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Match Setup Trailer

My local IDPA club has a target storage shed about 1/2 mile from the pistol pits. For the first few years we would load up several pickups with the target stands, pepper poppers, cardboard targets, rocking targets, etc., and drive them into the pistol pits for setup. Then at the end of the match we would reverse the process. In 2004 we got a small flatbed trailer to do this transfer. Using the match setup trailer means less work loading and unloading, since the match setup items remain on the trailer, and the trailer is parked in the target shed. Truth is the flatbed trailer was always a poorly stacked mess of match setup items, and we sometimes lost items off the trailer when driving to or from the pistol pits. We needed a way to secure and organize the items on the match setup trailer.

What you see below is the building of an organizer onto the trailer to hold most of the items commonly used in an IDPA or 3-gun match.

These plans are free for non-commercial use and are offered with no warranty or other claims expressed or implied. Ken Reed, 03/30/2004.

Trailer stored in the target shed. You can see why we needed an organizer..

The bare trailer, about 6' wide by 8' long usable surface.

The first challenge was to organize the "H" shaped metal target stands to save space and mess..

Two organizers hold over 70 steel "H" type target stands in a small space.

Removal of old hitch coupler, preparing for a new, longer tongue.

The tongue needed lengthened to make the trailer easier to backup with full sized vehicles.

Beginning of the organizer frame.

In front of the target stands is a rack for 4 full sized and 4 mini poppers.

The trailer also includes a mezzanine above and a 6' x 4' pickup box area in the rear.

Trailer in use for an IDPA match and Shotgun side match.

After two years of use, it became clear that our club was not using the pepper
popper storage in the front of the trailer. So we turned it into storage for lath
and cardboard targets.

And finally the pickup box has been boxed in with plywood. This should help stop stuff from falling
off the trailer into the middle of the road.

For lots more pictures go here.