INCREASING HF TRAILER CAPICITY

[RCHAPMAN]

What is the easiest and safest way to inceease the capicity of a HF trailer?

[rainjer]

In my opinion and speaking from similar experience, replace the tongue, axle, hubs, tires and springs. Also weld and re-enforce the frame. Once you have done that, it would cost you about the same as have a better frame made.

I have a similar trailer and I have replace the tongue and axle already and had to make repairs to a cracked frame. I am about to order new springs and replace the tires to increase my trailer load from 1240 lbs to about 2000 lbs. I am leaning to towards a 2000 lbs. Dexter Flexride axle which cost more than the frame itself.

Jeremy

[doug hodder]

What is the easiest and safest way to inceease the capicity of a HF trailer?

I'd say the easiest way is to not start with one...but that's just my opinion. Doug

[planovet]

What is the easiest and safest way to inceease the capicity of a HF trailer?

I'd say the easiest way is to not start with one...but that's just my opinion. Doug

+1

[Lou Park]

I've never understood why anyone would do this. By the time
you spend the money on the original trailer and add the cost
of upgrading to the heavier duty finished product, you will not
only have more time invested in the trailer than a week in the
Bahamas, it will cost you more that just buying the trailer that
you want in the first place.
Lou

[Lgboro]

Might be more cost efficient to spent the time and money required to beef up your trailer on making your tear/ttt lighter. That would continue to pay for itself every time it left the yard and still accomplish your mission.

[Steve_Cox]

Lotsa negative responses here so far. Here's a different perspective. When I built the Gypsy Trailer, I had a HF 1720 Lb. Capacity Super Duty 48" x 96" Utility Trailer with 12" Five Lug Wheels and Tires that someone had given me. So with the all "bolt it together anyone could do it concept" in mind I built my 6 X 11 foot gypsy trailer upon it. When completed it weighs about 1400#. I wanted to increase the load capability to about 2000# to decrease spring flex while the trailer was stationary and actually smooth out the ride a little. So what I did was add a single smaller leaf spring under the two leaf configuration (on each side) making them a three leaf instead of a two leaf. I obtained my desired results and had no qualms about it. The frame had already been highly modified by stretching it to from 96" to 117". The other thing I did was to bolt a 1 1/4" X 1 1/4" box tube under each of the tongue members to reduce flex, I probably would have been OK, but it was just for a safety margin as I have heard about many HF trailers having tongue flex just from the bolted on tongue jack. I wouldn't use another bolt together trailer in the future, unless someone gave it to me of course. Welding up a frame for a tiny trailer is fun! The cost for this mod was about $15.

[TomW]

Call your local school system Vo-Tech department and ask about the metal/welding shop doing a project if you supply the materials.

Most schools welcome the chance to do a "real" project. Normally they put "seniors" doing the work as a "senior project".

You have to purchase the materials and provide a good sketch for them to work from. It may take a few weeks or months to complete the trailer but in the end you will end up with exactly what you want and the students gain experience.

I have done this in the past on a few project for Boy Scouts, etc, and it has worked out fine. I ended up buying dinner for them when it was complete and they loved the challenge of the project.

[Dale M.]

I'm kind of from the school that if you buy something, and then spend a lot of extra money for materials and lots of effort to modify/change things to make it perform to a different standard, you really started with wrong platform to begin with....

Do it once and do it right, either have chassis built to your specification or buy better chassis already available for your project....

Dale

[len19070]

It is a bit of "Lowering the river instead of raising the bridge" but it can be done.

If you bolt the plywood to the sides of the frame you will create what is known as a "Box Beam" and that will strengthen the frame its self enough.

The tongue should be beefed up a bit and can easily be done by adding a piece of angle to the top. ($40)

Then some new springs ($50)

An axle and new hubs ($150)

New wheels & tires ($75-200???)

Plus all the extra bolts/hardware to make the new stuff fit ($??)

