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#3260385 08/27/09
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Getting the 12ft trailer ready for the trip to CO. Repainted it, cleaned out the bearings and repacked, new tires, fixed the lighting tonight (that sucked should have rewired completely instead of troubleshooting and fixing).

Packing a waterproof box with lug wrench, jack, sockets, greasegun, grease, straps, tow strap, spare tire...

What am I missing?

Last edited by N2MyWake; 08/27/09.

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Flashlight. Preferably a headlamp light. It seems that trouble will hit at the worst possible place and time like dark thirty.

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Make sure your hitch ball nut is tight. I had one work loose one time. It buggered the threads to where I couldn't tighten it. I had to drive a ways to find a new one.
I've found that running a new wire is often much easier than fixing an old one. Trailer light wires take a serious beating under there and need replacing more often than the truck wires. I have mine run through a piece of conduit to protect them.


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I ended up replacing one side completely with several pieces I soldered together (and shrinkwrapped).

Thanks Longbob, I'll just pack a large crescent wrench and an extra ball too. I need to buy a locking pin today to lock my reciever in. We've each got 2 headlamps packed for the hunt (and a spare) so we should be good on those...


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Sounds like a good assortment of stuff, along with a good light?

My favorite is a Black & Decker rechargeable w/3" lens, that also has a 12V adaptor. It has already held a charge for over 6 months, with some brief usage. No separate charger needed, just plug it into an extension cord at home. IIRC, it cost about $24, last fall? Has two "settings" on the trigger: flood and spot.

I carry a 1/2" breaker bar, 6" and 2" extensions and sockets in the truck, all the time. Along with a 5500lb tow strap, come-along, an assortment of rachet-straps, little 5 ton bottle jack. Fuses, connectors, tape and spare bulbs for the lights, don't take up much space in a door pocket in the truck.

Sockets are for the truck lugs and the trailer lugs, plus sockets for the trailer ball nuts. Much more effective than a Crescent wrench, although it'd be better'n nuffin if a ball becomes loose? I have one drawbar with a 2-5/16" ball and another one with a 2" ball, since I have two trailers. Also keep an inch and 7/8" ball, in case I need to move someone else's trailer in a pinch.

You literally can't have enough stuff, when chit happens in the middle of nowhere, especially at night.


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I did the same thing with my trailer, several years ago, before my moose hunt. Wiring was not in the best of shape, but I got things working well enough to be legal on the highway.

Well- after several days of rain, and mud, and towing that trailer around on rough forest service roads, the lights quit working entirely. Fortunately, the trip home was in daylight, but I had no brake lights working.

Once home, I cleaned up the trailer, ordered a new wiring harness, and rewired the trailer, which I should have done before the hunt!

If you've got time, I would recommend that you do so as well.


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If you are carrying grease and a greasegun, it would stand to reason that you expect to have to change a bearing, and I don't see bearings on your list. smile

And seals and a spare hub/grease cap.

Last edited by Bulletbutt; 08/28/09.

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Spare bulbs and fuses?
Single or double axle? If double, haul a large block of wood to drive the other tire up on if one goes flat. No need for jack! Also use the block to lower the tongue on when you unhitch.
have a safe trip.

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spare hub ass are pretty cheap. most come with bearing too. large ball peen hammer and a couple of good size punches... pipe wrench and a hacksaw. 100mph duct tape. jerry cans for water. fill em before you leave. crow bar. no mention of tow truck but if it is a gm product i would advise dropping spare and checking it. keeping it on trailer if you can. gm spare holders are a joke and freeze solid. if you have an extra batt may throw that on there too...

good to be back............

woofer


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Woofer you're going to have my wife and kitchen sink on there soon! LOL good idea on the punches and hammer.


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1 a.m. in the rain and that spare hub to toss on would be worth about 10 million dollars.. blow a hose and duct tape and 5 gallons of water are very handy. getting the spare out in the dark on the side of the road is priceless.....

woofer


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no doubt


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Jumper cables. Flares. Small tarp or rhinohide for when you will have to crawl under the rig in the rain and mud.


If you take the time it takes, it takes less time.
--Pat Parelli

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Extra fuses (lots of them) and a test light. I spent last night tracking down the reason my turn signal fuse keeps blowing. Turned out that it isn't the turn signals. I have backup lights on the trailer. One of them has a problem (unidentified so far) and they run on the same fuse as the turn signals. When I put it in reverse, the fuse blows. Without a test light, tracking it down is impossible. A volt meter is also very helpful to test continuity.

BTW, if you don't have backup lights on the trailer, I highly recommend them. They're extremely useful for getting into places when it's pitch dark and raining. Get BRIGHT ones. If necessary, wire them through a separate switch on the dash. Try to mount them as far forward as possible so you can see the trailer as you back. I have mine right behind the tires, protected by mudflaps.


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Having had to back my 16' trailer up the curved driveway into my hunting camp a few times at night, considered installing a good set of backup lights on that thing more than once.

My solution for now, is to make sure I get there well before dark. That and walking the giant lab up the hill and putting him in the cabin. Kinda hard to use the "blind side" mirror on a tricky back-in, with a huge chunk of black fur blocking it.


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Forget bearings! Pack a spare hub and the tools to change it.

Latex gloves make it much less messy too.

Next time you service your bearings/hubs, keep a close eye and make a list of what tools you use to do it....and take them with you on the road.


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That will vary from hub to hub, but the normal tools are something to remove the bearing cover (usually a screwdriver & hammer to tap it off), something to remove the cotter key (needle nose pliers?), and a wrench to fit the nut. That should cover it.
This gets much more complicated if you have brakes because on most of them, the hub is integral with the brake drum.

Last edited by Rock Chuck; 09/04/09.

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
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thanks guys I have everything ready to go (rubber gloves were in there already...) Now I just need Tuesday morning to get here!


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