Thank you for your video. I was completely dumb-founded about how to secure the wheel to the axle when it came all preassembled. Your note about knocking off the dust cap was the missing piece to the puzzle for me. Again, super helpful!

Wow, $269 is a steal. Im not sure what year this video was made but in 2023 that trailer is over $500

I wanted to thank you for sharing this video. I watched this video many times while assembling my trailer, due to the directions being very unclear on what parts were which. The walk thru on the wheel assembly was a life saver. Thank again.

Had similar problems except 1 big issues one of the hubs didn't fit the spindle and in the end I ended up with one extra axle (lol) and 3 extra hub assemblies. But after 8 years I have to say it works for what I need. Take care and keep up the great work.

Thank you so much for this video it really helped me out in assembling this trailer. I was trying to understand the directions when I came to this video and it worked out great. For me on the wheels I had to jack up the trailer and put it on jack stands to put the fenders on. Thank you for explaining and showing how to assemble

Here I am, thinking about buying this trailer for my 12' homemade plywood boat, so, yeah, your video is really perfect. Thanks.

thanks for the info on this trailer. have a great weekend...

Thanks. Me a a few techs at work built it yesterday for my bass raider. I can’t wait to finish it off with a deck. And btw. I didn’t build it to fold either. But it didn’t realize it tilted. So cool. Thank for the video. Subscribed

Excellent video. You saved me quite a bit of time with your helpful hints and overall explanation you don't get in the box. Thank you!

Excellent, straightforward tutorial, clean presentation, tight editing. Very helpful. Thanks.

God bless you sir for doing this video, because even though the diagrams helped a lot, some parts left me confused. Your video cleared things up and I now have a working utility trailer.

Nice job Ray. Can't wait to see your modifications.

You had me at mods. Thumbs up for assembling the trailer in your chanclas.

Thanks. This was the best assy video for this trailer on youtube

Awesome information/review. Thanks for Sharing !

Good catch on the two longer bolts for the trolley/fender bracket tie points. I put the fenders and the dolly caster frame on per the manual vs. waiting until I had tires on due to the cramped space once tires are on. Also, if you fold the trailer as it shows in the manual while doing this, there is plenty of room to assemble everything. Don't tie the front and rear frame channels together before this point even if you don't want to use it as a fold up. do it after tires are on so you can fold trailer to install tires. You can tie the two channel together after you flip it back over.

When I built my small trailer many years ago, I went ahead and welded it as well.

I brought the 1720 lb rated . Glad I watched your video . Makes a huge difference . I am by myself so we will see what happens . Thanks again

awesome video, thanks for making it.

That isn't grease in the bearings. It is rust inhibitor. You need to pack both the inside and outside bearing on each wheel with a good grease. And that red paint turns pink rather quickly.

Great review and assembly dude!

I'm in the process of assembling mine. It will NEVER get folded up, so I didn't install the hinges. I'm cutting the end off of the bracket for the casters so it's just a piece of angle iron. I'm going to drill holes and install it where the hinges would have gone. Way more solid than hinges.

Very nice job with the video and your explanation. Also, nice shop!

I had a trailer similar to this given to me after the original owner had bent the original axle twice. his axle was even a full tube, but still didn't support much weight. My neighbor gave me a 90's Dodge Caravan axle with the leaf springs and shock still attached. That has worked great for 4 years now, even filling the trailer with oak and walnut firewood with foot tall sides on the trailer, and over 30 mile distances.

According to reviews i read at hf on their trailers-everyone i read talked about repacking the bearings to avoid axle problems later on.

great info man thanks!!!

Ray, I want your workshop. Man, mine looks like I don't have any tools and work in a shed, compared to yours. Kudos to you.

Great video Ray! Your video remarks will make it easier for me to assemble without "winging it". Do you remember an estimate of the time it took to assemble totally? Just wondering if I should try on a weekday, or do it over an entire weekend. Thanks so much! Bubs

GREAT video. I kind of like that the axle is open, less chance for water to collect and rust, hidden from sight, which is what kills most boat trailer axles. Thanks for making the video.

Great Video Ray!!!

I'm getting ready to buy one of these. My modifications will be to beef up that axle. Use some heavy perf. Channel and incase the existing axle in it. But only up to where spring brackets and springs attach. Should beef it up and In close that U channel.

