Big Grey — Hydraulic Tilt Fifth Wheel Flatbed

I turned a rotting fifth wheel camper into a hydraulic tilt flatbed trailer. It sat in the yard for two years before I got around to it, then I knocked the whole build out in about a month or two. Stick welder, angle grinder, and a lot of steel.

Starting Point

Picked up a beat-up fifth wheel camper in June 2022. The body was shot — rotted floor, caved-in roof, insulation falling out. But the frame and axles were solid, and that's what matters.

Demolition

Tore everything off down to the bare frame. Walls, roof, floor — all of it went. The kid helped.

The Build

Hydraulics

This was my first experience with hydraulics. I reused the hydraulic cylinder and pump from the camper's original slider mechanism to power the tilt function. The cylinder lifts the back end about 10 feet so equipment can roll on and off without ramps. It works, but it's honestly a little underpowered for what this trailer hauls now.

Steel Work

New crossmembers welded across the frame, fifth wheel box fabricated from plate steel. Everything cut, fit, and welded in the driveway with a stick welder.

Decking

Treated lumber deck boards laid across the crossmembers. The frame got painted before decking went down.

Finished

Painted, decked, and road-ready. The whole family standing on it for scale — this thing is big. We call it Big Grey.

In Service

Seven months later, hauling a tractor home. Big Grey has already moved the skid steer, logs, and anything else that needs a flatbed. It was built for this.