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Not long after acquiring the Bathtub, it was decided I couldn't keep the thing sitting on a pair of tires (which were generously provided by the same people who traded the Bathtub). It was just enough of a pain to move around and, where we lived now, a dolly like I'd built for the Hurricane wouldn't work well in the gravel. So, the search was on. Unlike the Hurricane's trailer, however, this proved easier to find. Makes a difference when you don't need to search for a tilt trailer at least 6' (2m) wide and can be modified to something 12' (3m) long. The Bathtub is not a diva. |
A search of the local Craigslist found me a trailer which might fit the bill...and, more importantly, the budget. It also didn't hurt it was on my way home from work. Win-win. Let's go for the trifecta. A few calls later and I was give a time to stop by and told it was a 1 7/8" hitch. That particular size ball had been sold with my Subaru. This meant I could 1) replace the hitch before towing it home (assuming it would work for me) or 2) buy a different ball. I opted for the cheaper second route and drove over to see what I could see.
| The pictures didn't do the trailer justice but didn't lie, either. It had been parked beneath a pine tree for a long time and the tires were...well, they were there. All the wood was pressure treated 2x6 in various states of decay and the wiring.... Well, there were some wires attached to it. After talking to the seller (who was very cool, BTW) we came down to price. He was asking $150 (a fair price) and I said I was going to be a jerk and offer $50. He said fine. So, after providing me with some air for the tires and relieving me of a U.S. Grant, I hooked up the trailer and away I went. | 
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Without lights, I took back roads home, even though it was daylight. The trailer towed well and without incident and, when I got home, proved to be just about the right size for the Bathtub. After some wrangling (this is not a tilt trailer), I managed to get the Bathtub onto its new platform and move it from it was blocking part of the driveway. I wish I could say it made the wife happy but...yeah, well. Still, now I could move everything around and work on things. Yes! Another project!
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We're not going to have a discussion about time because by now you should know that it takes me a while to do anything on my projects. As the dial had swung around to my utility trailer, I decided some 5/4 deck boards were necessary to replace the rotting deck on it. So I went and bought new boards then came home and cut up the boards on the Bathtub's trailer. Yes, that's right. I bought boards for the utility trailer and cut up a different trailer instead. Don't ask me to explain. So, in the process of trying to move the Bathtub's trailer, I found I had weakened over time and could not pull with sufficient strength. Hooking up the trailer, I pulled it about twenty feet ahead and found the reason for its reluctance. |
Now, since I skipped a bit ahead in the last paragraph, now was the time to remove the boards from the trailer. It was nice, insofar, that the boards were connected only at the front and back. Sawing them off close to the ends allowed me to remove the boards mostly intact in a short amount of time. The pieces which were still bolted down were pounded out with a hammer. This allowed the hardware to stay in the frame, so as not to get lost, and me to get a bonfire started.
| Why a hammer, you ask, and why not a reciprocating saw or a die grinder with a cut-off wheel (of which I have both)? Simply put, I didn't want the noise and mess. And I wanted to buy a bolt cutter anyway...so that's what I did. After removing the wood, I was left with a number of tetanus-inducing bits of metal sticking up making the trailer looking like a balding porcupine. A test cut with the bolt cutter sent half the bolt flying and, after finding it in the grass, I decided to only cut part way through the bolts and break them off with slip-joint pliers. A hammer would solve the problem of the bits still sticking in the frame. | 
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Now, relieved of its over-compensating wood burden, the trailer is much easier to move...even on bad tires. The good news is, while all this was going on, I did purchase a new set of rubber. If I have any gripes about this trailer, it would be the wheels have the bearing hubs built into them. There is no separate hub and no easy way to change a flat tire on the road. Still, this is something I might be able to remedy in the future. Once I get the new tires installed, and the frame cleaned up, it'll be time to install a new deck on this trailer. You know, just in time for winter.
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