In this video I convert a flatbed trailer to a one with a dovetail. Help Support the channel: Patreon - / gcfd Buy Me A Coffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/GCFD Paypal - www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...
I found a good trailor in the same shape. Wood rotten and set entirely too high in the rear but a good solid frame and axles. Now I know exactly how to finesse it. Great video...great job. Thanks for the info 👍✌️
The ramp supports are not meant to touch the ground until it is being loaded. They need to clear uneven ground, if you make them touch on level ground how do you plan to load or unload on ground that is 2" higher. They are meant to be designed to touch the ground before the back axle tube hits the frame to help support the tail of the trailer so the frame doesn't bend at the back axle when tail loaded with too much weight.
Very nice project! I’m doing the same dovetail on my boss’s very similar equipment trailer. Instead of replacing the wood for a third time I got square tubing and furred up the crossmembers and put diamond plate steel. Next I’ll put angle iron rails on the tubing that I have left over from the fur up. It was fun to watch you cut the dovetail the same as I did in the exact same place for the same reasons. Cool project 👍👍
As others have said, great video...I recently purchased a 3 axle trailer that was formerly a mobile home at some point...axles have regular hubs & do not use those dangerous split rims. After watching your video I may attempt a beaver tail as you did.
My opinion is that on your dove tail where you added the diamond plate, might consider adding about 2-3 bars as wide as the ramps and about 1/2 in. square to help your equipment get traction when wet,mud,etc. Otherwise the rework and video is great. A great video and job, stay safe.👍👍👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Nice work, couple thoughts. When its on the truck you use loaded see if its level. If not you can raise the hitch or even make it a little higher. You can shorten the jack on the ramps so when you load it, it squats giving you a less steep ramp. A little makes a big difference. Your tracked machines are a lot more stable than wheeled tho so it looks like your all set. Around hear dot will hassle you for having the bucket over the front of trailer deck.
Thanks for the comments! I haven't had to haul both minis on there yet. It hauls my bigger mini ex (kx91) really well. I've been very happy with that trailer so far.
Nice work. I am replacing boards on my trailer. I put a coating of waterproofing on both sides of the boards to help with longevity. I'm considering adding a dove tail to my trailer. If I do, I would add a welded strap doubler to the side of the frame for extra strength.
Shawn,Sir you are doing things the right way. You appear to have a good work ethic.I have watched several of the videos more than once.Do you have any intentions to upscale in the future? Honestly what you are doing now, would suit me just fine.Smaller jobs mean smaller headaches.Your plasma cutting will get better with practice. You now have one more subscriber, Ken
Thanks Ken! I'm just kind of having fun with my equipment but things seem to be scaling up whether I mean to or not! I'm currently looking for a larger excavator. I also replaced that plasma cutter - it was a piece of crap. I'm glad you're subscribed and enjoying the videos - I've got a few that I'm trying to get up.
Great video man. I just bought a 23 foot gooseneck to haul my equipment and I'm considering doing something like this. I would have to notch the outside frame just like you did but then additionally I would have to notch the quarter inch thick 1' steel I beam. I think it will work though. I'm curious what line of work your in to need a mini skid steer AND a mini excavator. Great video man
Overall great description and vid..got lots of great ideas in comments...maybe a patch of expanded metal tacked to diamond plate in strategic spots for traction...
Remember the ideal of the ramp legs are to support the trailer from squating to far down and orderly lift the back of your truck tires from the ground, had a friend who did that and his truck end up sliding forward running to a tree. If in dought carry wooden blocks , put under end of trailer cross frame. Be carefully many guys have many problems loading unload a trailer.
Thanks for the pointers! I've heard of people loading the trailer, the trailer lifts the rear tires of the truck off the ground, and the whole thing rolls away. If that starts to happen, KEEP LOADING! Once your equipment is further forward on the trailer the truck tires will come back down and stop you.
I know a lot of people use flux core but I am not a fan of it I work in cars trailers and build projects all the time out of steel I like either 8020 argon CO2 or 75/25 and I'm satisfied mainly 7525 they both do a good job can't really tell the difference too much seems like I get less splatter with 75/25 then I do the 80/20 but I've heard different things people some guys use different mixes I don't care for all that slag and hitting it after and all that stuff one time one time only weld grind or just weld if you get a nice bead you're done good luck
I recently built a 20' utility trailer (see my other videos for that build series) and I jused a millermatic 250 with 80/20. That's an amazing welder and it makes the lincoln 180 feel like a toy welder. Regardless, those welds are holding up so far.
