HF folding trailer

[StandUpGuy]

So I have assembled my HF folding trailer this weekend. It is surprisingly solid except for the folding "A" frame part. It has the two pull out pins to allow folding. I was wondering what were the ways this could be fixed to be more solid. I have seen the modifications involving welding. Is there a non-welding method to solidify it?

[Steve_Cox]

So I have assembled my HF folding trailer this weekend. It is surprisingly solid except for the folding "A" frame part. It has the two pull out pins to allow folding. I was wondering what were the ways this could be fixed to be more solid. I have seen the modifications involving welding. Is there a non-welding method to solidify it?

On the gypsy trailer I replaced the pull out pins with bolts. It seemed to me the pin location was a high load spot in the A-frame so I drilled and bolted 1 1/4" X 24" long square tubing on the bottom of the C channel. It stiffened the A-frame substantially.

[Steve_Cox]

sorry about the double post!

[StandUpGuy]

I think I get it. You removed the two "L" pins and replaced with bolts. Then you bolted on a reinforcement smaller tube to the crossmember that rides on top of those two angled elements. Do I have that right?

What bothers me about replacing the two pins with bolts, is there is a lot of "slop" built into it. The tab that is added to the two angled pieces was welded in but it is not wide enough. Putting a bolt through and tightening will not draw all together. There will be gaps after tightening. I am sure it will be much better though. I will give it a try, thanks.

[Steve_Cox]

I think I get it. You removed the two "L" pins and replaced with bolts. Then you bolted on a reinforcement smaller tube to the crossmember that rides on top of those two angled elements. Do I have that right?

What bothers me about replacing the two pins with bolts, is there is a lot of "slop" built into it. The tab that is added to the two angled pieces was welded in but it is not wide enough. Putting a bolt through and tightening will not draw all together. There will be gaps after tightening. I am sure it will be much better though. I will give it a try, thanks.

I am pretty sure no gaps existed after I bolted it together, can't remember if a large hammer, flat washers or what was involved though.

[StandUpGuy]

I think it will draw together some.

What if I made a modification like shown here:


By justoneman at 2011-04-18

I know others have turned the bracket upside down and added an extension tube under all. I am showing here a tube extension on the top with the bracket in its original position. This added tube would be cut on one end leaving a tab on top to bolt down with. Most people would not want a tube on top because they wish to put spare or battery and propane tanks there. In my case I will be building over that spot so it does not matter for me.

[aggie79]

I think it will draw together some.

What if I made a modification like shown here:


By justoneman at 2011-04-18

I know others have turned the bracket upside down and added an extension tube under all. I am showing here a tube extension on the top with the bracket in its original position. This added tube would be cut on one end leaving a tab on top to bolt down with. Most people would not want a tube on top because they wish to put spare or battery and propane tanks there. In my case I will be building over that spot so it does not matter for me.

I'm not an engineer so please let me issue that disclaimer first. I do have a HF utility trailer - no tongue extension - that I use for hauling materials so I am familiar with the trailer.

I have two concerns with your design. First, the "tab" attachment is weak. If you're going this route, you may want to consider bolting a short piece of vertical angle iron on either side of the extension tube and then bolting these to the cross-member of the trailer. You may also wish to place a bolt through the cross-member into the a-frames to stiffen up both.

Second, whether leaving the tongue bracket in the stock position or reversing it, the extra tongue length will try to rotate at the bracket. I know on my stock HF trailer that there already is a lot of load on the coupler. Extending to the front of the bracket will substantially increase the rotational loading. By your method - if you have a strong enough connection - it will resist rotating by being attached to the front cross member. By the way others have done, the load is transferred to the first and second cross-members.

My two cents worth. I'm curious to hear what others think.

Take care,
Tom

[StandUpGuy]

I think it will draw together some.

What if I made a modification like shown here:


By justoneman at 2011-04-18

I know others have turned the bracket upside down and added an extension tube under all. I am showing here a tube extension on the top with the bracket in its original position. This added tube would be cut on one end leaving a tab on top to bolt down with. Most people would not want a tube on top because they wish to put spare or battery and propane tanks there. In my case I will be building over that spot so it does not matter for me.

I'm not an engineer so please let me issue that disclaimer first. I do have a HF utility trailer - no tongue extension - that I use for hauling materials so I am familiar with the trailer.

I have two concerns with your design. First, the "tab" attachment is weak. If you're going this route, you may want to consider bolting a short piece of vertical angle iron on either side of the extension tube and then bolting these to the cross-member of the trailer. You may also wish to place a bolt through the cross-member into the a-frames to stiffen up both.

Second, whether leaving the tongue bracket in the stock position or reversing it, the extra tongue length will try to rotate at the bracket. I know on my stock HF trailer that there already is a lot of load on the coupler. Extending to the front of the bracket will substantially increase the rotational loading. By your method - if you have a strong enough connection - it will resist rotating by being attached to the front cross member. By the way others have done, the load is transferred to the first and second cross-members.

My two cents worth. I'm curious to hear what others think.