Add that all together, consider the fact that your "Guessing" and do the math.

Add in all your work and I'll bet you come out to about $25 either way of buying a new frame.

Don't get me wrong, I have done this. But I build a lot of trailers and I have a lot of this stuff lying around and all I have into it is my time.

But not everyone has that kind of inventory lying around.

Happy Trails

Len

[Endo]

What is the easiest and safest way to inceease the capicity of a HF trailer?

How much capacity do you need? Difficult to answer if we don't know what you are aiming for.

[Lou Park]

Add in all your work and I'll bet you come out to about $25 either way of buying a new frame.
Len

HMMMMMM, where have I heard this before?

[del]

Well it is my turn to jump in with a different opinion, may or may not be important in your state. Extra fees for putting a homebuilt on the road. Buy a temp tag to pull it to inspection. Get it weighed at a certified scale about ten bucks. $50 for some guy at the state patrol to say yep it is a trailer, he does put a vin # plate on it, and stamps the vin # on the frame, but basically he says yep it is a trailer and looks at receites. Then come all the the title transfer fees and taxes to drive it on the road. So if you can do the mods yourself, it is less hassle.

Now for the original question, the tongue and the axle (bearings) are the two weak points. The axle is relatively inexpensive, and do you need brakes? Now is the time to add brakes. Springs can be upgraded later when you are closer to knowing how much weight you will be carrying.
The tongue can be swapped out, for a stronger tongue, the vin # tag is on the old one. And/or just where the tongue mounts can be reinforced. The important bit is reinforcing the tongue to chassis mounts if you will be carrying more weight than harbor freight intended. Tyres can be changed any time.
If you put any kind of body on it the chassis should be fine.

This is my 2c
del

[RogHodge]

In order to give feedback that is of value we/I need to know which trailer you are considering or have and what you would like it to do. If you have yet to purchase a trailer than the obvious choice and apparent consensus at this point, would be to purchase one capable of doing what you want it to do.
Swell… But what if you acquired one, given to you or a $50 CL purchase that you need to beef up? What then? Some of the HF parts are interchangeable between trailers. I found out that the hubs on some of the lighter (950lb-1200lb) trailers are the same. I strongly suspect that the springs themselves may also be interchangeable. I wanted to beef up the 8” tires to the 12” tires- In my case the two models of hub are identical- so no problem. I found myself discussing springs with the HF ‘technical support’ and they were not quite as well versed in the product as I would have liked. My question is simple “can I put the spring from trailer ‘90154’ on trailer ‘42709’ or are they the same?” (the hub and bearings are identical) she asks “why”- “I just want to know”- “did you purchase the trailer?”- “I bought it from a guy on CL”- “so you have the trailer?”- “yes I do, are they the same part?” “Why do you need to know?”- “random curiosity, who cares- are they the same part!?!”- “Do you plan on purchasing the springs?”
At this point I become euphoric with utter disbelief and begin searching my house for Allen Fundt.
The e-mail response I receive
Mr. Hodge,
The following tracking number has been answered and is shown below.
Tracking no. T45036
SKU: 90154-TRAILER-FOLD W/12IN WHLS (ON-2
DESCRIPTION:
Customer would like to know the dimensions of part#15 spring. He purchased a trailer second hand and thinks it is the same as 90154 and wants to purchase the part.
ANSWER:
It is 26"x2 inside 27"x2 outside.
Thanks,
Stacie X (name concealed to protect the ‘innocent’)
Harbor Freight Tools Technical Support
Did I ask for dimensions? I wouldn’t purchase that part now if they were 10 for a dollar- I need a drink.
If you are willing to suffer some incompetence you might find that the springs can be upgraded, or perhaps one of the guys here can go throw a tape on the dozens they have laying around and give you an answer- The springs themselves are cheap- but as it has been said we need to know what you have and what you want it to do

[mikeschn]

What they all said!!!

Let me summarize it by asking, what are you trying to build?

Mike...