Author Topic: hunting trailers (Read 1373 times)

rickyp · « **on:** March 18, 2006, 02:26:30 PM »

tell me about the trailers you guys use for hunting.

I few weeks ago I got an older 6'x12' 3500 pound single axle Utility Trailer for $200. at this time I have paid $20 for a light kit and $30.00 for rust-oleum stops rust heavy rust primer. I will need to buy about $150 worth of pressure treated 2x10 decking and another $30 or so for rust-oleum stops rust protective enamel and $120 for 2 new tires. so for about $550 I will have an almost new hunting trailer. a brand new one like this will run around $1300 around me!
It is mostly going to be used for deer hunting but will be used during the summer for yard work. last year I had to pick up a nice size buck by my self and put in in the back of my truck, this was not easy. So I decided I need a trailer.

The past week I've taken off all the old decking, lights and wires, striped off all the old paint and rust gave it a first coat of rust-oleum heavy rust primer. I found 1 cross beam will need to be re welded but but that is all that needs to be done that I can't do my self in my yard. the weather turned cold this week end (low 40's) so I can't give it the 2 nd primer coat until it goes over 50 and the winds die down.

I have some decisions to make while the weather is not so good
1) what color to paint it? I was thinking about rust-oleum stops rust flat black but I also like the red and yellow that comes in the rust-oleum stops rust pant.
2) when I get the decking should I leave it plain wood, paint it the same color as the trailer, stain or, Thompson's water seal it. at least I was thinking about sealing the underside of the wood before I mount it to the trailer.
3) lighting, I already have what is required so I Can get it on the road, I am thinking about adding some extra lights. I am thinking about some yellow markers on the front of the finders so I can see them in the dark and maybe a bank of 3 small marker lights running along the back under the tail gates and 2 amber reflectors on the front and 2 in the back so it can be seen parked at night and hope no one will run in to it.
4) when I get the new tires should I full them with slime tire sealer in hopes I will not get a flan in the field
am I missing anything?

Rogue Ram · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2006, 11:34:28 AM »

A couple of suggestions from someone who has some real redneck welder, trailer building pals:

Don't screw around with regular paint. Go here http://www.por15.com/ This stuff is a thousand times better than any paint. You don't want to mess around with "painting", etc etc more than once, this stuff ain't cheap but do it once and be done with it.

Coat the front of the trailer and any surface that is vulnerable to rock chips with bedliner.

Hmmmm coat the deck with bedliner over wood? Not sure but call and ask Line X or someone. Thompsons water seal SUCKS. If you do use a sealer etc., as opposed to bedliner on the wood, immerse the wood in something besides Thompsons and let it bathe in the hot sun......PENOFIN Marine available at Home Depot is pretty fair and hard to beat, any of the more expensive sealers like Penofin should work. Recoat every couple years.

Got some $$? Skip the POR 15 and bedliner the entire thing......close friend did his ENTIRE F250 in olive drab Armacoat, ran him 2K and that was for a fullsize truck.

As for the tires, get some of the heaviest casing all terrains (BFG Mud Terrains are 10 ply...someone else must make 10 ply tires I assume) and mount a bracket to carry 2 spares locked up (avoid theft). That gooey crap will get your tire guy upset (don't ask me how I know that).

Maybe a lockable steel storage box on the tongue? Keep a floor jack in there (easier than a stupid bottle jack...).

RR

rickyp · « **Reply #2 on:** March 22, 2006, 12:22:19 PM »

I have already put almost a gal. of the rust -oleum heavy rust primer on it for the first coat and I will be putting a light second coat on once the weather goes over 50. I just bought a gal of the rust-oleum stops rust flat paint. I was thinking about using the bead liner to do the entire trailer but it will add too much weight for mylittle truck once I load it up. I have only something like a 300 lb toung weight and a 3500 pound tow weight so I want to keep the trailer as light as I can. I am thinking about getting a hi-lift jack and mounting it to the front behind a spare tire.

I am now thinking about getting some of that plastic wood for the bead to make it even lighter and last longer

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** March 22, 2006, 12:44:45 PM »

Those trailers sure must be expensive in your area compared to here. I bought a brand new one with new tires and wheels for I think it was about $650 last year. I got a 5x10 one as that was the size I wanted but the 6x12 was only about $100-150 more depending on how you set it up.

