Harbor Freight Trailer

Post Reply
yippee
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2015 1:44 am

Harbor Freight Trailer

Post by yippee »

Hello all. Getting ready to pull the trigger on a couple of kayaks here pretty shortly for us. Now I'm starting to plan the transportation part of the purchases. I really prefer the idea of going with a trailer. I have a Ford Ranger with a 6 foot bed, but I have a tool box in the bed that takes up roughly a foot of space. If you put the tailgate down, you basically gain that foot back. But since we're looking at 12 foot kayaks, I really feel like a trailer is the best choice at this point. Would 2/3's of the kayaks supported between the bed and a bed extender be enough to be comfortable or is that pushing it?

I was looking at the Harbor Freight Trailers as a good cheap option that seem to be real popular to turn into kayak trailers. They show 2 (3 really) different trailers, and I was curious about the difference. Mostly I am looking at the 4 x 8 foot trailer rated at 1,195 lbs (item # 62648), or the 4 x 8 foot trailer rated at 1,720 lbs (item # 62647).

I was curious if anyone knew what exactly what was different about these two trailers? The only differences I noticed from the website was the 1,720 lb trailer has a coupler for a 2" ball and 5.3 in x 12 in tires, where as the 1,195 lb trailer has a coupler for a 1-7/8" ball and 4.8 in x 12 in tires. Are these literally the only differences between the two, or are there other things that I'm either overlooking or perhaps that aren't listed? If those are the only differences, it sounds like the 1,195 lb is the clear winner for the price point. But perhaps there are more differences for the money that make the 1,720 lb worth the upgrade? Which one do most people use?

Thank you.
User avatar
Neumie
Site Admin
Posts: 4012
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 10:10 pm
Location: SA, Hallettsville, or Rockport

Re: Harbor Freight Trailer

Post by Neumie »

I use a bed extender with my slightly longer than 15 ft kayak on 5.5 ft supercrew bed without any issues.

The other difference between the two is the 1,720 lbs trailer has a more heavy duty axle. Thus the reason it has a 5 lug wheel vs the 4 lug of the 1,195 trailer. The 5 lug wheel would give you more options to upgrade wheel size if you were so inclined to do so.

If I could afford the heavier duty trailer I would get it. Also, a very common mod on these trailers is the adding a longer tongue, so if you plan on doing so as well that would need to factor into your trailer cost.
User avatar
kickingback
TKF 5000 Club
TKF 5000 Club
Posts: 5178
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2016 3:24 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

Re: Harbor Freight Trailer

Post by kickingback »

If you are going to put that trailer in or near the salt water you better re-think it. I bought one 2 years back and it is a rust bucket waiting to fall apart. The tires suck and will fall apart after 3 months of use at 50 mph. There are higher ply tires you can buy that will last longer. Also the axle needs to be packed and greased almost every 5 months. Not worth the time. I have seen videos on YouTube where they used a rust preventing paint on their trailers after buying but it looks like a lot of work and rust can find a spot easily and it's over.
I suggest that if you want a trailer that will last buy a galvanized or all aluminum trailer. There are trailers out there for $500 that can be modified easily by adding PVC pipes to store the kayaks on.
Check around and check craigslist for used as well. You will not be sorry you went with no rust trailer!!!!
User avatar
Endo
Posts: 234
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:00 pm
Location: Austin

Re: Harbor Freight Trailer

Post by Endo »

^^^ Agree with this.

If you're on a budget, keep searching craigslist for an old galvanized trailer that you can re-purpose and build into a yak trailer. Jet ski trailers make nice compact options if you can find one.

I've done this a few times over the years. I'm on my third kayak trailer re-build currently with older galv trailers.



.
User avatar
Ron Mc
TKF 5000 Club
TKF 5000 Club
Posts: 5675
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: Harbor Freight Trailer

Post by Ron Mc »

I run a 16' boat on a bed extender in a normal 6' bed without a toolbox. that's still 2+' longer than you're talking about.
Image We've carried 3 and 4 boats on the bed extender before, using foam blocks between boats. Image
My buddy has since added a nice trailer, and we take advantage of that - great for hauling 4 boats
Image
yippee
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2015 1:44 am

Re: Harbor Freight Trailer

Post by yippee »

I was thinking the harbor freight trailers came more highly recommended than that, I might just end up going to buy the bed extender today while I'm off instead. Not sure if I need to create another thread about the bed extender, but to try not to clutter up the forums for now, I have a few questions about the bed extender. If I need to create a new topic about it, I will.

I have an 07 Ford Ranger with a 6 ft bed, toolbox that takes up about a foot of bed, but a tailgate that adds back that foot. I'm sitting right at 6 ft of useable bed space, and not enough between the fenderwells to lay both kayaks next to each other. I ended up with a Wilderness Ride 115x, and the other kayak will be a Tarpon 120. If i stack one on top of each other, do I just need to put some pool noodles between them to keep them from touching each other? Just noodles or do I need to run some pvc through the middle of the noodles to give them some rigidity? And then what's the best way to strap them down? I hear ratchets aren't good cause you don't want to crank them down too tight and damage the yaks. What anchor points should I be looking at and where should i strap each yak?
User avatar
Ron Mc
TKF 5000 Club
TKF 5000 Club
Posts: 5675
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: Bed Extender

Post by Ron Mc »

yippee wrote:I was thinking the harbor freight trailers came more highly recommended than that, I might just end up going to buy the bed extender today while I'm off instead. Not sure if I need to create another thread about the bed extender, but to try not to clutter up the forums for now, I have a few questions about the bed extender. If I need to create a new topic about it, I will.

