10,000 Miles Later: The Hidden Dangers of Harbor Freight Folding Trailers
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2023
- Three mistakes I made Building this Harbor Freight Trailer. A deep dive into my personal experience building and using the renowned Harbor Freight folding trailer. While the overall performance of this versatile trailer has been exceptional, I'll be sharing three mistakes I made during its construction.
I recount the lessons learned and discuss how these hiccups affected my overall experience. Despite these regrets, it's important to note that the trailer has proven to be incredibly reliable, clocking in over 10,000 miles on the road without ever leaving me stranded.
Subscribe to my channel and hit the notification bell to stay tuned for more exciting content on DIY projects, road-tested reviews, and valuable insights for fellow enthusiasts like yourself. Let's embark on this journey together and make the most out of our DIY adventures!
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My dad bought a used harbor freight folding trailer a few years ago and used it as a yard trailer. It wasn’t long after he bought it that he noticed a lot of rust showing up. In which case all he was going to do was remove the rust/chipping paint, and then replace the taillights. But he asked me to do it. As I was going to, I looked at it and there was a lot more to it than just doing all that work so, I took it home and rebuilt the whole thing. Cleaned and removed as much of the rust as I could get. Then welded the whole thing back together. Minus the front part where the trailer sits on the ball. He can use as a dump trailer for the yard. New coat of paint and taillights. Looks better than new
That’s an awesome outcome. Sometimes these trailers can be a lot of work, and a more expensive trailer might not have as many minor issues. But, then you wouldn’t have a great project to work on. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@OffGridAdventure honestly, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into at first. But it turned out really well. It’s ten times stronger now, new paint job, and new taillights with reverse lights built in. And it is very much road worthy. I do have pictures of the thing, from start to finish.
@@wolfman72495 I did what I could considering I'm not a tradesman by day. it had a crap ton of surface rust and the wiring had way too many corroded solder points. stripped all the pain off,took all the wiring out and unmounted all the bolts. The trailer was originally stored in a garage so I was able to remove the rust without needing to pay for replacement structural beams 😅. All in all after spending 5 days straight working on it and 5 coats of paint along with a varnished board, 30+ new galvanized bolts and a new wiring harness it looks good. really improved my confidence in working with metal after that project considering I'm a zoomer. did almost all of that without power tools too
@@wolfman72495 I would like to see them. Do you have them posted online somewhere?
I didn't know I needed to watch a video about harbor freight folding trailers, but here I am for some reason. It was very well put together and clear and concise.
Welcome to the party, and thanks for visiting!
Regarding mounting the license plate: Mount the plate on a wide Gate Hinge. The hinge will allow the plate to flex when needed.
I used a piano hinge
I used a regular 3" hinge, coupled with super strength velcro...the velcro set that comes with the iPass. It now locks up into place flat against the underside of the trailer.
I bent the license plate and mounted it on the fender
The problem with that, is that cops will stop you for not having a 'license plate light'. They'll claim they can't read your plate, even though the plates are reflective. (In reality, the reason they can't read your plate, is because being able to read is not a job requirement for the police).
My HF trailer is a lot more than 5 years old. It’s the 1190 lb. folder with 4 bolt 12” wheels. First mod was to install a 2” coupler. My first deck was 3/4” marine plywood, first 4’ sideboards were quick and dirty plywood with 2x2 corners, 2x4 posts. By the time I stripped it, spot blasted and repainted, I decided to weld it solid (I never folded it) and deck with an uncut sheet of 3/4” marine plywood. Current sideboards & tailgate were a lot more work, much stronger, and built after I made spacers for the stake pockets so I have a true 4x8’ inside the trailer. When I rewired, I went with good Peterson LED tail lights. Current tires (except spare) are Carlisle 145SR12 radials (made in China, despite Amazon’s claim they’re American). Sideboards include 6 pan fittings for ties, and are stained dark. Trailer is currently Hunter Green. I have a matching .50 cal ammo box on headboard, to hold tie straps, small wheel chocks, etc. Yes, take time squaring up on assembly (I’ve assembled 2 in the last 25 years). My State allows the choice of small license plate (like motorcycle plates), and that helps with damage. Yes, these are cheap, paint will fade and fall off, some hardware will be replaced. But with a little care you’ll get your money’s worth.
I have one that I bought in 2002. It is still in good shape. I have replaced the decking several times and last year I decided I wanted a metal grate deck (so the leaves would fall thru). I ended up buying two pieces of pallet rack wire decking that fit right over the frame and bolted it down. No more rotted wood deck and plenty of tie down points.
That is a great idea, mine is 15+ yrs old and need to change out wood.
If the tires are 8”, you can change them to 12” and reduce the amount the bearing’s speed. Also use marine grade plywood to reduce the moisture damage. MSB needs to be sealed or painted.
I got mine in 05 and the 3/4 treated ply is still holding good and it sits in driveway completely exposed.
Regarding this trailer, I used one for about four years and it worked well for the price, but the trailer flexes like crazy, which causes things on it to bounce around, and straps to come loose. I replaced most bolts using aircraft type lock nuts. I used it to carry a 500# atv, and towed it many miles on rough dirt roads, and the frame started cracking in a few places near the bolt together points. I later bought a HD welded frame, 2x4 decking trailer and the difference was amazing. The harbor freight trailer worked fine around town and on road trips, although I twice had a leaf spring break on the road, so I always carried a spare spring and a spare tire.
I bolted the center crossmembers together so it wouldn’t fold, then welded all the joints. I have over 60,000 miles on mine now. Been across America quite a few times
The best upgrade I made to my trailer was to remove the cheap furniture casters and replace them with ones that are rated for 750 pounds each
Yep, one of my casters just came apart. It's been a great trailer otherwise and I've yet to see any rust.
I had to do that too.
I did that also due to my garage floor being cracked, but beware, my larger caster get in the way of the stake pocket when unfolding the rear section!!!
