Offset is a good idea. Except that the sides go up beyond the top rail by a couple inches. It the 2x4 ended short of the top of the sides (under the rail), the top board would be somewhat unsupported. I really thought about height. Its 17.25", enough to stack 18" of wood just over the top. The option is there to add another layer of 1x6. I got tired of digging down 24" from the outside. I guess we"ll see how loading T.Jeff Veal style really works. Or another layer of rail can go on so we can just chuck wood in there.
The boy (is back home, this dad's heart is complete) helped pull the screws drill holes, and I installed 1/4" carriage bolts with washers & lock washers. Didn't use lock nuts. I didnt get into the cross members....just the decking. Sca
So the spare tire thingy from harbor fright was $40 ish, from TSC closer to $70. I met a fellow at Lowes who gave me this idea: a $9 u-bolt from TSC. I set it around a vertical member of the trailer, and on it went. Its as low as it would slide down the vertical support. I have lock washers to add on later. A 3/4" socket and ratchet now live in the truck for removing the tire.... It's low enough not to interfere with loading too much. I suppose a cover of some sort might be a good idea. The first load with it there, I will check the height from ground. It could be raised rather easily.
Looks good. Yes, you could rotate the tire and have 1 hole below the clamp would also raise it a bit.
No kiddding. Wish I'd seen that! It looks like there is 6" ish of space. Thats a little skinny esp for pasture type places. Its rubber on metal, so i kinda think I could loosen it if I had to and raise it up. I found some nifty cable, ferrules, thimbles and the like, am devising a secondary latch for the tailgate. The pins that hold it up are kinda wimpy. Dont want to trust them soley, with a load and at interstate speeds. Sca
Loaded the trailer today with a full load of Red Maple. An inch or better over the rail. The spare had plenty of clearance driving back roads and highway home.
I found these nifty fiberglass markers buried at a construction site. 2 followed me home. A piece of copper pipe and some band clamps, and I now have a way to see the hitch over the truck tailgate..
Funny, for the 11 cord we've hauled with it, not one picture of it loaded. 5x10x18" = slightly more than half a cord over the rails.
Loaded trailer pics are kinda a fun thing to take. I have only missed a couple, and that was when my phone was acting up and needing to be replaced.
Here's one of my odd trailer loads. My buddy wanted this simplicity taken from his dad's to his GF'S place. I figured I might as well make the trip more worth the while by putting a bunch of splits in the trailer as well.
