Utility Trailer

What about a couple of foldable legs to support the gate. Couple of plates per leg welded to gate, couple of lynch pins and some tube stock.
That might work if you didn't have to move the trailer to get the load out. If you have to move the trailer, any blocks supporting the gate from below will get knocked out and the gate will collapse.
 
Well, you could bolt a couple of wheels using U bolts. So when lowered they run on the ground.
Good idea. I thought about bicycle wheels if the cables don't work...so far they have. Bigger problem is that the 1" galvanized pipe I used for the handler axle is flexing under the load and I'm wondering if it's going to hold up. Might have to find a solid rod for an axle.
 
Ted, thanks for helping Lou find the griddle I was looking for!!
Had a grandpa drop off a garden tractor for a student for small engines class. He was a fabricator at a nearby factory for years and had fabricated a way to keep the tailgate/ramp on his horizontal/level with the deck of the trailer. Will load pictures from my phone hopefully tonight and post them for you. MUCH better solution than wheels or anything and quite simple now that an example is provided!
 
This is the brace pinned in the stored position. This is pointing to the front of the trailer so it gets unpinned to swing up. Also notice the empty hole at the end of the visibility tape strip.
Brace in locked position.jpg


On the passenger side of the trailer you can see the other brace in the stored position. So, the end that is towards the front of the trailer is the end that gets unpinned. On the front it is held in place by a vertical post. At the back it is held in place by a horizontal pin. This allows the brace to swing up and over the pin and allows it to point to the rear of the trailer. The driver's side of the trailer shows the brace swung up and over and that empty hole that was at the end of the visibility tape is inserted into a pin welded on the side of the trailer's gate/ramp. The trick is in the height of the vertical post that the end of the brace attaches to. You can shorten the brace so it isn't as close to the end of the gate giving you more room for your unloader by raising the height of the post. Thought it ingenious and exactly what you needed to solve the problem of having to move the trailer while unloading.

Tailgate horizontal.jpg
 
Jon, That looks like a great solution. Thanks for the pictures!
As soon as I realized what the man was trying to explain to me I knew it was a possibility for you. Also knew there was no way I could explain it without pictures! He was thrilled I was so excited about it and wanting to take pictures. So I explained why I was photographing it and he remarked he had a unloader at home and hadn't thought of using it like that so you helped him and he helped you. Me, I was just the middle man! Lot more useful than tires and such to me. Glad it worked out in timing and glad to be of help.
 
is his using flat bar or angle iron

I'm not sure it matters as it's load is primarily just linear tension so assuming the same amount of steel in either I would wager that it would be very close to the same strength with either flat or angle iron.

In fact I might give a slight nod to flat bar stock assuming it was thicker because the stress (and thus most likely failure) points are going be at the connections and they'd be thicker/stronger on a flat bar (yeah you could re-enforce angle there.. but all things equal...). You'd have to change the "storage" lock mechanism of course.
 
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