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New trailer & Pit-Bull TRS


redkow97

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after my $200 trailer was too big to store, I picked up a harbor freight folding 4x8.

It's been assembled for about a month now, but I only recently got the decking installed, and the Pit-Bull trailer restraint system went on this weekend.

I can confirm that 1-man loading is now possible :D

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Whats the ballpark $$$ invested in this setup?

trailer was on sale for $299 (normally $329), so it ended up being $323 after taxes. In retrospect, if I'd waited for Motor Trend to arrive, I could have gotten another 20% off from the coupon in each issue...

so $323 for trailer

the PitBull TRS was $245 through RidersDiscount.com - YOU WILL HAVE TO CALL THEM TO GET THAT PRICE. Retail is $280.

the plywood and hardware to bold it into the trailer probably totaled at least $40

the 2" rise hitch was $20, and the ball was $7.

so all together: about $640 (plus $3300 for the bike :p)

There are more expensive and less expensive trailer options from Harbor Freight. for a few bucks less, you can get the model with 8" wheels that will only hold 1 bike (~770 lbs. max).

I wanted the 12" wheels so I can actually do 65mph.

for another $100, you can get 'my' trailer with 5-lug wheels that up the payload capacity to 1900 lbs or so. Mine is rated at 1170, so two bikes will fit as long as they're not both goldwings...

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FWIW, my ONLY complaints with this trailer are:

- the plywood deck makes it so it won't fold as neatly as i'd like, but it's good enough.

- the casters suck ass. They're just too small to roll over even the small cracks in my garage floor. ($8 at home depot fixes that though)

- there are 4 carriage bolts that hold the trailer flat while it's in use (so it doesn't fold while you're towing). the left side holes line up great. the right side don't. a dremel fixed that.

- even with those 2 holes fixed, GETTING to those 4 bolts sucks ass. but it's worth it to keep the trailer in the garage.

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  • 1 year later...

planning on doing this next weekend. just gotta get myself a TRS, shouldn't be too hard ;)

so there's room for two bikes or 1 plus some track duty stuff on the side assuming similar weight between the bike and "stuff" (toolbox, totes) or would you say it'd be better off for one bike centered and the rest in the car? also, I'm assuming you got better casters at lowes/home depot based on that comment? what about assembly? did you need to pack the bearings? what could be done about the plywood to let it fold easier, larger gap between the two?

i feel like a fourth grader asking all those questions, sorry.

ps - cross your chains.

Edited by natedogg624
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The chains are anchored too close together to truly cross them, but good cI atch. I think about that every time i hook it up...

I had the bike centered for a long time, but moved it so that the TRS is actually bolted through the frame-rail of the trailer. That was to fit Imrez55's bike.

I never moved it back to center. Instead I built a big-ass box to hold my EZ-up, tools, chairs, coolers, etc. Haven't noticed it pulling less than straight or anything.

If you have room in the car, centering the bike is easier/safer, but i was able to fit my wife and dog this past weekend because of the box.

a gap between the decking would definitely help the folding issue. I also removed the opposing bolts at the intersection. that's hard to describe w/o a picture, but basically, there are 6 bolts along the center joint, laid out like a 6-pack of beer. I removed the middle one on the front half, and the outside 2 on the back half. Now the bolt-heads don't hit each other.

If you center the bike, I would also move the one deck bolt off-center, so your front wheel isn't sitting on it during transport. Probably not a big deal, but easy to fix too.

I haven't gotten better casters yet. I just curse a lot when I move the fucker. the only time it's really an issue is getting it up the bump into my garage. The trailer is light enough that I can pick half of it up though; I just have to really put my back into it, and make sure I don't let it tip!

Assembly was pretty easy. the first time around, i would say 6 hours, plus time to route teh wiring (remember to leave enough slack to fold the deck!).

if i bought one tomorrow, I am confident I could get the entire thing buttoned up in 4 hours, including wiring.

have grease and gloves to pack the bearings. there is a nozzle for a grease gun, but I just put a gob on teh heel of my hand and then pack them manually the first time.

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Why not just build a pole barn big enough to store a 8x14 enclosed trailer inside as well as house a full shop area, wet bar, rec room and stripper pole. Then pick up a nice 2012 Dodge megacab longbed Cummins to pull it with? Seems that would make track days more enjoyable. Atleast thats what I'd do :dunno:

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so you drilled through the frame to mount the trs? any pics of this if you have any or get a chance eventually?

I'll snap a pic when I let the dog out, but yeah.

With 3/4 inch plywood, washers work fine. I just wanted the trs as far to the right as possible. When it was in the middle (over a year), I just had washers holding down the base plate.

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