Arwel Davies, known as @thefabricatingfarmer on Instagram, has built a lightweight trailer for transporting bulky fencing tools across steep or boggy terrain.

   “We have a lot of fencing that needed to be done on the farm, and the next place we were going was at the top of a steep and wet field,” says Davies. “We cut a road, but it could still only be accessed by tracked excavators and ATVs.” His solution was to build a lightweight skeleton trailer that could handle a decent-sized load without getting stuck. This would save time and labor compared to transporting small loads with an ATV.

   Davies began the building process with six cow stalls sourced from a mid-century milking parlor. “I cut and welded those six into the three ribs of the trailer,” he says. “I then used two pieces of new 2-in. box section to form the drawbar/chassis and axle. For this, I measured an ATV water tanker to get the correct ratio for balance, and the axle is wider than the ATV for stability.”

   He made a headboard for the trailer by bending a flat bar into the same shape as the ribs and welding a piece of box section on top to form a frame. Off-cut mesh and thick gauge sheet metal were both used to cover half the frame. “The mesh gives you better visibility when reversing without a load and reduces the weight a little,” he explains.

   Davies built holders on the headboard to make it easier to transport his large fencing tools. “I added two chain links to the middle rib to tie a load down if needed.”

   The headboard is joined to the front rib, and the middle rib is joined to the axle with flat bars, while all the ends of the box section are capped with flat bars to add strength and make a better finish.

   “The balance of it is just right when loaded, and it can carry a good load of wood and fence posts,” says Davies.

   Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Arwel Davies (Instagram: @thefabricatingfarmer; YouTube: Arwel Agri Machinery).