Dr Rod-
Realizing your desires to prevent scratching, have you tried coating your trailer with the Herculiner product before? I got fed up with my normal big trailer getting all scratched up and rusting, so I bought a can of that Herculiner Bed liner coating stuff. It stirs up pretty easily, and goes on very well. I got just the small quart of it at first to try out, did the front of the trailer that got hit the most, and fenders of course, then finished off the rest of the can around the main siderails. I've made countless trips up to the ranch and back along gravel roads-about 15 miles in one way, as well as running around town, heading up in the hills to go out riding on the 'Cat. I am really amazed at how well this stuff holds up. Usually with just normal paint, one trip up to the ranch and the trailer was just thrashed from all the gravel flying around. I've decided to coat the entire trailer with the stuff-inside and out except for the bed (it's a nice wood deck).

I think the quart cost around $30, and should do your little trailer just nicely, probably have a little left over. That way you could haul other debris without scratching the trailer, and your carpet wouldn't get all wet in the snow or rain, though you could still drop it in there for hauling your tools around to protect them as well.

Anyway, just a thought. Best of luck to Ya!

Mike

 

Here's one for you Dr. Rod. Last summer I was at a John Deere dealer, not heavy equipment but lawn tractors etc. They also sell their brand of lawn tractor trailer all painted up yellow and green w/logo. The kicker was that they have mini bedliners for the trailers! Similar construction to what you see for trucks just smaller with a piece for the tailgate too! Their trailer are similar in size to your red one from Northern and might fit but I'm sure it wouldn't be as cheap as Herculiner.

 

Sounds like an idea whose time has come -- and every farm needs something in John Deere Green.

When I haul dirt, sand, slate or other such aggregates that will be shoveled out, I put my stone-boat in the bottom of the trailer. While its a bit smaller in dimensions, it holds a nice quantity and protects against deep scratches when shoveling out portions (as opposed to just dumping it all). OK, so you want to know what a stone-boat is. Ever see those ads for the DR Brush and Field Mower? (As an aside, those things are one of the great inventions of all time -- let me know if you want more of my opinion on this.) Well, the people who make those mowers also make a Power Wagon -- a big wagon with dual handles and about an 11 HP engine (even an optional sulky so you can ride). Along with the standard wooden stake body, they offer a smaller plastic body about the size of a larger, flatter wheelbarrow body. They sell these plastic things separately for use as a drag sled -- traditionally known as a stone-boat. It is also one of life's great inventions. When I plant trees, I fill half of it with dirt (used to supplement the backfill of the hole), a small bucket of fertilizer tablets, a few tools, and a big bucket of trees. Then I just slide it along with me (it comes with a pull rope) as I move through the field. The advantage comes from it being at the same level as you are -- no getting up and down every time you need something, its all right there. I've used a cheap plastic toboggan in the same way -- especially on those rare occaisions when someone shows up to help me -- but this is a very durable, inexpensive item. It also floats while holding a 9-year old should the occaision present itself. Getting info from the DR people is easy, its getting it stopped that's the problem.

 

I made my own trailer. I found a small trailer axle (with my tires and wheels on it, it is the same width as my quad) with leaf springs and regular 4 bolt trailer hubs. It also had two 10x8 atv wheels and some old Goodyear Rawhides w/ tubes on it. I got it for $10, I could not get it into the truck fast enough. I have about $40 in the hole thing now. I picked up a shackle kit for $9.99, bought some tractor oil paint (John Deer green, close to Polaris green), and a coupler. I was able to get scrap steel from work, I already had the tires and wheels, and the plywood. I made it about 30x80". I still have to get the sides on it, but hunting season was almost opon me. I used my old 25x8x12 Sportsman front tires and some old 12" trailer wheels I had. I also made it a tilt frame. I used 1x3 square tubing for everything, doubling them up for the tounge.
I don't have the picks of this, or I would post them. I had seven deer on it this hunting season, all at one time. The biggest was only 150#, but only one was below 100#. It worked great, except it would have been better to have the sides on it. I found I could pull it across the grass and weed fields in the snow untill I bottomed out my Sportsman (was that fun, no place to winch to).
I am like a god at deer camp when some one gets a deer. I have found I must turn off my FRS radio or I will not see a deer, becuase everyone starts calling me to help them.
I am looking for another axle like that one, I think it might be off of a small pontoon boat trailer. If I find out for sure, I will post it.
INGOLDX1
95'Sportsman
99'Trail Boss

