by Andrew Herrick » Wed Jul 12, 2017 11:13 am
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any middle ground between the cheap kit trailers from Northern Tool and Harbor Freight and high-quality custom trailers. One costs $250-$400; the other $800+. Hard to find anything in the middle.
Kit trailers require bearings to be repacked every 2,000 miles. Bearings usually fail faster. Axles are often U-channel, which will bend easily if you hit a boulder or big pot hole. Harbor Freight enamel fades to pink; Northern tool enamel flakes off. The wiring harnesses come with nut connectors, which are prone to unscrewing over time. Also - this one is a biggie for me - standard jacks and bolt-on couplers DON'T usually fit the 2.5-inch tongue rails or 2.5-inch channel coupler mounts on either of the kit trailers! This makes it difficult to upgrade components unless you want to drill some extra holes. Most kit trailers also use incandescent lights rather than LED lights. The axle location on most kit trailers is terrible for teardrop trailers; you don't get enough weight on the tongue, and therefore the camper will fishtail more. And it's not always wise to attempt to modify a Harbor Freight frame, because the rails and cross members are just bent mild steel sheet metal, and you won't get a strong weld on material that thin.
Not trying to rant on kit trailers; just that you get what you pay for. Obviously, lots of people use them without hassle. Personally, I've had more hassle than I care to explain :p f you can find a welder to fabricate a simple ladder-style frame and add leaf spring hangers, you could paint the frame and source and install all the components yourself. It'll cost a few hundred extra dollars, but you wouldn't believe the differences in quality. The first time you tackle a rougher road and watch your beloved teardrop bouncing around like a jack-in-the-box, you'll be thankful it's built on a quality frame.
*end of sermon*
Good luck!