Things You'll Need
- Chassis
- 2-by-6-inch and/or 2-by-8-inch treated lumber
- 1-by-4-inch treated lumber
- 4-by-4-inch treated square posts
- 2-by-4-inch treated lumber
- 3/8-inch thick, 6-inch long carriage bolts with washers and nuts
- 3/8-inch thick,12-inch long lag bolts
- Heavy-duty hinges and latch
- Ratchet and socket
- Drill
Instructions
Acquiring a Strong Chassis
Use a chassis that is strong enough to support a frame and whatever type and number of livestock you need to haul.
If you have an old motor home, car, truck or any vehicle that you can remove the frame from, use the chassis to build a trailer. A boat trailer can be used for hauling smaller livestock, such as goats or hogs.
Reinforce the chassis by installing cross pieces made from steel or 2-by-6-inch pieces of treated lumber. Attach cross pieces with bolts or weld them to the main frame of the chassis.
Check tires to make sure they are safe. Replace them if necessary. Make sure the suspension system, including the springs on the chassis, will support the weight you will put on it. Replace with a heavier duty system if necessary.
Building the Frame
Measure the length and width of the chassis frame. The length and width of a motor home, car or boat trailer will determine the length and width of the stock trailer. Determine the height of the trailer by first establishing the type of livestock you will be hauling. Horses will require a taller frame. Goats or hogs will require less height, but the sides need to be tall enough so the animals will not jump out.
Build a floor on top of the chassis, using 2-by-6 inch pieces of treated lumber. Depending on the type of chassis, you may have to place cross pieces made from 2-by-6- or 2-by-8-inch treated lumber attached to the frame of the chassis in order to have something to bolt the floor to. In each corner of the trailer, secure a 4-by-4-inch piece of treated lumber to the floor by drilling pilot holes from underneath the floor and securing the posts with a lag bolt in each corner of the post. Depending on the length of the trailer, 4-by-4-inch posts should be distributed between the corner posts every 4 feet. These posts should be the height of the finished trailer.
Cut 1-by-4 inch pieces of treated lumber for the length. Do the same for the width. Include the width of the corner posts when you measure the length and width. Bolt these pieces on each post, leaving one end of the trailer open to allow for the door.
Cut a piece of ½-inch plywood and mount it on a frame built from 2-by-4-inch pieces of lumber that fit the open end of the trailer, creating a door. Attach one side of the hinges on one side of the door and attach the other sides of the hinges to the right corner post of the side of the trailer. Attach a latch on the opposite side of the door for opening and closing. For safety, the type of latch used should include a security feature like as a padlock.
Finishing
Install parking/brake lights at the back of the trailer if lights do not already exist on the chassis. Lights may be mounted on the outside of the corner posts at the back of the trailer, near the floor.
Install a lighting kit to connect the trailer lights to the vehicle you are pulling the trailer with. When you step on the brakes, the brake lights on the trailer also need to come on.
If untreated wood is used, paint with two to three coats of paint. Use a type of paint that is non-toxic to animals.
Check with the county you live in for procedure on getting a license for a homemade trailer. In some counties, the cost is reduced for a license on a livestock trailer.