Trailer question

[free75degrees]

I saw a guy advertising a small trailer(new) on craigslist and he was asking $300, which seemed like a great deal. I looked up the manufacturer and it was Haul Master sold through Harbor Freight. The original price was $250!

Anyway I browsed some more at Harbor Freight and they seem to have REALLY good prices on a variety of trailers. Anybody have experience with these? Are they good quality?

 

[gzecc]

Buy a used trailer for a couple of hundred. The older are usually better quality.

 

[triptester]

Harbor Freight has many value priced items that are useful, but good quality is not the standard, it is hit or miss.

 

[gzecc]

On Second thought its a few hundred for a small trailer used.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

You might check out Tractor Supply or even Home Depot etc. The small trailers are not too badly priced even if they are higher than Harbor Freight.

 

[Chumley]

Like the other said, those are low quality trailers. It depends on what your needs are.

 

[JustWood]

http://www.kaufmantrailers.com/

These guys make a good quality trailer at a very competitive price.I see them on the road everywhere.

 

[Dix]

Check the local papers/Craigs list, etc, for a used bumper pull horse trailer.

You might be suprised.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

I think its going to depend on how much you are looking to haul, and along with how much your tow vehicle can handle.
I picked up a used one on craigslist for $300...can carry about 800lbs which isn't much but I have a small vehicle for towing.
Good luck.

 

[Jags]

Keep in mind that hauling wood is typically a heavier load than the average person hauls. Even a half a cord of green oak is gonna run ~2500 pounds.

Many of those smaller trailers are simply not designed for heavy hauling. Buyer beware.

 

[smokinj]

Buy a used trailer for a couple of hundred. The older are usually better quality.

i bought one that was made out of a 1972 boat frame holds 96 cu ft like a champ!

 

[backpack09]

I have seen this trailer on CL too. You must remember that a 250$ trailer from HF does not come with ANY decking or side rails. This guy is giving you a pretty decent deal. But unfortunately the load rating of this trailer is not very good for firewood.

If you don't mind me asking, what would you be towing the trailer behind?

Dan

 

[bsruther]

If you get one of those 4X8 utility trailers, like the ones they have at TSC, it would be a good idea to beef it up a little. I think a heavy duty hitch coupler and thicker ply tires would be needed to haul wood.
The hitch coupler broke on the 4X8 that I used to have. I was going 60mph too...not fun.

 

[TreePapa]

Remember, when you buy the trailer from HF, it is completely unassembled. The CL seller probably spent hours and hours assembling the trailer. He also had to register it w/ your state's DMV (make sure it is regestired before you buy). I've been coveting one of HF's folding trailers, even 'tho I know the capacity is limited, 'cuz it folds and stores out of the way, but the assembly looks like a pain in the donkey.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[struggle]

I looked at Menards and Lowe's when I bought my 5x10' trailer and the cheaper trailers had a single rail/channel for the tung and a 2,000 lb. axle with 13" wheels. I spent another $200 and went to a regular trailer place and bought a H&H;5x10 trailer for $1,100 with a 3,500 lb axle and 15" wheels and a V channeled tung which greatly improved the strenght of the front of the trailer.

Those knock off trailers are really flimsy. You would also get more of yourt money back by buying a better trailer down the road be it a used or new.

I pull my trailer with a mini-van it works terrific. Look for the thread show your wood haulers and the first one is mine.

 

[gpcollen1]

I too am a fan of used stuff but when considering a trailer that I planned on using for a long while to haul wood, I figured a new 5x8 with one piece trailer with sides and a nice drop gate was a good buy at $1100. i went with a Bri-mar and have never looked back going on 3 years now. I load it with a bout 1/2 a cord to 3/4 max - occasionally I have over loaded it and went very slow. Look around at some options prior to pulling the trigger for sure. I extended my sides with pressure treated to 36" high so it is now 5x8x3, which is right around a cord.

 

[Danno77]

I don't know if there is much more than my own personal observations to base this information on, but my experience with trailers is to look at the wheels. If the wheel is teensy and looks like it could go to a garden wagon then the trailer is going to be rated for around 1000lbs. If it's bigger and looks like it could go on a yugo then it's 1500-2500 (usually more like 1500-2000). If it has a full size car wheel don't expect much more than 2500-3000. two wheels, about 3500-5500. This just seems to go for your standard flat trailers. I couldn't tell you one way or the other about trailers with specific duties (like boats, horses, converted camper platforms, etc)

 

[bsruther]

My trailer is used and I couldn't be happier with it. It's 6X10, has 2 axles and has a spare. The deck is 3/16 steel diamond plate. I think it could haul my Jeep in it if I had to. I paid $800 for it.
You can get good deals on used trailers if you are patient. You can also get junk if you're hasty, used or new.

 

[free75degrees]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll be using a Chevy Colorado to pull the trailer and I've been using that to get all of my wood to this point. It won't hold too much wood though, so I often have to make several trips for a good sized wood scrounge. I basically just want a trailer to maybe double my load capacity. Also, there are often very large logs at the town dump that I could probably pull up onto a trailer with a come-along. Of course I would be careful and do some rough calculations based on the size of the log to decide if it is within the trailer weight limits.

I'm not in a big hurry since I can get by with the truck for now and plus i still have to convince the wife that this is something I need, so I'll probably just keep checking CL for good used deals.

 

[Danno77]

If you have the I5 engine then you can tow either 4000 or 5500lbs depending on cab. I'd get as big of a trailer as you can. Look for something that looks big enough to put a car on and has tandem axles and that should do it!

as far as the bed capacity goes i'm shocked it can't haul any more than it can. I think my import can haul as much wood lb for lb as a colorado (not seriously, but geesh, it borders on silly to have a truck haul so little) They don't make a Colorado HD or anything do they? Payload for a Reg Cab colorado is about 1500lbs. add bigger cabs onto that and it's closer to 1300lbs.

anyway, with a trailer AND bed filled to the max you can carry around a cord of wood, that's no small feat, so a good combo IMO.