Which casters did you use? They have to be the exact same dimensions for the standup tabs to work. I tried a few and still not sure which are right.
I fixed the license plate issue by cutting a square of a truck mud flap and drilling out the holes to make it fit. It's stiffer than using a hinge, yet flexible enough to bend and not break when bending is required.
That's an excellent tip. I have some rubber laying around that is perfect for this!
On the license plate,take the plate and duplicate it to another thicker piece of metal and cut it out and sandwich bolt it all together to keep from license plate snapping off and being lost from wind whiplash.i do it to all my trailers and yet to loose a tag when my friends keep loosing theirs. One day they will follow suit
I recently picked up the aluminum version of this trailer from northern tool. I used pywood as the deck, rabbeted the bottom so the plywood was flat, painted 8t both sides for some moisture protection, and counter sunk hex bolts to hold it on. I have yet to take it out on the road, but I'm glad to see yours geld up so well.
If you use a ratchet strap to hold the back half of the deck just off the ground, you can bring the front half down without dragging your license plate. Then when folding it up, set the back half at about 120 degrees and hold it there with a ratchet strap. That creates a little bit of a counter balance so you don’t have to lift all the weight of the trailer.
I have an older tilt bed, non-folding, 1-ton Harbor freight trailer. I had the same thing with the license plate, I reversed the taillights from one side to the other, that mounted my plate above the taillight, I had to move the plate out a bit, but no more bent up license plate. On my Trailer I used an uncut full sheet of 3/4" plywood that I double coated with Polyurethane on all sides, then I installed it with carriage bolts, like you did, then I coated the whole top with bed liner. My tailer has set outside up here in snow country for 15 years with a lot less rust than yours, every couple of years I wire brush any rust or bubbled paint & repaint the spots, about a 30-minuet job, less time than it takes to check the bearings & tire pressure.
Great information! I also put a lot of miles on my 20 year old trailer that still has the original tires on it, with no problems. The longest trip was about 2,800 miles. On my flatbed I put plastic bed on it. It sits outside year around in Minnesota, It should last about 30 years with no problems.
A great VIDEO! We have this trailer, got it for free and then I put a 3/4" thick plywood deck on it and soaked that with Thompson water seal. Put about 20 miles on it years ago and it has been in the barn ever since standing up waiting for the next use. Karl in Michigan
Great review. I have an older version of the same trailer, and agree with your assessment. I always keep mine folded in the garage unless I'm using it, so I've never had a rust issue. I used 1/2" ply for weight savings, which has been sturdy enough, and I used self-drilling screws for the deck, like they use on semi-trailer floors. The frame on mine rattled like hell all the time, so I welded up all the non-moving parts with flux core, and I'm happy with that. One thing I'll add is that those pivot bolts are all in sheer. I've had a couple of them almost slice all the way through from vibration. Keep an eye on them and be prepared to swap them out. License plate is an issue. I just put mine on each time fresh, with nylocks (learned that the hard way). Eventually I'll weld up a channel for it to sit in so it doesn't get bent. I try never to tow the thing at night, because the lights on my are filament and hard to see...but I did put reflective striping on the back to help a bit. Oh, and tires? Keep them out of the sun and I think they'll be fine. But if you store them outside, and they aren't being used, they'll get weak and fail on you. Same as lawn tractor tires.
Years ago I had the very same trailer and the same problem with bending the plate. What I did was fasten the plate on with a hinge so it would move freely. That first one rusted away so I purchased another one. I fabricated two brackets to increase the height of the tail lights and plate. Just for clarification, I didn't have a garage to wheel it into so both were built with a solid flat bar joining the two halves. Good luck!
Thank you for doing the video. Feel free to criticize what I am about to say. I have the 1000 pound version. Wish I had bought the 1750 pound version. Got it about 21 years ago. Have never changed the tires or bearings. They still look great. Drove it cross country and back about 7 years ago. Had spare but haven't ever needed it. I grease the bearings regularly. Have loaded near 2000 pounds on in for short trips (20 miles) and it handled it no problem. Used treated plywood with stain which has held up great. Left it outside for a bit and it turned the red paint pink. Then it started rusting. Since rusting, I did strip paint/rust with a wire wheel and repainted it. Some rust has come back. Converted it into a 4X8 insulated cooler trailer. Has worked great for moving, hauling, and outdoor fun. I think they were near $300 then. Never have used the folding feature. Maybe I should try that some day.
As for the back end, I'd look for a way to prevent the back end from going all the way to the ground - maybe a rope, sawhorse, pole, temporarily attach a sacraficial 2x4 to one of the stakes on the back end (cheap to replace when needed), etc.
I upgraded my wiring harnesses to run in convoluted tubing with p clamps for attachment. Also added connectors to the lamps and harnesses. Also, put a piano hinge on the plate bracket and use elevator bolts instead of carriage bolts. Essentially, the are the same thing, but the heads are flat.
Both OSB and plywood will absorb moisture, split, rot etc. It's the nature of wood. I picked up some plywood for a trailer and the guy recommended a small can of roll on or spray bed liner. You can get small cans for touch ups. Drill the holes, treat both sides of the board and holes. That should keep the wood nice and dry.
The problem there is that if moisture gets in somehow (at an edge or a bolt hole or through rubbing), the wood will wick it and spread it, but with the sealer it won't be able to get back out to dry. Sort of why you don't seal a deck on top and bottom.
