From Rusted back to useful

The old box trailer had been neglected way too long n desperately needed some TLC. Armed with some new flat sections plus a couple of pieces bent at right angles I started removing the rust n welding the new bits in. Along the way there were plenty of extra holes found n patched or plug welded including 2 sections of floor. Today it got the top coat applied over the red oxide primer. Had thoughts of the White going pink but it never did. I squirter some hammer tone silver on the dress rims n jockey wheel. Engine crane has been painted Delicious Red but may not be bolted back on right now. I also have made a bracket to adapt a boat winch along with some hooks for the rope pulley to attack to. That area has been strengthen using 2mm 35mm square tube welded in place. Only need to refit the lights then it's finished.

Cobbadog,
You are very good (and patient) at turning rust back into something useful. Just in case you are thinking of making money at it, there are any number of very rusty trailers and other things available free on Marketplace.

Morris, thank you for your kind words but believe me, one is enough. 
Finished the lights apart from zip tying up the excess wires underneath. I'm going to leave the engine crane off n fit it when needed. However I have greased n refitted the swivel base which is wide enough to keep rain out of the post. 
Next I'm going to build a short shelter over it with shade cloth around the 2 sides.

How do you find the engine crane on the trailer?

I've thought about one on my 6x12 trailer as it would be SO handy, but it just adds to drawbar weight.

those little cranes do not weigh much and can be removed in 10 seconds if you want to throw it into the trailer or back of your ute. I have one on my Navara to cope with geriatric muscles.

Only problem with the simple ones is although they have a bearing in the support tube there is nothing to stop them rotating so that engine swings to the lowest point often taking a superhuman effort to swing it around over the tray. If you are using them often a few extra dollars on a crane with some traverse control is pretty essential.

The red one is what I have and is very handy so long as you are not lifting very heavy stuff making the ute or trailer lean making you push the load up hill. Well worth the extra money is the extra of a little boat winch and a running rope. Running ropes are so much more useful than just a lifting arm as the centre of lift does not move when you go up and down which is bloody annoying in fine movements like an engine removal. Super Cheap, Trade Tools etc have them $300-400 but Marketplace always has used ones.



 

My trailer crane has the cable winch thing on it, the only issue I've had with it is trying to something a bit too heavy and the trailer starting to tip over, been meaning to make an outrigger arm but life keeps getting in the way
gumpy

A slide in drop leg jack seems a common and affordable addition with that style of lifting crane, to take a bit of weight and help keep things stable.

Brett.

Engine crane on this 7 x 4 is great, but on this trailer when lifting a heavy engine like the McDonald it will pick the opposite side wheel up a bit. I should fit a leg on the crane side. On a larger trailer I don't think this would happen. I bought a few different size rated slings n shackles to hang the engines from. 

Yes mine is like the red one but I can't get it off in 10 seconds. I take the thing apart to lighten the load on my bad shoulders.

Just took a photo of my ute. You can see the drop down stabilizer leg. It just touches the ground at about 15 degree angle. If the load is so heavy the springs squat and jam it down I can just roll forward and it folds back to enable it to be raised.

Any crane is basically unsafe without a solid base, apart from the fact the mounting point keeps changing position every time the load, angle or distance alters if it is attached to a sprung base. The stress on your trailer or ute tray structure in a direction it was not made to cater for if unsupported may end up with a bent or twisted frame.

As Brett says above, the effort of slipping a little car stand under where the crane mount attaches to the frame before lifting will make life safer, easier and save your trailer or ute tray. If you can support further out with say a leg so much the better.