Shawn, no you don't need to remove the metal strips that's helping to hold the boards down. Simply put all your boards in on the left and right and the last board in the center cut it in half and install it in two pieces in the very center you will need it to end on a brace so you can bolt it down. That's how many trailers are done when you buy them brand new.
Big Mac yes I added some angle under it but it is too small. The metal outlet I go to is closed for now so I’m waiting to replace it. The diamond plate is plenty strong and I’ve been using the trailer as is with no problems.
You will want some gap on the ramp support brace when unloaded. It will allow the suspension to settle a little bit and reduce your ramp angle further. Plus they way you have it setup now will prevent you from lifting the ramps with weight on the trailer. Otherwise, looks like an excellent modification and upgrade to this trailer.
Thanks for the comment! I think I got the ramp jacks dialed in. They squat down during loading but then pop back enough to fold the ramps up with the equipment loaded. 👍
I know this video is a year old so you've likely been using the trailer for a year but I'd like to offer a few minor suggestions with regards the Dovetail. There where 2 things that stood out when you where loading the gear on that can both be solved with the same fix 1. The Excavator was sliding it's treads when climbing on the treadplate incline 2. The skid steer mad a noticeable bowing indent on the plate If you where to add a few lengths of something like 1/2 inch angle iron welded over the treadplate with the 90deg corner skywards it would make a few raised points for the tread grousers to grab on and also better spread the load
@bengrogan9710, Just wanted to commend you on your ability to give advice/suggestions in a positive way and without trying to belittle somebody! This guy,@lance3883 or whatever his handle is after seeing the 3rd childlike poking,I couldn't take it and gave him a v peice of my mind! So when i seen yours shortly after that turd lance3883 post, I had to say thx! So thanks!🎉👍😊
@GCFD just so ya know,I roasted that negative butthead @lance8338 on his childlike negativity that he displayed in the comments, after the 3rd one I just had to tell him about himself! Great job and any weak poins when need be I know your capabilities will allow you to fix them! I have a 40' flatbed and have been wondering what i wanted to do to drop the rear-end for loading purposes any now I know exactly what I'm doing! Thx
i used ....used engine oil n stain my trailer deck woods ...ALL FOUR SIDE....back in 1990 and its still lookin great ...lol well its got some straches n dent but never replace any board yet....another thing that checker plate ....in winter time its gonna be spippery n hard for rubber tracks to grab , i used old farm tire bolted down then spring take it off.
I know youare using flux core wire, but you need to still grind down to bare metal (as much as you can). You will have less porosity and stronger welds
I liked the video just wanted to give you something to think about you leveled the trailer but before you welded it I would of put a level on the end to make sure my duvtel was level from side to side just a thought
And what kind of Blazer using on your chop saw I use a carbon blade when I'm trying to make a real fine cut or a Sawzall and the carbon play that uses just like your black oxide about eighth of an inch
It's hard for me to tell but if those are those mobile home axles good luck if they are if they ever overheat or give you problems on the road they're tough as hell to have serviced only intended for one haul use
@jason champion It looks like the trailer manufacture has gone away from these axles. Others have commented that these need to be replaced so I'm definitely looking into it. Thanks again.
Nice job on the trailer modification. Little advice when loading equipment on a trailer never ever stop when it starts to teeter slow and steady keep your boom low. If that machine had steel tracks you would’ve went off the side of that trailer. Personally when loading heavy equipment I wear my seatbelt better to stay in that Machine then to be crushed by it , most people aren’t as lucky as Andrew Cammarata.Our lowbed drivers would have old rubber mudflaps they lay down on ramps and steel decks for traction.
OMG! And you put welded your own tie downs on.... I sure hope I am not any where near where you will be hauling and I will be praying for everyone who is near you hauling.
Isn't that gap under the ramp supposed to be there so when you drive onto it, the weight will lower it to the ground because of the springs on the trailer? I don't know anything about that stuff, but that's what I thought of as soon as I saw it...
Yes you're right! When I added the dovetail it lowered the height of the ramps so that's why I had to shorten the jacks on the ramps. It works pretty well now...the trailer sits down on the jacks when I run the machine up on it then lifts off them when I pull the machine forward on the trailer.
