My dad bought a used harbor freight folding trailer a few years ago and used it as a yard trailer. It wasn’t long after he bought it that he noticed a lot of rust showing up. In which case all he was going to do was remove the rust/chipping paint, and then replace the taillights. But he asked me to do it. As I was going to, I looked at it and there was a lot more to it than just doing all that work so, I took it home and rebuilt the whole thing. Cleaned and removed as much of the rust as I could get. Then welded the whole thing back together. Minus the front part where the trailer sits on the ball. He can use as a dump trailer for the yard. New coat of paint and taillights. Looks better than new

I didn't know I needed to watch a video about harbor freight folding trailers, but here I am for some reason. It was very well put together and clear and concise.

Regarding mounting the license plate: Mount the plate on a wide Gate Hinge. The hinge will allow the plate to flex when needed.

My HF trailer is a lot more than 5 years old. It’s the 1190 lb. folder with 4 bolt 12” wheels. First mod was to install a 2” coupler. My first deck was 3/4” marine plywood, first 4’ sideboards were quick and dirty plywood with 2x2 corners, 2x4 posts. By the time I stripped it, spot blasted and repainted, I decided to weld it solid (I never folded it) and deck with an uncut sheet of 3/4” marine plywood. Current sideboards & tailgate were a lot more work, much stronger, and built after I made spacers for the stake pockets so I have a true 4x8’ inside the trailer. When I rewired, I went with good Peterson LED tail lights. Current tires (except spare) are Carlisle 145SR12 radials (made in China, despite Amazon’s claim they’re American). Sideboards include 6 pan fittings for ties, and are stained dark. Trailer is currently Hunter Green. I have a matching .50 cal ammo box on headboard, to hold tie straps, small wheel chocks, etc. Yes, take time squaring up on assembly (I’ve assembled 2 in the last 25 years). My State allows the choice of small license plate (like motorcycle plates), and that helps with damage. Yes, these are cheap, paint will fade and fall off, some hardware will be replaced. But with a little care you’ll get your money’s worth.

The best upgrade I made to my trailer was to remove the cheap furniture casters and replace them with ones that are rated for 750 pounds each

I have one that I bought in 2002. It is still in good shape. I have replaced the decking several times and last year I decided I wanted a metal grate deck (so the leaves would fall thru). I ended up buying two pieces of pallet rack wire decking that fit right over the frame and bolted it down. No more rotted wood deck and plenty of tie down points.

If the tires are 8”, you can change them to 12” and reduce the amount the bearing’s speed. Also use marine grade plywood to reduce the moisture damage. MSB needs to be sealed or painted.

I bought this exact trailor, about 5 years ago, it's still in the garage, unassembled.

I fixed the license plate issue by cutting a square of a truck mud flap and drilling out the holes to make it fit. It's stiffer than using a hinge, yet flexible enough to bend and not break when bending is required.

Regarding this trailer, I used one for about four years and it worked well for the price, but the trailer flexes like crazy, which causes things on it to bounce around, and straps to come loose. I replaced most bolts using aircraft type lock nuts. I used it to carry a 500# atv, and towed it many miles on rough dirt roads, and the frame started cracking in a few places near the bolt together points. I later bought a HD welded frame, 2x4 decking trailer and the difference was amazing. The harbor freight trailer worked fine around town and on road trips, although I twice had a leaf spring break on the road, so I always carried a spare spring and a spare tire.

I recently picked up the aluminum version of this trailer from northern tool. I used pywood as the deck, rabbeted the bottom so the plywood was flat, painted 8t both sides for some moisture protection, and counter sunk hex bolts to hold it on. I have yet to take it out on the road, but I'm glad to see yours geld up so well.

I bolted the center crossmembers together so it wouldn’t fold, then welded all the joints. I have over 60,000 miles on mine now. Been across America quite a few times

Both OSB and plywood will absorb moisture, split, rot etc. It's the nature of wood. I picked up some plywood for a trailer and the guy recommended a small can of roll on or spray bed liner. You can get small cans for touch ups. Drill the holes, treat both sides of the board and holes. That should keep the wood nice and dry.

