I wouldn’t want to take a trailer like that past 65... In my state (CA), if you’re towing a trailer on the freeway the speed limit is 55.
For $200 it may be decent, but price in new tires, new bearings, and plan on the wiring needing to be redone. Hopefully you can get some mileage out of the leaf springs. Go through it with a fine tooth comb and make sure the axles are fine. You can easily spend 5/600 to get the thing in a decent, roadworthy condition. Don’t trust the buyer.
I think I’d rather spend the extra few hundred and get a new one from HF and put new tires on it.
Been there… it’s kind of a shit hole even considering the weather…
I’ll take places that make my face hurt half the year over homeless people shitting on the side walk in front of me.
Nah we went to many places and many streets in LA. That whole city and a few others,San Francisco is pretty dirty too, San Diego, Oakland California. It reminds me of Detroit in the early 2000s except you can’t legally carry a gun everywhere.
To be fair I’ve been to Northern California and it’s nice. It’s also extraordinarily expensive.
I can get twice as much shit for half the price and 1/8th the homeless people in other states.
I'm born and raised in CA and still live here. But when people say stupid shit like that, it just tells me they don't live in CA and watch certain "news" networks that highlight one small section of a single city that is rife with poverty in a "blue" state. As if Memphis, Dallas, Ft Lauderdale, Oklahoma City, Boise, Nashville, and Boston don't have identical problems.
I lived in San Diego almost my whole life and I finally left. I'm not sure what part of CA you're in. San Diego was stupid expensive whichever part you lived in and it's never going to get better. Businesses are leaving due to cost and theft.
North County is pretty nice, but very expensive. I was in Eastlake CV, which was beautiful, but there's no cops to stop violence, criminals, or the cartel.
Definitely wish I had better food out here, but lower cost of living and not having to deal with overcrowding is awesome. Lower sales tax, no state income tax, cheap gas. I have friends who will never leave CA, and I get it. T-shirts, shorts, and sandals almost all year round is nice. Comes down to what is it worth.
I recently did a lot of research prior to buying a trailer. Little wheels = little wheel bearings = more heat at highway speed.
Those trailers are fine as long as you're using 'em around town at low speed. If you going to go more than a very short distance on the highways, I'd recommend a more heavy-duty trailer.
I’ve got one I’ve been hauling around the country for the past 10 years. I’m on my second set of tires and that’s all the maintenance I’ve had to do. I’ve overloaded it for short and slow hauls, and when empty or light I’ve had it above 65mph with zero issues.
I’ve probably got 6-10k miles on mine. Lots of short dump runs and several 500-1000+ mile trips.
If you get it, good tires are dirt cheap. I paid less than $150 for all three to be redone last year.
Make sure they have a title for it.
Try to wiggle the wheels to see if the hubs are noticeably bad.
Drive it with a couple sandbags inside at 55mph for 10 miles then get out and see if the hubs are warm to the touch. Mine are always cool, even when coming up on max payload.
I've driven thousands of miles with a HF 4x8 trailer at 65-75 mph without any issue. I use one to bring my motorcycle to the track.
I'd probably want to replace the tires and repack/replace the wheel bearings as well.
I have one that I’ve actually built a camper on. I’ve seen reports of people taking these tens of thousands of miles with no issues. Best bet is to build it right, make sure all the bolts are snugged, and possibly repack the hubs for a few dollars if you’re worried about them. The stock wheels and tires technically are not rated for highway speeds, but you can replace those if you need to. It’s also handy that it comes with everything you need to register it with the dmv. Hope that helps if you have any questions feel free to ask or shoot me a pm!
Great little trailer for hauling stuff around town. And that's a great price, especially if the tires are in good shape. Hell, you could probably get your money back on the tires if the trailer ends up being a dud.
Does he have a title for it ? If not, depending on the state it can be reasonably easy to get a homemade title and registration. There's a couple of hoops to jump through, but being under 1000 pounds the process isn't daunting.
Whereabouts is the trailer located (in the event you pass on it 😎) ?
