HF custom build

[fgrimes636]

Consider the following please. Instead of buying the full HF trailer with car topper kit for $399 with the 8 in wheels, How about the HF small utility trailer #90153 frame with the 12 in wheels. And one of the hundred or so used car toppers sold on craigslist? They are averaging 50 to 100 bucks. Different shapes sizes and colors to choose from. Saving a bit of coin and getting something a little more customized.

I plan on adding a plywood floor to mine first so I can remove the topper and use it to haul other things. (and with our car too).

My only question for the crowd out there that already have the HF kit trailer #66771, How are they attaching the car topper to the frame?

Dave

[plumberman]

just finished one up with the 12" wheels . bought the car topper on craigs list for 15 bucks , painted to match bike , put diamond plate on the deck. came out great , about $600 total

[Flyinfool]

I did the same as you except I used the trailer with the 8" wheels.

I used a pressure treated ply deck. My topper is attached with 4 Eye bolts with a nut that is run up tight then a thick flat washer then a fender washer. this is run through a piece of scrap ply that is about 6" square. then thru the topper from the inside and finally thru the deck. I have a fender washer, thick flat washer and a nylon lock nut to finish on the bottom.

the 4 eye bolts on the inside come in handy to tie things down when it is not packed solid with stuff.

 

On my topper there is a channel that was for the original mounting system that is about 4" wide and 1/2 deep, I used another piece of ply scrap to fill that in so that the bottom would be fully supported. I am going to put in a piece of rubber backed outdoor carpet to also help stuff from sliding around.

[pofarm]

I built mine for about $300.00. I bought the trailer used. It had 8 inch wheels on it. I bought a set of 12 inch off ebay for it. The car topper was a freebee from a friend. I replaced the tongue with a longer one and added a cooler rack. I used treated plywood for the deck, painted it black, and added aluminum angle to the edges to spruce it up.

[fgrimes636]

Is it imperative that I extend the tounge? If so why, how much longer, and what do I use to extend it?

 

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[Squidley]

Is it imperative that I extend the tounge? If so why, how much longer, and what do I use to extend it?

 

Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

 

It's not imperative, but it will pull better with a little longer tongue. Add 12" to it and that will be sufficient. It will be a bolt together, so whatever size the original tongue tube is, just go and buy the same size, just 12" longer and drill it accordingly and bolt it together.

[dacheedah]

I used some 2x2 tubing and put on a new coupler for 2" tubing. They say measure the wheel width go 1/3 longer. I made a cooler rack from 1" angle just enough room to slip a bag chair between the cooler and topper, and a stand from putting some angle together, pivot with a bolt and a pin to hold in the up or down position. . .

[pofarm]

The general rule of thumb is that the tongue length, from the center of the axle to the center of the coupler, needs to be at least 1 1/2 times the length of the axle from center to center of the tires. This isn't critical, but does make the trailer pull much better and with more stability.

[pofarm]

Here is a real good article on using the HF trailer.

http://www.herberts.org/wayne/valk/trailer.htm

[fgrimes636]

If the tongue length has a specific measurement for better stability, why don't they make it the correct length to begin with?

[fgrimes636]

Great link . Thanks pofarm

[pofarm]

I guess because it would be too long to fit in the box with the rest of the parts? Really, the trailer wasn't made for real high speed operation. They are rated for about 45 mph, max, out of the box (liability reasons). They are light enough that you wouldn't notice a difference when pulling them behind a 4 wheeled vehicle at under 60 mph or so. They usually won't cause a problem behind a bike, either, if they are loaded correctly. A longer tongue makes them much more forgiving.

[Flyinfool]

I guess because it would be too long to fit in the box with the rest of the parts? Really, the trailer wasn't made for real high speed operation. They are rated for about 45 mph, max, out of the box (liability reasons). They are light enough that you wouldn't notice a difference when pulling them behind a 4 wheeled vehicle at under 60 mph or so. They usually won't cause a problem behind a bike, either, if they are loaded correctly. A longer tongue makes them much more forgiving.

 

These trailers were not made for pulling behind a bike, period.

With the stock tongue you would never notice the slight sway behind even a small car. Even behind a bike the sway is very slight, some do not even notice it or it is just not enough to worry about. I built mine stock first and while it was drivable, I did not like it, the tongue stretch made the difference.

[wes0778]

I guess because it would be too long to fit in the box with the rest of the parts? Really, the trailer wasn't made for real high speed operation. They are rated for about 45 mph, max, out of the box (liability reasons). They are light enough that you wouldn't notice a difference when pulling them behind a 4 wheeled vehicle at under 60 mph or so. They usually won't cause a problem behind a bike, either, if they are loaded correctly. A longer tongue makes them much more forgiving.

 

I've heard tell that the tag-a-long with the standard length tongue pulls just fine up around the 3rd gear rev limiter speed behind an RSV.....

[Flyinfool]

I've heard tell that the tag-a-long with the standard length tongue pulls just fine up around the 3rd gear rev limiter speed behind an RSV.....

