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Harbor Freight Trailer
http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=56400		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  MikeHeurope [ Sun Nov 08, 2015 12:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Harbor Freight Trailer
Guys,

If any of you use these Harbor Freight trailers, could someone kindly give me the size of the steel box section they use and thickness if possible please...

Thank you

Mike
Author:  fusioneng [ Mon Nov 09, 2015 10:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harbor Freight Trailer
I ended up buying the 4x4 utility trailer (it was on sale for $140 bucks at the time (4x4 is the size of the bed)), I bought it for my 18.5 ft tandem Island (lol). You can imagine my suprise when I tried to put the boat on it (lol). I ended up lengthening the trailer with 1" sq aluminum tubing which was quite the pain to do. I should have bought the boat trailer for around $189 at the time (would have been much less work). All the extra material to make it what I really needed was around $150 bucks extra (mostly aluminum). So I didn't end up saving anything, and at the end of the day I still have a pretty crappy trailer that will rust out sooner vs later.
You get what you pay for I guess.
FE
Author:  Jim_MI [ Mon Nov 09, 2015 5:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harbor Freight Trailer
Just a Heads-up on these cheap HF trailers: The fenders WILL break off. They are pretty heavy gauge steel and are supported by a single bracket that is not up to the fender weight and road vibration. I replaced mine a few times before wising-up and getting lightweight plastic fenders from etrailer.com. The plastic fenders are working out much better than the OEM stock.
Author:  MikeHeurope [ Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harbor Freight Trailer
Guys,

Its the steel box section they use I am after, e.g. 2" x 4" and the steel 3mm

I am in Malta, but I am looking to make my own trailer but I am just looking for a reference point to start with. Before anyone says, it will be galvanised steel I use......

Look forward to the info

Mike....
Author:  Jim_MI [ Wed Nov 11, 2015 7:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harbor Freight Trailer
Box frame on my HF folding trailer is 3-1/4" x 1-9/16" cross sectional profile. Thickness (painted) appears to be 1/8".
Author:  KansasYaker [ Wed Nov 11, 2015 9:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harbor Freight Trailer
http://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/5000-5999/05002.pdf
Author:  FrankPR [ Sat Dec 26, 2015 2:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harbor Freight Trailer
Just a word of warning ... Those HF trailers are junk. You can purchase a Shore Lander, already assembled, for about 300$ more. I bought a HF open years ago to move from GA to CO, and it was a complete POS. I vowed never again, and to try to encourage people never to buy that garbage. Good luck, Ntl, whatever you choose . :D
Author:  fusioneng [ Sun Dec 27, 2015 4:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harbor Freight Trailer
I have a Harbor Freight Trailer, it's the 4x4 utility trailer, I got it on sale for $140 bucks. I bought Aluminum at Lowes (probably at 3x it's value) and extended it to fit my TI (a couple hundred $$$ more). The reason I did it this way is the trailer comes with all the corect inspection docs to be able to register and license the trailer without an inspection. I use it in salt water and it is a POS, and began rusting out almost immediately. As frame members rust away I simply replace them with aluminum. I've been running the trailer now for about 3yrs, everything still works, and most of it has been replaced with aluminum now.
Was it worth the effort, probably not.
If given a chance would I repeat , NO.
I should have looked around a little more and found something maybe in the $600 to $800 dollar range (light duty aluminum).
I'm not recommending anyone do what I did.
FE
Author:  OldHunter [ Tue Dec 29, 2015 5:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harbor Freight Trailer
I have the HF 5002 boat trailer that is about 4 years old. No problems yet but I did replace the bunks and put larger wheels on it. Would I feel ok pulling it 500 miles, probably not, but for 50 miles or so one way, I am ok with it.
Author:  redsinthehead [ Thu Dec 31, 2015 10:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harbor Freight Trailer
For a couple hundred bucks ... or less... you can buy a used galvanized or aluminum waverunner/small boat trailer. Most have galvanized rims and if you're lucky, buddy bearings. They're heavy duty and if you check to see no rust spots will last for years and you have a good platform to upgrade as needed.
Author:  fusioneng [ Thu Dec 31, 2015 11:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harbor Freight Trailer
Actually our cheapo harbor freight has survived about a dozen trips back and forth between our Sarasota place and our Key West place (350 miles each way). I typically pack the wheel bearings each time, I also have a set of american made 12 inch Carslyle tires that I always install for the trip (they cost $50 bucks at walmart), I simply don't trust the foreign made 8 inch tires on long trips, though locally I always run the 8 in tires.
I have no idea if the more expensive trailers use better quality axles and bearings, I suspect everyone uses the exact same stuff since it is all heavily regulated by the federal DOT.
Same with hitches, I'm pretty sure they are also closely regulated. I assume the critical function points on any trailer to be the axles, bearings, tires, and hitch (all of which are DOT regulated), and all are easily replaced. Everything else is incidental (all the connecting framework) and by design not likely to fail.
On mine the 3 cross beams started to rust so I have been replacing each of them with aluminum as needed (I have replaced two of the 3 cross bars to date). Everything else seems to be holding up with no issues. I don't expect any problems with the leaf springs or u bolts or the axle, they appear to be no different from what everyone else (other manufacturers) are using.
FE
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