I just made my wood hauling 3 times more efficient!!
 

I got my paws on a 20 foot tandem axle flatbed!!!

I had an 86 f-150 4x4 sitting in the yard and nobody wanted it. I found the trailer on craigslist and asked the owner if he would trade....he said yes!

I hauled the truck to Eau Claire and brought the trailer home. It is in pretty good shape. I want to make some fenders and widen the bed all the way out. I also want to hook up the trailer brakes...yes, trailer brakes. I also want to make short sides for it so I can haul wood without it rolling off. The jack is good and the frame is solid. I will do some modding on it, but it should be pretty easy as I have most everything I need already. It pulls like glass. I can't even tell I have it hooked up! It doesn't bounce or wobble. This trailer will allow me to haul much more wood per trip. I could haul a whole tree home in one trip!
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We've been eyeing a flatbed ourselves. Not sure we can justify it yet with the number of times we've needed it so far, but we're getting closer. The nearest one we can borrow is a 40 mile drive to pick up and it doesn't take too many trips to justify it in fuel savings just to get it.

It is amazing what uses you discover once you get one. You can use it to haul lumber, dirt, firewood, furniture, snow, bricks, BRUSH, cars, hay bales (large and small), plywood, concrete, tires, tractors and other farm implements, and even water tanks! I have a pile of brush to pick up that would take at least two loads in the truck and I can get it all in one trip with the trailer. The biggest expense is the initial purchase. I traded for mine, but still had to buy the truck to trade with...:confused:

I'm hoping to run into a good deal on a used dump trailer for the same kind of loads (plus landscaping materials) and versatility.

You may know all the following already:

Beyond 4-whl brakes,

Be sure to check weight rating of axles. AND wheels (stamped) AND tires. Your state may require fenders over wheels as well as a safety inspection and weight tags. If tongue weight gets to 350-lbs (trailer at 3k or higher) you'll want a weight-distributing hitch (tow vehicle size or capacity is irrelevant to this). I'd check axle alignment as well. Tires should be less than 5-years old per manufacturer data at present. Safety chains must EACH control the weight of the trailer in event of separation, and a breakaway switch is generally mandatory.

Can't go wrong with a PRODIGY brake controller, or LED lighting on trailer.

I understand that cash-strapped governments are now (rightfully) going after trailers in tow, so I wish you luck in sourcing and outfitting your "new" trailer. The size and density of a whole tree can be formidable.

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The tires will be replaced shortly as they are on their way out. I will also be installing fenders.

Lucky dog! I've been keeping my eyes open for such a beast myself (to put a sailboat on over the winter).

I can attest to the utility of a trailer. I got a very lightweight (160 lbs) one which I've used to pull stuff around behind the ForkenSwift.

The DOWNSIDE to having a trailer is it enables you to bring more junk home, if you're prone to doing that sort of thing :)

I do like to keep my eyes open for treasures at the local dump/recycling center.
The trailer does come in handy but BOY is it a PAIN to turn it around in there!!!:eek:

Next you need to convert a pickup truck to run off of wood gas ( pyrolization). That way you can haul wood with the wood you haul!

I have been thinking about it a lot. Just not sure how much space I need. I want to keep it small so I can still fill the bed. How compact can I make it?:confused:

I have no idea how big it would have to be to run efficiently. You would probably want to start off with a large displacement engine as the wood gas conversion loses a bit of power ( 20% if memory serves). A long bed pickup would also be a good idea because then you just have more space to work with. I wouldn't start with a super-nice truck either. That way if you screw it up you haven't lost your main truck.

I once considered trying to run a lawn mower off of a wood gas system just for fun. It was to be a proof of concept sort of thing with my parts mower. I decided against it though as wood gas systems are unusually hard to start and I didn't ant to kill myself pulling on the rope all day to get it going.