Harbor freight trailer questions.

[willy3486]

A few questions on their trailers. I saw they are on sale now. I have looked at this one
http://www.harborfreight.com/1720-lb-ca ... 69897.html

and this one
http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lb-ca ... 90154.html

I have bought from HF in the past and have found some stuff is really good and some is really bad. I am wondering about the long term durability of these trailers. Has anyone had one for a while and if so what are the pros, cons? Are there similar other trailers out there at better prices or quality? I did a search for one at tractor supply but could not find one like I am looking for. Years ago I wanted to get a scotty camper but couldn't find one so I was planning on a TT. Then I found a scotty and put the TT on hold. I have a honda CRV now with a top towing capacity of 1500 so I want to build a TT now, I have all the tools to build one and even have some vintage aluminum for the outside. I just need a trailer to get started. I am open to finding a used one but I was wondering about the HF ones. Any comments on quality? Thanks in advance.

[bobhenry]

If you drive the back alleys and country roads you will see dozens of un-used and un-loved little trailers. I have picked up 4 -5 by just walking to the door and asking. Two were actually given to me just to get rid of them. The other 3 were $75.00 for a 4x8 HF trailer a little misused and bent. An Apache tent trailer for $40.00 and a real nice 5x8 utility trailer I actually paid $250.00 for.

My boss just sold a scotty sportsman complete for $150.00. If I had had some space I would have owned it also.

The little 4x4 HF under the chuckwagon and the 4 x 8 HF under the 1800# teardrop are both surviving well with no complaints from me. There have been many of them towed many a mile without a moments trouble. Those that have had complaints were mostly wheel bearing related. The anti rust compound found in the hubs is NOT A LUBRICATING GREASE. Remove and clean completely and repack the bearings with a good hi temp wheel bearing grease before use.

[gregp136]

Built ours on a HF trailer. No problems in 5 years.

[Gold5one]

That's a good price on that 1720lb trailer- the HF store is passing out 20% off coupons right now for the Memorial day weekend sales. Mine has the lower rated 4.80x12 tires and sits a little lower than this one. The main area I see on mine that is weaker than I wanted is the A-frame, I beefed it up. Like Bob, I too, found a small used HF trailer on the cheap- it was only $40- the 40x48 version. I turned it into a flat bottomed boat trailer- it's over 7ft long now, with a 2ft longer tongue. You just have to look/drive and ask around to find a deal. Florida, where I live, is very accommodating on registering used trailers without paperwork= they can be converted to a "homemade" trailer with a little effort and a weight ticket.

[Nobody]

Bought my HF 1800# (at that time, think it's the 1720# now?) in January 2006. Put it together in April & started my TD build in May. Had it campable in September, & declared it finished in spring 2007. Almost 9yrs later & 25K+ miles it's still solid, rolls true, & the TD (weight approx 1150#) has never failed ('cept when I was rear ended Labor Day weekend 2010. A little work & it's as good as new...

[willy3486]

I would love to buy a used trailer of any type even if it needed work. The problem I have around here people want almost new prices or more for trailers. I stopped one time before I found my scotty and asked these people about a scotty. It was the eldery womans sons trailer. She said she would like to see it gone and hoped he would sell it to me. It had most of the wood gone, no interior pieces as it had been gutted. It had holes in the aluminum siding and the there was some of the aluminum edging that like it was chewed up , the aluminum was even painted with latex paint. In all honesty it wasn't worth even restoring. The only value was in the frame. But I was desperate and wanted a scotty. I called the guy and he wanted 800 bucks for it. It was worth 50 in scrap if that. He said he wanted to use it as a office for his construction business. He then said he was going to let someone have it for a lawnmower trailer. I offered him 300 like an idiot and he wouldn't bulge off of 800. Recently I saw a used HF tractor attachment for 150 bucks. I looked on HF website and they were 129 new. This is what I have to deal with in this area. So on a lot of stuff I don't buy local or I buy new. I will look at these trailers and see what I can do. And that scotty trailer I tried to get about 8 years ago? ITs still there and decayed more since then. I figure eventually it will be hauled off as junk because even the frame will be bad then if it isn't already. So that HF trailer is looking good. The biggest cost for me will be the trailer. I usually pay as I go on projects so I will save up and get that first. I would love to fine one and repurpose it but I am afraid they are hard to find in my area. I looked in the past and never found one.

[KennethW]

Ever thought a new HF trailer is not the greatest It is all new. Tires, lights ,etc add up that you will be replacing on a used trailer.

[willy3486]

Boy, sometimes I fell like a idiot. I was having lunch today and looking at teardrops on the web. I found this site and really like the first one with the green fenders.

http://www.themotart-journal.com/2012/0 ... ailer.html

I thought I would love to have wheels like that to put moon hubcaps on and fenders. AS I was looking at it I thought I have seen wheels like that before. Then I realized I already have a trailer like that. My father in law had a wagon he made out of a old axle and partial frame. He died a few years ago and my mother in law said for me to get that wagon and use it. Since I have a 4x6 trailer I use I never have done anything with it. So it has sat for a few years in the weeds at my house behind my workshop. I plan on going out to look at it this afternoon. So I will need to get tires and lights thats fine. I already have this frame and I think it will work. I can use it. I also have some old fenders I may be able to work as well.

[backstrap bandit]

If u go the hf route check the box and make sure all parts r there mine was missing parts I bought it in nov of last year and have yet to receive the replacement parts their customer service sux thank god I got in touch with the manager of the local store her name is angel and she lived up to that name and give me the parts out of another box customer service said they couldn't do that and that it would be 10 weeks to get the parts but I'm still waiting

[desertwolf]

I've been watching the Harbor Freight prices on their 1720lb capacity trailer for a few months, trying to see what was their lowest price. It seems as though they continually change the prices of sale items. The lowest recent price I have seen was $349.99 this past weekend. Fortunately they also had a 25% discount coupon on Mothers Day. $262 for a trailer was too good of a deal to pass up. I guess I'll have to leave the price monitoring to someone else.

[Ichibahn]

I got mine HF-1720lb two months ago for $324.99 - $81.25 (25% off coupon) = $243.74

[coyote]

Check H.F. On line coupon also. I got mine with a coupon, they ran over it at work, I got the next one another $69 just by checking the web. ( company did pay for it, used the coupon anyway)

[kansasbike]

My son and I are just getting started on building a small canned ham camper and want to use our HF trailer. Unfortunately, it's the 1170lb 4x8 version. I am planning on making multiple reinforcements to the trailer first (new coupler, weld all joints, new axle and tires etc..), but I'm curious if I should just cut bait and buy the version 1700lb version. My concern is that we will need to get it tagged and the plaque on the trailer reads the max gross weight which we will surely go over.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Matt

[KennethW]

I would go for the super heavy duty trailer. You get a 2" ball, 5 bolt wheels, and a round tube axle(not the U axle of the lighter trailers). One can use the light trailer for Lawn waste or getting stuff for your build. I would hate to see you posting that your trailer axle bent on a road trip.

[H.A.]

Hard to say what your state does about small camping trailers ( I assume you are in USA ??)
But if you mentioned, go on to reinforce its chassis, drawbar, different axel, etc. etc...
Effectively its no longer a HF model 'XYZ trailer'.

Maybe the State wont care and just rubberstamp whatever paperwork it has or probably goes into a homebuilt category of some kind.

If small trailers are required a licenceplate where I live,
I would just get a licenseplate based on its HF paperwork then modify as desired. never mind what the State thinks it changing configuration
At least my State would consider it a utility trailer, not a camping trailer unless it meets standing height requirements and specific fixtures. (lower tax rate !!yay)