As an accomplished metalworker, Frank Surber isn’t afraid to tackle any homemade project, big or small. He mounted scaffolding on a school bus chassis to install the rafters, lighting and an overhead bridge crane inside his shop. A former oil field mechanic, he’s built welding trailers and a transmission jack, and has helped neighbors build useful equipment from scrap metal.

Surber recently built a heavy-duty gantry trailer for hauling propane tanks, totes and other items too large to fit inside a truck box. He built the framework using 2 3/8-in. oilfield tubing. The gantry beam is made from a 4-in. H-beam.

To raise and lower the payload, Surber installed a 3,500-lb. electric winch along with an old boat winch. He widened and split the drum to pay out and take up the cable for moving the hoist winch.

The hoist winch trolley is constructed from 1/2-in. plate steel with 1 3/4-in. dia. cam rollers. The trailer features a sturdy tongue hitch and rides on a pair of wheels from an old wagon. Surber says the gantry works well for safely lifting and hauling LP tanks and totes of different sizes with sturdy metal frames.

Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Frank Surber, Peacock, Texas.