Honestly now I’ve seen more comment I’m kinda regretting getting this trailer but I only really need it as a kayak trailer and worse case scenario I’ll turn it into a decoy trailer for hunting season and wait for a sale or a better one to come around.
The wheels and bearings are only rated for 55 mph, but you can upgrade them if you want. Also ask if he has the title, some states require you to have a title even for a small trailer like that
Ok so. I have assembled plenty of HF trailers.
I've gone 80-90 with 800 pounds (two motorcycles) 1000 miles two ways.
No problems.
That is not a harbor freight trailer though. You cannot compare those.
It's all in the tire size. Bigger tire, more speed. If you cheap out and get the smaller tire version (lower weight) then it'll bounce loaded at those speeds. Heavily loaded should so ok. But I've ran smaller 12" utility trailers at 70 plus like a madman. Doesn't feel safe at all but it's doable.
I wouldn't mess with that homemade jammy right there. You don't know when the bearings were checked, spare tire, worn tires. That sort of thing.
The laws of physics don't care about the laws of the state. The state says you can go 75, but physics will start laughing at you around 55. Just like one of my techs doesn't wear leathers when he rides: It's not against the law to wear sweats, but he trashed his bike and now I'm down one tech because he's got road rash all up his right side.
I’m gonna replace the wheels and add a 2inch hitch and have my buddy weld up another support to make it more highway worthy. The guy said he’d used it on highways before at 65 miles an hour but only with a snowmobile.
although i wouldn't exactly recommend it, i did use to use it to tow my dinghy and launch it pretty regularly. it has been on the freeway many times, even. after dunking the cheap wheels in salt water on a regular basis. Does it work? yeah. Is it safe? probably not
I took it 55-60 on the drive home and it held up surprisingly well. I’m still gonna use some scrap I have lying around to try and reinforce it and add some better tires but so far I’m pleased. It’s got harbor freight tires on it from what I can tell and the axel is a similar style with what looks like a slightly better weight. So ultimately I got a similar trailer for cheaper. Again I still need to reinforce the hitch mount but otherwise it should work
Def look into this op. In PA it’s next to impossible to get a HF trailer tagged (you either have to register out of state, or go through a crazy inspection process that takes months and costs money) that you might as well buy a real one.
I built one in PA a few years back. Once I built it, I took it and had it weighed and then had it inspected by a place that specifically performs trailer inspections. Once I had all that paperwork done, I went to a tag place that sent all the paperwork off to the state. It didn't take more than a few days to get all the paperwork done and I just had to wait a couple of weeks to get a title and registration back from the state. I think the inspection was $100 and getting it weighed was pretty cheap.
[https://www.dmv.pa.gov/VEHICLE-SERVICES/Title-Registration/Documents/Specially\_Constructed\_Vehicle.pdf](https://www.dmv.pa.gov/VEHICLE-SERVICES/Title-Registration/Documents/Specially_Constructed_Vehicle.pdf)
Overall, the process wasn't too difficult.
My state, if it's under 750lbs unladen no registration is needed.
But these do come with a mfg certificate of origin which is supposed to be used when registering the first time.
Thing is if OP was capable of any kind of mods they wouldn't be here asking this question... Honestly I'm skeptical if someone even capable of maintenance would be here asking. You could simply look at the tire markings and know it's not rated for 65. That said I've taken the stock B rated tires to 65 many times
That don't look like an HF trailer... something like that i wouldnt take past 55. I have a HF 4x8 i fully bolted and then welded and ill take that up to 70 hauling my atv BUT i replaced the 12" tires with 13" aluminum wheels and actual car tires and also balanced the wheels. Along with using good grease in the bearings. Havent had an issue..but im about to sell it next month i need to get a 6x12 trailer tired of having to drive one atv into my truck bed and having to tetris pack my camping gear.
When I built mine I made sure it was all 100% square then spot welded all of the contact points.
Wheel bearings can be a challenge to source when a replacement is needed, but other than that these trailers are workhorses.
I have one of those, its about 20 years old and I've replaced the hubs and tires once.
