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Under
the Hood: Small trailers can be useful, inexpensive |
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March 8, 2010 |
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QUESTION: I'm
considering the purchase of a small trailer to tow
behind my Honda Element for recreational (two small
kayaks and maybe an ATV) and occasional landscaping and
home construction projects. Could you please shine some
light on what I should look for regarding the trailer
and hitch? I'd like to keep the trailer as portable as
possible, stacking it during storage. Is this
reasonable? How large a hitch, can I install it myself?
Are the lights difficult to hook up, and what about
brakes?
—Jack
Albanese
ANSWER: This
will be a fun and useful project. Many years back I
purchased a similar trailer (a 4'x8' Haulin trailer from
Costco for about $300) and have found it to be
incredibly useful and a sturdy workhorse.
Some small
utility trailers may be portable enough to stack against
a fence, but are a bit flimsy upon close inspection —I'd
avoid the folding variety. These under-$300 utility
trailers typically run tiny but surprisingly capable
8" tires/wheels and have a weight capacity of up to
1000 pounds. They begin as an assemble-it-yourself kit
(easy and truly fun to put together) and you'd finish it
with a sheet of plywood decking and perhaps some side
rails.
The
next step is a sturdier $300-500 trailer with 12"
wheels and perhaps a 1200-pound to 1500 pound rating.
This would be more difficult to stack against a fence or
wall (about 300 pounds) but would likely provide a wider
range of utilization, a greater margin of operating
safety and more durable long-term performance. Good
sources for comparing features of each of these trailers
are www.harborfreight.com
and www.northerntool.com.
A sturdier, pre-assembled or commercial-grade trailer
from a local trailer retailer is an additional option.
Trailer brake
rules vary widely from state to state, but in most
cases, brakes aren't required for a trailer this size
— less than 1500 lb. gross vehicle weight, or trailer
plus cargo weight. You'll also be within the rated
towing capacity of your Element, which is 1500 lb. I'd
opt for a Class I hitch — up to 2000 lb. GVW, 200 lb.
tongue weight. It's considerably more compact and
attractive than the beefier Class II or Class III
hitches used on larger tow vehicles.
One
can purchase an application-specific, bolt-on hitch
(some drilling may be required) in either of these
categories for less than $200 and a plug-and-play wiring
harness kit for about $50. Take a look at www.hitchesforless.com
for hitch and light hookup ideas. You can also purchase
a standard flat-4 connector and wire it in yourself,
after identifying the appropriate circuits. Installing a
hitch is fairly easy— try to find one that doesn't
require drilling holes in the Element.
When using your
trailer, load it so at least 10 percent of its total
weight is carried by the hitch. This means placing large
items slightly ahead of the axle, and securely tying
them down. If the trailer's tongue weight is less than
this, it has a greater chance of swaying.
Even though
brakes may not be required on a smaller trailer, one
must continually keep in mind the effects the trailer
may have on vehicle stability during braking. Keep an
eye also on tire inflation pressure and periodic
wheel-bearing maintenance. The smaller 8" tires
require high pressure, perhaps 75 lb., to do their job
and spin at high speed due to their small diameter.
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