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The trailer came in yesterday and it went together just fine. I recommend printing the color manual to aid with wiring (color matters here).
I bought before the 23rd due to their free spare tire and bracket special.
So… where to mount them? I saw no mention of this in the manual, and the spare and bracket were equally without documentation.
After trying two other spots, I settled for this and I think it is probably the best spot of the bunch. I didn’t like the idea of hanging the tire underneath the trailer for two reasons. Out of sight means out of mind, and also it meant disassembly since I didn’t start with that in mind.
I then mounted it on the angled part toward the front but decided it could interfere with a mounted utility box. Here’s what I came up with:
Thoughts or criticisms? It seems out of the way, but not hidden and also readily accessible should I need it.
-Bob
Looks great! I got the free shipping but not the spare; will likely get a spare and that’s where it’ll go. I got the 12″ tires, so I have room underneath the trailer for a storage box. You know, for the fake palm tree or folding chairs.
My spare tire cover came in today, it’s an ADCO 1740 (black) for the 12″ wheels I bought for the Trailex trailer. Well, it fits perfectly. Surprisingly so. It’s a “size O” (oh, not zero) found here for under $20 shipped:
I ordereda pair of covers for the wheels for when it’s parked in our hot New Mexico sun and will post back when I know they fit.
-Bob
The wheel covers fit perfectly as well. This is the link to the ones I bought for the 12″ wheels:
-Bob
Hey Bob,
Looking at your pictures I note that your fenders look like they are not in the lowest bolt hole position. It is easy, but you will find that, if so, you will need to lower them to avoid interference with the teardrop which is slightly wider than the Trailex frame. You do NOT need to remove the tires to do this.
Eric
Yes, I had them up high till last night when I torqued them down. They’re as low as they go now. I put them on before I put the tires on and had no idea how they’d line up so I didn’t tighten them till after seeing that big gap and moving them to the lowest position.
I’m not super happy about the funky angle they’re on (top edge is pressed against the trailer frame). The L brackets don’t appear to be 90 degrees. I wonder why they did this. I may put a bit of rubber behind the top edge or attempt to bend the bracket. There’s probably a reason so I’ll research this a bit before doing anything.
Also, the Harbor Freight digital torque wrench kicks butt. $30 !
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-digital-torque-adapter-68283.html
-Bob
I moved where the rubber washers were. In the instruction manual you can see they are between the frame of the trailer and the fender. I think this is a mistake. I’ve moved it to the inside of the fender so the metal washer never touches the fender. It’s much straighter now. Weird design. I’ll call Trailex next week to confirm what I did is the right thing.
Also, jeebus, 80 ft-lbs of torque for the wheel lug nuts. I’ve had to re-calibrate my arm. This feels super tight to me but it is consistent with wheels for cars so I’m pushing the “I believe” button. I torqued the spare to 50 ft-lbs because the bracket isn’t steel, and there is no weight on the spare.
-Bob
I put my rubber washers under the metal washers on the inside of the fender, so the metal of the fender is in direct contact with the trailer side rail. I really like the trailer. I already owned a Harbor Freight trailer, but the Trailed looks super strong in comparison and there are all kinds of options to mount stuff to it with the extra T bolts they provide. Its the real deal.
By the way, I was successful at raising my teardrop about 2″ above the trailer on temporary cinderblocks and styrofoam blocks to move the trailer slightly forward to drill my holes from underneath. This was quicker and easier than rounding up a quorum of friends to flip the teardrop on its back. Actually I built the whole teardrop with no outside help. I am at the varnishing and electronics installation phase.
Yeah,80ftlbs seemed like a lot, but I did it. And don’t forget to retorque them after 25 miles. I forgot with my Harbor Freight trailer and by the time I got to CLC to pick up my kits (300 miles) Ed noticed that one of my lug nuts was half off (but then again I doubt I ever torqued those Harbor Freight nuts to 80 ftlbs). I just nonchalantly took my adjustable wrench out from behind the driver’s seat and tightened them all up a bit, and drove 300 miles home.
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