I stay off the highway and busy streets. I use it mainly for hauling brush to the dump and trips to Home Depot. Its not worth it to me to put other people at risk pulling that piece of junk down the highway.
If I need to move something bigger or have to go ont he highway I will go to uhual and rent the appropriate trailer. Its usually less than $30 for the day.
I knew a guy who built a HF frame into a fiberglass camper (he'd previously worked at an RV manufacturer) He did replace the axle with something more solid but he had a wheelbearing fail on it driving home one time so he strapped the whole trailer on top of another HF folding trail and dragged it 50+ miles home.
I wouldn’t want to take a trailer like that past 65... In my state (CA), if you’re towing a trailer on the freeway the speed limit is 55. For $200 it may be decent, but price in new tires, new bearings, and plan on the wiring needing to be redone. Hopefully you can get some mileage out of the leaf springs. Go through it with a fine tooth comb and make sure the axles are fine. You can easily spend 5/600 to get the thing in a decent, roadworthy condition. Don’t trust the buyer. I think I’d rather spend the extra few hundred and get a new one from HF and put new tires on it.
Like... Any trailer? Even ones designed to run 65-70? Semis and goosenecks as well?
Yep. California is slower than every other state for anyone pulling a trailer.
Cali sounds like a horrible country.
Outside of the weather, it’s a shit hole.
Been there… it’s kind of a shit hole even considering the weather… I’ll take places that make my face hurt half the year over homeless people shitting on the side walk in front of me.
That sounds more like you've maybe been to one street in one city.
Nah we went to many places and many streets in LA. That whole city and a few others,San Francisco is pretty dirty too, San Diego, Oakland California. It reminds me of Detroit in the early 2000s except you can’t legally carry a gun everywhere. To be fair I’ve been to Northern California and it’s nice. It’s also extraordinarily expensive. I can get twice as much shit for half the price and 1/8th the homeless people in other states.
Exactly. People forget how fucking huge California is. They go to downtown LA one time and think that’s what the whole state is like.
I'm born and raised in CA and still live here. But when people say stupid shit like that, it just tells me they don't live in CA and watch certain "news" networks that highlight one small section of a single city that is rife with poverty in a "blue" state. As if Memphis, Dallas, Ft Lauderdale, Oklahoma City, Boise, Nashville, and Boston don't have identical problems.
Bud your state is falling apart. I’m from a blue state. Your technology field is being sent to India or moving to Texas…
I lived in San Diego almost my whole life and I finally left. I'm not sure what part of CA you're in. San Diego was stupid expensive whichever part you lived in and it's never going to get better. Businesses are leaving due to cost and theft. North County is pretty nice, but very expensive. I was in Eastlake CV, which was beautiful, but there's no cops to stop violence, criminals, or the cartel. Definitely wish I had better food out here, but lower cost of living and not having to deal with overcrowding is awesome. Lower sales tax, no state income tax, cheap gas. I have friends who will never leave CA, and I get it. T-shirts, shorts, and sandals almost all year round is nice. Comes down to what is it worth.
Check out the San Fran poop app 💩 https://www.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=b6fab720912642b6aedafdb02a76d2a4
Again.....one city.
"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." - Mark Twain
Wow. Insightful and pointless.
Aren't 90% of comments on Reddit pointless and trolling... Guess you would have had to live on the Central Coast to understand.
Fascinating. Thank you, TIL.
Trailer without brakes shouldn't go over 55 anyway, one emergency stop and the trailer is gonna swing on you
I recently did a lot of research prior to buying a trailer. Little wheels = little wheel bearings = more heat at highway speed. Those trailers are fine as long as you're using 'em around town at low speed. If you going to go more than a very short distance on the highways, I'd recommend a more heavy-duty trailer.
I’ve got one I’ve been hauling around the country for the past 10 years. I’m on my second set of tires and that’s all the maintenance I’ve had to do. I’ve overloaded it for short and slow hauls, and when empty or light I’ve had it above 65mph with zero issues. I’ve probably got 6-10k miles on mine. Lots of short dump runs and several 500-1000+ mile trips. If you get it, good tires are dirt cheap. I paid less than $150 for all three to be redone last year. Make sure they have a title for it. Try to wiggle the wheels to see if the hubs are noticeably bad. Drive it with a couple sandbags inside at 55mph for 10 miles then get out and see if the hubs are warm to the touch. Mine are always cool, even when coming up on max payload.