I have an older tilt bed, non-folding, 1-ton Harbor freight trailer. I had the same thing with the license plate, I reversed the taillights from one side to the other, that mounted my plate above the taillight, I had to move the plate out a bit, but no more bent up license plate. On my Trailer I used an uncut full sheet of 3/4" plywood that I double coated with Polyurethane on all sides, then I installed it with carriage bolts, like you did, then I coated the whole top with bed liner. My tailer has set outside up here in snow country for 15 years with a lot less rust than yours, every couple of years I wire brush any rust or bubbled paint & repaint the spots, about a 30-minuet job, less time than it takes to check the bearings & tire pressure.

I bolted mine together. Threw away the hinges and the casters. I have a Ram 2500 Diesel and I also have a 26' trailer. This trailer is great when running to Home depot. It is much easier to park than the long trailer and load than climbing into the bed. Im sure people laugh at me pulling such a tiny trailer behind such a big truck but it a real back saver. I live in the southwest and it has not rusted or thrown grease.

Great review. I have an older version of the same trailer, and agree with your assessment. I always keep mine folded in the garage unless I'm using it, so I've never had a rust issue. I used 1/2" ply for weight savings, which has been sturdy enough, and I used self-drilling screws for the deck, like they use on semi-trailer floors. The frame on mine rattled like hell all the time, so I welded up all the non-moving parts with flux core, and I'm happy with that. One thing I'll add is that those pivot bolts are all in sheer. I've had a couple of them almost slice all the way through from vibration. Keep an eye on them and be prepared to swap them out. License plate is an issue. I just put mine on each time fresh, with nylocks (learned that the hard way). Eventually I'll weld up a channel for it to sit in so it doesn't get bent. I try never to tow the thing at night, because the lights on my are filament and hard to see...but I did put reflective striping on the back to help a bit. Oh, and tires? Keep them out of the sun and I think they'll be fine. But if you store them outside, and they aren't being used, they'll get weak and fail on you. Same as lawn tractor tires.

I upgraded my wiring harnesses to run in convoluted tubing with p clamps for attachment. Also added connectors to the lamps and harnesses. Also, put a piano hinge on the plate bracket and use elevator bolts instead of carriage bolts. Essentially, the are the same thing, but the heads are flat.

I had the same problem with my plate getting bent, so I mounted the license plate bracket to a hinge which allows the plate to fold against the trailer frame so it doesn't get bent.

This was really well put together.

Great information! I also put a lot of miles on my 20 year old trailer that still has the original tires on it, with no problems. The longest trip was about 2,800 miles. On my flatbed I put plastic bed on it. It sits outside year around in Minnesota, It should last about 30 years with no problems.

Thanks for the tips!

These days you can't go cheap on the wood no matter what you pick.

Great video, I love all your tips especially regarding the bearings requiring additional grease. I always expect paint chipping and rust with Harbor Freight products from past experience but good to see it's somewhat minimal.

Thanks for the information 👍

so basically you will want to weld the whole thing when you get it and keep it lubed

Great tips, thanks for the size on the bearing buddy. That helped

All your advice and observations are spot on, I purchased one many years ago, and at the time, I had the option to buy one with 8" wheels and tires, or 12", I see you have the one with 15", which is far better, I also went with bearing buddies and have never had a bearing failure after thousands on miles of use. I found that the frame and hitch tongue are made extremely light weight material, after a slight mishap that resulted in bending the tongue badly I replaced it with heavy channel iron. Mine sat outside always so I went with alum. deckplate for trailer bed. Mine was used mainly to haul an 800 # motorcycle on so I added many tie down locations, I hauled a ton of square bailed hay on it many times also with no trouble. Even after all my modifications it was no longer a folding trailer but that was not a buying point for me anyway. All in all, I found my trailer to be very useful and reliable. It was a great purchase.

