Harbor freight trailer will break and crack over time. ?????

[eamarquardt]

........ to note a pattern ............... ask for opinions and when they are counter to what you have already done, tend to become upset with the messenger, and to some extent attack/become defensive.

Enjoy what you have and as long as it fills your needs, if it breaks fix it or renew it. If the HF fails do a teardrop transplant on to a more substantial frame.

I haven't paid enough attention to agree or disagree with the above but the point is well taken.

Some folks are intolerant of a view different than their own for they seem to feel if there are two different opinions on a topic, ONE MUST BE WRONG!

I have a lot of strong opinions (yeah, I know) but anyone is free to disagree. We can disagree without being disagreeable.

There you have it again, the world according to Gus. You, of course, are free to disagree.

Cheers,

Gus

[len19070]

Just one last thing on the topic of Harbor Freight Frames.

The Harbor Freight Frame is Probably the one item that has contributed more to the Comeback of Teardrop Trailers in recent years.

Without it there would be considerably less units, people, friends out camping.

Happy Trails

Len

[Larwyn]

This has been one of the better discussions of Harbor Freight trailers that I have seen. People were given every opportunity to comment on negative factors of these low priced imported trailers for an entire weekend and nobody with any experience with one of them has commented negatively. That should tell you something.

As far as acceptability of comments; to single out and challenge the original poster, as far as the forum rules go, is more unacceptable than any comment about an anonymous post or he who posted it. If the "anonymous" poster chooses to reveal himself that does not make the comment any less acceptable as far as I am concerned. But then when it comes down to it, I have no more authority to decide what is acceptable on this forum than any other non admin to this group.

[eamarquardt]

Believe it or not, I don't really give a rats if someone uses a HF or any other brand of trailer.

What concerns me is that I'm absolutely positve beyond a shadow of a doubt to the casual observer that some of these trailers are loaded beyond their design capacity and beyond the #1500 legal limit for operating w/o brakes.

There have been comments that "I drive carefully", "I tow with a big vehicle" and other rationalizations. But the trailers are still being operated illegally (and probably unsafely) and no one seems to care.

Gus Out.

[afreegreek]

if HF trailers are such good value for the dollar then why are no manufacturers using them to build their production TD's? surely they can get an even better price by the container load than they sell for retail at HF. I mean they buy their hinges, lockset, handles, doors, windows, vents, lights, switches, seals, wheels, tires etc from suppliers rather than manufacture their own so why not HF frames too? I think I have an idea why..

[Larwyn]

The great state of Texas requires brakes on any trailer with a GVW over 4,500 pounds. My Harbor Freight trailer is rated at a capacity of 1800 pounds, it is legal in Texas to tow that without trailer brakes. If I cannot tow it legally in California, I do not care, I have no intention of going there anyway....

My flatbed trailer is rated at 3500 pounds, has no brakes, and I have never felt the need for them. The size, weight, and design of the tow vehicle has much to do with how much trailer it can handle.

On one occasion the electrical connector to my 5th wheel trailer came loose and the cord was laying in the bed of the truck beside the plug. I did notice that the trailer brakes did not seem to be helping much, but my half ton Silverado had no real problem stopping the 7000 pound 5'er, even with the trailer brakes not functioning. Just for the record, the truck is rated to tow 7,500 pounds. I was close to the limit but there was never a problem.

[afreegreek]

riding the razor's edge ^^^^^^^^^ careful you don't cut yourself..

[boxcar]

Look I did not intend to start a battle here . And I am sory if I did . As far as the Harbor freight trailer. If used within its design limits it is an adequate platorm. I owned and used one myself for several years as a yard trailer, it worked just fine. That is not the point. I never dispariged the H/F for use as a light duty trailer ( most tears quallify) The original P/O was recomending it to be used as an off road capable unit ("with miner modifications") and then went on to recomend that users not use electric brakes while on the trail. Sory again- For 35 years I'v built all things wheeld as a proffesion. I started whith trailer manuf. and design and now am the owner of Resurection Iron Works . We are builders of all things offroad.
I comented that it would be more cost efective to build a trailer from scratch than to spend money and time trying to modify a a H/F trailer for the riggors of offroad use. While the H/F trailer is fine for a load under 1000lbs on paved roads and normal driving conditions. It is by no means adiquate for eaven light offroad use. (and I am not talking about the ocational dirt road here) It's just to light of a frame.
Thats not a drawback in most cases thats an atribute . Most T/D's need to be as light as possible. Offroad units are not the same animal. While weight is still a consern, rigitity, streingth, brakes and suspension are
more of a priority in the final design. And while I am on the subject of brakes. Anything you tow that weighs 1/3 or more of the weight of the tow vehical needs brakes. I don't care if you have towed all your life without them , I don't care if your the best driver in the world ,I don't care if thay are to expensive, or that thay are high maintanance. None of us has the right to make life and death desisions for the other drivers on the roads out there. I have personaly seen all the bad things that hapen when trailers pass there respective tow rigs and it's not ever a good thing. Lets se that 1/2 tone silverado stop that 5th wheel in the rain on a down grade when the car in front of you desides to lock up his brakes so he won't run over that chipmunk that just ran out in front of him!!!!!
I think this is a wonderfull web site and an equaly great group of people. I love reading all about the new builds and trips and camping ideas. I feel like I am part of a great comunity here. I am, and was, just trying to be helpfull. When I am quoted though get it right because I am liable to respond. Please forgive my poor spelling .It is what it is.
......Boxcar...
Twains my hero

