Northern Tool Trailer 40 x 48

[smithn00]

The official specs on the Northern Tool web site say the speed limit is 45 mph.

Any comments on this?

[mpilone]

I believe it is because of the 12″ wheels. If I remember correctly the wheels have a max of 55 mph stamped on them. My guess is that they are good to 65, so lawyers said to write 55 on them, then Northern Tools saw that the wheels were good to 55 so their lawyers said to write 45 on it.

This thread discusses that people have used the trailer at 75 mph with no issues: http://teardropforum.com/forums/topic/northern-tool-5×8-aluminium-trailer-mods/

You could also upgrade the hubs/tires if you’re concerned and use the original wheels as spares. I think you’ll still end up a few hundred cheaper than the CLC trailer.

-mike

[faithie999]

my not-so-short answer is I have the northern tools 5×8 aluminum trailer.   the TD fits nicely just inside the wheels.  the TD is shorter than the NT frame, so following the lead of friz, the northern tools trailer pioneer, I cut several inches off the rear part of the frame, giving me the balance and tongue weight I was desiring.

as for the speed ratings–I have seen too many 12-inch-wheeled trailers sitting in the breakdown lane on interstates over the years, so I decided to go with 15″ wheels.  there are decent deals online.  IIRC I paid about $100 for each wheel/tire set, and they came already mounted.  I also bought a set of NT’s “high speed hubs” (not having any idea as to the RPM rating) because they were fairly cheap.

but as we know, no good deed goes unpunished.  since the 15’s are significantly wider than the 12’s, the tires rubbed against the frame.  I decided against mounting the wheels inside-out, so I bought a pair of spacers, milled out of a billet of aluminum.  I went with 1 1/4 inch spacers, since I wanted to minimize the lateral loading on the bearings that they weren’t designed to carry.  the tires clear the frame by about 1/4 inch.  I didn’t think the small fenders would fit with the 15’s, so I bought a pair of enclosed-back fenders from a local trailer company.  in hindsight, I think the stock fenders would have fit (with modification of the mounting brackets) but the closed backs on the fenders will keep the TD clean and free from stone chips.

when I put the 15’s on, I was anxious about the resulting height of the trailer bed, but once I had the TD mounted, I determined that it puts the galley at a comfortable working height (I’m about 5’10”) and the extra height also makes it a bit easier to get into and out of the TD cabin.

I’m very pleased with the result, I have no concerns about the speed rating of the 15’s, and I would do the same thing again.

I bought the gear several months ago, and IIRC, the 5×8 trailer was on sale for 649/free shipping, the replacement hubs were about 35 each, the wheel/tire combos were about 100 each, and the spacers were 65 each.  and the best part of the aluminum trailer (other than the weight) is you can cut and drill the frame members to your heart’s content with normal power tools.

ken

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