built an atv log/firewood trailer

tapper2 · November 22, 2011, 08:35:00 PM

I've been checking out atv trailers with walking beams for firewood sticks and saw how pricey they are. Just spent a little time and built my own. I took some pics.

Uh-oh....when I go to upload it says:

You don't have permission to perform this operation.
If you're not connected, please login first.

First time I've seen this..... ??

John Mc · November 22, 2011, 10:08:22 PM

Part of the system updates Jeff is working on. He's still working out a few bugs.

tapper2 · November 23, 2011, 07:46:30 PM

Thanks for the input.

Now it's working!!

bill m · November 23, 2011, 07:51:18 PM

Looks good. When do we get to see pics. with logs on it? What size tires did you use?

tapper2 · November 23, 2011, 07:51:44 PM

thecfarm · November 23, 2011, 07:55:59 PM

Where's the hyd loader? ;D That looks good.

tapper2 · November 23, 2011, 08:01:17 PM

Those are just some old driving mower wheels/tires. They're not very big. Everything on the trailer was recycled. Stuff that was kicking around at a buddies yard. The steel tube was an old engine hoist that I just cut into the right shapes /angles and welded together. Tongue was from an old junk boat trailer. Should do just fine up on the lot.
Thanks, I have a loader but it's huge compared to this little trailer. I built this little guy at work when it gets slow. Took me around 7-8 hrs. (not including finding all of the parts) HOur here/ hour there.
I guess for now I'll just parbuckle up onto it. Mostly will be small stuff though.

mad murdock · November 23, 2011, 08:37:42 PM

That is a nice looking little trailer! Nice scrounging job too. 8)

thecfarm · November 24, 2011, 06:35:08 AM

I probably will never build one,but can you take a picture of how you connected the wheels to the frame and what you used for it, please? Really like the bogies.

Magicman · November 24, 2011, 11:19:40 AM

I think that it is a slick outfit. The wheel arrangement certainly allows for uneven terrain. ;)

Ironwood · November 24, 2011, 07:15:49 PM

Nice, looks good

Ironwood

tapper2 · November 24, 2011, 07:27:38 PM

thanks guys. The tires are 16-6.50-8. The walking beam was actually real easy to make. Each beam is 24" long, just squared off, then burned holes for the 3/4" rods for the spindles. Dropped the rods in/squared up and welded--X2. Then took 4 thick square washers with pre-drilled 1" holes in them and welded 2 vertically on top of the tube, centered between the spindles. The rest is kind of self explanatory. The pivots for the walking beams are 1" bolts with washers between moving parts, then double nutted on the ends. Greased it up on assembly, painted it today, towed it around today,works pretty well.

Hope this pic helps. I took it yesterday, before paint.

With any luck (haven't tried) if I remove the walking beams, I could mount wheels on the 1" bolts...instead of the walking beams ..if need be.

tapper2 · November 26, 2011, 06:32:21 PM

Did a little clearing today.

Quite a bit of snow up there already, kind of tough going. We just cut a few balsam fir and hemlock. Trailer handles the weight quite well! These'll go in my brother in law's wood boiler.

jueston · November 26, 2011, 09:08:40 PM

the reason it handled so well is clear from the picture.... its the skill and experiance of the driver of the 4 wheeler.... haha :D

but it looks like its doing a good job, what do you think the maximum length you would put on the trailer would be?

thecfarm · November 27, 2011, 05:41:57 AM

That fir looks just about like mine,rotted. I should say looks better,some of mine shows rot through the length of the tree.If I'm cutting in an area I cut the fir and let something else grow.I use it for my OWB too.

sparky1 · November 27, 2011, 01:54:29 PM

looks like a nice slick set up!!

tapper2 · November 27, 2011, 07:02:53 PM

Yeah, that's my helper. He'll drive sometimes if I need to push!! He loves it. He's good, but towing the load will be my job (for now anyway). I tried some 8' wood, fits O.K. The bed is 4' ..so 2' in front and 2' in back. Trouble is, now with snow, may be too much up hills. We just cut some 4'-5'. Most fir will be that way down here. If you cut bigger ones, about half of them will be rotted up to about 4-6'.
After that, most will be O.K.
We were clearing some logs/brush out of the way. We're building a cabin and need a good view of the mountains!! ;)

mad murdock · November 27, 2011, 11:25:14 PM

Very cool tapper 2 8) the trailer looks even better wih wood on it. How much wood you figger you can haul on a load? 1/3 cord or so?

tapper2 · November 28, 2011, 03:40:25 PM

Thanks MM. It's probably a close 1/3 cord +-. Maybe too much without tirechains though. Nice dry summer weather and it'd probably be ok.
Nice to keep the logs out of the dirt.

Woodhog · November 30, 2011, 02:14:14 PM

Gee it was more work to load the photo, than to load that little trailer :D

Anyway, this little thing is the same principal with an added wooded box , the little wooden box is just sitting there, the side boards are wired on and everything that is wood flexes, if anyone remembers the old pole horse or ox wagons it is about the same, when you hit things or beat and pound all over the place , hopefully nothing made of wood will break...hopefully

This one holds about a 1/3 of a cord. The tongue weight of the hitch on the ATV is only rated for 35 pounds, how it stands the punishment is well beyond me.

The outfit is very hard to steer and beats the operator to pieces, the throttle response is too quick, it behaves like a jack rabbit on the throttle. This one is never out of Low Range, mostly in Low # 1.

They are geared to high for serious work in rough bottom.

I see them advertised with huge loads on them, they must be running on a carpet or hardwood floor as the load seen on this one is max of max for where it is working (playing).

tapper2 · November 30, 2011, 08:07:10 PM

I think anyone on here can attest, it's going to be easier to load any photo than to load a "little trailer" with wood. Many people use these, "little things" .....yet they still do it.... because it works. Regardless the slow responding/hard steering/high geered/jack rabbiting. :D
If i can get my 11 year old to help with the wood, I don't care what he uses, but I'd rather he work with something like this.

Woodhog · November 30, 2011, 09:23:26 PM

In todays foresty climate these things are easy to turn over if you want to get rid of it, someone is always looking for an ATV.

Excellent for plowing walks and driveways if it happens to snow.

I keep spare boots for it in the shop as I find that is the weak point, they pick up brush and tear the boots to pieces.

I would like to try the diesel model, they also have power steering now which would be a huge help.

If it gets the young fellow away from the video based world all the better.

thecfarm · December 01, 2011, 05:41:11 AM

Woodhog,I see the same pictures and wonder the same thing. I have a 40 hp tractor and know what can be done and NOT done with lighter equipment. But just like you,it gets the job done fine,may not be as much as what the sales people or the videos show,but it works well for many. Good idea with the sides too.

Ed_K · December 03, 2011, 08:26:23 PM

The only thing wrong with a atv trailer is once you use it,you'll want a bigger one.I am now wanting an ironmule or treefarmer or a timberjack or or.Always buying larger timber to cut.

tapper2 · December 03, 2011, 08:50:16 PM

Absolutely! When you need to get production up, bigger is better. I hope to.....in the near future, build a walking beam woodlot trailer big enough to pull with the tractor. Like a large version of this little guy. I'm sure I can come up with all of the parts,.....now if there were any way to aquire some more time for the projects :

I'll definitely keep track and take pics when I get started on it. I'm thinking of building it, but instead of using a log grapple, maybe a hydraulic side loader, like some woodsplitters use to put the big logs up on the wedge.