OK a friend of mine has an old 32' Frito Lay fifth wheel dual axle electric brake trailer for sale. I am interested in the trailer, but don't want to pay an arm and leg for it. Let me tell you all about it and you tell me what you would pay for it. It was next to his shop when the shop caught fire and melted the side and top of the trailer so he totally stripped it. It is a bare rolling frame. The brake wiring will need to be re-done and I would have to put a deck on it, as well as, buy tires for it.

Now here are some other ideas I have for it. I want to build a sleeping quarter on the front with a small walk in area. outside that area I would wood deck it for hauling my rock crawler around. I don't like the fifth wheel attachment. I want to dump the plate type and put the ball type that attaches to a hidden ball in the bed. I guess that would be fifth wheel to goose neck type to be PC. I can torch, fab and weld So converting it doesn't sound like it would be a problem for me.
Do you guys know of any prefabbed replacement parts I could just weld in?
For this length of trailer do I need any special license?
How hard would re-wireing it be?
I would also have to fab some ramps for it.
So what is it worth?
Or would you guys even mess with it?

 

500 bones? you will need to put alot of effort and cash to get it where you want it so unless you get a smokin deal i wouldn't waste the time. jm.02

 

It's gonna cost a fortune to get it the way you want it. I'd pass on it and get you a nice toyhauler or a flatbed with living quarters already up front..

 

you can get a used flatbed for around 2500 to 4500 and its ready to haul but thats without any type of livingquarters it just depends on what you can get the trailer for and what your time is worth

 

Get a 42' GN and mount a truck camper on the front for living qtrs.

I would pass that one by.... Doesnt sound like it's worth it.

 

If you can get it dirt cheap or free...

I built a Big utility trailer out of a large travel trailer frame(free) . I widened it to fit a full size 4x4 truck on . Basicaly all I used was the axles (with dual elec brakes), springs,6" side frame rails with the spring hangers . Everything else I fabricated and had to buy steel. It didnt cost me that much but it was a lot of work. My time I put into it wasnt worth what it would have cost to buy a new one. That includes going to the eye doctor to get metal removed from my eye LOL. It turned out pretty nice though.

Strip all the wireing and redo it completely rather than trying to patch the wireing

 

I'd have concerns about the fire damage. If any of the steel has been comprimised it is only good for the scrap heap. Hate to build it all up, load your crawler and find it bends in half. If you still feel good to go then free would be a good price. You will probably need brakes (everything) also.
Good luck

 

Fire damage. I see a trailer going down the road. Hitting a bump and the trailer bending and chaos ensuing. Not worth it.

 

My wife is shooting the idea down too. I just think it would be cool to have the "house" and hauler all in one. The paint isn't burnt or scored a bit so I feel the steel is in good shape. Apparantly the box that was on it baked from being too close to the burning shop but the trailer never actually caught fire. I have searched all over google and can't find an RV/vehicle hauler anywhere. My other option is to save a few bones and get a slide in camper and 18'-20' hauler. The wife likes that a lot too because then I wouldn't be building on someone elses "junk." She doesn't understand my passion for building my own stuff.

 

Why not just pick up a good gooseneck flatbed (lot of deals out there used), and build yourself a set of quarters up front. You can even build them removable, so that you can take them off if you need full length of the trailer. Then you get the trailer you want without having to totally re-build it first.

 

Why dont you just buy a Toy Hauler RV 5er? I always think of my time labor and resale before I do a project.

Buy something you can resell later , rather than wasteing time,labor,and money. Economics!!

 

I haven't seen one that will fit full size one ton running gear in it. I have one ton Chevy running gear and will have 40" Super Swampers on my toy. The top of the bed(not cab) is 5' 6" on 38" tires. The tires stick out 3/4 of the tire width past my fenders. If you have ideas for a RV 5er that will hold that rig then I'm all ears.

 

Something no one has mentioned is the frame on box trailers are usually pretty light construction because the box is actually part of the frame, kinda like a unibody, so making it a flatbed would take quite a bit of strenghtening itself

 

Red99ctd,, Nice scout. That would fit right on my trailer!! I made it specialy for 4x4 with axles like that.

You look like a fabricator so maybe that trailer would be a good deal.

The one I made started out as a 30 footer or so I shortened it to a about 16',17' . I had a Nice lance 8'6" camper on my truck, Sold the camper and got a 5er.

I guess you measured and that scout wont fit in a toy hauler.?... That sucks.

 

You might have a fightin chance of fittin it in somethin like this if you want living quarters on the trailer and you want enclsoed:

http://tegtmeyertrailers.com/goose_united.html