 

The tag-a-long has a narrower wheel base so it ends up with the proper tongue to axle ratio.

[cabreco]

Consider the following please. Instead of buying the full HF trailer with car topper kit for $399 with the 8 in wheels, How about the HF small utility trailer #90153 frame with the 12 in wheels. And one of the hundred or so used car toppers sold on craigslist? They are averaging 50 to 100 bucks. Different shapes sizes and colors to choose from. Saving a bit of coin and getting something a little more customized.

I plan on adding a plywood floor to mine first so I can remove the topper and use it to haul other things. (and with our car too).

My only question for the crowd out there that already have the HF kit trailer #66771, How are they attaching the car topper to the frame?

Dave

 

I recently finished building one. I attached my car carrier using 2 lengths of 2X6 pressure treated wood.

Dont forget to wrap the suspension parts to reduce noise. I used garden hose on the spring bolts & clear tubing on the axle ubolts

[cabreco]

Is it imperative that I extend the tongue? If so why, how much longer, and what do I use to extend it?

 

Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

 

What I did to give me additional length was reposition the center cross brace. The side rails have holes in it so no drilling required there. You will have to redrill a new set of holes on the tongue where it mounts to the front rail. I used the oem drilled tongue holes to bolt the rack.

Gave me an additional 12" for the cooler & she pulls great.

[ronjolly]

Here's a few pic of a few things I have done to my HF trailor. All LED lites, Diamond flooring on the trailor. A Sears car top, Pulls like a dream to about 65 mph. Made my on swivel hitch.

Cut 12 inch back , put in 2 tapped cylinders 1-1/2 in screw. it swivels great . Hope yall like it.

[fgrimes636]

What I did to give me additional length was reposition the center cross brace. The side rails have holes in it so no drilling required there. You will have to redrill a new set of holes on the tongue where it mounts to the front rail. I used the oem drilled tongue holes to bolt the rack.

Gave me an additional 12" for the cooler & she pulls great.

 

That's a good idea. That way I don't have to add change or weld anything new. With the center brace that much more forward, does it change the stability of the main square portion of the trailer? I am going to put a piece of plywood down first before the box.

[cabreco]

That's a good idea. That way I don't have to add change or weld anything new. With the center brace that much more forward, does it change the stability of the main square portion of the trailer? I am going to put a piece of plywood down first before the box.

 

Not at all, I used 2 pieces of pressure treated 2"X6" under the carrier box. It serves 2 purposes 1. to hold the box in place, & 2 to keep the box stiff. A piece os 3/4" plywood would do the same. You may also want to weld a bead at the corners to make sure it remains square.

[fgrimes636]

So you did not use plywood. You used the 2x6 as a brace further back were the metal brace should have gone in order to mount the carrier? Do you have a photo of that before you mounted the carrier?

[cabreco]

So you did not use plywood. You used the 2x6 as a brace further back were the metal brace should have gone in order to mount the carrier? Do you have a photo of that before you mounted the carrier?

 

 

No unfortunately I didn't take a pix of the frame & wood.

I Basically cut 2 lengths of the 2x6 and used 4 carriage bolts, nuts & washers (so they bite into the wood) on each board to attached it to the rear & middle cross members by drilling holes in them.

 

If you look at this photo, you will see the wood under the box by the fender

 

 

I used 2x6 because I didn't want to drill a whole lot of holes in the frame for plywood.

 

The carrier box is mounted using all the OEM hardware but I replaced the bolts with longer carriage bolts due to the thickness of the 2x6 The ONLY issue I ran into is I had to re tap the OEM carrier box knobs to SAE because they were metic & I couldn't find metric carriage bolts at Home Depot.

[fgrimes636]

OK, So the 2x6's go front to back under the carrier where you would need them to be to use the mounting holes on the carrier. I think I am just going to use the plywood. I want to be able to remove the carrier, to use the trailer as a flatbed behind the Subaru. And where the carrier holes on plywood are, I will replace with tie down hooks. Just thinking and planning.

[cabreco]

OK, So the 2x6's go front to back under the carrier where you would need them to be to use the mounting holes on the carrier. I think I am just going to use the plywood. I want to be able to remove the carrier, to use the trailer as a flatbed behind the Subaru. And where the carrier holes on plywood are, I will replace with tie down hooks. Just thinking and planning.

 

That's a good idea, I was initially going to use mine as a tow behind bike & a tow the bike trailer. But I decided against it.

Something to consider. The OEM springs on the trailer are stiff & the trailer will bounce behind the bike. So for behind the bike you should remove the extra spring on each side. & keep the tire PSI to 10. That being said, the trailer will have a reduced load capacity. Think about what you will put in the flatbed. In the carrier box behing the bike you will max at 300LBS.

 

Either way the plywood is not a bad idea especially if you want to use to to haul say mulch & such.

[fgrimes636]

I read elsewhere about removing one each of the leaf springs. When the kits comes, are they separate and I just put one in, or do I have to tear it apart to remove the spring? Also, which leaf gets removed?