Trailer, 2010

Usually I get the trailer back in action in the Spring, but this year took a different course and here I am spinning the trailer up in August. Better late than never, yeah?




Every year brings a different list than the last, and this one included a license plate/tail light bracket that sheared, a failed right-hand tail light, and some rewiring. That's in addition to the yearly repacking of the wheel bearings. It appears the Harbor Freight trailer mediocrity exists outside my social circle:

How to fix Harbor Freight’s 48 x 96″ 1150lb trailer with 12″ wheels

James's post above is priceless - I'm sure I'll be referring to that a few more times. Thanks to the broken pieces of information on the blogs, forums, and parts suppliers that lace our intertubes, we continue to hobble along with HF Model 90154.

September will see us down in the Smokies for our 2010 taste of the twisties. And I'll be damned if Old Red isn't the 1st thing I see every time I check the rear view.

The Trusty Trailer

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.



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.



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.