Car Mate Trailer
This is a 5'x10' Car Mate utility trailer; model SST with a steel floor and a tilt bed. I bought this trailer during 2007 in anticipation of putting a fiberglass tonneau cover on my truck. I still wanted some sort of open-top means for transporting bulk materials such as mulch and manure. I selected Car Mate mainly because my dad had a similar 5'x8' and I liked his. My original intent was to order the trailer with the optional 23" sides, but the dealer had a bunch of standard trailers (with 13" sides) left over from 2004. I got a good deal so I just bought what was on the lot.
Tilt bed.
The trailer is also handy for collecting brush and yard waste.
I put together a homemade tailgate. The back of the trailer has a channel on each side for accepting 2x lumber. The tailgate lifts vertically in and out. Don't forget that the channel is included within the trailer's 10' overall length. Eventually I rebuilt my tailgate by cutting out most of the middle and screwing a ½" piece of plywood to the back. Not only is my modified tailgate much lighter, it also restores the trailer's full 10' length.
Original tailgate.
Modified tailgete.
Modified tailgate.
I added a bolt-on pivoting tongue jack. The trailer comes with a heavy-duty D-ring at each inside corner. But I also added a dozen tie-down cleats around the perimeter. I cleaned out three Walmarts to get all the cleats
Tongue jack. Note the pin at far right for locking down the tilt bed to the tongue.
One of four heavy-duty D-rings.
Perimeter cleats.
One thing I don't like about this trailer is that it makes a lot of noise when it isn't loaded down. The trailer has almost no tongue weight plus there's a little bit of play at the tilt pin, a little bit of play at the drawbar and a steel floor. All that combines to make a lot of racket. One reason I bought the 10' trailer over the 8' is so I'd have more flexibility to shift my cargo forward and get more weight on the tongue. I believe the lack of tongue weight is dictated by the design need to properly balance the tilt function of the bed. On the other hand, the trailer doesn't need a ramp which would get in the way when shoveling out a bulk load. Overall I've been happy with the product.
Collapsible Extension Panels
I should have gone with taller optional sidewalls to accommodate larger loads of mulch. In the interest of hauling more material I made collapsible extension panels for the trailer. The sides are 24" tall and the front is 30" tall. Two sheets of ½" plywood were needed. The panels are hinged in three places and fold flat for transport and storage. Note the lower cutouts for the front D-rings and the top cutouts which serve as carrying handles when the panels are collapsed. The panels are not secured to the trailer. They're held in place by the load or folded flat with no load. I can comfortably haul three yards of mulch with this arrangement.
Here the panels are fully expanded and ready to load mulch.
This shot shows the panels partially folded.
And here are the panels folded flat ready for transport or storage.
Panels painted black and hauling three yards of mulch.