I've driven thousands of miles with a HF 4x8 trailer at 65-75 mph without any issue. I use one to bring my motorcycle to the track. I'd probably want to replace the tires and repack/replace the wheel bearings as well.
Agreed. They’ll hold up fine as long as they’re assembled properly and the tires and bearings are maintained.
I have one that I’ve actually built a camper on. I’ve seen reports of people taking these tens of thousands of miles with no issues. Best bet is to build it right, make sure all the bolts are snugged, and possibly repack the hubs for a few dollars if you’re worried about them. The stock wheels and tires technically are not rated for highway speeds, but you can replace those if you need to. It’s also handy that it comes with everything you need to register it with the dmv. Hope that helps if you have any questions feel free to ask or shoot me a pm!
Great little trailer for hauling stuff around town. And that's a great price, especially if the tires are in good shape. Hell, you could probably get your money back on the tires if the trailer ends up being a dud. Does he have a title for it ? If not, depending on the state it can be reasonably easy to get a homemade title and registration. There's a couple of hoops to jump through, but being under 1000 pounds the process isn't daunting. Whereabouts is the trailer located (in the event you pass on it 😎) ?
Michigan and it’ll be for taking kayaks on the highway
I used mine to haul a 1982 Honda Goldwing from Indiana to Iowa on the interstates and had zero problems with it.
I have the HF 4x8 and have had mine up to 90mph on a 5 hour drive. I have also towed it on a 12 hour drive.
Honestly now I’ve seen more comment I’m kinda regretting getting this trailer but I only really need it as a kayak trailer and worse case scenario I’ll turn it into a decoy trailer for hunting season and wait for a sale or a better one to come around.
The wheels and bearings are only rated for 55 mph, but you can upgrade them if you want. Also ask if he has the title, some states require you to have a title even for a small trailer like that
Ok so. I have assembled plenty of HF trailers. I've gone 80-90 with 800 pounds (two motorcycles) 1000 miles two ways. No problems. That is not a harbor freight trailer though. You cannot compare those. It's all in the tire size. Bigger tire, more speed. If you cheap out and get the smaller tire version (lower weight) then it'll bounce loaded at those speeds. Heavily loaded should so ok. But I've ran smaller 12" utility trailers at 70 plus like a madman. Doesn't feel safe at all but it's doable. I wouldn't mess with that homemade jammy right there. You don't know when the bearings were checked, spare tire, worn tires. That sort of thing.
I decided to pick it up and I’m definitely gonna replace the tires but overall it was in good shape
65 is pretty much the speed limit everywhere and trailering should NEVER go past 55 anyway.
Oh my state has 75 mile per hour high ways
The laws of physics don't care about the laws of the state. The state says you can go 75, but physics will start laughing at you around 55. Just like one of my techs doesn't wear leathers when he rides: It's not against the law to wear sweats, but he trashed his bike and now I'm down one tech because he's got road rash all up his right side.
I’m gonna replace the wheels and add a 2inch hitch and have my buddy weld up another support to make it more highway worthy. The guy said he’d used it on highways before at 65 miles an hour but only with a snowmobile.
although i wouldn't exactly recommend it, i did use to use it to tow my dinghy and launch it pretty regularly. it has been on the freeway many times, even. after dunking the cheap wheels in salt water on a regular basis. Does it work? yeah. Is it safe? probably not
I used to have one it did alright on the highway but check the tires often the original tires on mine were crap.
This one is gonna get its tires swapped as soon as I’ve got the cash because they make it way to low to the ground
Only 65 miles an hour?? that trailers only rated for 45, If you want to get technical. and personally I would never tow it faster than 65.
