Trailer Tips Blog

So how many of us are really pulling a trailer behind our cars, trucks, or suvs? That many? OK, even if you have a trailer, how often are you really pulling that load behind your vehicle? I used to know a family that had 9 children. They had 6 devilish boys and 3 unlucky daughters and all were in constant risk of brotherly and sisterly arguments which usually turned into quick fisticuff brawls. One even ended with two brothers tying up a sister for a day, left alone in the basement until her parents found her. Just imagine their road trips! They eventually hired a nanny (a very brave one) and traveled with the 9 children and nanny in the trailer pulled behind their F250. Avery rare case indeed, most normal families and single vehicle owners have no need for trailer hauling.

The undressed spot where trailer hitches call home are left naked on a daily basis. I’ll address the harms that we cause by leaving them uncovered and how to improve them by covering them up right, and I’ll also list some extra bonuses that you may be able to receive. With this top five, you may be able to see all five pros happen within one month. It can happen to you if it can happen to me.

1. Hitch covers are designed in all sorts of personalized ways. You can support your favorite sports team with a logo cover and represent one for the gipper.

2. Uncovered, the naked eye can see the inevitable rust that settles on trailer hitches. The hitch cover styles out your shiny prize.

3. In the parking lot, uncovered hitches are dangerous and many exposed shins have been injured by hard to see trailer hitches. Hitch covers are very noticeable and safe shins for the kins.

4. They are one of THE most inexpensive accessories that you can purchase to help personalize your vehicle

5. Hitch covers that fold out as steps add an extra functionality that didn’t exist on your vehicle. They greatly help you access the cargo carriers or roof racks on top of your vehicle and can help you get access to that tall bed on your lifted truck.

carlton1983 asked:

I have a 2001 chevy blazer with both a flat and round plug in the back for pulling trailers. I have a boat with a trailer, but the lights don’t work. Fuses in truck are good, bulb is good, wiring on trailer is good. Is there an easy way to tell if the plugs on the truck are getting any power?

me asked:

my trailer is white. I have a pic of it in my yahoo 360 photo album. I wanna remove it so it looks more like a house, and less of a trailer. Any one ever remove their trailer hitches. I know it can be done. Some of my trailer park neighbors took theirs off. They don’t like me, so i don’t wanna ask them though.

Bennett T asked:

I want to use a trailer to haul some things from Pennsylvania to Virginia, but the trailer is not registered. How much does it cost to register in PA to use and travel with inter-state? It is a smaller, two wheeled trailer.

Any other information you need, let me know.

Chris asked:

I need to use the trailer for something else, plus it takes up too much room in my garage. I am planning on storing the Waverunner on a stand in my basement because the trailer is too long. I can keep the trailer outside, but I have to pick up the Waverunner off the trailer to get it set on the stand. Does anyone have any ideas on how that would be done?

ELC asked:

Trying to see how the temperature outside a trailer relates to the temperature inside the trailer. For example, if it is 80 degrees outside, will it be 100 degrees inside the trailer?

MRJS asked:

I converted a boat trailer into a utility trailer.

There is a green and brown wire running down the right side.

There is a yellow and brown wire running down the left side.

Each wire is carefully soldered and shrink tubed.

There is a white wire (ground) attached to a ring connector and soldered. It’s attached to the trailer with a screw. I sanded off the paint to expose bare metal.

The lights don’t work.

I’m pretty sure there are no cuts or discontinuities anywhere.

What I think is the problem is that I screwed each lamp in the back to an angle iron. The angle iron is screwed to wood.

So, is that messing things up? Do the lamps have to be screwed to actual metal of the trailer for proper grounding?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Pickup trucks and SUVs with trailer hitches have a wide range of uses. They can pull boats, campers, cargo trailers and a number of other items. There are several types of trailer hitches. Most pickup trucks have what is called a ball trailer hitch. Other types of trailer hitches are gooseneck trailer hitches and fifth wheel hitches.

It is important to have a strong enough truck to haul whatever is connected to the trailer hitch. The truck must have enough engine strength to build up momentum to pull the trailer. This is why you very rarely see cars equipped with trailer hitches.

Trailer hitches must be installed correctly to the truck or the entire hitch rig can come off, leaving the cargo behind. Usually, the hitch is mounted on a type of bumper that must be installed under the tailgate. The strength of this rig determines how much weight the hitch can handle. Different classes can pull different amounts of weight. Class-1 trailer hitches are the weakest; they can usually pull up to 2000 pounds. Class-5 trailer hitches are the strongest, with a pulling capacity of over 10,000 pounds.

Most pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles have ball trailer hitches. The hitch consists of a metal ball that attaches to a socket on the cargo. Larger trailer hitch balls can usually support more weight than smaller balls. Ball trailer hitches are more versatile than many other types and can be used to haul small cargo trailers, boats, and some campers.

Gooseneck trailer hitches also use a ball, but they are attached to the truck differently. Gooseneck trailer hitches are attached to the top of the truckbed, rather than at the bumper.

Fifth wheel trailer hitches are the strongest type of trailer hitch. They can be used to carry heavy cargo. Heavy-duty cargo trucks usually employ fifth wheel hitches.

Trailer hitches allow trucks to haul cargo. Without the proper type of hitch, it would be impossible to attach and pull a trailer