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22+2 deck over refresh and improvements

aczlan

Good Morning!
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
159
Messages
1,980
Loc
Fingerlakes region of NY
So, a while back I picked up a 22 + 2 deck over for cheap, needs a deck, tires, paint, some welding in a few of the cross members (welds for gussets are cracked), a jack and probably needs bearings / brakes refreshed.
The outfit the owned it was getting ready to move, hadn't used it in 12+ years and didn't want to move it.
I knew a little about it as I had used it when I worked for them back in the mid 2000s, from looks the registration paperwork it looks like it got used one more year and then parked in the back until I bought it.
Tag says 9,999 GVWR, two axles, short dove tail in the back with steel on the dovetail, wood on the rest of the deck, slide out ramps that go under the deck.

Amazingly, all the lights work (all grommeted lights), the brakes work and the tires mostly hold air.

Assuming he does the repaint of the little landscape trailer I sent over for a second time correctly, I plan to send it to a guy who will sandblast and paint it for under a grand.

Thought about doing myself, have discussed that on a couple threads on here, but with his price I don't see where it's worth it.

Before it goes there though, I want to make a few changes to it:
1. I want to add a place I can put a winch on in case I need to pull something on the trailer
2. Need to fix the welds on the cracked gussets
3. Want to add a box up front in the A of the frame to put chains and such in, they won't live there but that way they don't have to be in tow vehicle when I go somewhere with it (especially if things are wet)
4. Going to add a winch to hang the spare tire under the right front corner of the trailer, picked up a chain one off of a Toyota in the junkyard that appeared to have lived its life in Arizona and so surprisingly had no rust compared to everything else in the yard.
5. Going to make plans to rewire it, it has scotch locks underneath need I say more? I also have plans to add in some "loading lights" that can be turned on with a switch in the toolbox to light up around the trailer and the deck itself when loading after dark
6. Going along with number five, any advantage to putting a junction box for the wiring in the toolbox on the tongue, vs putting it directly behind and to the right of the jack (putting the junction box on one side of where the battery box is now and the battery box on the other side)?
7. Going to replace the attachment points for the chains with weld on ones and heavier chains, the ones on there (a bent piece of 5/16 rod) should theoretically be fine but I like overkill in the chain department.

A couple pictures to start things off:
IMG_20220914_211538716.jpg

The tongue of the trailer, picked up a trailer hitch for relatively cheap this week, think I'm going to cut a square hole in the front of the trailer and stick it through as little as possible, then (when putting a hitch or winch on there) you put the pin in from the front of the "front wall" at the front of the trailer.
Need to add a couple pieces of angle or c channel to go straight back from the frame rails to the front wall to mount the rest of the hitch to.
The front wall is just bent 1/8", so I don't think it's heavy enough to attach a trailer hitch or decent winch to.
IMG_20220914_211340929_HDR.jpg

A close up of the hitch kind of sort of sitting in place.

Any suggestions or errors that I should avoid while I am in the planning stages?

Aaron Z
 
Maybe get it blasted then do your metal work, then have it painted?
Too humid here, it would be all rust before I had it home to do the metalwork on it.
Also, the guy will be shutting down once it starts to get too cool (Oct perhaps?).

Was looking at the front of the trailer again last night, debating if I need the receiver to spread the load across the "front wall" of the trailer (which is 1/8" bent into a c shape at the top), or if a flat bolt-on receiver would work without bending it if a significant load were to be put on it, something like:
310pHTA5FmL._AC_SY580_.jpg

Bolt it to the front side of the "front wall" so that the side facing load of the trailer is still smooth and there isn't anything there to snag a pallet.
Just have to make sure that it actually has a hole through the flat plate so that the hitch can be put in from that side.
My only concern there is that it be strong enough to not bend the "front wall" if I need to winch something dead up onto the trailer.


Aaron Z
 
Was looking at the front of the trailer again last night, debating if I need the receiver to spread the load across the "front wall" of the trailer (which is 1/8" bent into a c shape at the top)
Post pic to show the rest of this front wall?

The winch need to be removable? If not, you can bolt the winch to back side of the wall with a cut out for the winch rope or cable to go through. Sandwich the winch and the front wall with a 1/8-1/4 plate to help distribute the load.
 
Post pic to show the rest of this front wall?
Willdo later, it's 1/8" sandwiched in 2 layers with the top bent like an upside down J.

The winch need to be removable? If not, you can bolt the winch to back side of the wall with a cut out for the winch rope or cable to go through. Sandwich the winch and the front wall with a 1/8-1/4 plate to help distribute the load.

Was working on it last night, it got a 40" piece of 1/4" 2x2 steel across the front and I will weld a receiver tube to that.
I want the winch to be removable, haven't needed one yet, would prefer it to not be out in the weather when not needed.
I have a couple of smaller winches on the shelf in the shop, will probably use one of them, I am sure I have a 2500# winch, the other might be a 3000#, will use whichever is bigger and possibly put synthetic rope on it.
Then it will likely get a $50 junkyard battery in it with a solar battery tender.

Aaron Z
 
Last edited:
Post pic to show the rest of this front wall?

The winch need to be removable? If not, you can bolt the winch to back side of the wall with a cut out for the winch rope or cable to go through. Sandwich the winch and the front wall with a 1/8-1/4 plate to help distribute the load.
A little late, but some pictures:
The front side of the front wall, the receiver tube is not welded in, I just set it there.
Probably going to cut it off an inch or so past the angle, then run a couple pieces of angle down to the wall and tie into another horizontal angle there.
The horizontal angle is 2x2x1/4-in and is about 40 in long

IMG_20221006_191445170_HDR.jpg

The back side of the front wall, these screws are there to hold a piece of angle and sandwich the front boards. That piece of angle will end up getting notched to clear the receiver hitch.
IMG_20221006_191608653.jpg

Standing at the front wall and looking towards the back of the trailer.
IMG_20221006_191625872.jpg

Standing at the back and looking towards the front of the trailer.
IMG_20221006_191657479.jpg


Aaron Z
 
One more picture, thinking I will weld a plate to mount the winch on top of this ball mount, then add a d-ring underneath in case I need to double the line (or 1 on each side on the front wall to use as tiedowns):
IMG_20221006_194242767.jpg


Aaron Z
 
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