HF Trailer Question

[Bryan Lisowski]

I am looking for a measurement. I know the HF trailers are 4x8, but does anybody own and can take a measurement of the width from outside of wheel well to outside of wheel well? Thanks in advance.

[Ronald Blue]

I'm guessing 5' 3". It says that in the folded dimensions and across the axle/wheels it can't get any smaller. That's the same for both trailers.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I'm sorry, I had one but sold it in 2016 to get a 5x8 trailer. 5'3" sounds about right, though, it was quite narrow.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Thanks. I actually stopped at a store that had a display unit and it is 5’3 1/16”.

[Jim Becker]

Bryan, curious..are you trying to be sure the trailer will fit into a specific place? (Like Zachary, I have a 5'x8'. Mine is a Loadrite made in Fairless Hills PA)

[Zachary Hoyt]

My old one had sort of cheap brackets that held the fenders on, so you could easily make them a little wider or narrower with a good smack. I can't recall if the fenders stuck out past the axle caps or not, though.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Bryan, curious..are you trying to be sure the trailer will fit into a specific place? (Like Zachary, I have a 5'x8'. Mine is a Loadrite made in Fairless Hills PA)

Jim, I’m not concerned with it fitting into a specific space, I was looking at widening it. However the more I investigate I think I would be better suited finding something that is 6 or 7 feet wide. Not only would it have a higher rating, but eliminates finding a person to weld properly.

[Robert Engel]

Are you sure you want to buy a trailer from HF?

[Jim Becker]

Jim, I’m not concerned with it fitting into a specific space, I was looking at widening it. However the more I investigate I think I would be better suited finding something that is 6 or 7 feet wide. Not only would it have a higher rating, but eliminates finding a person to weld properly.

Thanks. I'm going to endorse the idea of wider for sure. I'm really, really glad I went with the 5' wide trailer I have for sure. It's made a difference a number of times, but especially in the last nine months throughout our moving process and while I had to still maintain the old property during the long sales cycle. The only thing I couldn't move on it was my Kubota and that was both for size and weight rating. So yea...if you can fine something bigger "ready to go", I'd sure pick that over trying to extend something smaller. It's not just the work to modify, either...you're adding weight which then reduces the capacity of what you can carry. You will likely get involved in brakes for the larger trailer, so keep in mind you'll have to accommodate that if you're not already equipped with a brake controller and a 7 pin connection on your tow vehicle. I'm sure you know that, however.

[Zachary Hoyt]

My HF trailer was a 4x8 and I used it for 4 years. The downsides were it was a little flimsy, being made bolted together sheet metal shapes, and it was a bit small for some things. 4x8 sheets didn't fit nicely with the wooden sides on. The upside was that the sides did come off, so when I wanted to haul pallets of tractor parts to the local consignment auction when I retired from parting out tractors I could put the pallets on the trailer, load them with parts, and when I got to the auction yard they could lift them off with a forklift. If you're looking for something wider but cheap I would watch Craigslist, around here you can often get old utility trailers pretty cheaply, though they need lights and tires and such, usually. I got a 5x8 Carry-On trailer from Tractor Supply, the other box stores used to sell them too and may still. Mine was on sale for $600 and I had a 10% off coupon, so it was pretty cheap, and it has a ramp to roll things on and off. I'm sure Jim Becker's trailer is much nicer, and someday I'd like to upgrade to a better one, but for now this one works OK.

[Alan Rutherford]

63 1/2". My trailer, right now, with the flimsy fenders in the orientation they happen to be in.

It's been an excellent trailer for what it is. "4 x 8" is inside the stake holes. If you have actual sides on the stakes, the thickness of the sides somes out of the 4 feet and as Zachary says, you can not lay a sheet of plywood flat unless you take the sides off.

[Ronald Blue]

As Zach said watch the dreaded FB Market Place and CL. If you can rewire it yourself there are some bargains around. I have a 6 by 12 tilt bed utility. It also has a 3500 lb axle rating and 15" tires.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with that. Minor issues with structure on a used trailer can be handled by a good welder and some time with appropriate paint. Re-wiring is pretty easy (most kits are now LED, too). I actually did that for my little trailer a few years ago when I got tired of constantly burning out incandescent bulbs. I see a lot of trailers come up from time to time on the FB Chalfont group which is one of the busiest of the sales groups. I suspect there are groups in your general New Jersey area that "hop", too.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Any used trailer, I would probably plan on updating tires, lights, etc. I got to do more research on whether to buy an open trailer and then enclose myself or find an enclosed trailer. I guess I should look at FB marketplace, but god do I hate FB.

[Jim Becker]

If you ultimately want enclosed, hopefully, you can find one already configured that way. You may also want to check trailer dealers in case there are any trade-ins.

FB has its moments, but the FB marketplace and local sales groups are a very popular place at this point for selling and buying. Folks who hate the social side but want/need to access the Marketplace and sales groups can lock their account down "darn tight" and still participate where they need to.

[Jerome Stanek]

I bought an enclosed trailer from a company that made them to the old Uhaul specs. 30 years old and going strong. It was about twice as expensive as the same size that everybody else had but the sides were the same as a semi trailer and not cheap aluminum.