60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Has anyone here done this kind of modification? I want to use the bed and rear frame from a 64 to make a matching trailer for my 63. I have found a few pics to help, but would like to know what wieghted parts were used for the tounge of the trailer. Also, any pointers, things to do or not to do. If not, I guess I'll wing it, take pics and document. Any help is as always appreciated.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Seems to me that from the few I've found pics of they went about two foot in front of the rear cab mount to make the front cut.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

That is exactly what my donner truck will end up being.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

very cool. Im looking forward to a mini-build for once. I plan to gut the brakes and the rest will stay as is. Should be alot easier only being half a truck. (or at least I hope). I want to paint it to match the final color (pepsi blue) and run the same hubcaps/tires to match the truck. The only upgrade (still undecided) may be a forward bed panel that has the bowtie embossed since its visible from both sides. Mar -K has them, and all of the stuff i've got from them fits and looks great. And I want a steel floor w/rhino lined sides.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Have found a few more and only one fleetside so theres no discrimination

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Ok fabricaters...which style coupler is best? It seems to me the one on the left (black) would be easier. Cut the frame, bend the rails in....bolt/weld and fairly easy. Seems the other would require alot more fabrication.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

That fleet looks like my trailer. mine is a long bed with toast for the bed sides, I have a short fleet im putting on there and will paint to match my truck.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

I want mine to be used as intended, but I want the exterior to match the finish of the truck pulling it. Be fun to take to shows, camping, etc...but still fully functional when I need it. I have oak/stainless in my 63, and I use a horse stall mat which is about 1" thick rubber to protect the wood, but its heavy and a real PITA to get in/out of the truck, and you still get damage.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

I hope this helps with your setup. My grandfather made this one 28 years ago.

Front... I personally think its too long. Its 4 feet. I would have gone somewhere closer to 3.
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...ps36d21f70.jpg

Close up of tongue..

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7370d680.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...ps185bf5fb.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...psa607e20a.jpg

Here his what he did from the frame

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...ps38008052.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7f64c2be.jpg

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

here is from underneath

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...pse8e985db.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...ps951b5c23.jpg

Just a simple straight axle

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...ps130b510e.jpg

Whole trailer

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...ps99cf4ddb.jpg


Yeah I know. its a F**D but he was an anti-chevy guy. But we have been using this trailer HARD for nearly 30 years and it should give some ideas on how to make one of your own

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

My suggestion is to measure commercial trailers of similar size to determine the preferred distance from the hitch ball to the axle centerline. I inherited a yard trailer made from the back half of a Ford Courier. It tracks fine, but the tongue is too short which makes backing up in close quarters very challenging.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

My parents have a 12" trailor, I want to go take some measurements and also get some from the local dealership. The shortbeds are only 6 1/2" long and I think around 36" is what im looking for on the tounge.

Spacedebris....the pics are great, thanks for sharing them. It does help generate some ideas. Im sure either way, I'll find a way to overengineer it and dump alot of money into a trailer, but it'll be a good looking trailer when complete.

And thanks to Sharps....Ol John Lee will still in a small part be on the road.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

I have built a few of these from GM & Ford trucks, of differant years, I cut the frame at about the front of the cab, fold then to the middle and add tonge with a 2" coupler.

For Some reason i have not taken a photo of the trailer after it was done.

Now don't every one get to upset, this truck was offered for sale but had no takes, it was too rusted out and had been rebuilt once before, really bad job of it, and no title, so I so off its parts, and built a trailer out of the back half.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Very cool, thanks for the tips. Im sure I'll have some questions when I start into it.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

CC69Rat did this for me in the Photoshop section to give a general idea of what it'll look like. He only spent a few minutes on it, scales a little off, but just an idea of what it'll look like. Be much cooler when all the same color

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Use the black one. You are correct, cut the rails to length, pie cut the flange top and bottom, bend toward the center to match the angle of the coupler and weld it all together. Most of the ones that I have seen done just left the stock suspension and rear axle under them...

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

thanks aggie91, thats my plan. im going to tow the rolling frame w/the car dolly and cut/weld here at my house. easier than cutting and moving in my opinion
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Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Here is another thread on this subject where I posted a few pics of one of mine.......

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...d.php?t=529857

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

ill definitely check out your thread
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Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

I made a new frame for this bed and have a single removable drawbar. When not in use I wanted to make the trailer as compact as possible. You guys are lucky, were not allowed to make a trailer from a pickup frame.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-O...646/image1.jpg

This is the frame from my shortened Airstream. Dad made a die for his hydraulic pipe bender and we bent the main 2X4x .100 rectangular tubings.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-T...6/SAM_0080.JPG

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Aerotruck, that's the look I'm going for
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Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

I made the draw bar long enough to be able to jack knife the trailer 90 degrees before it touches the truck. Plan is to spray the trailer interior with LineX.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

that looks great
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Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

I built one of these before, using an 8' F@rd bed I got for free.

