Sunday, April 5, 2009

The Trusty Trailer

RepackingWheelBearings

It's that time of year again - the first track day is cresting the horizon and it brings to mind all that trailer maintenance I've been putting off. Repacking the wheel bearings, fixing the license plate mount, rewiring some of the electrical...

We purchased a Harbor Freight trailer in Spring of 2006. The product came highly recommended from our friends who pioneer all the trends in motorcycle activities (at least from our point-of-view). The biggest reason this product is popular among our group is cost. For $330 (plus shipping), you get a 4x8 frame with 12" wheels. Add the bed material of your choice, and you're done. However you get what you pay for, and the Harbor Freight trailer definitely has its share of design flaws. The folding hinges shear, the rear half ends up sagging, the wiring layout results in a poor ground, and the list goes on. But these problems are easily surmountable with a bit of thought, as we're still going strong 3 years later.

weatheredTrailer

We neglect our trailer; living in a townhouse makes it tough to protect our 4x8 friend since we store it on our property. It's out in the weather every day of the year and that's reflected in the red powder-coating, which has faded significantly. But there has been no detrimental corrosion whatsoever.

middleOfNoWhere

It has turned out to be a great tool for us. And at this rate, we expect to pull this thing behind us for another 3 years.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Make sure to use lots of locktite on the license plate this time. My backpack only has so many leather strips for reattaching it.

author said...

Good call :) Yeah, we've had way too many close calls with losing the trailer tag. So wait, you won't always be there to lend us some kind of temporary solution?!