Looks like you have a well-equipped shop. Maybe welding flat bar stock to the axle to enclose it will give it the strength you need at a lower cost than a new axle..

For anyone considering buying a trailer. I just went through a nightmare and not sure it's finished. It took a total of 3 stores. I went online to look for the closet store that had heavier duty one in stock. The store closet to me had none, so I went to the second closet. They told me they do not have any. They had one sitting up front on display. It turns out the one on display they are counting as inventory. I told them I'd take it and they told me no. They know these trailers are often hard to find so they trick people into coming into that store location for the trailer, only to be told they actually do not have any, even though it's sitting right in front of everyone as a display. Very crooked or at least dishonest. Anyhow, they at least call another store but it's pretty far. They confirmed they had the trailer I wanted in stock. What was interesting is the guy was clear to me that they had both matching boxes. At the time this seemed odd to say but I didn't pay much attention to it. I get to the store and pick up a couple of items and tell them I'm there to pick up the trailer. They bring it out in two boxes. The guy gets nervous because he has to fill out the title stuff. Had a 'how to' binder, I assume the store created so the paperwork gets completed correctly. It was a disaster. He was coming things out and stamping in the wrong place. I was like hey man are you sure you know what you are doing. He asked a couple of people for help. They assured me all is good with the paperwork. I ended up going to the store next to me to have a manager review because it looked off to me still. She made a correction but no stamp in front of the title. I went to get the title and registration a few days later. They basically laughed at me. Told me to get an affidavit and correct the stamp location. I went to the store closest to me again for this. She was very helpful but had to call the store manager in the place I bought it from originally. I went back to get it registered and after a lot of people reviewed the paperwork they decided to do it but advised it could come back later as not valid. So it was a nightmare going through all this. Lots of my time wasted. I hadn't even put it together yet. Now get this. I open the large box with all the parts because I wanted to paint it with a paint that would not fade like the factory paint does. What's odd is i unpack a front cross member. In my head I'm like oh wow, I thought this only came with the light weight version of the trailer. I'm like sweet, they upgraded. I take all the red parts out and paint them. Looks great. Lots of time spent on it. I planned on putting it together this weekend. Even though I've watched at least ten videos on how to put it together I decided to read the manual. I almost crapped myself. The manual is for the smaller trailer!!!! They gave me the wrong trailer!!!!! I paid for the heavy duty version and they gave me the lighter version. Wth!!! It turns out this goes back to the comment about two matching boxes. They gave me the small box of the heavy trailer which has the wheels and springs. The large box is all the framing and axle of the lighter trailer. What a joke! I've put so much time ahead work into this already without even assembling it, even have a wood deck purchased and cut. I can't return it at this point with all the registration fees paid, the frame painted and the store being an hour away. I will put it together and see how it turns out. Not happy about it at all. This also means the next person will get mixed boxes, or maybe it happened before me and I got the mixed boxes. This is just a warning for anyone thinking of getting a trailer. First, call the store to see if they are trying to be crooked by showing a display as available inventory online. Two, when they bring out two boxes make sure they match! If you make it to three, demand a manager completes the paperwork and that the manager goes slow. Any corrections or scribbles will require you to go back and get an affidavit later. If someone from Harbor Freight contacts me and makes this right I will let everyone know. I will be sharing this in many places to get the word out.

Nice job!

I had that same trailer for 25 years and put many miles on it. Was an excellent bargain for the price and I just recently sold it for $160.

I've been looking at these trailers for some time. They are popular in the homemade teardrop travel trailer community. They also get rid of the folding feature of the bed by taking those two back to back cross members and put them in the side channels so instead of just a 6 inch or so plate its now spliced together with two 4 foot pieces of steel. they then replace the cross piece usually with wood but I think you may have some scrap metal around somewhere that could work. They also usually move the axle back to get the proper 60% of the weight in front and 40% behind the axle. In most teardrops the kitchen in in the back and thats where most of the weight is. Some add a box beam that connects the hitch to the frame by going down the middle of the entire trailer. How much of a hassle is it to register? In many states its a huge hassle and it was to the point that in my state, PA, they stopped selling them because people returned them after getting a round around at the DMV. One person's account had him taking multiple pictures form many angles and taking it to a certified weigh station to get an official weight. He sends it all in and weeks later it gets returned because of something about the pictures not being labeled properly. :( One work around that still may work is you register it by mail with I think Maine. You send the proper form with a check for maybe $30 and they send you a Licence plate, a plate that's like your VIN you pop rivet to the frame and the proper registration card. Its good for a year and then you can go to AAA and now its a transfer and not a new registration. Maybe you can use some of that extra hardware on the . . . . . wait for it .................. Captain America Shield. :)

