So I needed a trailer to haul my dirtbikes and didn't have $2,500 to drop on a new one, so with the luck of craigslist and some elbow grease, this what a got for about $750. The fella wanted $800 hundred for the trailer, but I didn't let on like I was that interested and offered him $600. It's a 1980 Fruehauf 5x8 all aluminum except for the tongue and axle. It has new LED lights, bearings and tires, and I put aboput ten cans of rattle paint on her over the weekend, including a new floor. I used the Rustoleum truck bed paint so it has a nice ruff texture on the outside.

A couple more, this is how the floor looked before. Really impressed that a 30 year old trailor was in this good of shape. The bubble on the front makes towing a breeze, I can do 80mph and not even know it's back there.

Nice! That trailer was purpose built heavy duty for rentals. The "J" on the side stood for a company called "Jartran" which stood for "James A. Ryder Transport." The guy who started Ryder started Jartran after Ryder kicked him out. In the '80's there were several thousand of them all over the country. Is it a 4X6 or 5X8?

5x8. Heavy duty does describe it. I read that the Fruehaufs were built in Detroit back in the day, and they mostly made big rig trailers.

Thats the perfect size. If you really want to dress it up you can take a buffer and coarse grit compound to the aluminum and it will shine up really well!

I picked up a product called TEMP, and it works real well. I'll post one more pick when she's all cleaned up. My buddies are pushing me to get matching wheels from my truck, but I'm trying to save money off this project.

The best thing about a 5X8 trailer is you can sleep in it!!! Take measurements of one of the doors, build a screen you can put in the one open door at night...been there done that!

Thats a great idea. We're going camping this weekend so i'll have to see how the air mattress fits.

If you put a lever/lock on the inside and some vent holes, you might have yourself a protective shelter for Bears and other things that go bump in the night with big teeth :act018:

I think you got a deal!

CGem98,
Good looking trailer and Good find for hauling your dirt bikes and camping in.
Keeps them secure also if you have to stop and eat somewhere. I am always watching my Ridge with the bikes and gear in the back if we stop somewhere, even the gas station. Lot of sticky hands out there.
Makes me remember my old cargo van I had. I cut out and installed two small windows w/screens in them. Bought from the JCWhitney catalog.

Have fun and Enjoy.

Old dirt riders don't quit, they just get faster.

Very nice! I find that backing a short trailer is a pain in the A$$. Practice makes all my neighbors laugh!

Very nice! I find that backing a short trailer is a pain in the A$$. Practice makes all my neighbors laugh!

I had a small pop-up camper that was a pain in the butt to back up into my drive at my previous home. The drive butted up next to the house with the garage in the back of the yard and the neighboring home just feet off the other side of the drive..
The road was a busy one, so I pissed drivers off who were waiting for me to back my camper in. Managed to hit my house once.
After several somewhat successful time consuming back-ins, I figured it was easier if I would pull straight in, disconnect the trailer and spin it around by hand into it's spot. Problem solved, no more dings on the home, happy drivers, no more laughing neighbors.


Oh yea! Nice buy and rehab of your trailer. Thinking of one for myself that the family could use.