Haha I know the feeling! Luckily most of the commenters have been helpful, even when I messed something up. For example, a couple people mentioned gussets needed to be added on the dovetail. Luckily I got those done before any problems.
Where you cut the dove tail , you should have put a gusset that reinforce center of your vertical weld, eventually you will twist frame and welds will crack.
I was just waiting for you to clitch and knock that box of connectors over. lol I'd run some seam sealer between the side rails and fenders or it will rust and creep up out of where it's not welded and look like crap before long.
no a frame need to flex or it will brake some were. you dont add plates, if any thing you cut a 1/4" plate in a shape to fit the under side and weld it on edge under the frame were the angel changes, but very small. in any case the weld will never brake if a welder knows how to weld, i have cut truck frames made them longer as well made them shorter, and you have to grind and polish the welds so it looks like nothing ever been done. a frame that can be seen that it been welded, is the end of the line if a MTO OR DOT SEE IT
@@arnoldromppai5395 I agree that you need to have flex in a frame but adding a plate on the inside won’t hurt it to bad simple because of how long the trailer is. There is plenty of room to flex.
Not trying to be a d but cut any metal from the top down so gravity helps the cut open as you go down you can notch a 1/8 or 1/16 inch deep on the bottom or pre cut your line in but when your cutting bottom up your binding and burning up your blades. cutting with a plasma you can cut either way. Just trying to help have a great day.
You will not need to remove the flat bar at the ends covering the boards just flex the boards in the middle. There will be enough flex to get the bords in.
Skid steer on first then excavator face bucket to rear of trailer curl bucket boom will lay between ramps when ramps are flipped up just don't lay boom all the way down just lower to top of ramps
I feel like when you go to load them you Should load the mini shift steer first because you are going to have a lot of tongue weight with the way you have it loaded on the video you want the majority of you’re load over the wheels for best results
I think you're right. I've tried a couple different configurations. When I pull them with my F550 it doesn't really matter. Also, loading that mini skid backwards is the ticket. UNloading it with the bucket going down is much better than trying to back it off.
You'll have better luck with that plasma cutter if you use gravity to your advantage. You're creating molten metal, let it run down hill whenever you can. You're cuts will end up straighter, too.
Thanks for the tip! I recently bought a lincoln plasma cutter and I'm getting better at working with it. The one in this video quickly died on me, I repaired it and it died again....
No...but great point. I've followed that trailer with someone else driving it and the lights are good to go. I'll take a closer look at them next time.
It was a good, if not, lucky guess-timate on the 1 inch cut out to drop the tail to the height you wanted. My nickles worth of advice to future fabricators, watching this, learn to use a Triangle solver on line to get you dead-nuts on that cut. Trigonometry in is basic form is not that much of a mystery to us. The work has been taken out of it with a simple Google. It's sort of basic math that once learned how to use would give you an exact angle to create to put the end of the dovetail and the ramp and its supports at one continuous angle all the way to the ground. Id hate to see someone ruin a good project with a guess.
This is a 4.5 ton trailer. I still have it and it’s great. Just picked up a small skid steer 200 miles away last night. I’m about to flip the ramps over because the angle iron is facing the wrong way and provided no traction.
Mobile home axles suck. And you need the jacks in air empty cause once you get weight on trailer you’ll never get jacks out of ground I use trailer jacks on sides instead. Then I can crank them up and then remove them once I’m done
Thanks for the comments! I've been using this trailer for my larger mini ex (KX91 7500lbs) and it's great. I really like the fold down ramps with the jacks. My car trailer has slide-out ramps and the trailer squats down really bad when loading. I've thought about installing trailer jacks on the sides like you mentioned. Give it some support. Or I may build some fold down ramps for it. Or replace it with another equipment trailer.
Try loading the skid steer backwards first, then the ho backwards. You can get the machines closer together that way if the blade is out of the way. Crowd the stick and boom down to lay it on the dove tail between the ramps. That will distribute the weight better and keep the impliment off the toungue of the trailer so DOT doesn't get upset. Overall, good job 👍😉
I use to build trailers, and the jacks on the ramps are designed like that so you can swing them up without them dragging. When you load your equipment they will bottom out and support the weight. But you have probably already figured that out. Nice work though.
Had a friend who loaded AC track loader, the truck and trailer was facing up Hill , he started up the trailer, the trailer squatted in the rear, forcing the truck tires off the ground, accusing jackknife,, then flipped the Loader over backward it didn't have rippers on the back of Loader, it isn't flipped backwards on the operator, killing him. Beware of up Hill losding. Never get in a hurry loading a piece of Equipment. Good luck. What I say is from experience my self , was owner Operator business man.
