Trailer Restoration Part II

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Wood decking, paint, and rollout.  Old timers like the ol' thing.  Young ones look at it kinda funny.  Don't make 'em this way anymore.  New steel added I figure around 400lbs to the trailer.  A good tradeoff I figure.Primer was done in one continual operation.  No problem with maintaining intercoat tack, just shoot 'n scoot.  Final color coats were done one section at a time in order to allow me to get back for the next coat before the paint had fully flashed.  I like to shoot 4-6 wet almost mist coats to bring up the gloss.  Van Sickle Equipment Paint.  Cheap and darn good stuff.  Lotta fun paintin' outside here in OK what with the wind and all.  Ain't unusual to shoot at around 80-100 on the air pressure.  Otherwise the paint blows away before it hits the iron.  As your air res runs down ya just have to move closer with the gun.  Somtimes I wind up workin' in 3 inch passes.  And that's with 2 additional tanks hooked into the compressor.  Lotta fun. Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammWood decking, paint, and rollout.  Old timers like the ol' thing.  Young ones look at it kinda funny.  Don't make 'em this way anymore.  New steel added I figure around 400lbs to the trailer.  A good tradeoff I figure.Primer was done in one continual operation.  No problem with maintaining intercoat tack, just shoot 'n scoot.  Final color coats were done one section at a time in order to allow me to get back for the next coat before the paint had fully flashed.  I like to shoot 4-6 wet almost mist coats to bring up the gloss.  Van Sickle Equipment Paint.  Cheap and darn good stuff.  Lotta fun paintin' outside here in OK what with the wind and all.  Ain't unusual to shoot at around 80-100 on the air pressure.  Otherwise the paint blows away before it hits the iron.  As your air res runs down ya just have to move closer with the gun.  Somtimes I wind up workin' in 3 inch passes.  And that's with 2 additional tanks hooked into the compressor.  Lotta fun.
Reply:It does ok.  78 Powerwagon full time four wheel drive with a 400cu.gas engine. under the hood.  Slows down a bit on hills.    Sucks about 3mpg at 65mph pullin' a gooseneck.    But on the bright side it has 3:93 gears, and a low ratio tranny.  Fourth gear at around 35-40.  Had that truck since it was built.  Still use it daily.  Ol' things gettin' a bit tired, so I'm in the middle of a full restoration of a 74 C-30 with a 454, and I swapped the ring and pinion for a set of 4:10's. Using a rear end out of a Lays Potato Chip truck.  Bigger brake drums.  Around 4x12 or 4x13 I think.  Been a while since I've had time to work on it. Gonna  be about a 60mph truck.  It.ll go the distance. For what I have in the restoration, and the lousy gas mileage, I'll still be way ahead of buyin' a brand new 1 ton.BTW, the old Dodge was rated at 8000 gvw out of the factory.  They built single tire 1 tons in those days in order to beat the new EPA regulations on using unleaded gas.  This truck was designed to run on regular leaded gas.I regularly gross 24,000 with the old thing.  Trailer, truck, and load.  And it will fly once you build a good head of steam.
Reply:It's a MOPAR, it can pull anything!  Have a Jeep Cherokee?  Click Here!
Reply:THE OLD GIRL WILL PULL.  CHECK IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  SCALED OUT AT 27000lbs. Attached Images
Reply:Farmersamm, I'd say you turned a sow's ear into a silk purse. Good lookin' trailer now.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammOld timers like the ol' thing.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammIt does ok.  78 Powerwagon full time four wheel drive with a 400cu.gas engine. under the hood.  Slows down a bit on hills.    Sucks about 3mpg at 65mph pullin' a gooseneck.    But on the bright side it has 3:93 gears, and a low ratio tranny.  Fourth gear at around 35-40.  Had that truck since it was built.  Still use it daily.  Ol' things gettin' a bit tired, so I'm in the middle of a full restoration of a 74 C-30 with a 454, and I swapped the ring and pinion for a set of 4:10's. Using a rear end out of a Lays Potato Chip truck.  Bigger brake drums.  Around 4x12 or 4x13 I think.  Been a while since I've had time to work on it. Gonna  be about a 60mph truck.  It.ll go the distance. For what I have in the restoration, and the lousy gas mileage, I'll still be way ahead of buyin' a brand new 1 ton.BTW, the old Dodge was rated at 8000 gvw out of the factory.  They built single tire 1 tons in those days in order to beat the new EPA regulations on using unleaded gas.  This truck was designed to run on regular leaded gas.I regularly gross 24,000 with the old thing.  Trailer, truck, and load.  And it will fly once you build a good head of steam.
