Straightening out a trailer?

[AClark]

I know someone has more experience with this than me.

The abominable stock trailer, of which I paid the exorbitant amount of $175 for, is pretty banged up on the side.









don't mind the wiring, that is just for the magnetic lights, the actual wiring is good but it was too short to reach my truck.

The actual base frame is good, some surface rust but no holes, nice and sturdy. The right side is bent in, pretty good too, and needs to be bent back out as it makes it look like the trailers frame is bent.

Now, correct me here if I'm going about this wrong - what I've done so far, cut out every piece of wood, floor, sides, all of it - it's just a frame now. Most of it wasn't much effort as it was so rotten.

I'm not sure how to bend the side posts back out though. I'm going to cut the frame off the top completely and have someone bend new pieces for it, and will weld that back. There's some rust on the front I will patch and weld.

Oddly enough, the rust looks bad, but it is all superficial. I hit it with a wire brush on the drill and it used to be red! Most of the welding, aside from the top, is just tack welding some minor things back on.

Even more odd, the spare for it is a split rim...I haven't seen those in a long time!

So, how would you straighten out the side? My best guess is that this trailer was either dumped on the passenger side or rolled at some point. For reference, it's a 1971.

 

[Bruce]

Got me! But are you only talking about the fenders over the wheels or is something structural bent as well?

BTW, shouldn't you be working on the nursery? That baby must be all packed and ready to travel by now!

 

[AClark]

The OB said "not yet", lol. She's not sunk down yet, I still have 6 more days.

The fender on the passenger side is bent, but I'm pretty sure I can bang that part back out with a big sledge eventually, that's the thinner metal. The side poles that go up from the fender are bent inward - which basically made it too narrow to close the divider in the middle as it hangs up. It's only a couple of inches, just I can't come up with any way to bend it back out that seems like a good idea, and not a "good idea".

 

[babsbag]

@Bruce I was thinking the same about the baby but being that I wasn't a country girl back when I had my kids I would guess that 'nesting' is just different when you have a ranch. Make hay while the sun shines...right?

 

[AClark]

I've nested my house until it's to the point of being tedious, this is also my 5th child so I might have a more relaxed viewpoint on things than previously. Doing light outdoor work is preferable to being in the house anyway! Pulling off the rotten boards was really light work, no prying involved, most of them ripped right through the bolts, and the ones that hung on, I cut off with a sawsall.

Trying to stay active also helps, I'm at the point of being tired of feeling like a useless blob, with everyone nagging at me not to do things, even very light work like carrying a 5 lb bucket out to the critters or picking out the horses feet. He just stands there, doesn't pull, and it takes me all of 5 minutes (that and nobody else in my house knows how to so why leave his feet packed?)...can't wait for the baby to be here and they can get off my case, lol.

 

[babsbag]

My kind of woman.

 

[Ponker]

I might park the trailer next to a couple of sturdy wooden fence posts and then use a chain and come-a-long to persuade those poles out.

 

[greybeard]

I'd tie on to each upright individually and pull them back in to position one at a time, a little at a time with a tractor, or park it next to a tree and pull them outward with a come along.
Ponker's suggestion will work too if the fence post is 'substantial'.

Another option, is to place a beam of some kind diagonally inside the trailer, with one end down near the bottom of the good side, and the other end up 3/4 way up the bent upright. Put a comealong on the beam near the top of the bent up, and attach the other end down on the frame. Tighten the comealong which will force the bent upright outward. Do each upright separately till they are all aligned.

 

[AClark]

That's excellent Grey and Ponker. I love the drawing, I'm very visual when it comes to learning things. I had the idea of maybe using a comealong and ratchet strapping the other side to a big tree so I can't tip the trailer over. It's pretty light without any wood left on it. When I say ratchet straps, I mean the big artillery ammo crate ones that we used to secure my pickup to the flatbed, not the puny ones - they're about the same size as semi truck straps.
I don't have a tractor, just the pickups, so that might have to do it. I can probably low gear the F350 into doing it.

I might try it with the 4x4 first though, that seems like a good idea, and pretty sure I have a 4x4 laying around. I debated heating the rails but I'm afraid they'll get brittle and snap off, or bend too much.

DH and I plan to knock out the spot welding this weekend. My oldest son (13) is interested so I'm going to show him. DH is the carpenter and he's already assessing how to replace the wood, but I have to get the straightening figured out and the welding knocked out before we get to that point.
I think the two top rails toward the front get to stay on, they aren't all boogered up like the rest are. Then I only have to replace 3 and the cross beams, which will be easier. It's sure janky looking, but I think with the repairs and a coat of paint it won't be too bad. I keep telling myself "but the frame and axles are good" so I stay motivated. Once all that is finished, I'll get one of those canvas tarp covers for the top.

 

[Latestarter]

Those above already made the suggestions I would have made. Mine all involved a come-a-long as well. I'd hesitate to use one of your trucks to pull them out as it's not fine enough control and you might rip them right off... or bend them too much and weaken the metal by then having to bend them back in again...