A great VIDEO! We have this trailer, got it for free and then I put a 3/4" thick plywood deck on it and soaked that with Thompson water seal. Put about 20 miles on it years ago and it has been in the barn ever since standing up waiting for the next use. Karl in Michigan

Thank you for doing the video. Feel free to criticize what I am about to say. I have the 1000 pound version. Wish I had bought the 1750 pound version. Got it about 21 years ago. Have never changed the tires or bearings. They still look great. Drove it cross country and back about 7 years ago. Had spare but haven't ever needed it. I grease the bearings regularly. Have loaded near 2000 pounds on in for short trips (20 miles) and it handled it no problem. Used treated plywood with stain which has held up great. Left it outside for a bit and it turned the red paint pink. Then it started rusting. Since rusting, I did strip paint/rust with a wire wheel and repainted it. Some rust has come back. Converted it into a 4X8 insulated cooler trailer. Has worked great for moving, hauling, and outdoor fun. I think they were near $300 then. Never have used the folding feature. Maybe I should try that some day.

Great video! Very informative!

When it comes to the tires the 5 year recommendation is because of dry rot. Tires will develop cracking in the sidewall, which can cause a failure.

I've had mine for around 20 years and I call it "The BEST thing I ever bought at HF." Mods I've done: 13 inch trailer radials. Packed bearings with premium Moly grease early on with new seals. (Not a fan of Bearing Buddies except for boat trailers.) Solid welded tail light brackets with round stock protective ring. Those angle brackets each broke and bounced the light on the road till it was a little nubbin. LED lights, including 6 strong low profile side markers plus an amber marker behind the coupler so aggressive drivers can see there's a trailer and not dip in behind me. Welded small diameter loops inside the frame to retain wiring, those metal clips BREAK, also heavy sheathing over wires at all bend points and good retainers at each end of these. 3/4 plywood base removable with 2X4 scraps underneath at each corner so it can't slide; front ones cut in on table saw so they go under frame to retain front from flipping up if all else fails. 2 sets of sides, open frame and solid 4' high with inner rim to support a solid plywood lid for secure dump runs. All the sides I break down flat when deadheading for no wind resistance. Problem with this is trailer sits so low people have bumped me at signals 3-4 times, no damage. Mounted license plate sideways with round stock surround. Best mod, round stock strap hooks welded to bottom of frame, makes ratchet straps much more reliable and quick to hook up.

Thanks for the video

I got one of those trailers about 20 years ago maybe a little longer It has only been indoors a couple of weeks in that time it sat with the sideboards made of 2x4 with rabbit wire on the sides it sat full of trash being collected in it for around a year before I got it to the dump. One day I was delivering a ton of wood pellets to a friend when we were unloading it the bags shifted and dumped to the back it did bend the back piece of the trailer but it still works I got the pieces from another one that was scrapped but I haven’t bothered to change it because it still works ok. Another time we were moving some trash from a cleanup job we had I used my engine hoist to lift up an old cast iron stove when we let it down on the trailer it blew one of the tires off of the rim I did get another tire but it didn’t seem to hurt the trailer any. A couple of times after I first got the trailer I was trying to backup with it and jackknifed it a few times I have sideboards on the truck and the trailer is only around 5 feet wide and buy the time I seen the trailer it was to late. So we took off the trailer tong straitened it out and welded a 2 inch water pipe on each side and I use a 2 inch ball now unless the trailer is really full if I jackknife it the trailer just slides and no damage. A couple of years ago I built a little gipsy wagon it’s sitting on top of the trailer now but I can lift it up and pull the trailer out if I need to use it to hall anything else. Also about the wheel bearings they use to get very hot I took them off cleaned them really good and repacked them with some good grease and they don’t get hot anymore I moved a couple of years ago it was about a 2 hour drive we made about 5 trips with the trailer packed full and I hadn’t done much with the trailer for a couple of years and it did just fine the wheels didn’t heat up or anything. Another thing I use to do I made the side boards out of rabbit wire with 2 4’ 2x4’s on each panel and I used some of that plastic edge boards around the edges it’s 1/2” x3” it holds the wire good and keeps you from getting snagged on it. Then I got one of those trailer movers it has a long handle with an little a frame at the end with a trailer ball and 2 tires like a dolly has you just tip it into the hitch push down the handle and it will lift the trailer up off the trailer jack and you can just push the trailer around like a big wagon for collecting limbs and yard waist and you don’t have to use your vehicle till it’s full and your ready to hall it off I use to do a lot of cleanups in senior trailer parks they don’t like the noise and driving around on there lawns so this worked great just drag it around filling it then take it back to the truck hook it back up and hall it away. This is all of the problems I’ve had with this great little trailer in over 20 years of using it and it’s been outside in the rain and snow the hole time. There was a short time I was working at a restaurant I would go to the supply store fill up the trailer with a few weeks of supplies I had a CJ5 Jeep so you can’t fit much in it I would use the trailer when I got back unloaded it then take the side boards off put them in the hallway fold the trailer up standing it up and put it in the hallway it’s only as thick as the wheels plus a couple of inches for the fenders you could walk around it with no problems at all it’s still a great trailer they do have a heavier weight version I have been thinking about getting but this one doesn’t seem to be overloaded so I don’t know if I ever will. If you need a trailer this is a great deal to get and like I say you can fold it up so it only takes up around 5’x6’x18” park it in the garage or next to a building and it’s ready to use in a few minutes whenever you need it 😅 😅

