Trailer choices

Jeff Horton

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The Heart of Dixie
I have been watching for a used small trailer for a while now. I am going to build a rack to haul kayaks and gear on. I found one that I think would work. He is asking $225, I assume he would take $200 for it. It's pretty obviously 'HO-made' trailer.

Today I noticed Harbor Freight has this trailer on sale for $339. More money but it's new and I don't have to worry about it being 'HO-made" and something wrong. It has a lot more weight capacity than I need and might be a bit stiffly sprung for my use. I assume I could remove a leaf from the springs if it was.

Digging around the HF site I also found this one. It folds for storage but I am not interested in that. Price is $329 or $10 less. It also has less capacity and I assume softer springs.

I have read a lot on the net about the HF trailers and the overall they get good ratings. Some complaints about bearings but most seem to be people not packing them before installing and/or not maintaining them down the road. For an extra $100 I am leaning toward one of these two, just not sure which one.
 
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Jeff,

I got one just like your second choice, but only paid $199 for it at our local Fred Meyer store...special. I added the plywood floor and sides and use it a lot for hauling everything from garage junk to the recycle center, to tools I have gotten on craigslist, to landscape material. Mine folds too, but I would have to take the sides off to do it now and don't see the need.






It's pulls nice and has held up well.

Point of interest...I did have to get a certificate of origin from the importer in order to get it licensed here in Washington. :doh:
 
I was thinking of making the drive over to the store, that would save me $50 on it. But it's not valid with any other discounts and it has to be in stock. The trailer I am leaning toward is on sale so that won't help me. But thanks for the tip.
 
Ah, the in-stock is the killer. It is accepted on sale items, but unless your trailer is in stock - bummer.:(

Wes
 
Yup, that one of the trailers I was looking at Greg. Hf trailers get good reviews overall. I read a few minor complaints about that one you have. Mostly just people didn't like the flex because of the hinges.

Wes, my mistake. It is good for sale items! I guess I need to call my (not so) local store and see if they have one in stock. If so I guess I am driving over and getting one. The savings will more than pay for the gas.
 
Seems to me a used boat trailer modified for the kayak would be just the ticket. Around here there are many and they sell cheap. Whatever you do, try to get something that has full sized automobile wheels. Pull much easier and tires are easier to come by.
 
Frank does have a good point. The larger tires would avoid many of the smaller potholes and such. Being a little heavier might not be bad too, might bounce less. Hate to see your kayaks get beatup on the way to the stream.
 
I have been looking for boat trailer but yet to find one. There is a lot of water around here and the demand for boat trailers is high. They are not commonly for sale and they sale high when they do come up. That's why the HF is looking better every day.The HF trailer has 12" wheels. That one of the things I like about it.

I was given an old boat trailer, very old and light weight. Looked perfect at first glance even though it has the little wheels on it. But the more I have looked at it the more work I see it needs. Plus it has a bad wheel and I can't find a replacement with the same size hub (integral bearings). So it's going up for sale, but that is only boat trailer I have seen so far.
 
I have Greg's trailer, too and can attest to it's worthiness. It has MORE than paid for itself several times. Most notably, it did the materials hauling for the shop I won't show anyone yet :p

Here's a shot of it loaded with my insulation:

100_0192.jpg


After it did this, I ... well ... I did something that I never should have done ... and I took no photos because there shouldn't ever be any evidence that it occurred ... But ...

I pulled the walls off it and picked up the drywall with it. This little (1100lb max, mind you) trailer got squashed with 40 (Yes, FOUR TIMES TEN) sheets of 1/2" 4x8 drywall. Even being generous and saying those sheets only weigh 40lbs, that's 1600lbs. One haul. Crooked, too. I drove VERY slowly. The dang thing survived just fine.

It also moved us from the old house to the new house - tools and all (including my 600lb router table, 500lb 8" jointer, etc etc.

That little bugger takes just about anything I throw at it. I have never folded it up and the casters that come with it are pretty flimsy anyway. One thing to watch out for when assembling these is the electrical ground. The paint is pretty thick in some spots and that messed with my grounding a bit. I finally got the lights working after really grunting the nuts/bolts tight, but one day I'm gonna run all new wire and include a dedicated ground as well, just for insurance.

I've only had it a few years now, maybe 4 tops, and I've beat on it quite a bit. The thing still hauls perfectly. :)


I just remembered - i actually took out the hinge not long ago (after the drywall, though). Turns out there are a few holes in the frame that allowed me to just bolt the things together anyway. I can't say I've noticed much difference, but I took the hinge out because a 4x8 sheet of plywood actually wouldn't fit between the nut/bolt combo between them without some very delicate positioning. Without the hinge, I can just slide right on and have nothing to bump into but the wheel wells - which are about 3" away on either side.
 
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I had a HF folding trailer I bought about 10 years ago and sold about two years ago. It always did what I needed it to with no problems. It was about $189 when I bought it and they had free shipping over $50. It was a great deal. I sold it for $150.
 
I had a HF folding trailer I bought about 10 years ago and sold about two years ago. It always did what I needed it to with no problems. It was about $189 when I bought it and they had free shipping over $50. It was a great deal. I sold it for $150.

Geez, less than 33 cents a month, or about a penny a day.... :eek: that was a good deal :thumb:
 
I am going to look at one Sunday. Found a 'Ho-made' one that looks interesting from the photos. We recently started requiring trailers to be registered. here. So a 'ho-made' one has to be inspected and have working lights, safety chains, etc. to get a tag and this one has a tag on it. All those things that run up the cost of many 'ho-made' bargain trailers. Plus it (appears) to be better built than the HF trailers. It needs the tongue lengthened for my purposes but they all do.

Best part is he is asking $250 and I am pretty sure that he will will take $225 for it. Can't buy the HF trailer that cheap.
 
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no matter what you do, toss the lights and replace them with sealed beam LED lights. Even if you don't go LED at the least use regular sealed beam lights.

DO NOT ground to the frame. Sooner or later it will be trouble. Run a ground all the way to the tow vehicle, run the tow vehicle ground all the way to the battery.

on all the connections, use bare butt connectors
Crimp and then solder them, use the heat shrink that has sealant right in it.

Take the time and do all this and the only light trouble you will ever have will be one that burns out. I did all this 4 years ago on the cousins car trailer. It can sit literally in the weeds for months, when you hook up the lights and the brakes work every time.

2 things I will not tolerate on a vehicle,
Lights that don't work
and having to jump start something.
 
no matter what you do, toss the lights and replace them with sealed beam LED lights. Even if you don't go LED at the least use regular sealed beam lights.

DO NOT ground to the frame. Sooner or later it will be trouble. Run a ground all the way to the tow vehicle, run the tow vehicle ground all the way to the battery.

on all the connections, use bare butt connectors
Crimp and then solder them, use the heat shrink that has sealant right in it.

Take the time and do all this and the only light trouble you will ever have will be one that burns out. I did all this 4 years ago on the cousins car trailer. It can sit literally in the weeds for months, when you hook up the lights and the brakes work every time.

2 things I will not tolerate on a vehicle,
Lights that don't work
and having to jump start something.



Robert said, in part, "Take the time and do all this and the only light trouble you will ever have will be one that burns out."
Gotta disagree heartily. Trailer lights are among the most unreliable and frustrating devils there is. Critters like to chew on wires. Drive across a field and stobs will tear up the wires. Then you will just find wires broken and torn for reasons you can't determine. I have owned, and still own, a lots of trailers. Making, or keeping, the lights working is a constant hassle.
 
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