A couple years ago in an article about trailer safety chains, I mentioned the “Link Lock” system. It looked pretty interesting, and I like creativity, especially when it solves real problems. So, I tried to connect with the company to learn more.
Safety
Adjustable Ball Mount Practical Considerations
While studying adjustable ball mount styles I noticed nearly all have a stationary rack and a floating attachment. Have you noticed that too? It’s a pretty important detail when we look at which one to choose.
Building A Trailer – Critical Things To Get Right
There are a lot of little details that go into a trailer building project. Some big, some small. Overall, it’s not hard, yet, when we think about the really important things that make a trailer perform well, the list is pretty short. Give just a little extra
Adjustable Hitch? Or, Adjustable Ball Mount?
Over the past few years the Adjustable Hitch and/or Adjustable Ball Mount have become quite popular. They are great for adapting to a wide variety of tow vehicle heights and trailer tongue heights. But, which should you use? Does it make any difference?
Trailer Towing Tips
As we plan and eventually set out for the many adventures this year, let’s plan for a great trip. Here are some good towing tips to make it all go much smoother.
For RV’s or any other trailer, the tips are
The Concept of “Strong Enough”
I’m not sure how to categorize this Article. It’s an answer, but more than that. We get questions once in a while something like “My trailer is X long and I want to haul a Y. Is 3 inch angle iron strong enough?”
Easy Gantry Crane Lift Conversion
The beauty of a gantry crane is the beam overhead, and the clear access for lifting things. To make them more useful, telescoping legs put the top beam at a height appropriate for the job — in your garage, or outside, or wherever. One of the challenges
Are Your Trailer Plans Certified?
This is a great question we get a lot, in many variations. Are your plans DOT approved? Are the plans Stamped? We think it’s great to know the level of plans you get when you buy, so asking about certified plans is a great place to start. However, this question
When Does My Trailer Need Brakes?
There are laws that say when a trailer must have brakes. In most places within the USA, when the trailer total capacity is over 3000 lbs, trailer brakes are required. That’s all well and good, but we all know that laws are an ignorant way of covering the least
Shop Tools – Super Tough DIY Utility Cart
When there’s a need that doesn’t really fit with existing products, make your own. That’s it with this new, tough Shop Floor & Utility Cart. While it’s not monumental in design, it does have some great functionality for DIY’ers, with strength that you won’t find elsewhere.
Trailer Hitch Class Ratings
As a convenient way to help with safety, trailer hitches, balls, and receivers have categories or load rating groups called classes. Each trailer hitch class has ratings for how much it will carry. A look at the ratings for each component
Trailer Sway – Video Review & Discussion
Understanding Trailer Dynamics like Sway is a really important. If you look for it, there are many articles and some great YouTube videos discussing and demonstrating the many factors and issues.
How Often Should You Tighten Trailer Wheel Bolts?
A friend asked me this question, along with the companion of “How Tight?” The last thing we want is to lose a wheel — because it will not only delay our trip, but a wheel coming loose can do serious damage — to us, our stuff, or maybe
Bent Tongue — Judging A Weak Trailer
When buying a trailer, how can we decide if it’s well built, or just cheap? How do you know if it’s strong or weak? While there are always tale-tale signs, we’ll use this example of a trailer with a bent tongue to illustrate.
Engineering: Calculate Beam Loading (Intro)
As a simplistic introduction to beam loading, this article discusses the complications in calculating stresses and deflection. While it’s pretty easy to calculate beam loading for simple theoretical cases, very few beams
Good Ways To Shorten Trailer Safety Chain
In previous articles we discuss the importance of trailer safety chain length. If the chains are too long, what can you do? Yeah, odds are you won’t need them, but what if you do? Long chains can complicate things quickly, so how can we safely shorten a chain?
Dangling By A Single Trailer Chain
If you ever doubt the sanity of safety chains, then see this example of where a single trailer chain literally saved lives. The story is amazing from all angles –
When To Replace Trailer Tires
Don’t mess around with your safety or unexpected trip interruptions. The Best Reason to replace old or worn trailer tires is personal sanity, because who wants to deal with it on the side of the road?
How Much Can I Tow With My Vehicle?
There are 3 main factors with how much you can tow. While it all seems simple, digging in makes it a little less clear. Yes, it’s easy to look at the simple rating numbers,
On The Road – Rattle Traps We Call Trailers
Are you ever scared by what you see in tow rolling along down the highway? I am often surprised at the contraptions that pass for legal. Join me. Let’s make a collection of photos here for a few good laughs — Scary trailers on the road.