Originally posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
I'd watch that thread.
Good enough for me!

While I'm sure it is somewhat not really a "ride" at all, I have a utility trailer which consists of the rear half of a 1988-92 Ford Ranger. The conversion from truck to trailer was technically done by an owner before me, but due to the amount of reconstructing I am doing to this thing, I'm going to take a certain amount of credit for it...after it's done. I bought it for too much money in 2015, a few months after the Ranger itself. It's in reasonably solid condition but is cosmetically not so hot thanks to a piss-poor paint job by the previous owner. Between the then-2.0-equipped Ranger being unfit to tow anything and there being no hitches on my other stuff, the trailer turned into a shed for my scrap take-off parts.

I have not been able to locate a VIN on it, but it appears to have a 7.5 rear end.

Overall to-do list from time of purchase until the time it hits the road behind one of my vehicles is as follows (no progress on below until July 2020, and only a few of these items are done so far):
  • Rewire lighting from end to end, including a harness ground instead of going through the hitch ball.
  • LED lighting
  • Replace shoddy trailer jack made of bed frame with a proper swing-away trailer jack.
  • Replace welded-on safety chains (poor quality chain and welds)
  • Replace 1-7/8" coupler with 2"
  • Correct fitment of cap on bed
  • Add lift supports to rear hatch of cap
  • Add functioning latch mechanism to cap
  • Add tongue box and more effective spare tire storage
  • Add tailgate check straps/cables
  • Replace shocks (ideally with ones that actually work)
  • Maybe add a sway bar
  • Swap the stock Ranger steelies with P(assenger) tires out for proper trailer wheels+tires
  • Remove all dead weight and clutter such as brake lines, cables, brake parts, dead wiring, fuel tank straps and so on.
  • Change axle oil and check bearing play, replace if appropriate (in doing so, identify gear ratio and if it's limited slip in case it would be an upgrade for the truck)
  • Get it weighed and plated


2015:





2020:
Pulling it out from the back of the yard where the tires have been rotting:



Removed brake lines and wiring (wiring was done poorly and is a complete re-do)



Made a new harness (isn't pretty as seen here but is super solid)



Functional lighting!


(incandescents to test, LED coming shortly)

I've tweaked the fitment of the cap on the bed, so now the hatch closes properly. I've attached lift supports to it which work perfectly. Just need to get adequate latch hardware for it. Wanting to stay away from the bolted on hasp solution if I can.

There is one tailgate check cable, need to get a second. The tailgate is how I know it's an 88-92 donor truck rather than earlier - it had the aluminum covering on it, which I have removed.

I've also attached a new trailer jack to the tongue. I may add another to the rear bumper to make the trailer stable enough for loading when not attached to a vehicle.