Safety Archives – Mechanical Elements

National Association of Trailer Manufacturers – Oops?

March 18, 2023 by Mechanic

NATM Trailer Safety Answers

I really thought I was done with posts about safety chains. We have several of them on the site, but I found a video that begs for comment. I really like the video and subject matter – from the Compliance Director of the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers. This is a good organization because they … Read The Article

NATM Answers : Are You Trailer Safety Aware?

March 18, 2023 by Mechanic

NATM Trailer Safety Answers

What do you see wrong with the way the safety chains and other trailer safety equipment are set-up in the image? That’s the question we asked in the previous article. The image is a screenshot of a YouTube video by NATM, the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers.

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Trailer Frame Crack !! – Let’s Fix It

February 11, 2023 by Mechanic

Ouch, Cracked Frame

This is a Customer Story about a crack in a trailer frame. Finding these can be really scary, but finding them at this stage is a whole lot better than finding them after a catastrophic failure.

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What Is The Best Trailer Security?

January 14, 2023January 14, 2023 by Mechanic

Trailer Security

How many trailers are stolen each year? That’s a question worth pondering, because if you put a lot of sweat and love into building a great trailer . . . . if it disappears, it’s heartbreaking. We don’t like to think about such things, but it puts trailer security

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Simple Chain Anchor System – Free Plans

December 31, 2022December 31, 2022 by Mechanic

Chain Anchor on Tongue

Free Plans for an adjustably permanent Trailer Safety Chain Anchor system. It’s easy to build, easy to install, absolutely solid, yet it allows chain length adjustments fairly easy. The goal is making the trailer safety chains very secure, while also

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Improving Trailer Safety Chain Connections

December 31, 2022December 22, 2022 by Mechanic

Attach Chains Free Plans

We often joke about safety — Yup, Safety 3rd. While it’s fun to joke, there are a few things we do get quite serious about. How to attach trailer safety chains is one. Today we’re looking at connecting chains on the trailer tongue, so the chain is the right length.

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Link Lock Safety Chain Product Review

February 11, 2023October 17, 2022 by Mechanic

Link Lock Safety Chain System

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.

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Adjustable Ball Mount – Practical Considerations

November 29, 2022September 22, 2022 by Mechanic

Adjustable Ball Mount Search

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.

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Building A Trailer – Critical Things To Get Right

February 11, 2023August 3, 2022 by Mechanic

Success List To Make A Trailer

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

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Adjustable Hitch? Or, Adjustable Ball Mount?

September 26, 2022July 21, 2022 by Mechanic

Adjustable Hitch Options

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?

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Trailer Towing Tips

October 4, 2022April 15, 2022 by Mechanic

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

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The Concept of “Strong Enough”

February 11, 2023February 12, 2022 by Mechanic

Is It 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?”

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Easy Gantry Crane Lift Conversion

November 29, 2022January 22, 2022 by Mechanic

Gantry Crane Lift Feature

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

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Are Your Trailer Plans Certified?

April 6, 2022December 22, 2021 by Mechanic

DOT Approved or Certified Plans

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

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When Does My Trailer Need Brakes?

March 18, 2023November 13, 2021 by Mechanic

Trailer Axles with 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

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Shop Tools – Super Tough DIY Utility Cart

November 2, 2021October 28, 2021 by Mechanic

Shop Utility Floor 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.

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Trailer Hitch Class Ratings

October 3, 2022October 22, 2021 by Mechanic

Trailer Hitch and Drawbar Classes

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

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Trailer Sway – Video Review & Discussion

September 25, 2021 by Mechanic

Trailer Sway Video Review

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.

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How Often Should You Tighten Trailer Wheel Bolts?

October 10, 2022August 10, 2021 by Mechanic

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

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Bent Tongue — Judging A Weak Trailer

February 11, 2023July 5, 2021 by Mechanic

Bent Trailer Tongue

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.

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