I didn't have the cab back chassis of the truck, so I built one out of 2x3 tubing.

One thing I can add, to keep in mind is tongue weight in relation to axle location.

You dont want too light of a tongue as this will give you an unsafe 'dog-tail' on the road, when empty or not loaded properly.

Typically a bed trailer like this will tip back and sit on its rear end with the tongue up in the air. Although it's light to lift onto the hitch, its not the best weight distribution.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

so your suggesting longer tounge better for weight dist
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Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

got the frame and bed parts home. will need tailgate, lights and wiring to complete bed. steel floor and coupler to complete frame. pics to come
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Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

When placing your load in the trailer, the trailer manufacturers require 60% of the load over the front section of the center of the axle. You also have to keep in mind the tongue load, generally in the 200lb. range for pickup range. You'll see these types of specs stamped into the step bumpers or on the receiver units bolted to the frame. I don't think you'd be loading your new trailer to max capacity. More so than axle capacities, tire specs are important here. Were not allowed to use passenger type tires on a trailer and the tire stores are not allowed to sell or install a passenger type tire onto a rim KNOWN to be installed on a trailer. Trailer tires have different ply styles to allow the tread to twist. There are trailer tire ratings with letters that will indicate their capacity. Trailer tires are available in Bias Ply and Radials. Generally a trailer radial will start with an ST then the tire size.
I've found that a Bias Ply tire will hold more load and remain stable, but they bounce along the road when unloaded. Radials run smooth behind the tow vehicle. Of course you have to get stopped by an officer for these rules to apply and that will happen if you ever have an accident involving your trailer. There is a Grandfather clause to the rules here if the trailer was built years ago before the new rules came into play. However there's no Grandfather clause for commercial trailers.
Not trying to hijack your thread, perhaps you might want to ask your local DOT before you go to far.
You are allowed to build your own trailer here with a 1000lb capacity, but it cannot be used commercially. Tail lights, clearance lights and reflectors may be required when you go for licensing unless you have a trailer plate already. Trailer registration here have the color and number of axles and tire specs indicated. we have 6 single axles trailers in the family and two dual axle trailers to which we swap plates between. Dad has been stopped once in all his life for the trailer and they never enforced anything.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

an engine or a load of wood would be about the max weight id use it for.
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Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

I saw this one at the Charlotte Auto Fair yesterday.

http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps6ad89a3a.jpg

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Yes .... ;)

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

looks great, really like the patina
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Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

I went on a drive down route 66 in Northern AZ this weekend and I must have seen a dozen of these. 5 or 6 60-66 style, at least one for sure short bed, and 2 or 3 67-72 style.
I also found a 64-66 bbw shortbed that I will be trying to buy soon!
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Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Heres a few pics, more to come.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

I think you have a problem. The bed is channeled a bit low over the frame and appears to be dragging on the ground. It'll be easy to load but hard to tow! :)

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

haha...yeah right. Although I like alot of the bumper draggers, they are not for me.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

just a question but would it be a good idea to spray CLR or something like that on a frame to "clean it up" a bit before you spray chassis black or POR15 on it?

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Clyde.....I plan to redo the frame while its disassembled. Clean it up, POR, new wiring, etc...alot of the parts I already have. New tail lights, pig tails....found some stuff last night while doing some digging. Tailgate, rear bumper and rear bumper mounts the 3 big ones to get. The shocks I will take from the 63 as I have new ones to install.

Do have a question as to the rear springs we installed. Moog variable rates....Moog shows them sitting as I have them installed, tight coils up. I have seen them installed both ways and have heard that it doesn't make a difference w/variable rate springs. Can anybody shed some light on this?

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

I would mount them however they physically fit the mounts best.

I am new to these rigs but I have some experience with coil springs(I'm a Jeep geek).

The softer part of the spring(the tightly wound part) compresses faster whether it is toward the top or the bottom. Even though it is coiled tighter it is also a thinner diameter so it compresses easier.
They don't last real long on Jeeps that are rock crawled. Possibly because we cycle them farther and more than regular use.
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Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

Thanks Tommy, thats what I thought too. I have them mounted as the Moog picture shows above. The direction's didn't say either. I think that they are correct as thet are and will leave them that way.

Re: 60-66 Trailer made from a 60-66 bed
 

TTT....had a few people inquire about this