HF trailer: not flat, can't figure it out.

[nikwax]

My HF 1175# trailer appears to be high in two corners (right front, left rear) and low in the opposite corners (left front, right rear). I say "appears" because I don't have a truly flat surface to set the trailer on and I can't measure it. I've measured corner to corner in the two subframes (the two halves that used to fold) and they are square. I have a 6 foot flatbar for a straightedge and everything that I can measure seems flat. I loosened the bolts holding the two subframes together but wasn't able to change anything. I was thinking the suspension was all that is left but I don't think the suspension spans both subframes, but maybe that doesn't matter.


Any suggestions here? Go ahead and loosen the suspension? How can I measure this if it indeed exists?

[Gerdo]

The HF frame will be "sprung" some without a floor on it. Don't worry about it. I would build your floor and lay it on the frame. At this point you should be able to pull the frame into square. Build your floor square and use it to square your frame.

[Steve Frederick]

The frame is racked a bit. (Typical)

Set the frame on jacks or blocks, level it, then build away!

Once you have the floor and some of the walls/bulkheads up, it will tighten up nicely, and stay straight!

[bobhenry]

" because I don't have a truly flat surface to set the trailer on and I can't measure it.

Any suggestions here? Go ahead and loosen the suspension? How can I measure this if it indeed exists?

If the hill your setting on runs and inclines north northwest and the trailer
is placed North to south your frame may not appear level. Just kiddin'

Just tow it to a friends garage and level is with a level front to back and get out a tape measure. Back measurements should match and front measurements should match but since a garage floor slopes very slightly towards the door they will probably not all be the same.

You will find you don't have a problem !!

[nikwax]

thanks folks!!!!

[Alphacarina]

Get a good level and some cinderblocks and set the 4 corners of the trailer on the blocks

Loosen all the bolts on the trailer and then level the trailer by shimming the 4 corners so that the frame rails are level, front to back and left to right. Retighten all the bolts on the trailer and remove it from the blocks

Don

[Roly Nelson]

My HF trailer frame flopped around like a noodle when assembled. Once the ridgid wooden box (the teardrop sides and roof) was bolted to it, I could jack up a rear corner, lift a wheel off of the ground and it was so solid that the door wouldn't even bind. Trailer frames are there to support the suspension and tongue, trailer body provides the ridgidity, quite a concept. I may be wrong, but it works for me.

Roly

[bobhenry]

CAUTION ! CAUTION CAUTION

There is an as yet unsubstantiated rumor that these HF trailer frames may
contain lead based paint. In your frustration do not resort to chewing on the frame.

Mattel said so

Just kiddin'

[Alphacarina]

There is an as yet unsubstantiated rumor that these HF trailer frames may
contain lead based paint. In your frustration do not resort to chewing on the frame

Quite probably true

There wouldn't be any testing for that, since it's not a toy or something a child might ingest . . . . but then it's pretty obvious nobody has even been testing the things the law says they must

GREED rears it's ugly head yet again. I saw on the evening news that a Barbie doll that sells here for $20 has only 35 cents invested in it when it leaves China - Testing anything would cut so deeply into the $19.65 profit margin that you can easily understand why they try to get away from it

Don