Buy a trailer (instead of a pickup truck) - Page 22 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

oil pan 4 · 08-17-2013, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACEV

What's neat about trailers is that, wiith little maintenance, they just keep going. And besides that, they come in all shapes and sizes and layouts, so that there is one for every job and everyone's taste. You think it, and it can be made.

When I put the heavier axle on my trailer in 2009 I cleaned and greased the bearings, then 2 years and several thousand miles later in 2011 I pulled the hubs apart to check how the bearings looked (mainly checking for water) and I sloped some more grease on them, put it back together and don't plan on messing with them again any time soon.
Edit: since I completely rebuilt the trailer maybe I should at least check the bearings.

gone7 · 08-17-2013, 03:48 PM

Sounds like they're doing great. Heavier axle = heavier-duty bearings.

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr · 08-17-2013, 09:25 PM

Going too cheap on the bearings doesn't worth the risk.

BTW today when I was walking my dog I've seen a Dacia Logan pulling a trailer fitted with inertial brakes.

Blacktree · 08-18-2013, 03:29 PM

A couple years ago, I faced the decision to buy a small pickup truck or a small sedan as a daily driver. I ended up getting the car instead, for the fuel economy. I'm glad I made that decision, as my Saturn averages 34-35 mpg, compared to a small truck which might average 18-20.

To give my car some cargo capacity, I bought a set of roof racks and a small Harbor Freight trailer (the 4x4 ft with the 12" wheels). The total price for all that, including the hitch, registration fee, wiring harness, etc was under $500 (the 20% off coupon at HF helped). That's less than 6 months' operating costs for a small pickup.

I'd like to echo what some others have said about the HF trailers. Get the 12" wheels. Re-pack the bearings with *real* wheel bearing grease. And don't rely on painted chassis beams to function as a ground path for the lights.

I'd also like to add that instead of plywood, I used decking planks for the bed of the trailer. Plywood, even if pressure treated, tends to delaminate and fall apart. I got pressure treated decking, and gave it several coats of water sealer. It won't last forever, but will last a lot longer than plywood, at a fraction of the cost of diamond-plate.

gone7 · 08-18-2013, 08:04 PM

@Blacktree, Yes, that's right about the decking. But one might use marine-grade plywood. It should be sealable without having to let it dry out first. In fact, I would think it would accept truck bed liner coatings. Much lighter and longer lasting to boot.

Miller88 · 08-19-2013, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mechman600

Like oil pan 4 implied, usually because of a lack of understanding. That being said, I am always paranoid about my trailer wheel bearings. I check to see how warm they are at every rest stop on a long trip.

We rented a uhaul that didn't have a dust cover on the bearing. By the time we got home and returned it to them, it was pretty hot. They didn't do anything about it. We ended up with the SAME trailer 2 years later and it did the same thing.

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr · 08-19-2013, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miller88

We rented a uhaul that didn't have a dust cover on the bearing. By the time we got home and returned it to them, it was pretty hot. They didn't do anything about it. We ended up with the SAME trailer 2 years later and it did the same thing.

Possibly a lawsuit after an accident might be the only way to change their mindset. Anyway, regarding the rental prices for U-Haul trailers, buying a brand-new one (and either keeping it or selling to recover at least part of the money) seems to justify better.