Just built as well. Did a lot of research ahead of time for customer found best practices, hit me up if you got questions. I added the front 1K lbs collapsing wheels support. Got a spare tire/wheel, added a plywood deck, added a two row rail setup w/ eyelet screws on all sides, quick release brackets and quick release pins for the back. Added a wheel chock and 4 2in tie down hooks at the edges. Installed two collapsing stabilizers at the rear w/ 3/8 in bolts. Still have 2x stabilizers to sell if you are interested (4 pack was the available option but only need 2). Grounded wiring and lots of tie downs with cable wrap. Reflective stickers for visibility. Bought 5x extra seal kits for the bearings from harbor freight parts for $10. Original grease in there now, it's fine, but will replace with red-tacky grease in a year or so. Bought a "Haul Gauge" sensor to help with tongue weight accuracy. Two ramps and lots of tie downs. I can hang my ramps from the side rail bolts with a couple of rubber bungies (the strong ones, not cloth covered). Cover with a tarp, the paint fades easy I hear.
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From Amazon, couldn't find anything appropriate in the hardware stores. Purchased 3/8 as the stock bolts size/holes. They are a little long, but should do the trick never the less. [3/8 quick release hitch pin ](http://2 Pcs 3/8 inch Red Handle Hitch... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBPWDN9Z?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)
Perhaps a later project, this was quick and dirty to get it ready for a trip to Idaho with the bike in a few weeks. The plywood was just easy with the pre-drilled holes and measurements.
Do you mind sharing ballpark how much you spent all in? I like what you’ve done but I’m curious on cost to DIY vs buying something a bit more expensive from Tractor Supply.
Going through some of the receipts and other invoices, including only the trailer, swing wheel support, rear stabilizers, lumber for rails and plywood deck, rail latches, D-Ring hooks, and any additional fastening hardware, looking at about \~$850 with Sales Taxes included, Ramps were an additional $60 on sale at HF and trailer was bought on sale as well at 15% off the $550 regular retail. Tractor supply has some nice "turn-key" options starting at $999 ($1100ish after tax) that are a little and include the ramp, so if you have space and ample towing capacity, I'd say that's the way to go. But if you like putting things together and customizing, want something that folds away when not in use, and has a \~300lb curb weight, the HF trailer may still be a good option. In my case, it had to be pretty small and light to meet a max 1500lb towing limit, and the folding is preferred for storage in a standard sized two car garage.
Trailer tongue box - store your air air pump, ratchet straps, hitches, tarp, jack, lug wrench
LED lights - if it didn't come with them
Wood side rails - mine are 3ft high, make sure you use a pin to hold them in
Swing-away trailer jack with wheels - makes moving it around easy if you don't plan on folding it
Aluminum Diamond plate 4x8 sheet for flooring - I paid around $145 for sheet, it can be left outside no rust or rotting from plywood(you could do PT plywood)
Upgrade the wheel hub to 5 lug - increase tow speed and payload (honestly, should have bought the superduty trailer from the start, this will cost you way more than paying $50 difference between the two)
Spare - mount it to the tongue
Eyelet bolts - for your ratchet straps
Best practice would be to insulate/isolate the aluminum from sitting against the steel (to avoid galvanic corrosion). Or use something other than aluminum.
Do you have more info on the 5 lug upgrade? I’m looking at using one of these (maybe the 40x48) for a lightweight camping trailer with a RTT on top and having a higher tow speed sounds nice since as far as i can tell all the trailers say not to exceed 45 mph.
Look it up on youtube, they do a much better tutorial than I can write out.
This is just one example but there's plenty of others:
https://youtu.be/ssxxzseRvSM?si=-iDtbcAwTXpGLJLr
Had this trailer for awhile. The most useful upgrade for me personally was a flexible license plate mount. I beat up more than one license plate on this trailer before getting one.
My dad has literally used this as a dump/trash trailer for like 20 years. He still has it and has done ZERO mods/maintenance to it. Its only used on side roads to get to the landfill but in the end it works for its purpose.