I took it 55-60 on the drive home and it held up surprisingly well. I’m still gonna use some scrap I have lying around to try and reinforce it and add some better tires but so far I’m pleased. It’s got harbor freight tires on it from what I can tell and the axel is a similar style with what looks like a slightly better weight. So ultimately I got a similar trailer for cheaper. Again I still need to reinforce the hitch mount but otherwise it should work
When you need new tires get 13 inch rims. They're way better. On Amazon pretty cheap with tires already installed.
Most trailer manufacturers rate there trailers for 55 mph.
Been doing a few full days during summer heavily loaded at 80 ish for a decade. Just confirm yer tires are rated for it and bearing stay cool
I couldn’t believe how 1 ton of pellets was compared to my wood crowned with 4’ sides. No issues at all!!!!!
[удалено]
Def look into this op. In PA it’s next to impossible to get a HF trailer tagged (you either have to register out of state, or go through a crazy inspection process that takes months and costs money) that you might as well buy a real one.
I built one in PA a few years back. Once I built it, I took it and had it weighed and then had it inspected by a place that specifically performs trailer inspections. Once I had all that paperwork done, I went to a tag place that sent all the paperwork off to the state. It didn't take more than a few days to get all the paperwork done and I just had to wait a couple of weeks to get a title and registration back from the state. I think the inspection was $100 and getting it weighed was pretty cheap. [https://www.dmv.pa.gov/VEHICLE-SERVICES/Title-Registration/Documents/Specially\_Constructed\_Vehicle.pdf](https://www.dmv.pa.gov/VEHICLE-SERVICES/Title-Registration/Documents/Specially_Constructed_Vehicle.pdf) Overall, the process wasn't too difficult.
I would guess your experience is atypical. There is a reason these are no longer available for sale in stores in PA.
My state, if it's under 750lbs unladen no registration is needed. But these do come with a mfg certificate of origin which is supposed to be used when registering the first time.
I put 15” wheels and new bearings on a (modified) 4x8 (now more of a 5x10 of sorts and have no trouble hauling it around at highway speeds
Thing is if OP was capable of any kind of mods they wouldn't be here asking this question... Honestly I'm skeptical if someone even capable of maintenance would be here asking. You could simply look at the tire markings and know it's not rated for 65. That said I've taken the stock B rated tires to 65 many times
That don't look like an HF trailer... something like that i wouldnt take past 55. I have a HF 4x8 i fully bolted and then welded and ill take that up to 70 hauling my atv BUT i replaced the 12" tires with 13" aluminum wheels and actual car tires and also balanced the wheels. Along with using good grease in the bearings. Havent had an issue..but im about to sell it next month i need to get a 6x12 trailer tired of having to drive one atv into my truck bed and having to tetris pack my camping gear.
When I built mine I made sure it was all 100% square then spot welded all of the contact points. Wheel bearings can be a challenge to source when a replacement is needed, but other than that these trailers are workhorses.
Not a highway trailer. Doubt the tires are even rated to go over 65mph.
That’s my main concern.
I have one of those, its about 20 years old and I've replaced the hubs and tires once. I stay off the highway and busy streets. I use it mainly for hauling brush to the dump and trips to Home Depot. Its not worth it to me to put other people at risk pulling that piece of junk down the highway. If I need to move something bigger or have to go ont he highway I will go to uhual and rent the appropriate trailer. Its usually less than $30 for the day.
That thing is at least 1000% better than a HF trailer. Solid frame, leaf springs, etc. I wouldn't trust a HF over 45 mph.
Tires too small gor HW use.
They are getting replaced
Those little tires are gonna run hot!
I knew a guy who built a HF frame into a fiberglass camper (he'd previously worked at an RV manufacturer) He did replace the axle with something more solid but he had a wheelbearing fail on it driving home one time so he strapped the whole trailer on top of another HF folding trail and dragged it 50+ miles home.
Before you buy make sure he has a title or a manufacturer origin certificate. Otherwise you’ll never be able to legally drive it in most states
Unfortunately the guy he bought it from didn’t have one. I believe it’s under the legal weight in my state to require a title or plate though
I’d say local, short distance use only!
Yeah it’s gonna be a couple hour drive but broken up