I have an 07 Ford Ranger with a 6 ft bed, toolbox that takes up about a foot of bed, but a tailgate that adds back that foot. I'm sitting right at 6 ft of useable bed space, and not enough between the fenderwells to lay both kayaks next to each other. I ended up with a Wilderness Ride 115x, and the other kayak will be a Tarpon 120. If i stack one on top of each other, do I just need to put some pool noodles between them to keep them from touching each other? Just noodles or do I need to run some pvc through the middle of the noodles to give them some rigidity? And then what's the best way to strap them down? I hear ratchets aren't good cause you don't want to crank them down too tight and damage the yaks. What anchor points should I be looking at and where should i strap each yak?
Image
you can find these for about $7/
I use hull-shaped closed-cell foam blocks to put between boats when we stack them.
If you look at the stern view of my tarpon above, 6 or 7 of them are in use, both for separating boats, and my 16' is sitting on 3 of them. Look across the top of my bed extender, there's a strap running through a foam block right beneath the tarpon, and you can see another on the tailgate (a 3rd in the bed against the fender).
They're also really nice to set your boats up on saw horses for storage or to work on rigging.
Image
when it's time to load the boat, I back up the truck with the bed extender, remove the foam blocks, and the boat glides across the saw horses into the truck without me lifting it.

gratuitous rigging photo, also why you want to shop with sailors. Vela rigging supply - I ordered 3/8" dockline at cordage price, expecting to tie it in with a bowline knot, and it arrived with this beautiful splice and seizing, which I didn't ask for.
Image
I'm running 3 ratchet straps with one boat or 4. Stacking boats, I'll add cam straps as needed. Big carabiners in your bed tie-downs are very helpful for adding multiple cam straps.
The first strap runs from the bed rear tiedown through lashing eye on the same side of the bed extender, in and out the rear scupper holes, out the lashing eye on the other side of the bed extender, and ratchets at the other rear bed tiedown on that side.
Two ratchet straps go foward from rear lift handles on boats and ratchet at the front tie-downs in the bed. If it's a single boat, I use both straps. With two boats on base, each boat gets one ratchet strap forward, the ratchet straps cross to opposite front bed ties, with a foam block between the two boats - you can see in this photo.
Image the harbor freight tow lights have been permanently zip-tied and leads shortened into the bed extender.
you'll also see I've run cable locks through the bed extender and boats as well - there's a 10' lock cable that goes through the bed extender, looped to itself, and stays there even in storage. It allows me to lock the bed extender and boats to the truck hitch mount. Other end of the 10' cable goes through the hitch safety chain eye. A 6' cable lock loops through boats and tag end of 10' lock cable.

While it may look complicated, the whole thing zips apart with rote, the straps are there and ready when you load the boats at the end of the day. The cable lock keeps the bed extender locked to your truck, so it's also waiting for your return. It's actually quicker and less complicated than strapping boats to a trailer. And it's nicer to your boats than J-cradles on a trailer, or car-topping with bow and stern cam straps.

with a bed extender, a hitch tightener is also nice - it keeps the bed extender level with an unbalanced side-to-side load.
Image
WC53
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2016 1:35 pm
Location: Ancient City, Fl

Re: Harbor Freight Trailer

Post by WC53 »

Trailer is a lot easier to load and you can customize for storage. If you have room to store trailer

On bed extender, I like the football style goal posts uprights to keep everything centered. I added LED strip lights from eTrailer to each of the uprights and run everything to a hitch connector. Huge visibility increase at night.
User avatar
don.owen
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 1:23 pm

Re: Harbor Freight Trailer

Post by don.owen »

The HF trailer can work but right out of the box they tow like crap. Nothing over 50mph or mine started to hop around. To make mine work I put railroad ties longways to add weight to it. The issue of corrosion is a big one. I used my Nucanoe in Idaho & Montana only and it still went bad. Cheap components won't hold up to your salt.
yippee
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2015 1:44 am

Re: Harbor Freight Trailer

Post by yippee »

I ended up going to Harbor Freight on Labor Day and using their 25% off coupon to get the bed extender. My kayak came in today, I ended up getting a killer deal on a new old stock 2017 Ride 115X with the Airpro Max seat. Now I'm just waiting on pay day to roll around to get the "her's" kayak to go with it. I think she's decided on a Tarpon 120, but we'll probably go paddle it one more time to make sure before pulling the trigger.

Where would one go about getting those foam blocks for $7? Admittedly, I haven't really looked real hard for them yet. I'll most likely go ahead and buy some magnetic tow lights for the bed extender.
User avatar
Ron Mc
TKF 5000 Club
TKF 5000 Club
Posts: 5675
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: Harbor Freight Trailer

Post by Ron Mc »

These popped up at Home Depot - the link will let you check inventory at your local store, and I sent you a pm with a couple of more
https://www.homedepot.com/p/SportRack-1 ... /203672557
Post Reply