- 1). Purchase a donor truck to use for the trailer. You want one that's preferably not running, and one with a salvage title will be fine as well. All you need is a bed in good shape, and a straight frame from the cab back. The local paper and craigslist.org are great sources for these types of trucks.
- 2). Place the truck on jack stands by using the jack to lift the truck and place the stands at the very back of the cab and the very front of the bed. This is where you'll be cutting the bed from the cab, so you'll want to support both halves.
- 3). Unbolt the driveline from the axle using the 3/8-inch ratchet and sockets. Do the same with the factory gas tank, as you won't need that as well.
- 4). Put on the eye and hearing protection, as well as the gloves. This is to protect you from possible harm.
- 5). Cut the frame between the cab and the bed using the reciprocating saw. This is going to separate the cab and the chassis, so be ready for a little settling or noise once the cuts are complete.
- 6). Push the cab forward with the help of an assistant to get the cab out of the way. The cab can now be sold online, as can any other salvageable part that you don't need.
- 7). Measure the distance from the front of the bed to the cut area on the frame. You want both sides to be the same length, so if they're not, cut the longer one to the same length using the reciprocating saw.
- 8). Weld the two 4-foot sections of C-channel steel to the frame stubs on the bed to form a triangle shape using the MIG welder and the welding helmet.
- 9). Weld the trailer coupler onto the pointed end of the frame using the MIG welder.
- 10
Run the 18-gauge wiring from the trailer coupler to the wiring on the bed taillights. Wire them into the old harness using the wire cutters, wire crimpers and butt connectors. - 11
Wire the other end of the 18-gauge wiring to a trailer wiring plug, such as the type listed in the reference guide. Get the same type of plug your tow vehicle has; that way, you can just plug the two of them together.
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