Homemade Salt Shield For Snowmobile Trailer – Guide
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We all love a good DIY project, don’t we?
I am a snowmobiler, and I noticed that the floorboards on the rear of my sled were starting to rust out. You can relate if you’ve ever gone snowmobiling during the winter.
Except you don’t mind splurging $399.95 on the premade ones, this is one of the cheapest ways to keep your floors in good condition and still be able to load that sled up for an afternoon of snowmobiling.
Here’s how to DIY a homemade salt shield for a snowmobile trailer.
Homemade Salt Shield For Snowmobile Trailer: Step By Step
If you want to keep your vehicle safe during winter, then a homemade salt shield may be the solution.
While many people think these are only used by commercial trucks and other large vehicles, they can be used on snowmobile trailers to protect them from corrosion and rust.
The steel from snowmobile trailers is very susceptible to corrosion because it’s used in the elements all year.
A homemade salt shield can help you save money and protect your trailer at the same time.
Check your local hardware store for sheet metal thick enough to withstand wear and tear—the thicker, the better when it comes to durability.
You can also ask your local auto body shop if they have any scrap metal they would be willing to donate or sell cheaply.
You’ll need two sheets of 2’x4′ 5052 aluminum at .050″ thick. You won’t have to spend at all if you have junk aluminum in your yard. The sheets should be rust-free.
Thick plastic
Plywood sheets
Step 2: Draw The Prototype (Optional)
A pictorial view of what you want the salt shield to look like is an added advantage to your design.
Design the salt shield in AUTO-CAD or sketch with a pencil.
Making A Salt Shield With Aluminum Sheets
Take Measurements
Use a tape measure to take the dimensions of your trailer floorboard.
Cut a large piece off one of the aluminum sheets using a jigsaw. Make it slightly larger than your trailer tires and wheels.
Bend a smaller portion of the sheet by folding it over and beating it down with a harmer to form the top of the shield.
Note: Fabrication is the challenging part. If you’re not good with tools, I suggest you take the sheets to a metal fabricator. The design or sketch will be handy here, so he understands what you’re building. He’ll bend the sheets and make them installation-ready.
Cut two extra shorter pieces off the sheet; you’ll need them for the sides of the shield.
Weld the short sheets to both sides of the large sheet.
Paint the metal sheets to protect them from corrosion (optional).
Drill two holes at the base of the sheet, on the side. It is the part you’ll attach to the trailer. You can use a hammer and punch to make holes in the sheet metal.
Drill holes on the lip of the trailer side panel where you’ll attach the salt shield.
Mount your DIY salt shield on the front of the trailer and insert the bolts and washers.
Fasten it with screwdrivers.
Your aluminum salt shield is ready.
Making Salt Shield With Plastic
You can make your salt shield using plastic sheeting, but it’s essential to use heavy-duty plastic to survive through several winters without a tear.
Your best bet is 55 gal drums. They’re made of durable plastic.
Step 1: Take Measurements
Measure the dimensions of the trailer side panel.
Mark and measure the middle of your drums. Depending on the size of your trailer, you may need two drums.
Step 2: Fabrication
Take your circular saw and cut through the marked parts. The drum should open in two vertical halves.
Drill 5 holes on the horizontal sides of the drum sheets just by the edge.
Insert five bolts and washers in the holes and fasten them with a screwdriver. If you do this step right, you should have a long plastic sheet. The top and bottom of the drums will form the sides of the salt shield.
Drill two holes in the trailer plate sides and two on the base of the plastic.
Mount the plastic salt shield in front of the trailer.
Insert the bolts and washers into the holes on the trailer plate and shield.
Tighten them with a screwdriver.
Your DIY plastic salt shield is ready.
Making Salt Shield With Plywood
Start by measuring the length and width of the trailer plate. It will help you figure out how much plywood you should buy.
You can use any wood you want, but I recommend using something thicker like oak or pine because it will be easier to drill into later.
Use 2x4s or 2x6s (depending on how large you want your shield).
Step 1: Install The Steel Frames
You can’t attach the plywood directly to the trailer plate because it won’t bend without breakage.
Get three steel frames, two for breadth and one for length (top of the shield).
Screw the short sides onto the sides of the trailer plate while the long frame goes to the top.
If you get this right, the frame should form a rectangle.
Attach two more pieces of the steel frame to the sides of the plate 2 feet from the other frame. It will form the sides of the salt shield.
Step 2: Screw The Plywood
Cut the plywood into three sheets, one long side for the shield and two short ones for the sides.
Drill holes on the steel frames and plywood.
Fasten the plywood to the steel frames with bolts, and voila! The salt shield is ready.
Use A Folding Ramp As A Salt Shield
Folding ramps come in many materials, including aluminum or steel. They also come in various sizes, from small ramps that fold up to large ones.
You can attach a drive-on, drive-off ramp to the snowmobile trailer as a makeshift salt shield. You may need two of them, depending on the trailer size.
Its flexibility is good with a folding ramp as the salt shield.
With a regular salt shield, there are times when you need to remove your load to get it out of the way so you can use your salt shield effectively.
With the folding ramp, this isn’t an issue because it folds.
Steps
Mount the ramp on the trailer plate and bolt it on.
Screw two steel frames on both sides of the ramp.
Secure the other ends of the steel frame by screwing it onto the trailer plate.
You can screw plywood onto the steel frame to form the sides of the salt shield.
Your makeshift salt shield is ready for use.
Homemade Salt Shield For Snowmobile Trailer – Final Thoughts
The DIY method described here doesn’t apply to all trailer types. It may not be the only possible way to build a salt shield, but it’s perhaps the most straightforward.
There are various other methods you can use (and hardware store alternatives) so feel free to experiment.
Building a salt shield doesn’t have to be expensive, but it is not as neat as the readymade market versions, but we’re trying to save money.