You could use 2x8 s
I used treated plywood with bed liner coating on top and sealer on bottom. I haven’t tested it left outside or in bad weather but it’s been years and it looks new
I've had mine for around 20 years and I call it "The BEST thing I ever bought at HF." Mods I've done: 13 inch trailer radials. Packed bearings with premium Moly grease early on with new seals. (Not a fan of Bearing Buddies except for boat trailers.) Solid welded tail light brackets with round stock protective ring. Those angle brackets each broke and bounced the light on the road till it was a little nubbin. LED lights, including 6 strong low profile side markers plus an amber marker behind the coupler so aggressive drivers can see there's a trailer and not dip in behind me. Welded small diameter loops inside the frame to retain wiring, those metal clips BREAK, also heavy sheathing over wires at all bend points and good retainers at each end of these. 3/4 plywood base removable with 2X4 scraps underneath at each corner so it can't slide; front ones cut in on table saw so they go under frame to retain front from flipping up if all else fails. 2 sets of sides, open frame and solid 4' high with inner rim to support a solid plywood lid for secure dump runs. All the sides I break down flat when deadheading for no wind resistance. Problem with this is trailer sits so low people have bumped me at signals 3-4 times, no damage. Mounted license plate sideways with round stock surround. Best mod, round stock strap hooks welded to bottom of frame, makes ratchet straps much more reliable and quick to hook up.
I was thinking of putting 13" rims on my 2000# HF trailer. Did you need spacers to get the proper clearance?
@@jrendt2157 No but I did have to remove the stock fenders. You'll have to work out a different mounting method for fenders big enough for the 13s but they were totally worth it. Run minimal inflation pressure and they glide over bumps without rattling your cargo like the 12s. They also spin much more slowly at speed which is good for tires and bearings alike.
Thank you! Very helpful!
Great video, I love all your tips especially regarding the bearings requiring additional grease. I always expect paint chipping and rust with Harbor Freight products from past experience but good to see it's somewhat minimal.
All your advice and observations are spot on, I purchased one many years ago, and at the time, I had the option to buy one with 8" wheels and tires, or 12", I see you have the one with 15", which is far better, I also went with bearing buddies and have never had a bearing failure after thousands on miles of use. I found that the frame and hitch tongue are made extremely light weight material, after a slight mishap that resulted in bending the tongue badly I replaced it with heavy channel iron. Mine sat outside always so I went with alum. deckplate for trailer bed. Mine was used mainly to haul an 800 # motorcycle on so I added many tie down locations, I hauled a ton of square bailed hay on it many times also with no trouble. Even after all my modifications it was no longer a folding trailer but that was not a buying point for me anyway. All in all, I found my trailer to be very useful and reliable. It was a great purchase.
I bolted mine together. Threw away the hinges and the casters. I have a Ram 2500 Diesel and I also have a 26' trailer. This trailer is great when running to Home depot. It is much easier to park than the long trailer and load than climbing into the bed. Im sure people laugh at me pulling such a tiny trailer behind such a big truck but it a real back saver. I live in the southwest and it has not rusted or thrown grease.
You must do a lot of driving on gravel/dirt roads! My trailer is almost 12 years old(bought early 2012) and has about 15,000 miles on it(been from Arkansas to Tucson, Phoenix, and Quartzsite several times), however, I don't have near the rust you have! The paint is faded but intact! You're right about the wood deck though, I used marine grade 3/4 inch plywood, and bed lined the top surface! It still looks good with no separation! And I did make sure to square it up during assembly! Mine however does not have the fold capability on it! It sits in the back yard in the weather, just waiting to be called on! Since I'm retired now, I too have been thinking of building a little camper on it!
I had the same problem with my plate getting bent, so I mounted the license plate bracket to a hinge which allows the plate to fold against the trailer frame so it doesn't get bent.
Had same problem with license plate bending. 2 fixes: 2 quick links you'd use for connecting 2 pieces of chain together to attach the license plate to the bracket instead of bolts. This lets the license plate simply swing about and lay flat on the ground while being assembled. Secondly while unfolding, I put a 4 wheel dolly under the back side of the trailer so the trailer doesn't drag on the ground while I unfold it. It moves about a foot or 2 while the front is being lowered. This also would be enough to prevent license plate damage if you remember every time to use the dolly. I'm still amazed my trailer is still working after 10 years. Definitely one of the best investments I've made.
Another great informative video.... Thank you! Please Note:
As a retired guy from the construction industry, any wood/wood product will be affected by weather. Wood Moves (expansion/contraction) Glues and adhesives deteriorate over time. Long lasting, low maintenance surface would be something like a diamond tread aluminum or expanded metal.
(ALSO PLEASE NOTE: I am not a trailer expert, nor do I play one on TV, so please understand this observation is just my humble opinion.) .... (grin)
None the less, that’s an excellent idea. A diamond plate surface would hold up great. I’m curious how much a 4’ x 8’ sheet costs.
It's something to look into.
Besides price comparison, look at the weight difference also..🙂👍
@@tobyz.3452 $220 for 0.025” thick plywood sized sheet. I’m not familiar with what a good thickness is for this application.
@@OffGridAdventure I don't know what metal prices would be... but if you got a welding shop in town, you might want to ask them their opinion on plate thickness, fastening methods, etc. and perhaps they could give you a price on the Furnish & Install..... just a thought.
Thanks for the information 👍
Great review and tips! Thank you
Thank you.
Thanks for the tips!
Great tips, thanks for the size on the bearing buddy. That helped
I built a teardrop trailer on one of these about 7 years ago. I have about 30K miles on it. I change the bearing about every 5-6K miles. I didn't do that one year and I had a failure at around 7000 miles. I do carry and extra set of bearings, but I also have an extra hub w/ bearings set to install. It's a lot easier to change a hub at the side of the road, than removing and reinstalling a set of bearings. Also be aware that the bearings on the HF trailer are metric, so you can't just pop down to the auto supply store and pick up a new set.
Thanks for this info can u send me link of bearing and hub I'm planning on building one camper on this trailer
To get the OSB off, just get 2 hole saws. One barely bigger than the carriage bolt head, one considerably bigger (like the ones for a door lockset, 1.5 or 2.125 inches). Obviously remove the center pilot drill bit from the mandrel. Use the 2 hole saws to cut a donut shaped piece of OSB out, then you can bust the donut and get Vise Grips onto the head.
Or use an oscillating multitool to accomplish the same thing.
Unless you just like using a grinder and seeing sparks fly.
