To be fair, I didn't plan on abusing the trailer as badly as I did. We came around a tight corner at night an in the rain. I was being super careful, but did not see that the trail had washed out, leaving a 2 - 2.5 foot ledge. I dropped my front tires over it. Tried to reverse out of it, but couldn't get any traction in the mud. I eased the trailer over it, turned around, and came back up. That was where I went wrong.
I somehow managed to bend 2 wheels, rip the leaf springs out of one side, dislodge the a/c, and bend my tongue upwards 5 or so inches
We limped it in to camp like this and decided to wait until morning to repair it. I had 90% of the tools that I needed, and the others in the group had everything else.
The trailer is a Northern Tool 5x8 that I reinforced with square tube. I left the suspension alone since I really only planned on dirt roads and easy trails. Now I have an excuse (need) to beef it up. The trailer weighs around 1k loaded.
We got the suspension back together after about an hour and used a ratchet strap to secure the a/c. New tires were bought at Tractor Supply. The tongue just stayed bent for the remainder of the trip.
There is good news about the trailer! It is water tight! We had lots of rain and plenty of big puddles to drive through, yet the interior stayed dry
Temps were in the 30's and we had no complaints while sleeping.
I have another trip in 3 weeks, so I have to get busy!
Here are a few pics of the trail and trailer.
Water Everywhere!!
The trail...
The trailer in disrepair...