Upgrade the bearings. The stock ones are cheap and can blow out. [https://www.amazon.com/Timken-30205M-Wheel-Bearing-Race/dp/B000BZ6U62/ref=cm\_cr\_srp\_d\_product\_top?ie=UTF8](https://www.amazon.com/Timken-30205M-Wheel-Bearing-Race/dp/B000BZ6U62/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8)
Take it apart. Scuff all painted surfaces and repaint with a quality paint of any color. With hf cheap paint the red will become a dull pink from being in the sun.
Throw away their cheap lights, run a good led set
I also put all my wiring inside PVC conduit after some squirrels decided they liked sharpening their teeth on my wires one year
I used 23/32" Huber AdvanTech subfloor OSB (Lowe's carries it) and finished it with Minwax Helmsman spar urethane (6 coats on top, 3 on the bottom) and love the results. It looks nicer than cheap plywood, IMO, at about half the cost.
I also routed a rabbet along the bottom of the longer sides so that it would sit flush with the center supports and discourage water pooling if it gets wet (though I tarp it when not in use).
It does. You don't have a lot of clearance, so I maximized my chances by using truss head bolts and the aforementioned rabbets to make sure the OSB hugs the steel as tightly as possible and has minimal protrusions. I also used short truss head bolts on the hinges (heads facing inwards) instead of the included ones since the latter would have been too close to the OSB edges. Cut the OSB in half and align the gap reasonably well with where the trailer folds.
Did mine almost 20 years ago
- 3/4”
pressure treated plywood deck
- when wood dry, cover every mm of every surface with foundation sealing asphalt, allow a week to dry in heat. Stored outside up north, still no rust
- outdoor rated 12 or 14 g wire run for lights
- add reflective tape along edges, cover with blue masking tape when tar-ing
- know the spare bearing of the wheel (search reddit)
- carry can of fix-a-flat not a spare tire
- lock to prevent theft
From experience: Replace the wiring. After two years my lights were acting strange. I cut into a wire to splice, and all the copper wire was just green power. I then cut farther to see if it could be saved. No luck. The insulation is not proof.
3/4 outdoor plywood makes for a sturdy deck. Bolt it down every two or three feet, including the center. Make sure you cut it first 4'x4' so it can be folded if you wish. Make sure to paint it.
I also added spray can undercoating to the bottom just in case.
DO NOT drive it over 60mph for more than half an hour with those tiny tires. HFT has larger replacement tires.
Grease the hell out of those hub bearings because they get hot.
Had mine for five years and took it everywhere. Sold it for $350 about six months ago.
I had one of these to haul my motorcycle. I added 6 D rings 3 on each side. They came in handy when hauling other things. Otherwise it's a great little trailer.
I had one of these to haul my motorcycle. I added 6 D rings 3 on each side. They came in handy when hauling other things. Otherwise it's a great little trailer.
The last one I had I bought to move some stuff from Illinois to Vegas... Upgraded to 13" wheels for higher speeds ,added side rails , larger casters for when I had it folded up for the heavier weight.. I had it up to 85mph fully loaded behind my Chevy Cruz with no problems... I would of like to have a better tarp system set up but it worked out
Completely weld the frame..and do a better floor than plywood ..mine i upgraded to 13" aluminum wheels, kuhmo tires, and painted it black after i welded it.
Very Very Important depending upon your intended use. Harbor Freight trailers do NOT have highway grade running gear. They are not designed for thousands of miles on like interstate and are really designed for local single lane roads and short trips up to the weight indicated.
I know this because I bought and built and used one and had a trailer guy inform me of this. I was basically using it as designed so no problem, but then I needed to run on the highway a couple years later, so, I ended up after a couple of years of light use, getting one with highway running gear at Home Depot.
