On Sunday, June 12, 2016 at 9:38:21 AM UTC-4, Jon Danniken wrote:
On 06/11/2016 07:10 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
I bought some reclaimed Douglas Fir on Craiglist so I can build a bed for my
daughter. The seller had three 6/4 x 6 x 16 boards which will be perfect
for the bed rails. If I had cut them to length at his house, I could have put
them in my van. However, I wanted to take my time choosing the best sections
to use, so I needed a way to get them home intact.
I borrowed a friend's utility trailer and came up with a system to get them
home safely. I used some wood that I had lying around to build a back wall
for the trailer. I then used short pieces of 2 x 4 to "surround" the boards
so they couldn't move side-to-side or up-and-down. Ratchet straps fore and
aft prevented any forward or backward movement. I used a screw and fender
washer at each end of the boards to ensure that the straps couldn't slide
off. 30 miles later, the wood was in my garage.
Wood On Trailer:
http://i.imgur.com/3ICIwpl.jpg
That is functional, but it would not be legal, at least here in Oregon,
as maximum permitted overhang off of the back of a trailer is 1/3 of the
wheelbase (trailer axle to car rear axle).
You would, of course, have to be seen by a law enforcement agent who
wanted to deal with it, though.
Jon
I opted for "ignorance is bliss" in this endeavor.
I was talking to some guys at work about my plans and one of them ask about
the legal limit for stuff hanging off the end of a trailer. I quickly put
my hands over my ears and started making "La-La-La-La" noises so I couldn't
hear any answers. ;-)
The overhang was about 6', which is probably over the limit for my state.
However, what I found most interesting was the trust that other drivers
put in my set-up. More than once I surprised to see drivers that were way
closer to the red flag than I would have gotten. They would have had no
time to deal with an issue had it occurred.
On the other hand, the one tractor trailer that got behind me maintained a
safe distance and eventually moved over to a different lane when he
got the chance. Smart guy!