Trailer Maintenance

Registration:  Find form VTR-305-A here http://www.txdmv.gov/whatyouneed/forms/ … ration.htm

Under 4000 lbs gross weight doesn't need VIN or annual inspection.  You don't even get a title.  Walk in with the form and money and walk out with a plate.  They don't need to see it (or a picture), verify weight, or anything like that.  A heavier trailer is a little more hassle and money--it needs a VIN, a special one-time inspection to validate the VIN, and then a new inspection sticker every year.  Basic liability insurance is on the truck's policy, so you don't need to show a separate policy for registration, but you might want to call your agent if you want any optional coverage.

If the trailer has electric brakes, you'll need a brake controller for the van, which will require more wires than your 4-pin connector.  Don't bother with a 6-pin connector; go for a 7-pin so that you can tow with the factory tow package wiring on just about any truck built since the mid-90's.  The connector is less than 10 bucks per end, plus wires.  A cheap brake controller for 1-2 axles ranges $50 to $100 plus wiring, circuit breakers, etc.  My '03 GMC was pre-wired , so drilling two holes in the bottom of the dash for the bracket took the most time and I was done in 5 minutes, but my motorhome needed to be wired from the battery to the dash to the back bumper, all of which took more than two hours to do.

I wouldn't be surprised if the one oddball tire is a different size than the others.  Obviously replace the dryrotted one.  Check the date codes on the others and replace those tires if they are unsafe.  Keep the load rating of the tires in mind, too.

It's easier to check wheel bearings soon in your driveway instead of at the worst possible time on the side of the freeway.  While you're at it, check the brakes.

If it has a wood deck on it now and you replace that with steel, the fenders will be another inch and a quarter or so higher relative to the floor.  Not a big deal hauling a crapcan with no windows, but if you later want to haul a low car like a Vette, you might not be able to open the car's door.  I prefer a metal deck, though.  Consider leaving the center section undecked, at least at the rear.  It makes strapping the car down a little less gymnastic, and may help with pitside bottom-end maintenance.  Add a couple of deck lights, too.  And a winch.  If the trailer doesn't have a dovetail already and you are going to re-deck it anyway, consider adding one.

Trailer maintenance is a large part of my job. Jack up one side, removed the wheels and repack the bearings with quality grease. You can install bearing buddies, but they won't show you the condition of the grease inside the hub. I pop the caps off my trailer hubs once a year to see the condition and amount of grease in the hubs. If the grease is turning opaque, water's getting in. If you only see grease down in the workings of the bearing, you don't have enough. If the grease is turning black and getting shiny bits, your bearing's going out.

If you can get some dielectric grease to put in the light plug, do it. It'll help keep your pins from corroding away.

I installed a crappy $20/2000lb hand-crank winch on mine and it was very useful. Unfortunately it had a rope-core wire cable, so I had to replace it. I was broke so I installed another $20 winch. Next time it'll be an electric winch with a steel cable.

Open centers are nice for cargo straps and weight, but my wife is always wanting me to trailer home some furniture, haul off some of my loose car parts, or help move inlaws, so a solid deck is more suited for me.

I wish my trailer had a crapload of D-rings. Instead I have to get creative with the straps. Next time I remember I'll buy about 8 D-rings and weld them on it.

Locks, locks, and more locks. My trailer is kept in my backyard, guarded by a chainlink fence and a dog, hidden by a large blackjack tree and some bushes. I have a ball lock, a pintle lock, and a thick chain through the wheels. If it looks like stealing it is going to be a PITA, most thieves will move on. They don't want to work hard to make a living.

trailer in question:

any recommendations for a brake controller?

I found a Tekonsha P2 through Amazon (I had a gift card to burn) and added the Ford adapter harness. It has worked fine so far, though it dislikes the flavor of Troy's flatbed due to a possible short in the wiring.

John, I've got one of these and it works just fine:

http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-47235-Imp … B000CMFUK6

I think it's easy to spend a lot of money on brake controllers, but they basically all do the same thing. This one (like most, it seems) brings on the trailer brake circuit incrementally to help avoid fishtailing in the wet, especially with an unladen trailer. It works fine on my truck. Good luck.

On a related note, at some point while you've got the wheels jacked off the ground, make darned sure the axles are firmly affixed to the suspension and the suspension to the frame.  I towed my single-axle trailer from Seattle to Chicago with a car on it before noticing the rapid, irregular tire wear resulting from loose U-bolt shackles between the axle and leaf springs on one side.  My passenger and I didn't feel a thing going down the road, but the axle clearly must have been wobbling quite a bit.  I tightened the nuts (and replaced the tires) before the return trip and it's been fine ever since.

It helps if your LeMon has the same bolt pattern as your trailer. Of course it sucks if you *think* your LeMon has the same bolt pattern and it's actually 1/4" off and you have to leave your trailer parked in Perry, Oklahoma for a day until you can get back up there with a fresh tire.

I've always used trailer tires.   not sure what everybody else uses, but every single person i know who owns a trailer has some horror story of being stranded somewhere with a blown tire.

Most "trailer" tires are bias plies.  Something about bias plies don't flat spot from sitting.  Aside from that attribute or whatever redeeming quality it is bias plies have, they have drawbacks.

They will get weird wear patterns more the radials and tend to blow easier from my experience.  Even passenger rated radials seem to work fine with me, curbs don't discriminate.

I've noticed many heavy trailers with 8 lug stuff have radial truck tires.  The 5 lug 3500# stuff tend to run 225/70r15 bias plies.

Most 5k and up axles are 6 or 8 lug.  While you can swap from 6 to 8 lug because they use the same spindle, new hubs, brakes wheels and tires can get pricey quick.

Our boats have bearing buddies, our haulers do not.  Bearing buddies tend to blow grease out the rear seal which ends up inside the wheel making it nice and messy.

For your Ford van, track down the OEM stuff for towing and convert the trailer to the large plug.  With the factory towing package stuff, the electronic brakes become very plug and play, they are on a separate fuse from the truck lights and in your case the transmission OD stuff.

As Chris mentioned, our black trailer has some issue with the brakes.  My Tekonsha controller knows it's plugged in and I am sending power to the winch battery but I ain't getting brakes either.  I just wired my truck's brakes for ECR when Chris and Mary first borrowed the black trailer so I need to look into it.

I am sure your close tire is due to rim offset.  Our spare is wider than the oem wheels and the tire damn near rubs the well.  Just realized this.  I may have to track down a narrower wheel for the spare which suck cause I bought that one new a while back.  I tried running my F150 spare once and even though they had the same pattern, the offset didn't work and the tire rubbed.

A spare hub isn't a bad idea either.

BS on the flatspotting thing.  My other hobby is rockcrawling where bias Super Swampers are the king cheap tire.  A known trait is flat spots that get to be rounded out for the first few miles.

What makes a bias tire great is the way the belts wrap around the tire making the sidewall as thick as the tread.  The sidewalls on bias tires will put up with more abuse than typical radials.

All that said, my car hauler rides on 14" radial Maxxis 8008 trailer tires.  I've run them from IN to the east coast a couple times this year in the heat of summer with no issues.  At least two of the trips were at max weight in 95 degree weather.

Only issue I've had was a brake adjuster fell out of position ('cause I didn't adjust it for wear) and wedged that brake on.  If the trailer wasn't loaded with firewood that tire would have probably locked and dragged.  Instead the brake pads were worn out and the paint burned off the drum.  New loaded brake backing plate and all is well.

Nick