Adding welds to a prefab trailer?
 

Hey, I bought a 1070lb capacity 3.5'x4' utility trailer today for hauling around the lawnmower, snow removal equipment, engines, and other tools/parts/equipment. I bought it from harbor freight. For the $140 I paid due to shipping damage, sale price, and 20 off coupon, I can justify it.
The paint is horrible, and I'm going to respray it when I finish assembling it. Other then that, it looks like it will do the job decently. It will get a decent amount of use, hauling usually 400lbs or less. Wont EVER get near the 1070lb

It is all bolt together, and the nyloc nuts seem a bit weak. Most need to be turned 3/4 of an inch before they tighten anything, appearing to weaken the nylon.

I was wondering if anyone sees any reason NOT to go ahead and wire brush it back, and weld the support bars to each other, and the tongue... I would feel better about it, for one, but I also am considering that MAYBE some flex is engineered into the bolt together design? Doubt it...
I would be welding it using a gas-less MIG, rated for 1/4. The walls appear to be 3/16" or so, so it will handle it without a problem. No zinc or galvanized coating on anything, so, no worries about those fumes...

Any thoughts on my plan?

Thanks!
~Nate

Don't see any harm in it. It'll be more rigid and last longer. If it was me, I would take some 2" angle and make a railing around it 12" high. That will increase it's strength by a huge margin, make it safer and more useful.

I would think so. Nothing wrong with a little army ingenuity. You'd have to do it when it eventually breaks anyway.

Biggest problem with welding is that in time the vibration will cause cracking. A few braces is a good idea. The bolts should be high tensile with good sized flat washers to spread the load. The main A frame part could be welded as well as the bolts. I had a trailer that sounds similar a while back, ended up tightening all the bolts & then welding the nuts on so they didnt come loose. The guy I sold it to still uses it as a farm trailer.
When you get it going best you sign write on it "available for hire" that way no one will want to borrow it.

If it's one of those ones I think it is (stamped metal, usually red frame, black fenders), the issue would be the flexibility of the metal. It we worried about the welds cracking as it twists. One of my guys here bought one of the 4'x8'ish ones several years ago to haul his snowmobile around and it's held up quite well, all things considered. He did use a can of that spray-on undercoating on the underside.

If you have concerns with the strength of the fasteners you could always go buy some Grade 5's (probably stronger than what was supplied) or 8's (although they're probably overkill :D). Far less effort.

Personally, I'd use 2" angle iron and brace it and weld it. The angle iron will strengthen it giving it less flex, negating worries about cracking welds.

Thought all trailers were welded together, at least any I've owned were.

its originally designed to be broken down-folded isn't it?
I like that feature for a possible long haul recovery trip--Take it out there folded in the pickup bed instead of dragging it--Those chinese wheel bearings could prolly use a break if I were using on a thousand miles or so-I would not want it screwing up in Hope NM--You would have No hope for sure.
Im doing a big custom pickup bed and grabbed a bunch of railroad spikes to cut off 1 1/2 inches from the head to use as tie down posts on the undersides of the side wall topshttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...cons/icon6.gif

http://www.harborfreight.com/1090-lb-capacity-40-1-2-half-inch-x-48-inch-mini-utility-trailer-with-12-inch-four-lug-wheels-and-tires-90153.html?utm_term=90153&tag=froogle

Oddities are:

As pictured, tail lights extend PAST the rear of the trailer. The instructions dont say how to mount the lights, but they do say how to wire them. I installed it so that the rear of the trailer will impact before the lights do (hoping to save them)

Also, as pictured, there are NO lights on the sides of the trailer. The trailer comes with lights for the side of the trailer. The frame has mount holes for them, but the instructions also dont cover how to install, only how to wire.

Do I even want the side lights? It's such a small trailer that it will undoubtedly be visible in the glow of the tail lights.


Ended up welding most of the joints for piece of mind. Resprayed the trailer with rustolium, should hold up decently. Ran out of lumber for the decking, and got the wrong size carriage bolts. Only need to finish wiring it up, and the deck, before it's done. Its a very good size for me, I'm happy with it, for the most part. Changed the tongue from 1 7/8" to 2", because the family all has 2" for their trailers. Wouldnt want to orphan a trailer, seeing as how Wisconsin is not nice to exposed threads on trailer hitches...


~Nate

Some guys use them over here behind a 4 wheel farm bike. If you can get your hands on a low line plastic fruit bin (about 18" high & the size if a pallet) & strap it on, you have a solid carrier that wont rust.

Just use reflective tape on the thing.

Welding the trailer might be a good idea, but you want to be sure of what you are doing. Safety is an important concern when hauling machinery on public highways. If anything goes wrong with the modified trailer, the person doing the welding will probably be responsible.

Safty chains-even on a light weight trailer.

I put a few welds on my Harbor freight Trailer before it was stolen a few years ago. The whole trailer made a lot of noise going down the road due to the hinge points where it is meant to be folded. I didn't plan on folding it up so i put a couple beads on each hinge point. It Made it much quieter behind my 240D

It's not a folding one, so no worries there.

Used it a few times already, and love it! It's light enough to easily move by hand. Deck height is about right for most loading, (slightly below knee height) Handled a tracked 2 stage beast of a 400lb snowthrower great.

Only loud part is the tongue rattles over the ball some. I'll try adjusting it to fit more snugly, but overall it's not real bad at all. I really like it!

Total cost, including decking, Eye bolts, and paint, was about $200. I would say it's cost of ownership will be quite low over it's lifespan. I'll do a plastic toolbox over the tongue to put straps in, and I'll put a lock through the tongue to prevent theft (thank you)

Glad I got it.
~Nate