Great video thanks. I'm thinking of buying one of these to transport my motorbike. Very informative thanks.

If you use a ratchet strap to hold the back half of the deck just off the ground, you can bring the front half down without dragging your license plate. Then when folding it up, set the back half at about 120 degrees and hold it there with a ratchet strap. That creates a little bit of a counter balance so you don’t have to lift all the weight of the trailer.

Had same problem with license plate bending. 2 fixes: 2 quick links you'd use for connecting 2 pieces of chain together to attach the license plate to the bracket instead of bolts. This lets the license plate simply swing about and lay flat on the ground while being assembled. Secondly while unfolding, I put a 4 wheel dolly under the back side of the trailer so the trailer doesn't drag on the ground while I unfold it. It moves about a foot or 2 while the front is being lowered. This also would be enough to prevent license plate damage if you remember every time to use the dolly. I'm still amazed my trailer is still working after 10 years. Definitely one of the best investments I've made.

As for the back end, I'd look for a way to prevent the back end from going all the way to the ground - maybe a rope, sawhorse, pole, temporarily attach a sacraficial 2x4 to one of the stakes on the back end (cheap to replace when needed), etc.

Protip, slather your wood in used motor oil once a year and water will not damage it. t. I keep my trailer outside all the time

Switch your trailer lights so the plate light shines up. I had to make a bracket to hold the plate and drill a hole or two on the plate. Check with state laws about license plate placement. For the trailer deck go with pressure treated 1x6 or the wire mesh used on trailer gates. For that locknut that loosen put a lock washer on both sides of the bolt with the nut or loctite it.

Chill video! Ty:)

Tread should be close to flat at the contact patch to maximize lateral grip and for even tread wear. Max inflation pressure is only for max loading. Adjust pressure for the load. By running pressure to high, you are heating up just the middle of the tread which can cause tread separation at highway speeds.

Cheers well done on the trailer build and review

Thank you Sir

Great review and tips! Thank you

Thanks for all the good info. How fast do you drive while towing this trailer? Any difference in speed when empty or loaded down? Do you have any concerns or worries driving at lest the speed limit on the interstate highways?

About the license plate: I cut the bracket in two and hinged it. Changed out the hinge pin for a longer bolt and nut to pass through a small coil spring with the ends bent 90 degrees. One end goes against the license plate to keep it from slipstreaming, and it will fold when the aft section is dragged.