As for the license plate, I wouldn't drag the back end of the trailer on concrete to begin with. Just sit a milk crate or a box to lower the back end onto instead of onto the ground. Or I guess you could hinge a 2x2 about a foot long and bungee it up when done.
Angle grinder a slot use a screwdriver, use impact on bottom
Tread should be close to flat at the contact patch to maximize lateral grip and for even tread wear. Max inflation pressure is only for max loading. Adjust pressure for the load. By running pressure to high, you are heating up just the middle of the tread which can cause tread separation at highway speeds.
Radial tires have a flat contact patch, but these bias ply tires have a round patch even with lower pressures.
These are both excellent perspectives.
Trailer tires do not function the same as regular car tires. This is bad advice. Max inflation pressure always with trailer tires, unless you like changing wheels on the side of the freeway.
Mechanical engineer here. It is always best for the tire, to run it at max-load pressure, even at light loads. With an empty trailer at 80psi, the tire isn't heating up at all, much less enough to "cause tread separation". Tire failures due to inflation pressure are always due to UNDER inflation.
Another HUGE reason to err on the side of high inflation pressures, is hydroplaning. Higher inflation pressures raise the speed at which hydroplaning begins. Lower inflation pressure reduces the speed you'll hydroplane at. You can't get a pilot's license without learning that.
Even in a car, with tires that allow 44, 50, or 51psi but a door sticker saying to use 35psi, you'll never catch me with 35psi in my tires, much less the 28psi which that becomes during a cold snap if you forgot to add air before winter. It helps to know how to drive, including how to detect and correct for understeer and oversteer, when deviating from "recommended pressures". Once skilled, just check whether any particular tire pressure causes handling issues in your particular car. I've never owned a car that had any problems when running at the "max load at max psi" pressure. Contrary to popular believe, that doesn't wear the tires out in the center, either. It just prevents them from wearing out at the edge first. I got 63K miles out of a set of Michelin X-Ice3 SNOW AND ICE winter tires inflated to 50psi on my current car. And it handles like it's on rails, summer and winter. And it gets the best possible mpg. And it raises ground clearance a bit.
On a trailer, using less than the max-load pressure, has a name in court. Negligence.
A 12 inch tire has a low enough capacity already, even at max-load pressure. Reducing it is crazy, unless just temporarily for driving through sand or mud.
DO NOT LOWER THE PRESSURE
Great video! Very informative!
Here in Arizona we have the option of a small license plate. It’s the same size as a motorcycle plate. It makes mounting simple.
That’s interesting. It makes sense to not need a full size plate for a trailer that’s towed by an already licensed vehicle.
Thanks for the video
Great video thanks. I'm thinking of buying one of these to transport my motorbike. Very informative thanks.
This was really well put together.
I got my harbor freight trailer in 2016 and still use it to this day mine is the heaviest one that was available at the time and I maxx my loads on it and overload it at times hauling scrap metal. And it's been rear ended in an accident and I fixed and still keep using it. I do recommend upgrading the rims to a 13" because the 12" wheels keep loosing air on the beads but when you get the 13" wheels get a pair of wheel spacers. also swap out the hitch coupler with the solid a frame one that harbor freight sells it works way better and stiff it up more. The original snapped off easy like hot knife in butter.
I got one of these 20 years ago. Here are my suggestions (which of course may be out of date):
- do something to prevent the nuts from just vibrating loose at the pivot points. Buy Nylock nuts, use thread locker, weld them, or whatever (it looks like maybe HF has done this for at least some of the nuts?)
- the lights use the frame as a ground connection. This is sketchy at best, and hopeless at the hinges. Either run a separate ground wire to each light from the plug, or at least a jumper wire from the front to back half to bypass the hinges.
- replace the flimsy office chair casters with sturdy casters -- although maybe HF has already made this design change?
- get a couple of those reflectors on 4' plastic stalks that people put next to their driveways, mount them in short pieces of 2x4 and stick them in the brackets at the back of the trailer. This makes your trailer much more visible in traffic and easier to back up, as well as providing comic relief to other drivers as they flap back and forth in the wind.
Chill video! Ty:)
Last but not least I recommend adding a stabilizer bar half way down the "V" on the tounge and make it like this letter "A" it keeps it from flexing when weight is on the deck
I welded expanded metal deck and bolted in 3/4" Baltic Birch as my deck. Just cut sheet in half. I water proofed plywood. I chaned out the axle and installed bought a 3500 axle with electric brake hub. I run 14 in radial tires. Installed LED trailer lights. I also install 1/2" tubing for wire concuit and flexed the wire in to lights. This weather proofed the wiring. Welded the whole frame and remade the tongue hitch out of 2 in C channel then welded a support in between. Installed a piano hinge for license plate so it swings out of the way when i fold it. I also sandblasted the whole frame and powder coated the frame. Made stake bed expanded fence that easily removes 13:21 . Oh! I also welded rachet strap rollers on 4 points on each side. Welded a pin hinge in back of trailer for ramp. I use it for a landscaping trailer to haul my Exmark zero turn stand up mower. I have had the trailer since 2012 and it still looks new. I store it in a storage rental with all my other equipment. I have a Ford Explorer 1998 sport i tow with. I have never had an issue with this trailer. Trailer is well balanced. It tows beautifully. I could ask for a better trailer for the price. 11 years of service. I deffinately got my moneys worth out of this trailer.
Would Love to see a photo/ Photos of your trailer
I too would love to see some photos of your mods
So...
You made the "mack-daddy" edition???
Cool...
I have two of the 4x8 trailers. I just used a solid sheet of plywood on them. They've held up very well over the years I've had them. Even with being overloaded a couple times.