Down here they usually sell them with used wheels and tires but I wanted brand new tires and wheels on mine and also got a spare for the price I paid. Mine is a heavy duty one with 3" or 4" (can't recall which) angle bracing.

There are several places building them locally and selling them too so we must get some pretty decent pricing.

Rogue Ram · « **Reply #4 on:** March 22, 2006, 12:54:07 PM »

Wow Bill, those are great prices!

Hey Rickyp, the "Trex" decking stuff...yea, what a good idea! I can tell you that it needs closer bracing since it bends mroe than wood, but that stuff is TOUGH. We made a bowling pin bench to shoot at few years ago and it took several thou rounds one weekend........unbelievable the punishment that thing took and never came apart.

Darn good idea you have there!!!

RR

rickyp · « **Reply #5 on:** March 22, 2006, 02:48:09 PM »

everything around me is high I am talking almost $20 for one 2x10 pressure treated board.
I see a lot of trailers on the back of a flat bead truck coming up from the south. a friend of mine just bought one close to mine but his has a side loading gate as well and paid $1300 and thought it was a great deal the price dropped from $1500

My frame was made with 3" angle iron the only thing I don't like about it is it has a center bar running from the front to the back. I was thinking about cutting it out but I don't want to hurt the strength of this trailer. It has 15" tires with 5 hole rims. I do doubt this would be considered a heavy duty frame but it should work well enough for two 4 wheelers and a few deers and yard waste and mulch

Graybeard · « **Reply #6 on:** March 22, 2006, 05:52:24 PM »

I just priced 20' 2x6s for my barn project at $13.14 this week. I'm going to use them for the rafters for my side shed roof.

rickyp · « **Reply #7 on:** March 24, 2006, 01:53:05 AM »

I need to move out of maryland

Special Ed · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2006, 06:38:09 AM »

rickyp,
One thing that hasn't been mentioned. Go buy yourself a complete extra hub assembly for the trailer, EVERYTHING! Bearings, lugnuts, seals ALL of it. You have already mentioned purchasing a jack, I would also get enough tools to change a tire & hub. Put them in a toolbox & carry it. It's no fun to have your trip ruined by a bearing failure, in the middle of God don't know where at 2:00am in the pouring rain.

Ed

rickyp · « **Reply #9 on:** March 24, 2006, 10:38:24 AM »

most of my hunting is done with in 20 minutes from home in traffic.
I don't travel that long of distances with a trailer. I am still learning how to back one up

rickyp · « **Reply #10 on:** April 04, 2006, 05:50:43 AM »

I was talking with some friends yesterday and one of them pointed out something I haven't thought of. The new treated wood needs to use special fasteners so they will not rust out fast. Will the same thing happen to the frame with the treated wood sitting on it?

I am now thinking about getting some of the spray on rubber undercoating on the places the wood will be sitting. Is this a good idea?

Rogue Ram · « **Reply #11 on:** April 04, 2006, 10:38:32 AM »

I tried the "do it yourself" stuff like NAPA carries on the front of my trailer for rock chips. It didn't hold up. Not sure what else is out there that is do it yourself..... If you go Rhino or LineX, you'll pay some $$$ and may as well do more than just those areas.

You may find the Trex decking stuff would be the way to go if the frame is close enough to keep the planking from bending, problem solved.

One thought: There is a guy on many websites (google search if you like) called "FMSniper". FM builds his own custom rifles and has coated many inexpensive stocks with NAPA Trunk paint. Maybe that stuff will hold up better than the do it yourself bedliner. Just a thought.

RR

Gun Runner · « **Reply #12 on:** April 04, 2006, 06:32:01 PM »

I looked at a trailer like the one Greaybeard got. Made by Tomco here locally. They wanted $1200.00 for it and dint even bat an eye. Guess gonna find me an old 3/4 pickup bbox and make one and put a small camper over it.

I know about burning out a wheel bearing. Was fishing and camping about 80 + miles from home and had a bearing go out, no spare of course. The guy that was the camp host I have know for several years said he had a couple of old trailors stashed away. Went and checked, one had 2 new tires rims, bearings and everything. We just pulled hubs and everything off and put the them on my boat trailor. Nice thing went from the little 4 bolt 4x8 tire and rim to a five bolt rim. My next trip into the area took some things to him he just coundent live without.

Gun Runner