Last but not least I recommend adding a stabilizer bar half way down the "V" on the tounge and make it like this letter "A" it keeps it from flexing when weight is on the deck

You must do a lot of driving on gravel/dirt roads! My trailer is almost 12 years old(bought early 2012) and has about 15,000 miles on it(been from Arkansas to Tucson, Phoenix, and Quartzsite several times), however, I don't have near the rust you have! The paint is faded but intact! You're right about the wood deck though, I used marine grade 3/4 inch plywood, and bed lined the top surface! It still looks good with no separation! And I did make sure to square it up during assembly! Mine however does not have the fold capability on it! It sits in the back yard in the weather, just waiting to be called on! Since I'm retired now, I too have been thinking of building a little camper on it!

I own the same trailer and had the same issue with the license plate. I used ss steel quick links. Also, my trailer looks askew from behind along with just about every other I have seen.

Really great update on the trailer! Exactly what I was looking for. I came here after reading your Harbor Freight site review! I have a couple of questions: Is the trailer strong enough with all the bolts or would welding the joints provide some additional strength? Also, do you think it would be wise to make a flat bed of 6x12 (extending a foot on each side and about 2 foot to the front and the back)? What would be the perceived difference between this trailer and some of the higher priced ones at Tractor Supply/Lowes etc. Sorry, I am total noob to trailers and I am looking for one for mainly home purposes.

I got my harbor freight trailer in 2016 and still use it to this day mine is the heaviest one that was available at the time and I maxx my loads on it and overload it at times hauling scrap metal. And it's been rear ended in an accident and I fixed and still keep using it. I do recommend upgrading the rims to a 13" because the 12" wheels keep loosing air on the beads but when you get the 13" wheels get a pair of wheel spacers. also swap out the hitch coupler with the solid a frame one that harbor freight sells it works way better and stiff it up more. The original snapped off easy like hot knife in butter.

To get the OSB off, just get 2 hole saws. One barely bigger than the carriage bolt head, one considerably bigger (like the ones for a door lockset, 1.5 or 2.125 inches). Obviously remove the center pilot drill bit from the mandrel. Use the 2 hole saws to cut a donut shaped piece of OSB out, then you can bust the donut and get Vise Grips onto the head. Or use an oscillating multitool to accomplish the same thing. Unless you just like using a grinder and seeing sparks fly. As for the license plate, I wouldn't drag the back end of the trailer on concrete to begin with. Just sit a milk crate or a box to lower the back end onto instead of onto the ground. Or I guess you could hinge a 2x2 about a foot long and bungee it up when done.

I have two of the 4x8 trailers. I just used a solid sheet of plywood on them. They've held up very well over the years I've had them. Even with being overloaded a couple times.

I also had bearings in case of a failure. I then upgraded it by getting a hub and installed the bearings this way if I did have a failure I just had to change out the hub. After having a problem with the original tires I upgraded the tires with ones rated for 80MPH.

I built the Home Depot special which had the smaller wheels and a different hitch mechanism. I used the 3/4" plywood and put a coat of oil based paint on before assembling. Cut the license plate bracket and brazed on a hinge. I use some stiff wire to keep the plate from flapping when in use. Added outboard eye bolts for tie points. Later added two large straight caster wheels to the underside of the back half of the bed so when you pull the front off the stand/casters the back of the bed just rolls on the new caster wheels keeping the bed from scraping on the ground. Previously, I would place a moving dolly under the bed so it wouldn't scrape. As a new need arises, I've been able to make changes including loading and hauling a motorcycle safely. Also those outboard eye bolts are also used to keep the trailer safely closed via a thick custom 'c' clip made just for that purpose. All the needed bits and bobs are stored in an old pillow case at the ready.

Another great informative video.... Thank you! Please Note: As a retired guy from the construction industry, any wood/wood product will be affected by weather. Wood Moves (expansion/contraction) Glues and adhesives deteriorate over time. Long lasting, low maintenance surface would be something like a diamond tread aluminum or expanded metal. (ALSO PLEASE NOTE: I am not a trailer expert, nor do I play one on TV, so please understand this observation is just my humble opinion.) .... (grin)

got one still in the box in my garage was gonna make a little teardrop camper out of it, and I also have a little 4’x4’ one in the box I assembled just to pull behind my zero turn….😊

Great video. Looking to get one of these and modify it to haul kayaks and other small to medium sized outdoor machines like bikes. Where did you source those upgraded bearings? Can you provide a link? Thanks again!