Really great update on the trailer! Exactly what I was looking for. I came here after reading your Harbor Freight site review! I have a couple of questions: Is the trailer strong enough with all the bolts or would welding the joints provide some additional strength? Also, do you think it would be wise to make a flat bed of 6x12 (extending a foot on each side and about 2 foot to the front and the back)? What would be the perceived difference between this trailer and some of the higher priced ones at Tractor Supply/Lowes etc. Sorry, I am total noob to trailers and I am looking for one for mainly home purposes.
Weld is always structurally stronger than bolts in any application
Extending a trailer is possible but not practical or safe. Changing the length would mean you would also need to move the axle to maintain proper tongue weight.
If it broke on the highway and someone got hurt or their property damaged, you would be I. A world of shit for altering the trailer.
Might want to check your tires in general. They had a recall on the ones for those trailers. Mine were in the recall. I haven't had any issues with them though. Mine DOES stay out in the elements so I need to go through it. I did not set mine up for being folded away. I used 3/4" outdoor ply for the deck instead of OSB and have side walls on mine for hauling gravel and dirt. I am getting ready to re-deck and re-wall it so will have a chance to go through it in detail. I have added a jack on the tongue too. Key advantage in my state is no need for licensing on such a light weight trailer so no license plate 🙂
After watching you and others with this trailer. I moded mine hard. I went with a design off of Amazon. The tongue. I am still not done building mine. Thanks for sharing this information.
The only other thing that I didn't mention in this video, is that I replaced the chains with cables, and it helps a lot with cleaning up the tongue.
@OffGridAdventure I saw what they cane with. In my mind was, no thinks. I changed mine over to the yellow grade steel. I believe their rated around 2,500 lb. I way over did it. The chain just fits in between the bolt and frame. Yet. I should have done it the way you said now. Way less weight. Thank you for the information.
Subject Plywood:
I recommend putting at Least 2 or more coats of high quality paint on each side and edges of the plywood.
I had a sheet of plywood painted well and used it outside for about 12 to 15 years as a work table before it rotted. Through Heat, Cold, Rain, and Snow.
As you know, you get out of something what you put into it. 😁
Great Video.
.
I got one a few months back and built it, I opted not to buy bearing buddies because the hubs actually have grease fittings on them already. It's slightly more inconvenient to access, since it's behind the wheels instead of in front, but does exactly the same function - just pump the grease in until it comes through the outer bearing. I used 3/4" treated plywood. One thing I regret is that I didn't make any accommodation for the fact that the sides of the frame sit higher than the middle, so it bows the wood slightly. It's not a big deal but it looks ugly and leaves your deck bowed, so you can't leave new 4x8 sheets on top without them warping.
Another thing to be aware of is that the folding halves are meant to be bolted together with 4 carriage bolts to the sides and 2 regular bolts through the middle. This is kind of a pain to do and undo, and is probably the biggest design flaw in my opinion. If you put any substantial weight on the trailer without doing up these bolts, it will overextend quite badly and eventually bend the frame, and taking them off to fold it back up sucks. I've been dreaming up ways to prevent the trailer from overextending that don't interfere with the folding action.
I bought my HF trailer from someone on Marketplace. He told me he overloaded it constantly and put an insane amount of miles on it. I used the trailer for my equipment repair business. Last summer a wheel bearing seized on rte 76 at night and as I looked back i saw the tire blow and the rim sparking shoot across two lanes of traffic hitting the divider and going straight up. I pulled off the road with a completely loaded trailer and got on Amazon and ordered a 4,500 pound axle with tires and wheels. It came the next day and my best friend and I changed the axle on the side of the road and I can't believe I did not upgrade that sooner. I have been planning on welding the frame shut and I will be doing that next week as I build it into my welding trailer. I need the tongue reinforced because I have a crane that I want to mount right in the triangle of the hitch.
Ya gotta check the bearings (see if they are getting hot to the touch) and use the best grease you can find. Mine's been across the country twice, loaded with motorcycles, and the bearings are still perfect.
And most of those tires are rated at 55mph, but they fly down the highway at 80mph not even filled to the right pressure. The deformation with under inflated tires is nuts. You will always have someone that does whatever they want solely because it worked for them in the past. But, in reality, the clock is ticking until they end up on the side of the road with a blowout.
So true. I’ve seen a few in the side of the road over the last month. It’s blowout season.
I’m confused about this. Load rating letter, even on the 4-lug tire is 87mph. But some people say 55 mph? Mine are rated 60 psi max so I run them at min 55 psi.
@@brianh1161 here’s the website for the tires on my trailer. www.carlislebrandtires.com/our-products/product-detail/sport-trail-lh/. If you have the same tires, they should be listed here. Mine are rated for 87mph.
@@OffGridAdventure yep glad we are seeing the same thing. I found that a few weeks ago myself. Perhaps at one time in the past HF put 55mph recommended speed in their manual so folks think that.
@@brianh1161 It used to be common that a trailer with 12 inch tires and smaller were "rated" for 55 mph max (regardless of the tire rating). HF used to sell trailers with 12" tires. It's really easy to get a trailer like that to start fish tailing and then spin if it is loaded wrong (or even right sometimes). I've seen it at 35 mph. Guy had a generator on the tail of the trailer - and that was all. Maybe that is where that comes from.
Thanks for all the good info. How fast do you drive while towing this trailer? Any difference in speed when empty or loaded down? Do you have any concerns or worries driving at lest the speed limit on the interstate highways?
Great video. Looking to get one of these and modify it to haul kayaks and other small to medium sized outdoor machines like bikes. Where did you source those upgraded bearings? Can you provide a link? Thanks again!
I added a hinge to the license plate. Home Depot sells a 12" black piano cover hinge that works perfectly. It folds down so the plate doesn't hit the wall during storage, and will fold forward if you were to drag it (I don't). I made a jig that basically keeps the plate in place when in the "driving" orientation, but releases when in the "storage" orientation. You could also use a binder clip to keep the plate in place on the road.
I have a 4x8 opened mesh trailer. It has 12" sides. I got tired of dirt falling through, road dirt on everything. I got several bed liners. Cut them down to fit the floor and the sides. Works wonders. I also took 2-4 pieces of plywood and made a box. I had one with shelves and a lid if I wanted.
