After a second season of towing this heavy SOB I decided I needed a gooseneck trailer. I looked around and couldn’t find anything that I really wanted. I needed a winter project, so I decided to convert my trailer instead.

The trailer as a bumper pull weighs in at 4400#. It has 3 X 6K axles all with brakes for a 9-ton rated trailer. Now, I don’t own anything nearly that heavy so I thought it would be a good idea to drop out an axle to save some weight and tire scrub.

Here is what I started with:
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05818.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05820.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05823.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05821.jpg

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05828.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05829.jpg
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http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05831.jpg
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http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05848.jpg

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05853.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05856.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05859.jpg
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http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05866.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05872.jpg

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05879.jpg
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http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05907.jpg
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http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05921.jpg
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http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05898.jpg
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nice job looks great

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05939.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05941.jpg

Very nice work but why did you remove an axle?

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05950.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05953.jpg
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http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05960.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05961.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/DSC05966.jpg

Nice build.

How are you getting power to the trailer for the winch?

Clean looking fab work!

Did you build that gantry crane that you used to lift the tongue/neck? If so, any specs on the material used, and the kind/rating of chain hoist and casters you have on it?

Thanks!

Nice build.

How are you getting power to the trailer for the winch?

I have a 850CCA truck battery in the box.

nice work.

Very nice work!
Nice shop!
I see your shop cat likes Tidy Cat too !!
I think I'd have put the winch in the box. I have a winch that has been out in the weather, and it aint pretty.

spectacular work as always Gif.

I have a couple spare wheels for you if you want. They're in my truck for scrap right now, I'll see if I have your number and shoot you a text. I'm planning on going at lunch.

Thats an awsome build. More than I would ever undertake I think.

Here's a link to: my gooseneck conversion thread (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=747397)



I highly recommend the "Master Plans trailer plans". I bought these lowboy gooseneck trailer plans (http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200331165_200331165) from northerntool. They are VERY good plans, with step by step instructions and welding procedures for each step. Of course, I had to "adapt" the plans a bit to fit my particular trailer (and the fact that it was made as a bumper pull originally).

That ended up very clean!

I've been thinking about doing the same thing to my 14k 20ft tag trailer but only so I can pull legally in CA with a class C and endorsement. Just seems like a real pita without a gantry crane:laughing:

spectacular work as always Gif.

I have a couple spare wheels for you if you want. They're in my truck for scrap right now, I'll see if I have your number and shoot you a text. I'm planning on going at lunch.



Thanks,

I'm good for wheels...

Clean looking fab work!

Did you build that gantry crane that you used to lift the tongue/neck? If so, any specs on the material used, and the kind/rating of chain hoist and casters you have on it?

Thanks!

That ended up very clean!

I've been thinking about doing the same thing to my 14k 20ft tag trailer but only so I can pull legally in CA with a class C and endorsement. Just seems like a real pita without a gantry crane:laughing:

I never would have done this without the crane or the plasma cutter.


The specs on the gantry are : 125" between posts / 126.5" over all height
top I beam 4"X8" / verts are 4" Pipe with a 2"x4"X3/16" box spine / base is 4"x4"X.5" wall X 4 feet long / casters are 6" all steel (900# each) rated

Here's a link to: my gooseneck conversion thread (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=747397)


thats what got me thinking about it...

I did not have any plans. I just used the standard gooseneck dimensions and worked from that.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/gooseneck.jpg

I never would have done this without the crane or the plasma cutter.


The specs on the gantry are : 125" between posts / 126.5" over all height
top I beam 4"X8" / verts are 4" Pipe with a 2"x4"X3/16" box spine / base is 4"x4"X.5" wall X 4 feet long / casters are 6" all steel (900# each) rated

Yea, I don't think I'd ever want to do this in the driveway. I might be able to sweet talk my old boss/friend into the use of a shop bay door and his massive gantry if I premanufacture the neck for installation. The Dodge already has a 5th/goose mount in the bed even.

Oh sigh...guess I know what I'm designing in Solidworks on my lunch breaks for the next couple of days:laughing:

It looks really good though sir, very nice job you did with the additions. Only thing I think I'd grow to hate are the two seperate tongue jacks instead of the pair connected by a bar for ease of dropping the trailer. Not a big deal though I'm sure.

thats what got me thinking about it...

I did not have any plans. I just used the standard gooseneck dimensions and worked from that.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l264/jeepgif/2010/Gooseneck/gooseneck.jpg

I've been looking for plans to do exactly what you did except keeping my three axles. Did you write down your dimensions and materials you used. I saw the Northern tool design but yours seems stable.
Thanks Jim

I've been looking for plans to do exactly what you did except keeping my three axles. Did you write down your dimensions and materials you used. I saw the Northern tool design but yours seems stable.
Thanks Jim

I am considering doing this to my 24' bumper pull trailer but I also want to add 4' to stretch it to 28' if I do it. Any pointers would be great.

Looks nice, and well thought out with the toolbox and winch. About the only thing I'd be doing different would be use one of the old hubs for a spare tire mount, that way you've got it if you need it. Is the winch battery charged off of the truck?

I am considering doing this to my 24' bumper pull trailer but I also want to add 4' to stretch it to 28' if I do it. Any pointers would be great.



Axle placement is key. I would spend the time to get it "perfect".

Looks nice, and well thought out with the toolbox and winch. About the only thing I'd be doing different would be use one of the old hubs for a spare tire mount, that way you've got it if you need it. Is the winch battery charged off of the truck?

Yes, the battery is charged of the truck.

I guess a spare hub would be cool. I could just throw one in the job box.

I built my spare tire mount so that it does not require any tools to remove the spare tire. I just pull two pins.
I wanted my trailer tire changes to be as painless and as fast as possible. Anyone who has changed a tire on the side of a busy highway knows that you don't want to stay there very long.

Maybe I will get some better pics of how the spare is mounted to the trailer.