I built a teardrop trailer on one of these about 7 years ago. I have about 30K miles on it. I change the bearing about every 5-6K miles. I didn't do that one year and I had a failure at around 7000 miles. I do carry and extra set of bearings, but I also have an extra hub w/ bearings set to install. It's a lot easier to change a hub at the side of the road, than removing and reinstalling a set of bearings. Also be aware that the bearings on the HF trailer are metric, so you can't just pop down to the auto supply store and pick up a new set.

Thompsons water seal on the deck and paint..great video

I got one of these 20 years ago. Here are my suggestions (which of course may be out of date): - do something to prevent the nuts from just vibrating loose at the pivot points. Buy Nylock nuts, use thread locker, weld them, or whatever (it looks like maybe HF has done this for at least some of the nuts?) - the lights use the frame as a ground connection. This is sketchy at best, and hopeless at the hinges. Either run a separate ground wire to each light from the plug, or at least a jumper wire from the front to back half to bypass the hinges. - replace the flimsy office chair casters with sturdy casters -- although maybe HF has already made this design change? - get a couple of those reflectors on 4' plastic stalks that people put next to their driveways, mount them in short pieces of 2x4 and stick them in the brackets at the back of the trailer. This makes your trailer much more visible in traffic and easier to back up, as well as providing comic relief to other drivers as they flap back and forth in the wind.

If you don't want to have to cut the heads off, get somebody else involved with a pair of vice grips and plant them on the head of the carriage Bolt while you're spinning the nut off with an impact or something

Thanks for the vid. Well done. But after watching and reading the comments I decided not to buy one. It has too many problems , rust easily and it seems the bolts let go even after putting lock nuts on them. In the comments people talking about all kinds of modifications they have done to the trailer so I thought I might as well build and weld a trailer the way I want it . SOLID. Thicker metal and galvanized or powder coat painted. Thanks for the vid. You saved me a lot of headaches.

Good job on your trailering adventures, Dude! What you said really "hit home" for me --- I bought a very old small boat-trailer for $55 and completely rebuilt it, added new wood and fasteners, greased/adjusted the wheel-bearings, and added a removable plywood cargo-tray so that I could haul moderate-weight freight with it, as well as my rowboat. Love it! :D

Subject Plywood: I recommend putting at Least 2 or more coats of high quality paint on each side and edges of the plywood. I had a sheet of plywood painted well and used it outside for about 12 to 15 years as a work table before it rotted. Through Heat, Cold, Rain, and Snow. As you know, you get out of something what you put into it. 😁 Great Video. .

Even though the carriage bolt heads are buried in the OSB, you should be able to get a pair of vice grips on the head to hold them.

I added a hinge to the license plate. Home Depot sells a 12" black piano cover hinge that works perfectly. It folds down so the plate doesn't hit the wall during storage, and will fold forward if you were to drag it (I don't). I made a jig that basically keeps the plate in place when in the "driving" orientation, but releases when in the "storage" orientation. You could also use a binder clip to keep the plate in place on the road.