You can't use the carriage bolts (w/o mod) because the drilled holes on the trailer frame are round and the carriage bolts have a square neck. It seems there'd be a lot of filing involved? I'd install the 2 castor support bars to the trailer and mount some mud flaps (old rubber door/car floor mats, etc...) to them instead. Dress up the electrical wiring with simple flex tubing (from a junk yard/new) to protect it from weather/rocks/rodents. Mount an old tool box (metal/plastic) to the tongue cross beam for cheap/rusty/non matching tool storage (extra flat tire hardware, bolt tightening, chain stow, chaulk block etc...) or extra tire (may need new holes drilled). Some of the extra holes around the frame can have reflectors bolted to it? Just some many ideas I like sharing.

You made a great video showing how to assemble this trailer ...I have thought about getting one and after getting the title ...Complete the project by mig welding it together to make it a little stronger

Thanks for the video, can you tell me the height from the level floor to the top rail ? Thanks- JJ

How tight should I tighten the leaf spring bolts, eye bolt and shackle bolt I believe they are called? Should I tighten them as hard as I can, or should I tighten them snug then back off a bit? Excellent video! Thank you for this. Also, should I tighten the axle U-Bolts as tight as possible? I did tighten in a diagonal criss-cross pattern.

I'm thinking about buying this kit just for the raw materials. I'll weld it together myself. I was just looking at it because buying the raw materials and spindles for a trailer this size is about the same cost. At least this one has everything already cut to length and all I'll need is some touch up paint and apparently, I'll need to finish the tube on the axle.

I got the small trailer and putting it together is very difficult. My box wrench and socket wrench will not fit over the nuts inside the rails because the holes are too close to the sides not letting the wrench fit over the nut. As I turn the socket wrench on the outside the box wrench keeps popping off since it can't lay flat over the bolt. Carriage bolts would have made all the difference and cut the assembly time to 1/4 of the time. Thanks for a great video!

I needed a small trailer to pull behind my UTV at the farm. I bolted together and got squared up then welded together(wasn’t ever going to fold it up).

Hi Ray! This video is wonderful! Question - does it seem possible to construct the trailer to be half the length by not attaching the back half? Would there be a safe way to mount the axle to the center of just the front half?

Nice Vid ,remove the hinges one bolt at a time and put the bolts thru the center beam holes...also grind that bracket for the caster wheels off.

Thanks for the video. Is that 8 feet long trailer includes the A-frame or is that for the bed only. How long is that A-frame? I am thinking of buying this for 10-foot and 5-feet wide inflatable - would this trailer be a good fit?

Channel is nearly as strong as a boxed frame and much more resistant to rust. Nearly all of the strength comes from the vertical component of the channel, this is because that is the direction of the force on the trailer. Boxing it would barely improve its strength, but it would increase the chance of corrosion greatly.

I have a general question. The hardware included with the assembly did NOT use nylock nuts. I'm concerned all of the bolted connections would vibrate loose. Did The Harbor include lock washers with the kit? Also, have you noticed on your assembly any nut/bolt combo coming loose? I also notice you didn't fabricate some sort of a jig to keep the trailer frame square? How much time did you spend ensuring a square trailer before assembling the axle? I'm curious to know how this trailer tracks behind a truck once assembled. GREAT VIDEO! It is pretty informative! Thanks!

Nice video good job too. Can you do a video with your boat on thereand maybe how you launch it?? Thx

Great build! Did you have a torque spec for bolts?