Take care,
Tom

Thanks for that. There is a lot of common sense in engineering. Sure number crunching too but I am sure some of our engineering friends will atest to what you have experienced.

I know that the method of putting the tube under the supports and running it way back is good. I am looking to do it easily and without welding. I like the idea of keeping the tube up higher and in one piece. Probably a couple of bolted on pieces of angle iron would be good for fastening.

Cheers!

[aggie79]

I forgot to add that I think the HF makes a great base for a teardrop/tiny travel trailer.

My HF trailer has been used and abused, kept out in the weather, and keeps on trucking. I've had it about four years now and haven't done any maintenance other than repacking the bearings once and changing the bearings and seals this past fall. The red paint has turned pink and the unprotected plywood deck I put on it is starting to age, but it's still going strong.

Take care,
Tom

[zelix]

Wanta know what I did? I got me two 5 foot long peices of thick walled angle iron and I bolted them to the bottom of the frame on my harbor freight trailer. I also bolted the two halfs together.

then dad welded my new spring shackles to the thick walled angle iron.

it beefed up the frame and fixed the folding part all in one piece of heavy angle iron steel.

the angles were about 1 and a half to 2 inches wide.

cut it out for dad a head of time with a carbide blade on my sawsall.

dad had a extra peice of a 20 foot stick laying around in the steel pile out back the shop.

then I took a bettor 2500 lb axle from a doner pop up trailer and welded on new spring seats then mounted it to my angle iron on the bottom of my harbor freight trailer.

then new 7 inch brakes on it the electric type.

and then mounted 215R7515 inch light truck tires and wheels on the new axle from the doner pop up trailer.

now I have a off road harbor freight trailer frame teardrop!

oh. yea. I also mounted monro 12 inch gas shocks to my spring and my frame on my harbor freight trailer's modified suspeinson.



this new modtifed suspeniosion fixes the folding harbor freight trailer desingne beefs up the frame and I now go off road with it in the windriver moutains. I have been to rifle colorado 800 miles last laborday last year on a road trip as well on the same road trip off road in the flat top wilderness above meeker, colorado.

I have 3 years on the supsiosion in the photo. and it beats the original one from china sold in the kit.

I have no trailer sway with this set up and pull as fast as I want to drive with it.

I can't even feel the teardrop behind me and it does not bounce with the monro gas shocks.

they really make this teardrop go like a dream down moutain to tracks and wash boards on gravel roads.

the beefed up angle iron is hard to see in the photo, but is the black tiny strip under my frame by the wheel.

Slowcowboy.

Thanks for this post. This is kinda what I'm planning to do with my old HF trailer. I even plan to add some serious bracing on the "A frame" tongue.

What size shocks are those?

[zelix]

12 inch and they were 30 bucks in 2009 at napa. well worth the dough.

I did brace the tongue but not a lot. just had dad weld on a A frame bull dog hitch that did alot for the tonuge than I had him weld on two light angles off a bunk bed for the tongue box and that did most the bracing on my harbor freight trailer.

heres a good close up of my teardrops tongue and bull dog hitch and tongue box.



little white and blue thing on the red mount on the tongue of my teardrop in front of my tongue box is a 2 horse power neptune 1978 boat motor.
its for the jon boat on top the teardrop that is straped down.

the boat motor mount really does nothing for tongue bracing and has only been on my teardrop for a month.

heres what your looking at the hole rig.



and heres the acutal teardrop and the tow vehicle.



I have had a lot of fun with my motifed harbor freight trailer off road in the wind river moutains and I really like my monroe 12 inch gas shocks.

Slowcowboy.

Slowcowboy,
thanks for the info and the inspiration. I'm not planning on rock crawling or anything with mine. I just want to beef it up so I can use it at a deer camp and such. I will be taking plenty of photos on my build so please stop by on it and give a shout out if you like [or don't like] what you see on the HF trailer.

I'm still dealing with my JEEP issues at the moment so I haven't gotten much further.

[zelix]

Zelix, be glad to veiw your trailer by photos on a build tread. what will it be listed at on the build part of the forum.

I don't go rock crawling with mine. I am mostly a motrate off roader that involes establised gravel roads and 2 track dirt roads.

the national forest service won't allow off roading in wyoming so your prety much stuck to the gravel roads and a ford suv or explore which is my tow vehile is not a rock crawler by any means.

my modifications are fairly cheap and should do a out standig job on a dirt road into a deer camp.

they also work wonders just on going down the pavement.

SLowcowboy.

I see you found my build thread. Thanks for the post in it. I appreciate your insight into modifying trailers. I do have an idea in my mid as to what I need to do.

I have to balance the offroad aspect with the curbside camping appeal. My wife and daughter will camp with me on some camp grounds.

I'll be looking thru your photo album here. i like your tear. It looks real strong and well built.

[StandUpGuy]

Where could I find the steel tube to do the extension of the tongue?

[bobhenry]

Look in the yellow pages under steel or steel fabrication. A local welding shop could also point you in the right direction !

[StandUpGuy]

No big box store then?