Might want to check your tires in general. They had a recall on the ones for those trailers. Mine were in the recall. I haven't had any issues with them though. Mine DOES stay out in the elements so I need to go through it. I did not set mine up for being folded away. I used 3/4" outdoor ply for the deck instead of OSB and have side walls on mine for hauling gravel and dirt. I am getting ready to re-deck and re-wall it so will have a chance to go through it in detail. I have added a jack on the tongue too. Key advantage in my state is no need for licensing on such a light weight trailer so no license plate 🙂

Here in Arizona we have the option of a small license plate. It’s the same size as a motorcycle plate. It makes mounting simple.

i had one in colledge logged over 20,000 miles between a set of bearings with a repack. hauls very well once out of aircraft school i loaded about 1200lbs on mine and would use to bring my 56 hf tool box from job to job and it made it from shreveport,la to tucszon arizona during covid everything west of dallas was 80-85 mph and it hauled very well very well balenced end up selling mine to a friend before we bought a house. i have a car trailer now but loved this little trailer for the bargain it is

You have a trailer, you probably have cheap ratchet straps. When you have it folded, you have the brackets for 2x4s about chest high. Hook the strap on one (by the rust spot you pointed out) walk around the back of the trailer and hook the other end to the one by the bolt you had come out. It does the same thing as your bungees on the top but has a bonus. When you unfold and drop the rear of the trailer to the ground, hook the strap between the 2x4 brackets on the same side of the trailer with slight tension, when you lower the front of the trailer, the rear acts as a counterbalance. The other thing i did was put 2" casters on the rear so when I put it on the ground, it does not scrape and it keeps the liense plate off the ground.

You are correct - run at Max load pressure regardless of the trailer load weight. Also the fact that you use the trailer is healthier for the tires (and bearings) than to let them set and not be used for a year or more. I'd say that you are getting your money's worth out of that trailer. I built one of these about 35 years ago, before there was a Harbor Freight but it's the same kit I built but it was from a different store. I subsequently sold it to my neighbor about 20 years ago (when I upsized to a 5x12' utility trailer with 14" rims). My neighbor still has that trailer!

I found a very flexible rubber mount/bracket for the license plate on Amazon. It easily goes up or down to avoid bending the plate. Gravity is your friend and positions it right where it needs to be.

I have a 4x8 opened mesh trailer. It has 12" sides. I got tired of dirt falling through, road dirt on everything. I got several bed liners. Cut them down to fit the floor and the sides. Works wonders. I also took 2-4 pieces of plywood and made a box. I had one with shelves and a lid if I wanted.

I welded expanded metal deck and bolted in 3/4" Baltic Birch as my deck. Just cut sheet in half. I water proofed plywood. I chaned out the axle and installed bought a 3500 axle with electric brake hub. I run 14 in radial tires. Installed LED trailer lights. I also install 1/2" tubing for wire concuit and flexed the wire in to lights. This weather proofed the wiring. Welded the whole frame and remade the tongue hitch out of 2 in C channel then welded a support in between. Installed a piano hinge for license plate so it swings out of the way when i fold it. I also sandblasted the whole frame and powder coated the frame. Made stake bed expanded fence that easily removes 13:21 . Oh! I also welded rachet strap rollers on 4 points on each side. Welded a pin hinge in back of trailer for ramp. I use it for a landscaping trailer to haul my Exmark zero turn stand up mower. I have had the trailer since 2012 and it still looks new. I store it in a storage rental with all my other equipment. I have a Ford Explorer 1998 sport i tow with. I have never had an issue with this trailer. Trailer is well balanced. It tows beautifully. I could ask for a better trailer for the price. 11 years of service. I deffinately got my moneys worth out of this trailer.

I bought a used one many years ago. It held up well. I hauled my riding mower and other large objects. A few years later I bought a flat bed SurTrac trailer and added sides. Then sold the Harbor Freight one. After twenty five years, my SurTrac is still around. And I do keep it outside.

I almost bought a maverick hybrid but I don't really need a truck. Mayne only once or twice a year to go to home depot and do diy home projects. Should I buy a foldable utility trailer instead and add a hitch to my Nissan leaf so I can haul stuff whenever I need it??

Do you replace the wheel bearings with needle bearings for efficiency?

I have a 10 year old harbor freight trailer out here in the desert. Stored outside and it's seen plenty of rain no rust. it is more pink than red at this point though and same stock bearings and tires.

As far as the license plate is concerned I have a 6x4 board about 8 feet long. When folding or unfolding the trailer I allow the back end of the trailer to slide on the board keeping the plate clear of the ground.