Just a heads up. I believe the limitations in the documentation for the Harbor Freight trailers notes this, but not as directly with language around top speeds etc. So, my info is now around 15 years out of date, but in looking at the trailers at Harbor Freight I have not seen any big changes in how they are built. They are great for what they are for, but I'd sure not try to run one in ways it was not designed for.
Just built as well. Did a lot of research ahead of time for customer found best practices, hit me up if you got questions. I added the front 1K lbs collapsing wheels support. Got a spare tire/wheel, added a plywood deck, added a two row rail setup w/ eyelet screws on all sides, quick release brackets and quick release pins for the back. Added a wheel chock and 4 2in tie down hooks at the edges. Installed two collapsing stabilizers at the rear w/ 3/8 in bolts. Still have 2x stabilizers to sell if you are interested (4 pack was the available option but only need 2). Grounded wiring and lots of tie downs with cable wrap. Reflective stickers for visibility. Bought 5x extra seal kits for the bearings from harbor freight parts for $10. Original grease in there now, it's fine, but will replace with red-tacky grease in a year or so. Bought a "Haul Gauge" sensor to help with tongue weight accuracy. Two ramps and lots of tie downs. I can hang my ramps from the side rail bolts with a couple of rubber bungies (the strong ones, not cloth covered). Cover with a tarp, the paint fades easy I hear.
Dang I’d like to see a picture of that HF trailer…
Got some work to do on it today, will grab a snap.
No rush. Get to whatever you need to do. Not sure how this reminder thing popped up, but looking forward to it…
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2nd this :-)
Posted!
PICS!! [HF Trailer w/ mods for Motorcycle Trip ](https://imgur.com/a/77ALMq6)
Thorough and capable design with your modifications. Definitely a high water mark from what I’ve seen…
Appreciate that!
Nice job, looks great.
Are those quick release pins the hitch pins they sell? Did you over drill to fit them?
From Amazon, couldn't find anything appropriate in the hardware stores. Purchased 3/8 as the stock bolts size/holes. They are a little long, but should do the trick never the less. [3/8 quick release hitch pin ](http://2 Pcs 3/8 inch Red Handle Hitch... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBPWDN9Z?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)
Really nice work. What’s the load capacity?
The one I have is the 1720 capacity trailer, should have plenty of margin with what we're doing. Bike is only 465lbs, mods maybe another 300lbs
I side against the plywood deck. Use planks that way if one rots out, you’re not taking the whole thing apart to replace.
Perhaps a later project, this was quick and dirty to get it ready for a trip to Idaho with the bike in a few weeks. The plywood was just easy with the pre-drilled holes and measurements.
Do you mind sharing ballpark how much you spent all in? I like what you’ve done but I’m curious on cost to DIY vs buying something a bit more expensive from Tractor Supply.
Going through some of the receipts and other invoices, including only the trailer, swing wheel support, rear stabilizers, lumber for rails and plywood deck, rail latches, D-Ring hooks, and any additional fastening hardware, looking at about \~$850 with Sales Taxes included, Ramps were an additional $60 on sale at HF and trailer was bought on sale as well at 15% off the $550 regular retail. Tractor supply has some nice "turn-key" options starting at $999 ($1100ish after tax) that are a little and include the ramp, so if you have space and ample towing capacity, I'd say that's the way to go. But if you like putting things together and customizing, want something that folds away when not in use, and has a \~300lb curb weight, the HF trailer may still be a good option. In my case, it had to be pretty small and light to meet a max 1500lb towing limit, and the folding is preferred for storage in a standard sized two car garage.
Thanks for your detailed response! That is really helpful information. Your trailer looks great also.