[artwebb]

In the time I worked at an auto parts place, I saw a lot of trailers in need of bearings, and not one was an HF trailer.
Most, in fact, were homebuilts welded together by old boys whose work was good, but not their maintenance practices. (well maintained bearings do not melt or explode .
I could take that to mean HF trailers are good, or aren't in much use in my area.
I tend to judge an item's quality by my own perception, taking other's opinions under advisement IF they have actual experience with the product or have at least LOOKED at it themselves.
I have the utmost respect for people who know their business, but sometimes a reputation is undeserved, or the rep is deserved but the holder of the rep changes.
Taurus handguns had a bad rep for a while, and a number of people, some of whom make their living knowing about guns, still say Taurus handguns are crap.
I own both a Taurus .38 snubby, and a S&W model 13, and while either of them is reliable the Taurus will keep reliably functioning after the Smith has given up.
The Taurus also has a fifteen pound trigger pull compared to the Smith's twelve, and the Smith is an older model, but the fact is, while Taurus once richly deserved their rep for badly made handguns, that time has passed, and the company now makes a quality product you can bet your life on, so long as you don't buy older models, yet there are experts out there who've not touched a Taurus in years and roundly castigate them still, with absolutely zero justification, and of course there are others who've heard this opinion and accept it as truth without ever having verified it for themselves.
I have no judgement of HF trailers, and will not until such time as I actually see one assembled.
I also have no business advising anyone how to build a TD, not having built or even planned one out myself, but I believe the act of building a HF trailer (or any trailer) into a TD would tend to reinforce the trailer and make it stronger, as that idea agrees with what I know (admittedly mostly in theory, though I have some experience building structures that backs this theory up) about structural rigidity and integrity, as long as the TD was attached to, not just built over, the chassis.
I absolutely would not use one for an off road trailer build, though, because I don't believe they are rigid enough for that kind of pounding.
I don't think anything built from channel is that rigid or strong.

[boxcar]

Vintage is a good word .Can I use that from now on? [img]:thinking:[/img]

[8ball_99]

if HF trailers are such good value for the dollar then why are no manufacturers using them to build their production TD's? surely they can get an even better price by the container load than they sell for retail at HF. I mean they buy their hinges, lockset, handles, doors, windows, vents, lights, switches, seals, wheels, tires etc from suppliers rather than manufacture their own so why not HF frames too? I think I have an idea why..

They are a good value to a individual. But a 4x8 trailer takes about 50 bucks worth of steel then another 100 for an axle.. Most manufactures probably build their own cause its cheaper. That or they get a shop to build them at a better price.
Harborfreight trailers are fine for light duty use.. I my self probably wouldn't build a camper on one. Just cause it doesn't cost much more to get a stronger trailer..

[Larwyn]

You are right, a panic stop would have been a serious problem that day, but I did make the 300 mile trip without incident. After that I always secured the trailer plug with a ty-wrap rather than depending on the spring loaded cover to lock the plug in place.

I am not comfortable driving a truck/trailer combo that is limited out like that. It was the RV dealer from whom I purchased that 5th wheel trailer who convinced me that my truck could handle it "just fine". And, in fact, the truck did seem to handle it just fine, it was me who did not enjoy pushing the limits. Which is the same reason that I have not installed a hitch on my wife's PT Cruiser to tow the TD. If I were to do so, trailer brakes on the TD would become a priority.

If I were starting my build today, I would probably build my own trailer frame. My welding skills and equipment are better suited to that task now than they were at the time I started on the Escape Pod. But, the frame that I would build would be even lighter than the HF frame because that frame is overkill and adds unnecessary weight if it will spend it's "life" bolted to a rigid torsion box, and if I do any rock climbing it is without vehicles........

[bobhenry]

Just one last thing on the topic of Harbor Freight Frames.

[b]The Harbor Freight Frame is Probably the one item that has contributed more to the Comeback of Teardrop Trailers in recent years.

Without it there would be considerably less units, people, friends out camping.
[/b]
Happy Trails

Len

I would have 2 less tiny trailers in my driveway

[Arne]

if HF trailers are such good value for the dollar then why are no manufacturers using them to build their production TD's? surely they can get an even better price by the container load than they sell for retail at HF. I mean they buy their hinges, lockset, handles, doors, windows, vents, lights, switches, seals, wheels, tires etc from suppliers rather than manufacture their own so why not HF frames too? I think I have an idea why..

They are a good value to a individual. But a 4x8 trailer takes about 50 bucks worth of steel then another 100 for an axle.. Most manufactures probably build their own cause its cheaper. That or they get a shop to build them at a better price.
Harborfreight trailers are fine for light duty use.. I my self probably wouldn't build a camper on one. Just cause it doesn't cost much more to get a stronger trailer..

If I was a mfgr, I would want a 'neater' looking trailer than a h/f. Too many bolts, and really, in the case of the 1,740, way too much trailer to hold up a t/d. I mean, how would you make a sexy looking trailer with those dinky looking rims?

[Miriam C.]

Oh Lord! I go camping and it is still here but haven't seen a single picture or read a single account of a Harbor Freight disintegrating.....

Point made eh Len!