Project K-14, my GN trailer.

[ToughBowtieTruck]

Most of you know of this initial information from the pictures gallery. I've pasted it here since it's more of a project now, and this is where it all started.  


Traded my car hauler and some cash for this bad boy. Now I can haul our 656. Red truck doesn't even know this 20+5 trailer is behind it! I'm in love with this trailer, and happy to get a goose neck again! So much better than a bumper puller.

[ToughBowtieTruck]

First problem, and a decent problem at that, was my Red Truck's poor little (although new) 63 amp alternator would dog hard with K-14 hooked up, lights on, and the heater and wipers going. So, since I had a bulb burned out anyway, I took a trip to the truck stop and picked up some cheap L.E.Ds. They may be cheap, but hey, they meet D.O.T. standards, and are really friggen bright!

[ToughBowtieTruck]

Next came the problem of having one truck built as a tow rig, without the ability to tow my new trailer. It may be a half ton, but I have 8,000 lbs legal tow rating, and that assumes loaded with bed cargo and passengers. Since the GN hooks in the bed, I should be able to legally get by without much issue.

So with my theory drawn out in my head, I went to Mason Family Farm and home and picked up these goodies:



I went there because while TSC even had a 10% off entire purchase coopan, Family Farm and Home was still cheaper, even when figuring fuel to go to Mason. I picked up the plate, chain segments and hooks, break-away kit, tube receiver (to weld on the deck so I can use my winch), and the required grade 8 bolts for a cool $235 out the door.

[ToughBowtieTruck]

Then, I got all the junk out of Z's bed, and started measuring. I measured out approx 4" in-front-of-center of rear axle. Instructions for hide-a-ball kits call for just over an inch more in-front-of-center, but I placed it here to avoid clearance problems with the bed cross members.



As for bolting the hitch down, I used 4 1/2" grade 8 bolts, and spaced the gap between the bed and hitch with spacers, and the gap between the bed and frame with spacers as well, to avoid crushing of the bed or improperly-tightened bolts.


I wanted a hide-a-ball, but the cheapest I found was $365, and I'd have to wrestle around a lot more between the bed and frame to get it in. This new plate was 119.99, and it works, I just now have the ball sticking out of the bed to annoy me when I have to get sheets of drywall and such (like I had to the other day).

[ToughBowtieTruck]

Now that my D/D rig can haul the trailer, I picked it up to haul it to my friend's work shop to make it road legal.



Sits pretty good with the half ton, I have one add-a-leaf in the rear suspension, but eventually I will have 2500 springs sitting under it.



I love my "leveled" Hot Power mirrors. 

[ToughBowtieTruck]

For the legal part. This trailer was factory built in 2000. It had no safety chains of any kind, and no suggestions of any kind that it ever had them. Nor did it have a breakaway kit, which is required in Michigan.

I originally was going to weld the links to the tongue, but found these clevis connects at TSC for $10 each. They each hold a 9,200lb rating, exceeding my 6,600lb rating for each chain and hook. Highest safety chain I found in the stores pre-made was only rated for 5,000lbs. So I made my own using grade 70, 3/8" components.

[ToughBowtieTruck]

Next comes the break-away kit. My kit is a self-charging system, and features a instant-test button. This is essential for getting an unhooked trailer stopped, provided the owner has operational trailer brakes to begin with. The kit comes with the switch, which pulls a pin via cable to set the brakes. The cable is required to be attached to the tow vehicle by means other than the primary hitch and safety chain points, should those fail. I mounted them into their locations. This is as far as I got to this point.

[burl]

looking good! id put a hook on the breakaway cable and hook it to your safty chain hoops

[gator82]

Family Farm and Home seems to have some pretty good prices. I was bummed when I moved north, but then I found out there is one in Alma which is about 35 min from me. Nice set up ya got.

[Disturbed Sledneck]

Nice trailer!

[ToughBowtieTruck]

id put a hook on the breakaway cable and hook it to your safty chain hoops

It's not legal though. It has to have its own attachment point separate from the primary hitch and safety chains. In case the hitch or chain hoops fail. This is straight from a D.O.T. officer. If I truck to Silver Lake and such I want to make sure I am all legal should they be watching me.




Thanks guys, been a long time to get a trailer like this!

[BUDGETBOGGER03]

nice trailer