When it comes to the tires the 5 year recommendation is because of dry rot. Tires will develop cracking in the sidewall, which can cause a failure.
I built the Home Depot special which had the smaller wheels and a different hitch mechanism. I used the 3/4" plywood and put a coat of oil based paint on before assembling. Cut the license plate bracket and brazed on a hinge. I use some stiff wire to keep the plate from flapping when in use. Added outboard eye bolts for tie points. Later added two large straight caster wheels to the underside of the back half of the bed so when you pull the front off the stand/casters the back of the bed just rolls on the new caster wheels keeping the bed from scraping on the ground. Previously, I would place a moving dolly under the bed so it wouldn't scrape. As a new need arises, I've been able to make changes including loading and hauling a motorcycle safely. Also those outboard eye bolts are also used to keep the trailer safely closed via a thick custom 'c' clip made just for that purpose. All the needed bits and bobs are stored in an old pillow case at the ready.
Switch your trailer lights so the plate light shines up. I had to make a bracket to hold the plate and drill a hole or two on the plate. Check with state laws about license plate placement. For the trailer deck go with pressure treated 1x6 or the wire mesh used on trailer gates. For that locknut that loosen put a lock washer on both sides of the bolt with the nut or loctite it.
About the license plate: I cut the bracket in two and hinged it. Changed out the hinge pin for a longer bolt and nut to pass through a small coil spring with the ends bent 90 degrees. One end goes against the license plate to keep it from slipstreaming, and it will fold when the aft section is dragged.
Regarding the license plate, I go off road a lot , I tried hinges, I still bent the plate, I tried a flexible plastic license mount, still bent it, tried dangling the plate with zip ties, still bent it. My solution was to bolt the plate vertically, or sideways, directly on the left fender facing rearward, and install a license light. I have never been pulled over by police for this, as long as the plate is present and readable and current registration.😊
I did the same but shortened the bracket before putting on the hinge. There's no purpose to have a bracket that long. To keep it flat up against the bottom of the trailer I used the velcro set that comes with an ipass. That velcro is super strong and will last forever. Cheap solution but works great
I bought a used one many years ago. It held up well. I hauled my riding mower and other large objects. A few years later I bought a flat bed SurTrac trailer and added sides. Then sold the Harbor Freight one. After twenty five years, my SurTrac is still around. And I do keep it outside.
Very good, yes, once you get a quality hd welded trailer, you can see the difference immediately.😊
Thanks for the vid. Well done. But after watching and reading the comments I decided not to buy one. It has too many problems , rust easily and it seems the bolts let go even after putting lock nuts on them. In the comments people talking about all kinds of modifications they have done to the trailer so I thought I might as well build and weld a trailer the way I want it . SOLID. Thicker metal and galvanized or powder coat painted.
Thanks for the vid. You saved me a lot of headaches.
got one still in the box in my garage was gonna make a little teardrop camper out of it, and I also have a little 4’x4’ one in the box I assembled just to pull behind my zero turn….😊
You are correct - run at Max load pressure regardless of the trailer load weight. Also the fact that you use the trailer is healthier for the tires (and bearings) than to let them set and not be used for a year or more. I'd say that you are getting your money's worth out of that trailer. I built one of these about 35 years ago, before there was a Harbor Freight but it's the same kit I built but it was from a different store. I subsequently sold it to my neighbor about 20 years ago (when I upsized to a 5x12' utility trailer with 14" rims). My neighbor still has that trailer!
My trailer is over 25 years old and I have gone through 2 sets of tires. My main complaint is with the leaf springs. I have had 3 different leaf springs break while I was on the road. I now carry 2 spare leaf springs with me in case 1 or more breaks on me. Other than that issue my little trailer has given me good service for many years.
Cheers well done on the trailer build and review
Awesome, Jamie! Thanks for stopping by!
I have a Higgins camper converted to a general hauling trailer. It had regular car size, tube type, tires that ran for 20 years, (around 20,00 miles total.) before they needed replacement due to age. Tread wear was negligible.
This was so very helpful! I’m considering the HF trailer for my foamie build! So, you kept the original tires for the trailer then and just monitor the temps vs. staying the recommended 45mph (which is why most people say put radials on them). Am I understanding that correctly? Thanks for telling us the bearing buddy part number for this trailer too as well as what you carry with you! Much appreciated.
According to the tire manufacturer website, my tires are rated for up to 72mph. I’m not sure where the 45mph range comes from. I’ve hauled this thing back and forth across the country twice with zero issues. I think the smaller 8” tires they used to sell are 45mph rated. In the end, I check the trailer every time I stop and I’ve found a loose bolt here and there. Loctite will help with that.
@@OffGridAdventure If not mistaken, the original stock 13" tires that come with the trailer kit are only rated for up to 45mph. Of course, if the previous owner changed the tires, I'd hope he/she would have upgraded them to something more usable.
There was a recall on all these trailers a few years ago due to the tires not being DOT rated and NHTSA received a bunch of complaints about the original tires. So the trailer kits were recalled and pulled from the stores for a while and changes were made to bring them up to compliance. I don’t know if any other changes were made. Now these trailers are considerably more expensive.
Good job on your trailering adventures, Dude! What you said really "hit home" for me --- I bought a very old small boat-trailer for $55 and completely rebuilt it, added new wood and fasteners, greased/adjusted the wheel-bearings, and added a removable plywood cargo-tray so that I could haul moderate-weight freight with it, as well as my rowboat. Love it! :D
Thanks for the information. One suggestion is 3/4 pressure treated plywood.
That’s a great tip.
That’s a good recommendation. Someone else recommended diamond plate. Which might be expensive.
@@OffGridAdventure I have an older, but similar, trailer that was sheathed with 5/4 x 6" deck boards. It's worked so well for decades, therefore, I'm considering investing in Trex deck boards or equivalent.