Thanks for sharing Donald. I had watched a few videos on how to load onto a trailer and have learned the proper techniques. You're right that things can go south if you get lazy. I usually like to have a guy in the truck with the brakes held on or a pipe holding the brakes on. The jacks on the ramps are a huge deal, like Bearded said above and I'm very glad I made them. Well worth the time and how effective they are.
I'm building an entire trailer right now (video coming soon) and I'm using a DC millermatic 250. The welds are incredible compared to that little lincoln with flux core.
Beavertails are short ramps that flip up...dovetails go down...whoever is calling them that is just ignorant of that or was taught incorrectly by someone that was was ignorant of it...with the wonderful world of Google I have had to relearn a few things myself.
@@jody6121 well I found this “The Beavertail (sometimes called a Dove Tail) is a sloped extension on the rear frame of a trailer to allow equipment to be loaded over the rear of the trailer - with or without the use of rear ramps. Most all ROGERS fixed gooseneck and tag-along trailers include a Beavertail.” Also “The 4' Cleated Self-Cleaning Pop Up Dovetail allows your dovetail and ramp trailer to be transformed into a straight deck trailer. The dovetail is lightweight and spring assisted, and can be raised and lowered in just a few seconds. “ “Dovetail - the ramp can be raised to becomes part of the deck when raised ... the trailer is flat all the way to the rear end when the ramp/dovetail is raised. Beavertail - the back permanently angles down and may also have ramps that can fold down to the ground ... the trailer is NOT flat all the way to the rear end.” Pick one, everyone has a different name for stuff.
Thanks for your comment. I did not weld in gussets at the time but luckily another commenter had me covered and pointed it out. Got it covered. Thanks again!!
as a welder and mfg, you never cut a trailer deck to make a dove tail, unless you plan on moving your wheels a head as well. you have lost your center load balance, any time you add a dove tail on to any trailer, you build it new off the back end of the trailer, as the dove tail is not deck space, by doing what you did not only lost your valuable deck space, it also totally changed your load capacity, tough weight. the complete design of the trailer function. the wheels are set to a location based on deck length on every trailer. now you have changed the safety of the whole unit as well. unless you cut your spring hangers off and move them forward.. half the distance of the part you cut off the deck to make the dove tail
Thanks for the comment Arnold. I still park equipment on the dovetail if I the trailer is full or park my single piece in the same location and haven't noticed any impact from the dovetail on handling, balance, sway, or sag.
@@GCFD you did nothing wrong that wouldn't change anything of your trailer or laws. You did a great job. Idk just switch the machines around and still have it close to front to even the load
Nice job keeping everything balanced. Nothing wrong with how built that dovetail. Common sense prevails. Maybe next time you could do your dovetail in two sections. The angles would be less and break point easier for tracked vehicles to transverse. What do buttholes and opinions have in common? Everyone's got one!
There is nothing wrong with those axles. I have basically the same trailer (2005 Hudson 10K) & the axles are 5200lbs each. I installed a set of Bearing Buddy's (2.441") & have never had an issue with the axles. I do wish it used a more conventional wheel/tire combo, but the expense of swapping axles isn't worth the trouble. Just check & lube the bearings regularly. Those axles should be trouble free for life.
Thank you for commenting! I havne't had any problems with these either. But there seems to be a universal hatred of these axles. I'm with you...not woth replacing them so I'm going to try and keep these working well.
People who don't know what they are doing shouldn't be modifying trailers or anything else that puts people's lives at risk other than your own. If you want to modify a trailer or put a dovetail on a trailer do not and I repeat DO NOT follow this guys advice or steps. This is coming from a 30 year welder who has a DOT certification among several other certifications.
You need a lesson in grinder safety. When you flipped it upside down, right before you switched to the plasma, if it binded, it would have crawled up your chest and through your face. Don't ever cut with the wheel facing the right. Ever.
@@GCFD no. Never. Switch to the plasma. Get out a steak knife. Do anything. Never cut with the grinder backwards. There is no cut important enough to risk the damage and potential death from one bind.
You are wrong about the ramp supports and having to jump on the ramps to get them to go down.... STOP MAKING VIDEOS ABOUT TRAILER MODS BEFORE YOU KILL SOMEONE
