Post by Atomic Addiction on Apr 4, 2010 8:24:29 GMT -5
Now you have selected the right trailer and have settled on a price. It is now time to haul it home...
STEP 3: RECOVERY...
Regardless of weather or not you take it home the day you look at it or on a different day it can be a simple or quite a involved process. I nor anyone else can predict what can happen on the recovery trip. However, you can be better prepared for those possible scenarios.
-Bring Help...
It never hurts to have a extra set of eyes or hands. It is even better if you know someone that either knows about vintage trailers or about towing in general. If it your spouse make sure you work together and keep each other calm and level headed. Leave kids at home to minimize distractions or problems.
-Give Yourself Plenty Of Time...
Don't plan the pick up time of a recovery close to sunset. Hooking up a unfamiliar trailer and towing in the dark is not the best way to do it. Give yourself plenty of light to work with. Another good reason is that if there are any problems that require service most shops will be open during the day to help you. If you have problems at 6:00 at night you will probably be spending the night there until the next morning when the shop opens again.
-Inspection Fixes...
Sometimes during inspection you will notice problems with the trailer that will affect how or it's ability to tow safely. The general rule is that if it not fixable right then and there that it should be fixed before it moves. You do not want a problem down the road. This can put you or others safety in jeopardy. The general rule is that tires should be changed out every 5 years. Tires will over time develop dry rot and flat spots that will cause the tire to fail at speeds. Tires should be replaced if you are towing it any distance at all. I had a personal experience with this. One of our tires catastrophically failed about 20 miles from where we picked up our trailer. Then the race was on to find new tires along way from home. If possible jack the trailer up using jack stands and take the tires and rims to get new tires put on even before the trip starts. If a service center that sells trailer tires is close by you can tow the trailer there right away to get them replaced. Many people have the bearings repacked also if they are traveling some distance.
If there are any unsecured items in or on the trailer be sure to secure them down or remove them. Holes can be taped up to avoid leaks. Broken latches can be taped or bungeed up. Any cracked glass needs to be taped up also. If you have a "suicide" door (a door that opens AWAY from the front of the trailer) you should secure that also. If it has a dead bold make sure that works well. You don't want a door flapping against the side of your trailer at 50 MPH.
-Tow Equipment...
Of course you will need your tow vehicle with hitch and electrical hook up ready. This vehicle should be more than enough to pull the trailer you have purchased. You did figure all of that out before hand, right? Good. Most vintage trailers have a coupler that accepts a 2" ball. It is possible that the coupler has been replaced at some point but hopefully you would have found that out sometime during the sale process. Make sure when looking at the trailer that everything looks like it operates freely and is not bound up. Sometimes rusty coupler latches can need some encouragement to work properly. Take your time when hooking up to a trailer for the first time. It isn't always plug-n-play like a brand new trailer.
-Tow and Recovery Tools...
Bring a tool box with you that has plenty of tools to fix any problems you might have. Here are a few suggestions...
Small flat head screwdriver.
Large flat head screwdriver.
Small Phillips head screwdriver.
Large Phillips head screwdriver.
Putty knife
Small crowbar
Small hammer
Large hammer
Adjustable wrench
Large pliers
Needle nose pliers
Box cutter
Wire stripers
Length of wire
Zip-ties
Bungee cords
Electrical tape
Duct tape
Aluminum foil tape
Can of WD-40
Can of Fix-a-flat
Work gloves
4-way lug wrench
Flashlight, head lamp, lantern or all of the above.
Road flares or safety cones
Pad lock
If the trailer lights do not work there are magnetic trailer tow light kits that can be put on the trailer to tow it. These can be purchased at Wal-Mart or auto part stores.
You of course may want or need different tools. These are just some suggestions. Hopefully you will not need any of it. Better to be safe than sorry.
Remember to take it slow and think ahead. Good luck with recovery process!
STEP 3: RECOVERY...
Regardless of weather or not you take it home the day you look at it or on a different day it can be a simple or quite a involved process. I nor anyone else can predict what can happen on the recovery trip. However, you can be better prepared for those possible scenarios.
-Bring Help...
It never hurts to have a extra set of eyes or hands. It is even better if you know someone that either knows about vintage trailers or about towing in general. If it your spouse make sure you work together and keep each other calm and level headed. Leave kids at home to minimize distractions or problems.
-Give Yourself Plenty Of Time...
Don't plan the pick up time of a recovery close to sunset. Hooking up a unfamiliar trailer and towing in the dark is not the best way to do it. Give yourself plenty of light to work with. Another good reason is that if there are any problems that require service most shops will be open during the day to help you. If you have problems at 6:00 at night you will probably be spending the night there until the next morning when the shop opens again.
-Inspection Fixes...
Sometimes during inspection you will notice problems with the trailer that will affect how or it's ability to tow safely. The general rule is that if it not fixable right then and there that it should be fixed before it moves. You do not want a problem down the road. This can put you or others safety in jeopardy. The general rule is that tires should be changed out every 5 years. Tires will over time develop dry rot and flat spots that will cause the tire to fail at speeds. Tires should be replaced if you are towing it any distance at all. I had a personal experience with this. One of our tires catastrophically failed about 20 miles from where we picked up our trailer. Then the race was on to find new tires along way from home. If possible jack the trailer up using jack stands and take the tires and rims to get new tires put on even before the trip starts. If a service center that sells trailer tires is close by you can tow the trailer there right away to get them replaced. Many people have the bearings repacked also if they are traveling some distance.
If there are any unsecured items in or on the trailer be sure to secure them down or remove them. Holes can be taped up to avoid leaks. Broken latches can be taped or bungeed up. Any cracked glass needs to be taped up also. If you have a "suicide" door (a door that opens AWAY from the front of the trailer) you should secure that also. If it has a dead bold make sure that works well. You don't want a door flapping against the side of your trailer at 50 MPH.
-Tow Equipment...
Of course you will need your tow vehicle with hitch and electrical hook up ready. This vehicle should be more than enough to pull the trailer you have purchased. You did figure all of that out before hand, right? Good. Most vintage trailers have a coupler that accepts a 2" ball. It is possible that the coupler has been replaced at some point but hopefully you would have found that out sometime during the sale process. Make sure when looking at the trailer that everything looks like it operates freely and is not bound up. Sometimes rusty coupler latches can need some encouragement to work properly. Take your time when hooking up to a trailer for the first time. It isn't always plug-n-play like a brand new trailer.
-Tow and Recovery Tools...
Bring a tool box with you that has plenty of tools to fix any problems you might have. Here are a few suggestions...
Small flat head screwdriver.
Large flat head screwdriver.
Small Phillips head screwdriver.
Large Phillips head screwdriver.
Putty knife
Small crowbar
Small hammer
Large hammer
Adjustable wrench
Large pliers
Needle nose pliers
Box cutter
Wire stripers
Length of wire
Zip-ties
Bungee cords
Electrical tape
Duct tape
Aluminum foil tape
Can of WD-40
Can of Fix-a-flat
Work gloves
4-way lug wrench
Flashlight, head lamp, lantern or all of the above.
Road flares or safety cones
Pad lock
If the trailer lights do not work there are magnetic trailer tow light kits that can be put on the trailer to tow it. These can be purchased at Wal-Mart or auto part stores.
You of course may want or need different tools. These are just some suggestions. Hopefully you will not need any of it. Better to be safe than sorry.
Remember to take it slow and think ahead. Good luck with recovery process!