Harbor Freight trailer experience ?

[Bighorn2500]

Had the 4x8 HF fold up trailer for a few years while I had an SUV. I towed a 250cc motocross bike & Raptor ATV. The trailer took a of couple hours to put together but it was sturdy enough to handle those two. I did tow it at 65-70mph on the highway, I made it a habit of greasing the wheel bearings every time I took it out though. No more than 400 mile round trips typically up north and back, it held up well.

When bolting together I did use medium-blue loctite on all the fasteners. I bought a spare tire and mounted it behind the hitch on the A-frame. I ended up selling it for what I paid for it after I bought a pickup truck.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Better quality bearings can be had at any automotive store, and they are a common size. The ones I put on my Trailer in a Bag lasted the entire time I had the trailer (over 10 years). I should also mention that installing the wheel chock and channel is like adding a spine to the trailer frame. It will add strength to the frame...more than adding a sheet of plywood would...

Is yours Harbor Freight or Northern? The harbor freight ones use metric bearings that you can't get in parts stores. They have to be ordered online. My 1140 pound one had metric bearings. Maybe the 1700 pound one is different .. I forgot to look when we put together the one last year.

 

[Ranger83]

I'd recommend against that [aluminum channel(s) only], if it's the typical HF 4x8 and not one of the newer ones, or something else. Mine was flimsy behind imagination just by itself. Dropping a 4x8 3/4" sheet of plywood with several carriage bolts (4 corners, one or two at each halfway point? and a couple in the middle? something like that) goes a long ways to giving some ability to resist twisting. Think stepping in one far corner and watching the whole thing torque.

Maybe it's overkill for your needs, but that is what comes to mind for me, twist. Then again, that might increase drag and if you are doing mile after mile, that might not be good--I do short trips with mine and mpg is a big don't-care.

Althouggh plain old plywood is most common, what he is suggesting is another common approach among motorcyclists. This thread has over 1,400 posts and started in 2006.

https://advrider.com/f/threads/harbor-freight-trailer.123255/

Here’s how we attached the plywood.

 

[grampi]

Is yours Harbor Freight or Northern? The harbor freight ones use metric bearings that you can't get in parts stores. They have to be ordered online. My 1140 pound one had metric bearings. Maybe the 1700 pound one is different .. I forgot to look when we put together the one last year.

I don't have any trailer yet. I'm looking for one. I'm not worried about the bearings. I've never seen any go bad that weren't neglected...

 

[supton]

Althouggh plain old plywood is most common, what he is suggesting is another common approach among motorcyclists. This thread has over 1,400 posts and started in 2006.

Ah, thanks. If it's been done and is proven, then fine--I just know mine was easy to twist about until I got it shored up.