@@stephenh.bunkybyrd2024I wish you could buy trex in plywood sized sheets. That’d be very rigid :)
@@brianh1161 Actually, I find the Trex decking boards to be less rigid, but more durable than wood.
You have a trailer, you probably have cheap ratchet straps. When you have it folded, you have the brackets for 2x4s about chest high. Hook the strap on one (by the rust spot you pointed out) walk around the back of the trailer and hook the other end to the one by the bolt you had come out. It does the same thing as your bungees on the top but has a bonus. When you unfold and drop the rear of the trailer to the ground, hook the strap between the 2x4 brackets on the same side of the trailer with slight tension, when you lower the front of the trailer, the rear acts as a counterbalance. The other thing i did was put 2" casters on the rear so when I put it on the ground, it does not scrape and it keeps the liense plate off the ground.
The one I built, I used 1/8 inch Aluminum sheeting on it. Back in 2011 when I bought it. I paid about $120 for it. Now- it might be scary to see the prices- anyway. I sold it to a friend and he loves it. I bought a 1992 Nuway folding trailer. In Oct of 2021. I had to completely redo it. But for the price it was cheaper than buying a new one from harbor freight. They were over $600 then. I got the nuway for $300 and repainted, wired, and replaced the decking with 3/4 inch plywood- it was $60.00 but now I have a nice trailer. I leave mine folded out. And mine has 10 inch tires. I bought replacements and now I have a spare- good luck with yours
As far as the license plate is concerned I have a 6x4 board about 8 feet long. When folding or unfolding the trailer I allow the back end of the trailer to slide on the board keeping the plate clear of the ground.
Thompsons water seal on the deck and paint..great video
@OG - I'm really suspicious about anything/everything Harbor Freight, and the only thing/s that seems to make it a "buy" are the preemptive steps and forethinking you'd done during assembly (sands the 'squaring-up' of the rear section) and before each trailer use. In any case, so very looking forward to the next bigger-is-always-better trailer build. 👍
I'd say you're spot on with how to plan it out. Take your time, and it'll come out perfect. Overall, it's not a bad trailer after 10k miles.
I bought a harbor freight trailer 4 yrs ago and converted it to haul a pair of kayaks…it’s still holding up great
I got one of those trailers about 20 years ago maybe a little longer It has only been indoors a couple of weeks in that time it sat with the sideboards made of 2x4 with rabbit wire on the sides it sat full of trash being collected in it for around a year before I got it to the dump. One day I was delivering a ton of wood pellets to a friend when we were unloading it the bags shifted and dumped to the back it did bend the back piece of the trailer but it still works I got the pieces from another one that was scrapped but I haven’t bothered to change it because it still works ok. Another time we were moving some trash from a cleanup job we had I used my engine hoist to lift up an old cast iron stove when we let it down on the trailer it blew one of the tires off of the rim I did get another tire but it didn’t seem to hurt the trailer any. A couple of times after I first got the trailer I was trying to backup with it and jackknifed it a few times I have sideboards on the truck and the trailer is only around 5 feet wide and buy the time I seen the trailer it was to late. So we took off the trailer tong straitened it out and welded a 2 inch water pipe on each side and I use a 2 inch ball now unless the trailer is really full if I jackknife it the trailer just slides and no damage. A couple of years ago I built a little gipsy wagon it’s sitting on top of the trailer now but I can lift it up and pull the trailer out if I need to use it to hall anything else. Also about the wheel bearings they use to get very hot I took them off cleaned them really good and repacked them with some good grease and they don’t get hot anymore I moved a couple of years ago it was about a 2 hour drive we made about 5 trips with the trailer packed full and I hadn’t done much with the trailer for a couple of years and it did just fine the wheels didn’t heat up or anything. Another thing I use to do I made the side boards out of rabbit wire with 2 4’ 2x4’s on each panel and I used some of that plastic edge boards around the edges it’s 1/2” x3” it holds the wire good and keeps you from getting snagged on it. Then I got one of those trailer movers it has a long handle with an little a frame at the end with a trailer ball and 2 tires like a dolly has you just tip it into the hitch push down the handle and it will lift the trailer up off the trailer jack and you can just push the trailer around like a big wagon for collecting limbs and yard waist and you don’t have to use your vehicle till it’s full and your ready to hall it off I use to do a lot of cleanups in senior trailer parks they don’t like the noise and driving around on there lawns so this worked great just drag it around filling it then take it back to the truck hook it back up and hall it away. This is all of the problems I’ve had with this great little trailer in over 20 years of using it and it’s been outside in the rain and snow the hole time. There was a short time I was working at a restaurant I would go to the supply store fill up the trailer with a few weeks of supplies I had a CJ5 Jeep so you can’t fit much in it I would use the trailer when I got back unloaded it then take the side boards off put them in the hallway fold the trailer up standing it up and put it in the hallway it’s only as thick as the wheels plus a couple of inches for the fenders you could walk around it with no problems at all it’s still a great trailer they do have a heavier weight version I have been thinking about getting but this one doesn’t seem to be overloaded so I don’t know if I ever will. If you need a trailer this is a great deal to get and like I say you can fold it up so it only takes up around 5’x6’x18” park it in the garage or next to a building and it’s ready to use in a few minutes whenever you need it 😅 😅
Thank you for the video. I saw nothing that concerned me. Not that I wouldn't remedy what you pointed out, except the OSB thing, which some decent oil-based paint would have prevented. The issues you've had might bother me, after five years, if I had paid $3000. for the trailer. You didn't mention how much the trailer cost. How much did the trailer cost?
edit: just checked the price. today, 17JUN23, It goes for $549.
I would be ecstatic if I bought a trailer for $550, and it looked that good after 5 years. Very good value, for sure! I may just get me one of those.
You can get it 20% off now through July 4th, it's not excluded from the current sale coupon. 25% off if you're a member, which I am. I'm tempted, but have a relative with a 5x8 handscape-gate trailer I can borrow if I need it.