 

Dave, will this be for carrying baby calves? If so I have built a couple of carriers that attatch directly to the ATV. It works better than a trailer in the sense that anywhere the ATV would go without the trailer, you can haul the calf. It puts them behind the rear carrier rack. Makes the front end a little lighter (no problem for a 4x4, even hauled many 75-100# calves on my 2wd Fourtrax 300 OK). Also, with the calf out in the open, about 90% of the time, you can get the cow to follow if you stop every so often to let her sniff the calf. This setup loses its practicality as the calves get too heavy to lift.

 

Hey man thanks for the idea!
They sell those racks over here they are a good idea for carrying a calf or two and would be a great idea for a small hobby farm but for us during the spring we average about 7 calves a day and up to 15 some days so a trailer is the only way, I am currently looking for a cheap light car trailer to covert, remove the axle put flotation tyres on it and build a crate and i will be away just cant find one yet!!
Thanks for your idea anyway
Dave
1992 old ripper Bigbear 350 4x4
1995 Subaru legacy twin turbo

 

Dave350
We calve out about 175 cows and 2 atvs outfitted with the carrier things are all we need for calving 10 or 12 calves a day. Keep in mind everyone has a different situation, and in ours, we don't usually have to move the calf/cow more than 1/8 to 1/4 mile in most instances (often only like 100 yards or not at all). You don't have to buy the cradle thing, either. I can give you the plans how to make one with old pipes you have laying around the farm, if you have a welder. The first one I built took about an hour, the second about 20 minutes. They are crude, and they are ugly, but they were cheap and they work.

Also, if you are looking for a crate/trailer, have you considered going the other way? What I mean by that is, instead of looking for a trailer to fit a crate on, look for a crate to stick an axle under. Here in Nebraska, lots of people used to have hogs, but no longer do. Many, many people used a crate that fit on a tractor 3-pt or loader for moving pigs around. Most I have seen are either 4' x 8', although some are 4x6 and others are 5x10. Anyway, to try to keep this short, they are basically a floor with hog panel mesh sides (about 3 1/2' tall) with a door of some kind on it, and a frame that goes under to support it, and connect it to the tractor. They usually bring about $20 to $50 at sales, and would take almost nothing to chop off the tractor mount & stick an axle underneath & hitch to one end. The one we have (we still raise hogs) has a small door on the left rear, and rear panel can be opened from either side, or removed completely just by pulling a few 'j' pins. Just about any sale that has misc. hog equipment seems to have one. Of course if you are like me, the sale I would go to looking for one wouldn't [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

Good luck on your project.

 

Hey Farmr123, if you wouldn,t mind could you send me a picture or the plans for that calf carrier. Sounds pretty good. Thanks ShaneMy email address is cumminsdsl@yahoo.com

 

Hi again, guys. I finally got back to looking up this thread. I will e-mail directly to anyone who wants the plans for the calf carrier thing if you put your address here. I think it will be much easier to draw a picture of it, scan it, and e-mail it directly rather than try to describe it here. It is VERY simple to draw, hard to explain.
I hope to work on this the next couple days. Patience, please, as we are doing hay and the baler axle is currently broken so I have more pressing things on my mind right now. Maybe by this weekend I should get this all done & sent out to anyone who wants one.

 

www.otteroutdoors.com carries a nice trailer. I've used them.