Easy-On Trailer Drops To The Ground
Kenny Vandeventer built a “drive on at ground level” trailer that lifts and lowers with just a hand crank winch. The trailer was designed to carry his 11-ft. wide pull-type mower and his Cub Cadet tractor. The design is simple with no hydraulics involved.
“I found all the steel, wheels and wheel mounts at a salvage yard,” says Vandeventer. “The wheels were from a piece of farm equipment and were mounted to 1 by 5-in. steel tubing.”
Vandeventer built the frame for the 16-ft. long, 5-ft. wide bed using 1/8-in., 2 by 2-in. steel tubing for ends and sides. He used a 1/4-in., 4 by 4-in. steel tubing for a center frame member, extending it forward for the hitch as well. Another piece of 3 by 3-in tubing was mounted across the frame for an axle mount.
Vandeventer mounted four aluminum wheel plates with ramps across the frame. They allow him to move the mower on and off the trailer. Plates were also mounted on the rear of the bed for parking the Cub.
The axle and the hitch designs make it possible for the trailer to collapse flat to the ground. Vandeventer welded the wheel legs to a steel pipe that he mounted inside three gaskets. He made the gaskets from short lengths of slightly larger steel tubing welded to the 4 by 4-in. cross member and lined with pvc pipe.
“The pvc liners ensure the axle pipe rotates freely in the gaskets,” explains Vandeventer.
A pintle hitch pivots on the 4 by 4-in. tubing that extends out from the frame. When the trailer is in the raised position, the pintle hitch is pinned in place. In the lowered position, it is unpinned.
Cable from a winch on the hitch runs through a series of three pulleys on the hitch and then to pulleys at the rear of the trailer to lift and lower the bed into place. The winch is bolted to a steel plate on a 4 by 4-in. upright.
The winch cable runs through a cut-out on the pintle hitch to a pulley mounted to the 4 by 4-in. tubing. The cable returns to a second pulley mounted to the top of the pintle hitch before passing down and around a pulley mounted between two short lengths of steel butt welded to the end of the 4 by 4 tubing. From there it travels back through the 4 by 4 to the rear of the trailer bed and a fourth pulley mounted parallel to the frame.
This changes the direction of the cable, which travels to the right rear corner of the bed and a fifth pulley mounted perpendicular to the frame. From there, the cable travels to a lift arm welded to the axle pipe. Safety latches on the pipe let Vandeventer lock the wheels in place.
“The series of pulleys multiplies the mechanical advantage to the hand crank winch,” he says. “When I turn the winch, it draws the pintle hitch and the 4 by 4 tube together to be pinned. It also pulls the lift arm on the pipe axle back to pull the wheels under the trailer.”
To lower the bed, he removes the hitch locking pin and winds the cable back on the winch.
Vandeventer installed a set-screw-type bolt behind the winch upright. The bolt threads through a nut welded over a hole in the pintle hitch.
“Before unhooking the Cub with the trailer bed lowered to the ground, I screw the bolt down to the 4 by 4,” says Vandeventer. “This keeps the pintle hitch at the Cub hitch’s height, making it easier to hook up the trailer in the future.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kenneth Vandeventer, 3139 Indiana Rd., Ottawa, Kan. 66067 (ph 785-241-0613; kennethvandeventer@gmail.com).
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Easy-On Trailer Drops To The Ground WAGONS/TRAILERS Conversions Kenny Vandeventer built a “drive on at ground level” trailer that lifts and lowers with just a hand crank winch The trailer was designed to carry his 11-ft wide pull-type mower and his Cub Cadet tractor The design is simple with no hydraulics involved “I found all the steel wheels and wheel mounts at a salvage yard ” says Vandeventer “The wheels were from a piece of farm equipment and were mounted to 1 by 5-in steel tubing ” Vandeventer built the frame for the 16-ft long 5-ft wide bed using 1/8-in 2 by 2-in steel tubing for ends and sides He used a 1/4-in 4 by 4-in steel tubing for a center frame member extending it forward for the hitch as well Another piece of 3 by 3-in tubing was mounted across the frame for an axle mount Vandeventer mounted four aluminum wheel plates with ramps across the frame They allow him to move the mower on and off the trailer Plates were also mounted on the rear of the bed for parking the Cub The axle and the hitch designs make it possible for the trailer to collapse flat to the ground Vandeventer welded the wheel legs to a steel pipe that he mounted inside three gaskets He made the gaskets from short lengths of slightly larger steel tubing welded to the 4 by 4-in cross member and lined with pvc pipe “The pvc liners ensure the axle pipe rotates freely in the gaskets ” explains Vandeventer A pintle hitch pivots on the 4 by 4-in tubing that extends out from the frame When the trailer is in the raised position the pintle hitch is pinned in place In the lowered position it is unpinned Cable from a winch on the hitch runs through a series of three pulleys on the hitch and then to pulleys at the rear of the trailer to lift and lower the bed into place The winch is bolted to a steel plate on a 4 by 4-in upright The winch cable runs through a cut-out on the pintle hitch to a pulley mounted to the 4 by 4-in tubing The cable returns to a second pulley mounted to the top of the pintle hitch before passing down and around a pulley mounted between two short lengths of steel butt welded to the end of the 4 by 4 tubing From there it travels back through the 4 by 4 to the rear of the trailer bed and a fourth pulley mounted parallel to the frame This changes the direction of the cable which travels to the right rear corner of the bed and a fifth pulley mounted perpendicular to the frame From there the cable travels to a lift arm welded to the axle pipe Safety latches on the pipe let Vandeventer lock the wheels in place “The series of pulleys multiplies the mechanical advantage to the hand crank winch ” he says “When I turn the winch it draws the pintle hitch and the 4 by 4 tube together to be pinned It also pulls the lift arm on the pipe axle back to pull the wheels under the trailer ” To lower the bed he removes the hitch locking pin and winds the cable back on the winch Vandeventer installed a set-screw-type bolt behind the winch upright The bolt threads through a nut welded over a hole in the pintle hitch “Before unhooking the Cub with the trailer bed lowered to the ground I screw the bolt down to the 4 by 4 ” says Vandeventer “This keeps the pintle hitch at the Cub hitch’s height making it easier to hook up the trailer in the future ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Kenneth Vandeventer 3139 Indiana Rd Ottawa Kan 66067 ph 785-241-0613; kennethvandeventer@gmail com
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