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95DAK318
Dodge Dakota
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2/14/2006
07:35:51

Subject: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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One of these? I am thinking of buying one. I mostly haul my motorcycles or a riding mower, so I don't need a full size tailer. Have any of you guys ever used one? Opinions?


http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42709



ZoSo
Dodge Dakota
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2/14/2006
08:18:47

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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Yes as a matter of fact I do.

I bought one of those types of trailers several years back for a Seadoo. They are pretty good for light duty (personalyy the one your looking at looks a little questionable).

I bought mine from this company (www.oldinc.com).

Shipping was reliable and their customer service was the best (a few years ago anyway). Best part of all, when you go to tag the trailer you can declare that the trailer is onyl worth $50 so the taxes will be very small.

Let me know if you have anymore questions.



DINO
Dodge Dakota
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2/14/2006
18:57:30

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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HARBOR FREIGHT, NEED I SAY MORE



.boB
Dodge Dakota
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2/14/2006
21:59:55

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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The biggest problem with those trailers is not the frame or suspension. For less than 1,000# they work just fine. The problem is the wimpy tires. They are so small that at highway speeds in the summer they overheat and explode.

To be really usefull, you need to buy the trailer kit (it's not assembled). Add a deck. Change the wheels and tires. Then add a ramp.

For the same money you can go down and get a garden type trailer with a fold down ramp, wooden deck, short sides, and tall tires. Ready to go.



ZoSo
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2006
08:00:20

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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No offense .boB, but do you know what you are talking about?

Both the trailers 95DAK318 and I are talking about come with standard tires and not the "mini" tires you are mentioning. Did you even look at the pictures?



Izzy
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2006
08:54:38

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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We are in the process of building our own trailer for setting up another smoker and by my estimate, we will have a much better trailer for only a few dollars more. We purchased all the axle, tires, and spring hardware form a marine supply place and the steel from a local metal supplier and will weld it all ourselves.

Check into pieces/parts locally too.



Walt_Felix
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2006
10:32:38

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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4.80" x 8" is a small tire. More than adequate for hauling the riding mower around town but I don't think I would want to haul a motorcycle at highway speeds for an extended length of time. For a little bit more, I would go with this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=90154

and attach one of these to the front deck along with some decent tie-down rings on the outer rails.

http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/catalog.cfm?dest=itempg&itemid=18563&secid=71&linkon=subsection&linkid=184



Super bee
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2/15/2006
13:11:32

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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our snowmobile trailer has little tires like that
pulls jsut fin @ 70mph for hundreds of miles

1990 sport RC SB, 1995 318drivetrain, 3.92 gears (came with truck) 95 dash/steering wheel, hearthrob exhaust, headers, cutout after y-pipe, necessary electric fan add-a-leafs, 30x9.5 mud tires, cranked T-bars, AR 39 15x8 rims, grill guard, roll bars

95DAK318
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2006
13:14:02

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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I was thinking about a wheel chock. JCWhitney and Dennis Kirk sell them too.

So, we think the tires are too small huh?



.boB
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2006
13:23:27

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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>> No offense .boB, but do you know what you are talking about? <<

Yes. Do you? Did you take a look at the specs, not just the pictures? I consider that to be a small tire. perfectly OK for light use around town. But run them at 60-70 mph in July, and they are suddenly less than adequate.






ZoSo
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2006
14:38:46

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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>> But run them at 60-70 mph in July... <<

I did that for over 3 years on the same set of tires hauling a Seadoo 35 + miles to the lake every summer in Georgia.

Never had any problems.



Kowalski
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2/15/2006
16:59:09

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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Sometimes you'll see an old boat trailer for sale cheap; that's what I used to make a nice trailer for my riding mower. I turned it into a 4'x10.5' flatbed; has a nice length to it so you can haul some decent length lumber or a ladder with some overhang. Nice with 12" tires and spring suspension. Just an idea for you.

Lead, follow, or get out of the way

GB2000
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2/15/2006
18:59:22

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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I'd have to agree on the tires being small...

My friends and I go four-wheeling in Indiana every once in a while and we take a trailer loaded with our two four-wheelers (and sometimes another friend's dirtbike) and a gas can and that trailer makes the ride pretty uncomfortable. Main reason being, it's a single axle trailer...and it even has standard tires on it (bout the same size as your average car). We were only on I-70 for about 25 miles tops...but our stomachs were soooo ready for us to get off the interstate after about 5 miles. And we weren't pulling it with a little 2wd Dakota...we had a 3500 Ram, QC, diesel dually.

If you plan on using it for long distance hauling, I also wouldn't recommend it. Though I'm sure it'd be absolutely fine hauling a riding mower across town.





Josh Blackshire - Founder, OhioDakotas.NET
Red 98 Dakota Sport - Check it out!

.boB
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2006
19:39:22

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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I see this all the time around here. Since I live in a tourist mecca, the summer roadways are always filled with good examples of what not to do. I frequently see these little trailers with small tires that that have exploded from the combination of heat and weight. Drive from here to Buena Vista on any sunday and you'll see 2-3 of them. Those things shed rubber like my dog sheds hair.

Of course, there's always somebody who says, "I did that for years, and nothing happened. It's perfectly safe for everybody to do it." Kind of like the guy who survives russion roulette a few times.

Would you equip your truck with the smallest wimpiest tires you could find? Why not? I learned this lesson decades ago. When buying tires, shocks, and batteries, always buy a little more than you think you might need. It ends up being cheaper in the long run.

Trailers are the same way, IMO. Although the price of this trailer looks attractive, in the long run you're better off with something a little sturdier.

I like the idea of an old boat trailer. That makes a lot of sense. I'll be keeping an eye out for one of those.



bigdave
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2006
21:04:03

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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Enough about the tires, I have seen the trailer in person at Harbor Freight, If you look at it wrong it will bend. I was going to buy the same one but changed my mind when I started messing with it, It is light weight and cheaply built. Its not worth risking you bike.



Kowalski
GenIII
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2/17/2006
15:43:26

RE: Does anyone have any experience with ...
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Josh - are you loading the trailer wrong (not enough tongue weight maybe) ? I have three single axle trailers that tow quite well behind my Dak; really nothing inherently bad about single axle trailers. If it upset the ride that badly behind a 1 ton dually, I'm thinking you're doing something wrong ?

Lead, follow, or get out of the way

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