I have a Higgins camper converted to a general hauling trailer. It had regular car size, tube type, tires that ran for 20 years, (around 20,00 miles total.) before they needed replacement due to age. Tread wear was negligible.

Did you have to register the trailer at the DMV too?

Thank you for the great video.

I welded all thr joints, put 1/8 diamond plate on deck & heavy duty leaf springs.. mine is 30 yrs old.still use it today.

I rivet my tags on the left hand fender and have a small light that shines on the tag. Works great the tag never hits anything. Also make sure you put valve caps on the stems.

After watching you and others with this trailer. I moded mine hard. I went with a design off of Amazon. The tongue. I am still not done building mine. Thanks for sharing this information.

my HF is rust free after 12 years and it had been rained on, so you have other issues, as for the folding bracket, often people fail to leave it a touch loose, and the tires do not ship with the trailer, they are supplied to HF separately

And most of those tires are rated at 55mph, but they fly down the highway at 80mph not even filled to the right pressure. The deformation with under inflated tires is nuts. You will always have someone that does whatever they want solely because it worked for them in the past. But, in reality, the clock is ticking until they end up on the side of the road with a blowout.

I bought one of these in 2017 to move it was an 8 or so hour trip. It was loaded with my tools I'm sure it was close to the max weight or over. I've had one issue with mine. I had to replace the storage wheels. I went with bigger ones. After watching this I should probably check the grease levels I've never added any or checked them. oops.

I hang my plate with zip ties… it flaps in the wind, but doesn’t get bent. Curious to inspect my bearings. I repack them every spring, but have never taken the temperature by more than feel.

I had one for 20 years. It rusted but it kept on rolling. I gave to a young man to make a kayak trailer.

regarding the date code - you also have to look for weather checking, or dry rot. Ignore the treadwear. these are only two-ply tires, not enough meat to deal with highway temperatures. 5 to 10 years is fine for 'farm use', though $200 replacement or a blowout w/ potential accident on the road? Thanks for the video, safe travels!

Thanks for the information. One suggestion is 3/4 pressure treated plywood.

Also I used extension cord for my trailer lights because it has a layer of protection sheathing over the wires in the cord just you gotta alter the wire colors and write it down or mark it on the trailer. And I made own replacement fenders out of a 55gal oil drum and bed frame. Way better than the flimsy cheesey ones it comes with.

This was so very helpful! I’m considering the HF trailer for my foamie build! So, you kept the original tires for the trailer then and just monitor the temps vs. staying the recommended 45mph (which is why most people say put radials on them). Am I understanding that correctly? Thanks for telling us the bearing buddy part number for this trailer too as well as what you carry with you! Much appreciated.

Lucas Heavy Duty grease. I use it too.

When using bearing buddies, install the hub seal backwards. That will allow the excess grease to come our without popping the seal out. With them installed backwards, it will also keep out the dirt and water. Someone already mentioned using a piano hinge on the license plate, but make sure that the hinge is made out of stainless steel. I got sooooo tired of replacing the plywood deck on my utility trailer, that I got some weather resistant deck boards like they use when making outdoor decks on houses. In stead of using carriage bolts, use button head Stainless Steel Allen bolts, or, what I did with my trailer, I used 1" x 1 x 1/8" angle iron on each end to hold the boards on. ( Along with Stainless Steel Allen bolts to hold the angle iron in place.) That will also protect the edges of the deck boards. I have built several trailers over the years, and all of my trailers are stored outside. A little rust here and there is not that bad, at least in my opinion. Those bolts should never get loose. Look to see that the metal that the bolts go through is not moving.

I used marine plywood on the one I had it was cheaper then I don’t like to use OSB for anything that sees outdoor use because it doesn’t hold up to moisture

To avoid the bolts chipping and rotating in the wood freely mark the new mounting points for the board where you want it then get some threaded inserts for those bolts that way you can easily do bolting and unbolting when required and avoid the bolt's threads rounding off in the wood over time.