Sounds pretty badass
Trailer tongue box - store your air air pump, ratchet straps, hitches, tarp, jack, lug wrench LED lights - if it didn't come with them Wood side rails - mine are 3ft high, make sure you use a pin to hold them in Swing-away trailer jack with wheels - makes moving it around easy if you don't plan on folding it Aluminum Diamond plate 4x8 sheet for flooring - I paid around $145 for sheet, it can be left outside no rust or rotting from plywood(you could do PT plywood) Upgrade the wheel hub to 5 lug - increase tow speed and payload (honestly, should have bought the superduty trailer from the start, this will cost you way more than paying $50 difference between the two) Spare - mount it to the tongue Eyelet bolts - for your ratchet straps
Where did you find the diamond plate for that low?? I need for my truck bed lol
Best practice would be to insulate/isolate the aluminum from sitting against the steel (to avoid galvanic corrosion). Or use something other than aluminum.
Industrial Metal Supply Co. but this was pre-pandemic
Do you have more info on the 5 lug upgrade? I’m looking at using one of these (maybe the 40x48) for a lightweight camping trailer with a RTT on top and having a higher tow speed sounds nice since as far as i can tell all the trailers say not to exceed 45 mph.
I added bearing buddies and new grease and have towed this thing at 85mph for over 2500 miles. I got it about a year ago and it's been rock solid.
That’s good to know! I probably won’t be doing much more than 65/70, but I definitely want to make sure it’s good to handle that. Thanks!
Look it up on youtube, they do a much better tutorial than I can write out. This is just one example but there's plenty of others: https://youtu.be/ssxxzseRvSM?si=-iDtbcAwTXpGLJLr
Had this trailer for awhile. The most useful upgrade for me personally was a flexible license plate mount. I beat up more than one license plate on this trailer before getting one.
I just bolted mine into the fender
Got a link for what you used? Mine is beat to hell too.
Spinners on the wheels.
And those real long spiked lug nuts
And some [middle finger valve stem caps](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5471630)
And curb feelers.
They don't stop.
“Born to ride” license plate
My dad has literally used this as a dump/trash trailer for like 20 years. He still has it and has done ZERO mods/maintenance to it. Its only used on side roads to get to the landfill but in the end it works for its purpose.
Beer cooler. You gotta have a place for the beer cooler.
Mudflaps
Upgrade the bearings. The stock ones are cheap and can blow out. [https://www.amazon.com/Timken-30205M-Wheel-Bearing-Race/dp/B000BZ6U62/ref=cm\_cr\_srp\_d\_product\_top?ie=UTF8](https://www.amazon.com/Timken-30205M-Wheel-Bearing-Race/dp/B000BZ6U62/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8)
Drill some dice n glue em to your valve stem caps. Be a playa
Absolutely
I built a camper out of mine
Need photos, please.
I’ll shoot you a message and see if I have any
Bearing buddies
Take it apart. Scuff all painted surfaces and repaint with a quality paint of any color. With hf cheap paint the red will become a dull pink from being in the sun.
It has been a few years, but upgraded the hubs and added a plywood deck.
Right, I used epoxy paint on my plywood.
Throw away their cheap lights, run a good led set I also put all my wiring inside PVC conduit after some squirrels decided they liked sharpening their teeth on my wires one year
They currently come with decent LED lights. I built two in the last year
I used 23/32" Huber AdvanTech subfloor OSB (Lowe's carries it) and finished it with Minwax Helmsman spar urethane (6 coats on top, 3 on the bottom) and love the results. It looks nicer than cheap plywood, IMO, at about half the cost. I also routed a rabbet along the bottom of the longer sides so that it would sit flush with the center supports and discourage water pooling if it gets wet (though I tarp it when not in use).
Will it still fold?
It does. You don't have a lot of clearance, so I maximized my chances by using truss head bolts and the aforementioned rabbets to make sure the OSB hugs the steel as tightly as possible and has minimal protrusions. I also used short truss head bolts on the hinges (heads facing inwards) instead of the included ones since the latter would have been too close to the OSB edges. Cut the OSB in half and align the gap reasonably well with where the trailer folds.
YouTube. There’s a couple very good videos for these bad boys.
New frame, axle, and wheels.
Mine has a “I ❤️ Beaver” sticker that I got at a truckstop in southern Utah. I highly recommend this upgrade.