Around 20 years ago I had the lighter version (1190# cap) of it, and it was OK, but I'd definitely buy the heavier one if doing it again.
How would oil based paint help prevent this if it's never been wet (only having absorbed ambient moisture)? Even oil based paint on all sides isn't going to make a full seal against that.
@@ian3580 Of coarse it won't make the thing impervious, but a couple good coats of oil based paint will extend it's life significantly. Latex paint would help too, but oil based (think Rustoleum) is far more durable.
regarding the date code - you also have to look for weather checking, or dry rot. Ignore the treadwear.
these are only two-ply tires, not enough meat to deal with highway temperatures.
5 to 10 years is fine for 'farm use', though
$200 replacement or a blowout w/ potential accident on the road?
Thanks for the video, safe travels!
The folding trailer concept intrigues me. As a European it's really nice to see leaf spring trailers. At the same time I'm in awe that you guys don't get galvanized frames as standard. It's not uncommon to see +40 year old trailers going to the municipality dump on the weekends.
What do you use as opposed to leaf springs in your trailer?
Thank you Sir
I bought a 12" wheel Harbor Freight Trailer in 1997. Put it together and used it intermittently to haul anything and everything. There are parts that get rusted . Some I spray with WD40 occasionally . some I brushed and spray painted . the 2x4 railing and decking rot away and got changed 3 times. The HF trailer was stored outside in the rain, snow and sun. In 2019 we notice the wheel are wobbly. I changed out the bearing. but it still wobble and scrubbed the tires. Sold the trailer as is for $75 or 100 in 2020 during covid pandemic.. don't remember. for a $240 plus the lumber from 1997 to 2020. It was a money well spent :)
I rivet my tags on the left hand fender and have a small light that shines on the tag. Works great the tag never hits anything. Also make sure you put valve caps on the stems.
Also I used extension cord for my trailer lights because it has a layer of protection sheathing over the wires in the cord just you gotta alter the wire colors and write it down or mark it on the trailer. And I made own replacement fenders out of a 55gal oil drum and bed frame. Way better than the flimsy cheesey ones it comes with.
Well some food for thought for me. I bought my trailer last year and with all the discounts applied paid only 250 out of 579, or so sticker. But I've got a question.
1. I've got the frame together and right by the folding brackets and from the rear section through to the wheel mounting bracket there's a bolt. I noticed when you opened the trailer you didn't put a bolt in that hole to, I guess help keep that back half from bouncing down the road.
2. What's really stymied me are the bearings. So I take them out of the hub assy. I bought a bearing packer which looks to be easy enough to use. Once I get the bearings packed and back in the assy and the hubs bolted to the axel do I fill the hub with grease? Or do I just add in a couple of squirts before each use? (I can't find a real answer to this)
3. Also if the rear bearing is a sealed how do I know that it's being lubricated .
There's tons of vids on bearing packing
The Harbor Freight kit trailers are an incredible deal. I got mine in 2020 for $420 bucks. I don’t use it as a folding trailer. It just provided a base for a trash trailer. Add another $100 bucks in plywood and it’s all done.
It is a trailer though that requires a little more details since you’re assembling it and due to how it’s made. Yeah, you’ll need to go through and check bolts every once in a while, touch up paint, exc.
I have a 10 year old harbor freight trailer out here in the desert. Stored outside and it's seen plenty of rain no rust. it is more pink than red at this point though and same stock bearings and tires.
A few of my weather events were in the northeast where they use salt on the snow.
For your pivot bolts, I'd encourage getting 2 nuts on each side. Non locking nut design on the inner side. Possibly also using washers. Then tighten to lock the two nuts together (you already have long bolts).
The bed hinges can probably be straightened with a hammer and anvil, but I'd probably make new ones out of heavier steel. The offset would be a pain to bend in, but could be made with two overlapping pieces welded together.
Fortunately Oregon doesn't license light trailers. I could imagine my Haulin trailer that I bought about 25 years ago, I could easily have spent more on licenses than the cost of the trailer.
Slipping carriage bolts are a pain. I avoid waferboard. You might be able to tear the waferboard up around the bolts. Self tapping bolts are common trailers, but carriage bolts are more secure.
PA made me get $300 worth of paperwork and special inspection. Sucked but if you need a folding trailer, only good option.
Where you missed your wire lumming you can use a product called spirap. It is a spiral wrap made of poly or teflon. It's easy to install and remove.
I bought this exact trailor, about 5 years ago, it's still in the garage, unassembled.
I found a very flexible rubber mount/bracket for the license plate on Amazon. It easily goes up or down to avoid bending the plate. Gravity is your friend and positions it right where it needs to be.
I almost bought a maverick hybrid but I don't really need a truck. Mayne only once or twice a year to go to home depot and do diy home projects. Should I buy a foldable utility trailer instead and add a hitch to my Nissan leaf so I can haul stuff whenever I need it??
Thanks man
We use these trailers as a base for deer blinds. They work perfect. For decking forget plywood. Use composite decking. Stiffens the trailer and lasts forever.
To avoid the bolts chipping and rotating in the wood freely mark the new mounting points for the board where you want it then get some threaded inserts for those bolts that way you can easily do bolting and unbolting when required and avoid the bolt's threads rounding off in the wood over time.
Even though the carriage bolt heads are buried in the OSB, you should be able to get a pair of vice grips on the head to hold them.
Regarding the carriage bolts: You may be able to save them if you clean up the exposed threads really well, chase them with a die nut or a good steel nut and then side load the nut when loosening. With enough side load, the bolt should bind up in its hole and let you back the nut off. Alternatively, just cut off the plywood and slip an open end wrench over the square part under the bolts head.
I also had bearings in case of a failure. I then upgraded it by getting a hub and installed the bearings this way if I did have a failure I just had to change out the hub. After having a problem with the original tires I upgraded the tires with ones rated for 80MPH.