Reply:Why not re-power the old girl with a pre computer 5.9 Cummins? The way you are geared I would think it would be a match made in heaven.I have a 92 that I bought brand new, it has 285,000 miles on it and still runs perfect and doesn'tuse a drop or oil, have a 3.42 rear end and it averages 20 miles per gallon. Attached ImagesTrailblazer 302Hobart Stickmate AC/DCLincoln SP 135 TSmith torchSpoolmatic 30A
Reply:Shortarc,  that truck looks as if it's still new.  It's a beaut.I thought about a total rebuild on my old Dodge, but I can't get drivetrain parts  anymore.  New Process is history.  Finding good used parts is like finding a good wife. I'm building a 74 Chevy C-30 to replace the old girl.  Won't be the same, but I figure the Chevy will grow on me.  454, Muncie cast iron 4 speed with the old style granny gear,  4.10 rear.  I figure it's gonna be around a 60mph truck.  I mainly pull heavy stuff, and I really care more about torque than speed.The only thing I never liked about the early Chevies was the outboard fuel tanks.  Quite a few folks have burnt to death because of those.  I plan to fabricate a pair of smaller tanks that I can mount inside the frame.  One along the driveshaft, and one behind the differential.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammShortarc,  that truck looks as if it's still new.  It's a beaut.I thought about a total rebuild on my old Dodge, but I can't get drivetrain parts  anymore.  New Process is history.  Finding good used parts is like finding a good wife. I'm building a 74 Chevy C-30 to replace the old girl.  Won't be the same, but I figure the Chevy will grow on me.  454, Muncie cast iron 4 speed with the old style granny gear,  4.10 rear.  I figure it's gonna be around a 60mph truck.  I mainly pull heavy stuff, and I really care more about torque than speed.The only thing I never liked about the early Chevies was the outboard fuel tanks.  Quite a few folks have burnt to death because of those.  I plan to fabricate a pair of smaller tanks that I can mount inside the frame.  One along the driveshaft, and one behind the differential.
Reply:RJFor sure.  I hope it won't be that bad.  The rear ends I have all were 3.73.  I finally settled on a rear out of a Lays Potato Chip truck becaose of the larger brakes.  The carrier and ring gear were toast so I used one from another junker I'm parting out.  Hence the new ring and pinion.The one thing I've been thinking about when I switched from the stock 3.73's was the fact that I've gone to a 16" rim instead of the 16.5"s that were on the chasis I'm building on.  I measured the circumference of the larger tire, and figured I needed to gear it down.My worst enemy is my load, and the ground I have to start that load on.  I haul a lot of hay, and most of the time I'm starting the load rolling on soft ground out in a hay meadow, or a field.  You have to have a pretty healthy low end to do it without breaking something.  I guess it's a tradeoff.  Easy starting, and poor highway performance.  Plus hilly roads will be less of a problem.  We got a lot of 'em here.I'm probably gonna find the only thing that rolls easy is gonna be the numbers on the gas pump.    But on the flip side, I can buy a lot of motion lotion for the 20 grand I'll be savin' by reclaiming the old Detroit iron.Besides, I'm just plain crazy about the sound of the old big blocks.    Specially when they're wound out.