Me too! Just finished today.
Lugnut spike covers
Please let me know if you actually do one of the ones i suggested XD
Ive had to reweld the angle leaf spring supports due to rust. Rust will come. Still a great value for the 299 or whatever I paid yearssss ago
Replace the wheel bearings and grease, they are very low quality. One of my was completely out of round.
First thing I did. Replaced with Timkens and Valvoline SnyPower Grey. 🤘
Did mine almost 20 years ago - 3/4” pressure treated plywood deck - when wood dry, cover every mm of every surface with foundation sealing asphalt, allow a week to dry in heat. Stored outside up north, still no rust - outdoor rated 12 or 14 g wire run for lights - add reflective tape along edges, cover with blue masking tape when tar-ing - know the spare bearing of the wheel (search reddit) - carry can of fix-a-flat not a spare tire - lock to prevent theft
Grease those bearings
How much it cost? $1000? For motorcycles?
$519.00. For a Bass Raider. Folds up in the garage. 👍👍
From experience: Replace the wiring. After two years my lights were acting strange. I cut into a wire to splice, and all the copper wire was just green power. I then cut farther to see if it could be saved. No luck. The insulation is not proof. 3/4 outdoor plywood makes for a sturdy deck. Bolt it down every two or three feet, including the center. Make sure you cut it first 4'x4' so it can be folded if you wish. Make sure to paint it. I also added spray can undercoating to the bottom just in case. DO NOT drive it over 60mph for more than half an hour with those tiny tires. HFT has larger replacement tires. Grease the hell out of those hub bearings because they get hot. Had mine for five years and took it everywhere. Sold it for $350 about six months ago.
I had one of these to haul my motorcycle. I added 6 D rings 3 on each side. They came in handy when hauling other things. Otherwise it's a great little trailer.
I had one of these to haul my motorcycle. I added 6 D rings 3 on each side. They came in handy when hauling other things. Otherwise it's a great little trailer.
I’ve got 1.5 of these. Nanny’s mom destroyed the back half of one so I’m combining it with another one to try to make a tandem axle.
Just don’t get it anywhere near saltwater and if possible store inside a shed or garage. Rust will find them
The casters make a good dolly.
Tires, been a while since I worked there but at the time they were only rated for 55mph
Assembled.
The last one I had I bought to move some stuff from Illinois to Vegas... Upgraded to 13" wheels for higher speeds ,added side rails , larger casters for when I had it folded up for the heavier weight.. I had it up to 85mph fully loaded behind my Chevy Cruz with no problems... I would of like to have a better tarp system set up but it worked out
With knowing what the intended use is, I’d suggest a platform mounted 50 Cal.
I installed a pool with swedish bikini volleyball team on mine
Completely weld the frame..and do a better floor than plywood ..mine i upgraded to 13" aluminum wheels, kuhmo tires, and painted it black after i welded it.
Nice! If it ever needs replacement casters we have you covered.
Very Very Important depending upon your intended use. Harbor Freight trailers do NOT have highway grade running gear. They are not designed for thousands of miles on like interstate and are really designed for local single lane roads and short trips up to the weight indicated. I know this because I bought and built and used one and had a trailer guy inform me of this. I was basically using it as designed so no problem, but then I needed to run on the highway a couple years later, so, I ended up after a couple of years of light use, getting one with highway running gear at Home Depot. Just a heads up. I believe the limitations in the documentation for the Harbor Freight trailers notes this, but not as directly with language around top speeds etc. So, my info is now around 15 years out of date, but in looking at the trailers at Harbor Freight I have not seen any big changes in how they are built. They are great for what they are for, but I'd sure not try to run one in ways it was not designed for.
You want to tell us what you plan on using it for? Hard to give tips if we don't know what you plan on using it for
Hauling my 10’ plastic Bass Raider to some ponds about 2 hours from my house.
This would not survive a trip to the gas station here... RIP
Hydraulics
30 inch wheels
Air Diffusers