just patch the rust spots the easiest thing was to cut along the three sides where the bends are (previous tailgate was one continuous piece with bends to for the sides and top rather than welding them together.

Once the section was cut out we then went ahead and prepped some areas that we wouldn't be able to get to later on once we welded in the new section. We also bent some areas that were out of wack due to it being an old trailer that was actually used.

After the new tread plate was tacked into place we cut down our piece of flatbar to mimic the original design and add strength into the tailgate. We cut them to 11.75" so we had some room on top to weld across. Since there is an outer lip the .25" won't be seen once the tailgate is up and closed.

Basically the tailgate is all tacked up and ready to be welded all the way. The tailgate it'self is going to be welded from the outside (non tread side) to keep a cleaner appearance. The flat bar is going to be stitch welded to minimize warping but still give some good strength since the hinges will be welded onto here.

One final thing I started on before we had to call it quits for the day was getting the tie downs off the old tailgate. They are welded on so we have to grind them off from the backside which is very time consuming and uses up a good amount of the grinding stone. Hopefully we can figure out a faster/more convenient solution as there are these posts on all the sides in case we cant salvage the sides.


PICTURES:

Cutting out the "belly" section of the tailgate


What's left of the tailgate; Top and sides.


Section that was cut out. Need to salvage the tie down posts.


New tread plate tacked up, everything squared up nicely.


Reverse side, this will be the inside of the tailgate.


Flatbar tacked up, still need to do stick welds and weld off the top.


Preview of the hing we went with. Will have three total, welded to the end of the flatbar. (placed in location for reference, will be angled differently for welding)


One of the two original tie down posts. I just placed it on really quick, but will be lined up to the hole in the top of the tailgate.

 

[b_boden]

I've been kinda slacking with the updates! So here is a couple day's worth of updates on the trailer.

Progress is steady, but amount of time working on the trailer has been limited between my work schedule, his work schedule and just a bunch of other commitments that are more important than a trailer. about once or twice a week get get 2-3ish hours a day to work on the build.

I am starting to plan out what I need to buy in terms of accessories/functional items, I have a list but it's just a matter of what exactly I am going to get.

Short list of items:
- Tail Lights (LED, Flush mount or very shallow)
- Tongue box (Keep random items in there, big enough for future Solar setup
- Tongue jack ( Keep the trailer level when using/storing)
- Rear jacks (one on each corner, "hide-away" style for support when sleeping)

On to the fun part!!

Removed the rotted out corners of the tailgate, made a nice angle to finish it off.

Exterior tie downs all welded on the tailgate

Tailgate 100% welded up, square and looking awesome.


Inside of the tailgate, visible when down.


Prepping the crossbars for the frame. Notched to fit inside the C-Channel.


C-Channel prepped, 45 degree angle

Frame 80% welded up. Just need to flip over and weld other side


Almost all cleaned up. Needs some minor sanding/grinding in places.


With the frame all welded up, next on the list to tackle is to remove the previous perches, axle, wheels, leaf springs and tongue. Once all that is thrown on the frame we will have a rolling chassis!!

 

[Art]

It's looking good! What hinges did you get for it from the previous post? I need to convert my rear to have a hinged bottom or side. Not sure which yet.

 

[b_boden]

It's looking good! What hinges did you get for it from the previous post? I need to convert my rear to have a hinged bottom or side. Not sure which yet.

Thanks! It's a lot more work than we originally thought, and there is probably going to be less original metal than we thought. Going to try to keep the style as much the same as possible even if we have to replace all the sides. Need to do a floor for sure as the original is totally shot and not worth the headache of trying to salvage it.

https://www.grainger.com/product/MARLBORO-Full-Surface-Weld-On-Hinge-WP44193/_/N-12ye?breadcrumbCatId=27900&s_pp=false&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/4PPP3_AS01?$smthumb$webparentimage$
These are the same hinges I picked up at a local welding supply store, went with 4" hinges and non-greasable. 4" seemed like the best option as anything else could have easily been overkill, especially going with an option for a grease fitting. If these were for a lid, then we might have gone with a larger hinge with a grease fitting. Also, having each side be 2" made it so they will tie into the flat bar really nicely and look sharp. Nice thing about these are they are very inexpensive. Not so nice thing is they can warp easy. My buddy used to use them all they time at a previous job and said they can be a PITA, so we will find out if we need to go buy more and try again.

 

[Art]

Thanks! It's a lot more work than we originally thought, and there is probably going to be less original metal than we thought. Going to try to keep the style as much the same as possible even if we have to replace all the sides. Need to do a floor for sure as the original is totally shot and not worth the headache of trying to salvage it.

https://www.grainger.com/product/MARLBORO-Full-Surface-Weld-On-Hinge-WP44193/_/N-12ye?breadcrumbCatId=27900&s_pp=false&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/4PPP3_AS01?$smthumb$webparentimage$
These are the same hinges I picked up at a local welding supply store, went with 4" hinges and non-greasable. 4" seemed like the best option as anything else could have easily been overkill, especially going with an option for a grease fitting. If these were for a lid, then we might have gone with a larger hinge with a grease fitting. Also, having each side be 2" made it so they will tie into the flat bar really nicely and look sharp. Nice thing about these are they are very inexpensive. Not so nice thing is they can warp easy. My buddy used to use them all they time at a previous job and said they can be a PITA, so we will find out if we need to go buy more and try again.

Hmm okay I'd definitely be interested to hear. I'll need some sooner than later for the rear and the wood temporary lid I want to make