Need a way to hoist trailer off garage floor.

[Chuck Decker]

I am moving, and I need to buy a shallow, flatbed trailer for hauling plywood, etc. The problem is that the garage is too small to store the trailer and two cars at the same time. So, I am trying to find a way to hoist the trailer flat-ways to the ceiling of the garage. Or, maybe just hoisting it edge-ways against the wall.

 

I imagine a small, electric hoist anchored to the wall, with a rope or wire rope from the hoist passing through one or more pulleys. Once the trailer is up, I would need a safty block of some kind to guard against the hoist slipping, and allowing the trailer to fall.

 

Surely I'm not the first to need something like this. Any ideas from the group? I really need your help lest I do somethinng really stupid.

 

Thank you,

 

Chuck

[Art S. Hamilton]

Chuck, you're on a safer track. My compliments to your sober thinking.

You may find that if the trailer is light enough, your idea will work fine, bearing in mind that as the
trailer is elevating, you'll want a wall protector to deflect the scuffing. I suggest that you buy a
real heavy duty eye-bolt with lag threads for wood, bore a hole in the real McCoy center of the
stud, and wind it in with a tire iron if that's what's available. Drill the hole no larger than 75 per
cent of the lag size, and embed it a couple of inches. Use a stud sensor capable of detecting
buried electrical wires.

If you're not confident about the quality of the single stud, you may want a plate across a couple
of studs instead. To make the simplest pull, attach a single block pulley to the eye-bolt with a
screw-type chain link, again, heavy duty. I suggest you don't even dream of using an aluminum
caribeener, like the ones you see near the cash register at the hardware store. These are not
load-rated. Your second single block pulley will attach to a chain link or machine-thread eye
bolt on the tongue, again with a screw-type chain link. Tie off your HIGH QUALITY nylon rope
to the wall eye bolt using a proper knot, such as a bowline or clove hitch, thread it through the
pulley at the tongue, back up to the pulley on the wall, and back to your standing-well-in-the-
clear self, and you have created a secure and easy to pull rigging.

Once you're flatly and securely vertical, use your safety chain at about mid length, and the second
chain around the tongue, out of the reach of children and brothers-in-law. Cheers.

[Chuck Decker]

Thanks again, Art. You may have saved my life.

Chuck

Art S. Hamilton said:

Chuck, you're on a safer track. My compliments to your sober thinking.

You may find that if the trailer is light enough, your idea will work fine, bearing in mind that as the
trailer is elevating, you'll want a wall protector to deflect the scuffing. I suggest that you buy a
real heavy duty eye-bolt with lag threads for wood, bore a hole in the real McCoy center of the
stud, and wind it in with a tire iron if that's what's available. Drill the hole no larger than 75 per
cent of the lag size, and embed it a couple of inches. Use a stud sensor capable of detecting
buried electrical wires.

If you're not confident about the quality of the single stud, you may want a plate across a couple
of studs instead. To make the simplest pull, attach a single block pulley to the eye-bolt with a
screw-type chain link, again, heavy duty. I suggest you don't even dream of using an aluminum
caribeener, like the ones you see near the cash register at the hardware store. These are not
load-rated. Your second single block pulley will attach to a chain link or machine-thread eye
bolt on the tongue, again with a screw-type chain link. Tie off your HIGH QUALITY nylon rope
to the wall eye bolt using a proper knot, such as a bowline or clove hitch, thread it through the
pulley at the tongue, back up to the pulley on the wall, and back to your standing-well-in-the-
clear self, and you have created a secure and easy to pull rigging.

Once you're flatly and securely vertical, use your safety chain at about mid length, and the second
chain around the tongue, out of the reach of children and brothers-in-law. Cheers.

[Mario Menjivar]

Hi chuck, I'm Mario and I'm new on this site and I now you posted about a problem you had back in 2010 related with how to lift your trailer against the wall and I am on the same situation, just wondering if you ever finish that project and how you ended doing it? It would be a big help for me. I'm Trying to hoist my 6x12 trailer against a wall pulled by a winch. please let me know if finish and how you did it. Thanks.

[Chuck Decker]

Mario,

I decided to not buy a trailer. Instead I bought a small, used pickup truck from CarMax. I made a platform that is attached to anchors in the side walls of the pickup bed. It actually is beautiful! I bought the anchors from an auto parts store. The platform is simple. It looks like a very wide ladder. This allows me to put the ladder-shaped contraption on the truck and remove it easily. 

It has 2 cross members that fit across the width of the bed and are held in place at each corner. I fashioned the cross members by gluing 2, 3/4" x 4" planks of solid wood with a 1/2" plank of baltic birch plywood between them. I routed and chiselled slots at each end so that the end of the laminated board would slip over the bed anchor.

I attached each corner to the bed using 2 Woodpeckers Multi-Knobs, a bolt, a nut and some fender washers. I installed 6 steel threaded inserts along the length of both of the boards on both the top and bottom of each plank. That gives me the ability to turn the cross member boards over when one side is worn out.

Then I made some "T-shaped" 3/4" x 1 1/2" planks that are slotted at each end so that they can be bolted to the inserts of the cross members and not interfere with the smooth surface of the stretcher, which could damage material laying on it. The stretchers run front-to-back of the bed.

When I buy a sheet of plywood or other panelled product, I can lay it on top of the platform and strap it in place. Smaller items can be stored under the platform. The platform is just a few inches above the pickup bed.

When I buy wooden planks or plumbing, they fit nicely between the stretchers and require no special straps (that is, unless they are especially long).

I used to have one of those Harbor Freight folding trailers spoken of by another response above, but it was so VERY HEAVY for me to fold and unfold. So, I had to get rid of it. I think that some of my back pain stems from trying to lift that thing.

I hope you find a safe solution.

Chuck