Metal Twister

Fifth wheel camping trailer conversion to flatbed
I was just given a 22" fifth wheel camping trailer. I only want the frame and axles so it will be blown apart and scraped out. I then want to slide my 8' cab over camper up front and use the remaining trailer as a car hauler. Most of the cars I will be hauling are ultra low hotrods but I will be throwing the Jeep on it and drag it to the desert as well. The whole goal here is to build the trailer with as much modularity as possible. I plan to make everything that mounts to the trailer removable so I can use it in any configuration I desire. Being I will be extending the length of the trailer I was thinking about building a loading ramp that is balanced kinda of a like a titer totter. The goal is to make it a bit arss heavy so as the car is being driven or dragged via a winch onto the ramp it will rock forward as the weight of the engine and front half of the vehicle out weighs the arss end. Thinking a hydraulic ram with a manual valve might be needed to keep it from slamming down and getting it back up without weight on it? Just wondering if any of you have built a trailer like this and what I might need for additional bracing? I have everything to turn in into a hydraulic assist but would rather not use it if not necessary? Ideas, Thoughts? Thinking something like this...

On a slightly different note My rear camper jacks have a swivel device that swings the rear jacks away from the camper so the dually fenders clear when loading it into the truck. Im thinking about making an extended set for the front and rear so I will be able to clear the trailer wheels as I back the trailer under the camper. Think I need to do any additional support from the camper to the jacks to compensate for the additional leverage?

gorms

How's the frame on that camper trailer? Reason I ask is I have a similar length bumper pull frame only, it's got some heavy axles under it (not original I'd imagine, they've been cut down) but the boxed frame is sort of cheesey. I can flex it pretty good just with my body weight on one corner. If you add a pivot point at the rear that will carry a jeep/hotrod/etc. make sure you beef it up!

I'd be partial to an actual flatbed/dovetail trailer made for hauling, but if the camper was free then I'd try it too! I've also got a small 4x8 "dump" trailer I've hauled my old cub cadet around with and after doing it a few times the landing isn't so bad without any springs/dampers/etc. just gravity. Another reason to beef the frame up a bit though.

Metal Twister

I already have the 8' cab over camper so Id like to use it if possible. I also have a nice 27 foot fifth wheel camper for the camping only trips. The one that was given to me for this project gets here Monday and I have only looked it over once some time ago. Im sure I will need to do some boxing and gusseting but Im thinking it should be better than starting from zero. The only reason I want the ramp is that Im a hot rod builder by trade and need to haul some extra low rides from time to time. If it wasnt for that Id leave it a dove tail.

Metal Twister

Well I received the donor trailer yesterday sight unseen. Inside is trash but the inside looks ok. It has all the accessories with exception of the rooftop AC unit. The stove and stove top are in pretty rough shape but other than that all looks about like what you would get for free! LOL

First thing I did was look at the axles and it appears they are an older Dexter axle with the wide 4 lug pattern and rated at 3500 lbs each. All four wheels have electric brakes and appear to be operating well. So now the obvious question I think...

So what makes the rating on a trailer axle? Is it the spring rate? Is it the bearing capacity? Or is it the diameter of the axle itself?

This trailer has 2 3500lb axles under it both with electric brakes. Doing some quick numbers and Im over the limit with the camper at 1700 dry and the FSJ (Full Size Jeep) weighing in at 5600 dry plus the weight of the trailer what ever that ends up at. So can I just add another 3500 lb axle and call it a 10,500 lbs capacity? Or beef up some spring rates? Thanks as I know you guys know tons more about trailers than I. This project is on the cheap, the more I can save on the trailer the more I get to put into the truck!

Metal Twister

The donor rig...

Metal Twister

Im thinking a full length 2 X 5" rectangular tube on each side of the trailer will give it the width and strength I will need. I will move the axles back as far as possible and probably add a 3rd axle to get me up to 10,050 lb capacity. even though 10000 is my limit with my class C license. Now I just need to get the energy and time to blow this thing apart.

Busboy

Hold the math a second... Jeep 5600 and camper 1700 is 7300lbs and while the axles are rated at 3500 each they do not carry all the weight as you can allow approx 20% for the pin weight and perhaps more depending how you load it. Just saying you might be closer to your weight than you think. Couple of other things to consider.. A triple axle is hard on tires and really scrubs them in turns. If you can't get to the weight you want than consider looking for some 5200lb used axles, being an RV they are 86.5 inch spring centers I believe which suits RV's but not other trailers so people that change out the 5200lbs for 6000lb ones mostly get stuck with them. I know I have a 2012 set right now. The trailer was shipped with the wrong axles. If you search you may find a set for a couple of hundred then sell the ones you have cheap.

At the end of the day you will probably still have a flimsy trailer frame wise. I suggest make the trailer with the 3500lb axles then sell it, and use the money to get one that will do the job weight wise.

Metal Twister

Thanks for the input and thought given in your response. It all makes since and only time will tell where it all ends up but at least it's a start. I didnt know you could factor in the Pin Weight... 20% or was that a guess? Thanks again.

Busboy

Pin weight should be an absolute minimum 17% on a 5th wheel or goose neck, personally I feel that is too low and a little risky. 20% is a good rule of thumb and you could go as high as 25%. These numbers apply even unloaded. The only true way to check weight distribution accurately is to run the truck and trailer then just the truck over a weigh scale.

Metal Twister

Very good... So when they weigh your rig on the on the road for the load do they just have the loaded trailer on the scale but still hooked up to the truck?

Busboy

To find out how much the trailer weighs and what the pin weight is.. with the trailer hooked up you need to weigh the front truck axle the truck rear axle then I weigh both trailer axles together but some weigh each individually. In this set up these weights are what each axle is carrying. I then pull to the rear of the weigh station unhook the trailer then weigh just the truck front then rear axles, together this is what the truck weighs and if you subtract that figure from the front and rear axles added together in the first example that will be the pin weight. You already know what the trailer axle weight was again from the first example.

If you have never been over a scale there is a large display that reads the weight on the scale, you can see this from the cab. I just have a pad of paper and a pencil and scribble the numbers down as I drive over stopping at each point to stabilize the scale for an accurate reading.

Metal Twister

I started the process of gutting out the trailer last night. It is coming apart fairly easy and Im really suprised at how well the glue holds that seems to be the most used attaching method. Ive never seen veneer so thin. LOL I plugged in the 115v ac last night and everything seems to work even the old refrigerator freezer came to life quickly even though the refrigerator didnt seem to cool down? Seems like if one works so would the other?

NE frmhnd

Depends on the state. I don't know about California, but most states don't give you your weight unless they pull you around back.

If you can find a truck stop with a CAT scale, it costs about $8 to weigh, but you can weigh at that scale as many times as you want in the next 24 hours for 50 cents each.

Metal Twister

I have a truck scale up the street I have used in the past. $10.00 a pop each and every time! C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A

Busboy

What a rip off they should be promoting safety by allowing drivers to weigh their rigs for free.