Buy a trailer? Have it's alignment checked.

#1

Picked up my trailer out of storage this morning to do some work on it. Noted that one tire is bald and the one on the other side of that axle is almost as worn. THe tires were cherry when I bought the trailer a couple months ago. I only took it to 2 events, sheeze.

I checked the trailer’s toe. The axle with the worn tires has all sorts of toe out. I did some research on trailer toe. Apparently this means a bent axle. So my front axle is bent rearward such that I have lots of toe-out. Odd.

God only knows what interesting camber issues the trailer might have.

#2

Good news. I took my trailer and it’s alignment problem to the shop and it turns out the trailer’s running gear is a complete goatscrew and all needs to be replaced. Woohoo.

The trailer is supposed to be rated for 7000lbs but was apparently put together with complete crap. The trailer shop is amazed it’s supported it’s rated weight for a couple road trips. They are now pricing out options to build it up with 7000lb running gear or 10k lb running gear. I’d be willing to pay double and get 10k lbs running gear but that would mean I also have to buy all new wheels and tires (6). So upgrading it to 10klbs would cost about 50% more than I originally bought the trailer for. Score!

#3

Same thing just happened to my buddy. He bought a super cheap under $500 very small metal trailer to tow his lightweight Miata and after one trip the camber destroyed the tires. He took it to the trailer shop earlier this week and they basically said that his axle is bent and the suspension is too weak and needs to be replaced with a new suspension, new 3500 lb axle, new wheels (6 bolt), and new tires to the tune of over $900. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to go cheap, and he found out the hard way. I think the axle was bent prior to buying the trailer, and we should have checked it.

#4

I just got prices and courses of action back from the trailer shop. Normally I can make a joke about anything but the news is just so lousy that I’m done in.

So I’m scrounging around to see what kind of money I can put together to buy another trailer. Then I’ll have to sell the problem child.

#5

[quote=“Ranger” post=70086]I just got prices and courses of action back from the trailer shop. Normally I can make a joke about anything but the news is just so lousy that I’m done in.

So I’m scrounging around to see what kind of money I can put together to buy another trailer. Then I’ll have to sell the problem child.[/quote]

Ouch. Sorry to hear, especially after all the work you put into it. Good luck.

#6

I went thru all sorts of possible solutions over the last week.

Replace sorry running gear for decent 3500lb gear. $1600 to have a marginal trailer.

Replace sorry running gear for decent 5200lb gear. $3k once 6 new wheels/tires are factored in.

I found a way to get Dexter axles cheap so that option had to be explored.

Buy a new 10k trailer for $5k from an Internet dealer…Lots of these guys have really bad reviews.

Buy a new 10k trailer from my local, trusted dealer…Pricey. Warranty is darn nice tho.

Buy a used 10k trailer that was originally really nice like Pace or some other big name brand…The price only comes down when they start looking old and sad. My neighbors have no tolerance for a sparkling new trailer parked in front of the house for a couple days. They’d go berserk if I put an old sad trailer out front for a couple days to work on it.

Buy a used, not name brand 10k trailer. Then I run afoul of all the folks complaining about their off-brand trailers falling apart.

Today I went to the local dealer and picked up my trailer. I then took it from the trailer “dealer” to a trailer “repair” shop. Whereas the dealer wouldn’t replace the axle because he felt strongly that all the non-standard running gear needed to be replaced, the repair shop was perfectly happy replacing the bent axle. Won’t cost hardly spit either. Dang, it was about time a break came my way.

#7

The story has a happy ending. How often does that happen? Wow, such an unfamiliar warm glow of happiness and fiscal solvency.

I picked up the trailer yesterday. $250 to replace the bent axle and repack my bearings. I’d also told the repair shop “my perception is that my trailer is a POS. Take a look at the frame, running gear and welds, and give me your opinion on “is it a POS or not””. Their report…“not”, to which I stood there jaw agape.

My trailer is fixed and isn’t a POS. Man, I should go buy a lottery ticket, I’m totally on a roll.