Would you come to Memphis and put mine together? Do you think it's a good idea to exchange the 1 7/8" ball for a 2"?Also I've read that you need to change the grease for marine grade. My use would be hauling two 50lb kayaks.

muy bueno y explicativo video, por favor me informaria que clase de medidas tiene las vigas, me refiero a las pulgadas de la misma o sea el grosor, ya que intentaria reproducirla aca en mi pais, ya que no existe este trailer aca y no lo envian tampoco desde su pais. yo soy de argentina. desde muchas gracias

I was interested in how you were going to use as a tilt trailer. ? I was thinking. Of using 2x6 wood decking extend a couple of feet longer. So when you back off of trailer it does not flip the back end back up hitting under carriage of Vehicle would like very much to hear your idea thanks

Great video Maybe folding the toung first would make it easier to flip over

Great instructional video, thanks what state you are at ? Does the trailer needs to be registered at motor vehicles office?

So are those two boxes what it comes in from the store? I was wondering how people get it home with a smaller car

I am considering getting the 1720 lb. capacity trailer. I checked out the owner's manual and noticed that it says not to exceed 45 mph when pulling the trailer. What are your thoughts on this? What is the highest speed you have pulled the trailer? Great set of videos by the way!

gloves, cardboard, power tools, all good friends

Crap so many people get rid if the storage rails and casters! I got a hand-me-down trailer and I really need those! ☹️

I need a folding trailer, but it has to have a payload capacity of 2500 lbs or more. I don't think anyone makes one to that spec. Might have to look at building one with 2x3 box frame. At least the trailer gave me an ideal.

the numbers are in the back with a diagram. its not hard to figure out. there are 20, 25, and 30mm bolts if I remember correctly . 4 of them are carriage bolts. Best thing to do is organize your parts (like me). Its very easy to build then . The instructions are very clear with great drawings (a 1st for china)! Sort your parts and organize first and you'll be able to see if you are missing anything also. It only takes a few minutes to do that. Then you use the rear of the manual with the diagram as you put it together.

That was very good Where to buy this flat pak Trailer mate Thanks

biggest thing is repack bearings and prefer replace bearings and seals before use unless is just an occasional use with not alot of weight..

Thanks man. Informative and well done. I want to buy one and was planning on getting the heaviest one, "super duty", 1720 lb capacity for $349.99 but I don't see any difference in them. Would you know ? The axle and hitch/coupler maybe ??

Would this trailer be good for loading and unloading a mower/snowblower many times?

Hi. Does anyone know the coupler height of this trailer? (distance from the ground to the coupling)

I just got new tires on them and they wobble a little bit. Everything is tight and bearings are still good. Any tips on what I should do?

Just curious how your wheel bearings have held up since you did not clean out the packing grease and repack them as the instructions say to do? The instructions also do not say anything about the inner bearing but it also needs to be removed, cleaned, and repacked. There are a couple of videos on KZfaq that show how to do this and preserve the rear grease seal.

At the end of the instruction manual there are pictures of all the parts with their designated number next to them

I saw a video on here where a guy replaced the axle with a solid axle because he was building a camper on it and going for the long highway miles and speed.

How hard is it to title a store bought trailer and how long to receive title?

Why didnt you fold it , if it is a folding trailer like in the photo? and What is your forever trailer if this isnt good enough ?

Hi Ray. Did you actually repack the wheel bearings before you installed the hubs onto the axle? A common complaint I see about these trailers is wheel bearing and tire wear and failure. I was looking at the 5 lug wheel version of this trailer which is rated for 1,790 lbs payload or something like that. When I contacted harbor freight about the different model numbers, we also talked about wheel bearing issues. The technical representative I spoke with said you must repack the bearings prior to use because the bearing grease the trailer is shipped with is only shipping grease to protect from rust. It is not proper wheel bearing grease. I have noticed a number of the You Tube videos on these trailers show inproper assembly for the wheels and guys making modifications to these trailers which are not towing safe or seriously overloading them. Well beyond what the axle and tires can support. With down the road issues following shortly there after. Ron

The instructions for my folding trailer call for a 1/4" tapping screw to attach the white ground wire to the diagonal tow bar. What is a 1/4" tapping screw? Is it a 1/4" wide by 1/4" long or what? They are more expressive about using the 4mm self-tapping screws to attach the side lights. But they were included in the light package whereas I have to go buy the not included 1/4" tapping screw.

Quisiera saber si se puede encargar, el costo puesto en Medellín Colombia

I bought this and put it together, the only question I have is where does Bolt C, M10x50 go? It is listed on the parts list, qty 1, but for the life of me I can't find where to install it on the trailer?

