Print PDF
Favorite
Email
About ten years ago our Boy Scout troop was invited to participate in a local 'pioneer trek'. One of the requirements for the trek was that each troop had to haul all of their gear several miles into the campsite using a hand cart. We did not have a handcart, but we knew a little bit about them. In the mid 1800s, many Mormon pioneers made treks from Iowa and Missouri to Utah using sturdy handcarts. These carts had cargo beds that were about 4 feet x 4 feet and wheels that were about 4 to 4.5 feet in diameter. The high clearance of the design made the carts easier to pull and allowed them to pass over many obstacles.
We could make a box with a handle, but could not readily find handcart wheels of the type used by the pioneers. Fortunately, one of my sons, Joe, was parting out a small car that had just the axle setup we needed. The rear axles on smaller front-wheel-drive cars are lightweight and can be adapted to provide the same clearance height as the original pioneer carts.
It only took us a few hours to make a handcart using the VW axle/wheel assembly, several used 2 x 4s, some scrap plywood, a piece of 11/2 inch pipe, two short lengths of angle iron, and some nuts and bolts. The trek was successful. We were able to take everything we had, about 500 lbs, in to the camp, on the cart.
Over the years I have used the cart for a variety of tasks, including hauling sod and garden supplies. It has been nice to be able to get supplies from the driveway, into the back yard without taking a vehicle over the grass.
Recently I decided that I needed to rebuild the cart. If I wanted it to last for another ten years or so, it needed to be in better condition. The plan was to refurbish the axle and reassemble the cart with new wood. This steps I followed are the same ones you could take to build your own cart.
This photo shows my son Joe with Harlie and Logan on the cart, in front of Joe's Jeep JK.
We could make a box with a handle, but could not readily find handcart wheels of the type used by the pioneers. Fortunately, one of my sons, Joe, was parting out a small car that had just the axle setup we needed. The rear axles on smaller front-wheel-drive cars are lightweight and can be adapted to provide the same clearance height as the original pioneer carts.
It only took us a few hours to make a handcart using the VW axle/wheel assembly, several used 2 x 4s, some scrap plywood, a piece of 11/2 inch pipe, two short lengths of angle iron, and some nuts and bolts. The trek was successful. We were able to take everything we had, about 500 lbs, in to the camp, on the cart.
Over the years I have used the cart for a variety of tasks, including hauling sod and garden supplies. It has been nice to be able to get supplies from the driveway, into the back yard without taking a vehicle over the grass.
Recently I decided that I needed to rebuild the cart. If I wanted it to last for another ten years or so, it needed to be in better condition. The plan was to refurbish the axle and reassemble the cart with new wood. This steps I followed are the same ones you could take to build your own cart.
This photo shows my son Joe with Harlie and Logan on the cart, in front of Joe's Jeep JK.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1Obtain an axle/wheel assembly
This axle is from a 1980 VW Scirocco. Rear axles from many small front wheel drive cars would be suitable for making a cart. If you can find someone who is parting one out, this assembly should cost only about $25. Check with your local used parts yards. These rear axles are usually scrapped with the car because there is little demand for them.
One of the advantages of this axle is that the holes for the frame mounting brackets are on 45 inch centers. The deeply recessed rims provide minimal clearance problems for the hubs.
One of the advantages of this axle is that the holes for the frame mounting brackets are on 45 inch centers. The deeply recessed rims provide minimal clearance problems for the hubs.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
if ur not on this site u need to be
http://www.jk-forum.com/index.php
Sitting level, with the handle resting on a stool, the wheels have a weight of about 93 lbs each and the handle is 5 lbs. This is according to my bathroom scales. Each wheel and tire is probably 40% or so of the individual wheel weight. The total empty weight is just over 190 lbs.
The axle is about 2 inches to the rear of the center of the bed, so it is fairly well balanced. I just pulled it over 4 inches of snow to be able to get it to the porch to weigh it. It is not hard to drag around, especially when it has a light enough footprint to not break through the crust on top of the snow.
I see that you have an Instructable for using chain saw cut wood to make flooring. Last year, in our yard, we removed two 40' tall trees and did major trimming on a third one. We used this cart extensively to move all of the trimmings, branches and logs out of the yard.
Let me know if you make a cart and what design works best for you.
Thanks for the question,
grandpajoe
Thanks a bunch
In thinking about a coop on wheels, do you know how many doors are on a chicken coop? There are only two. If it had four, it would be a sedan.