Reply:Well, here's a good example.  Empty weight, or tare weight, of truck and trailer around 10K.  The load on the deck is around 8800.  11 bales at approx.  800 each, and these are not really big bales.Around this part of the country if ya see a guy flyin' down the road with this kinda load, don't pull out in front of him.  Mighty hard to stop. Gotta be just a little bit crazy to make a livin' doin' this sort of thing.  BTW, the nurse tank in the back of the truck weighs about 1400 when full.  Tank-300, Diesel 1000.  I insure pretty high on my rolling stock. Attached Images
Reply:Nice job on the rebuild and it looks like a real practical way to haul stock. How do you load, ramp or can you get the tail low enough for them to just step aboard.In your Part 1 post you said:"The one unique feature of the rebuild is the expanded metal deck under the wood floor overlay. Seen too many guys wind up gettin' to the sale barn with a load of steers with at least one that ain't got a leg anymore. They break through the wood, and the leg gets ground off on the highway."Always wondered how they made ground beef!"One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don't get as much government as we pay for." (Charles Kettering)Mitch 180 (NZ)Lincoln SAM-400-220 + ?-400 Fordson Major + 2 x Tractapac Humber 80 + Procut 40 PlasmaMiller Spectrum 375
Reply:Most of the gooseneck stock trailers are generally about a little over a foot off the ground at the rear.  They can step up into the trailer without a ramp.  Only problem is the low ground clearance when you're pulling the thing.  A good depression in a parking lot, or  a curb, generally winds up in throwing some sparks.I usally load using an alley.  I have a set of chutes that I use to work the cows, and by adding extra panels to make a bend, I can run 'em through the chute right into the trailer.  This trailer has a small "slider" door that is half as wide as the main door.  It's about wide enough to handle up to a smaller full sized animal.  500 pound steers fit thru it fine.  This way you don't have to open the large door all the way up.  If you try to load that way, they'll always turn on you as they hit the step up.I have to chain the cattle panels, or corral panels, to the back of the trailer when I load.  Otherwise the damn things will force their way out of the gap between the panels and the door.  They seem to know that something bad is about to happen.  Been doing this for quite a few years, but I still feel a twinge when I haul a load to market.  I like my beef as much as anybody, but I still feel a little funny lookin' at those animals that are goin' on one of their last rides.  I've heard the same from a few older cattlemen around here.  They sometimes get their sons to load, and haul 'em.  I usually hear this when we're at a farm sale standin' around munchin' hot dogs at the concession stand.  Lot of talk goes on over standing around eating lunch.  True confessions over a wiennee with mustard and relish. The cattle generally don't get too excited after they've been loaded.  All hell breaks loose when you pull out of sight of the rest of the herd.  They get kinda mesmerized on the trip when the truck is moving, but start raising hell again as soon as you have to stop for a light or stop sign. By the time you get to the sale barn, you're damn glad to see them off the trailer.They go thru the auction ring, you sit there to protect them against a lowball bid, pick up your check at the office, and go home.  Funny world.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammRJFor sure.  I hope it won't be that bad.  The rear ends I have all were 3.73.  I finally settled on a rear out of a Lays Potato Chip truck becaose of the larger brakes.  The carrier and ring gear were toast so I used one from another junker I'm parting out.  Hence the new ring and pinion.The one thing I've been thinking about when I switched from the stock 3.73's was the fact that I've gone to a 16" rim instead of the 16.5"s that were on the chasis I'm building on.  I measured the circumference of the larger tire, and figured I needed to gear it down.My worst enemy is my load, and the ground I have to start that load on.  I haul a lot of hay, and most of the time I'm starting the load rolling on soft ground out in a hay meadow, or a field.  You have to have a pretty healthy low end to do it without breaking something.  I guess it's a tradeoff.  Easy starting, and poor highway performance.  Plus hilly roads will be less of a problem.  We got a lot of 'em here.I'm probably gonna find the only thing that rolls easy is gonna be the numbers on the gas pump.    But on the flip side, I can buy a lot of motion lotion for the 20 grand I'll be savin' by reclaiming the old Detroit iron.Besides, I'm just plain crazy about the sound of the old big blocks.    Specially when they're wound out.
Reply:The great state of Oklahoma.  Centeral part.  Very hilly here.
Reply:Nice job on the trailer.I have an '89 Ramcharger I got new. I wouldn't trade it for anything and haven't found anything I would rather drive. Thing thinks it's a mountain goat, but drives like a big sports car on the interstate, lol. My work truck is a 3/4 ton chevy diesel of 1995 vintage. Probably the best truck I have ever had as far as reliability goes.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.