Nice trailer build. One thing. Is this your home garage? Cuz DAMN! A HAAS milling machine in your garage?

I MIGHT buy one of these Ray, to take my boat across the USA and back... Not sure yet.

ooh working with heavy metal in open toed sandals. I'd paint all hat before assembly and that axle could be rectified by any local welding shop for your peace of mind. Good job though

Hey! Tried the trailer for the first time and the tires locked up. I couldnt take it anywhere. What do you think I did wrong?

If you've got a spring right above each wheel, does the weight of the axle matter much? I mean, it's just keeping the wheels in a line.

Whoa what's up H2O Delirious been a long time

Where did you ground your wiring? That's been my biggest problem with this trailer. Otherwise, I absolutely adore mine.

Avoid scuffs, get the free tarp coupon!

How do I get the stake pocket for the 4x8 pocket trailer

I think the issue with the grease is not everyone will have the proper tool to properly pack the bearings. At least as much as I know about trailers and grease.

Why would one need fenders? I would like to put larger wheels on one of these, are they absolutely necessary?

I finished mine yesterday. Today I tried to register it. OMG, this may be imposible. These trailers are not sold in Louisiana, but theoretically can be bought in Texas and registered in Louisiana. I went to my favorite DMV office in Vivian, La. where after waiting 20 minutes outside, because of the Chyna virus they only allowed 4 nonemployees in the building at a time. After being allowed in the building, I waited another 20 minutes to be told that they would not recognize the receipt as a "Bill of Sale", despite it having the price paid and the VIN number (in addition I have the actual title in hand). They gave me a form that would require me to take a Longview, Tx. HF cashier to a notary, or vise-versa. Also, they were behind a plexiglass shield and wearing a mask. It was like talking to Kenny on Southpark. Thinking they were wrong, I then drove to a title company that does registrations in Bossier City, La.. Another 20 minute wait outside. They basically told me the same thing. After half a tank of gas and standing around waiting outside, I was a little frustrated. I called the Longview HF where I purchased the trailer. The young lady told me that since the trailer is a kit and did not come assembled, it does not require the paperwork they are asking for. She told me that this problem is nothing new and that there is a form that explains that the paperwork is not required and should be avalible at any HF (even in La.)or the staff should be able to get me a copy of it to take with me to the DMV. I drove from the title company to the nearest HF (just a couple of miles). Told the lady at the cashier counter what I needed. She had not idea what I was talking about. She called someone over who she believed would know about what I was requesting. He had no idea what I was talking about. He did try to help though. After going to his office he searched on his computer for this mystical form, and could not find it. His best advice was to keep going to the DMV until I was assigned someone who would register it. I will have to probably have to get a Texas HF to mail me the form, or have to drive to Longview and and pick one up in person with no guarantee that it will fix the problem. For this reason I cannot recomment a HF trailer. This is sad because it has nothing to do with the trailer itself.

A 4-sided box axle retains water even with drain holes drilled. If the 3-sided one does the job it will probably last longer.

I wanted to see how you attached the castors... The nut is so thin on the top of the castor I can't tighten it.

Mine came with a solid square axle. Also no instructions at all. Took a little while to figure that all out.

How's it working for you? If you are using it for your boat did you replace the bearing grease with marine grade?

Ray, how do you go about getting this trailer titled? Thanks

Anyone know if these are available in Australia?

Красавец

Great video Ray. Now subscribed. Please keep doing things your way, and sharing it with the world. Now my 2 bits: For not much more than the dough Harbor Freight gets for just _one_ of these trailers, they could hire a competent, technically minded individual (who speaks (x) as their primary language) to improve the instructions. But they _don't_ . sigh

I am 68 and just did it. But not end over end. I picked it up and set it on it's side

YOu can fold in half to put on axle instead of flipping completely upside down.

The numbers in the instructions refer to the drawings. Those drawings are your key to assembly. You can see which piece is which by looking at the holes. During assembly, make sure ALL the holes (up, down, front, back, etc) in each piece align with the holes shown in those drawings. At that point, just bolt it together.

No spare tire, I'm guessing it's the standard 4 on 4 bolt circle?