Which Harbor Freight Trailer for the Hybrid

[MakinDoForNow]

I'm not currently familiar with Harbor freight current line of trailer offerings. I would deffently stay away from the ones with 8 inch tires. Only go with one with 12 inch tires. I would also make sure to pack the bearing full with a good grease. The smaller the tire the more revolutions per mile. At 60 the 12 inch tire is revolving whats equivalent to the 70's. The 8 incher would be turning closer to the 90's.

PACK the bearing well & DO NOT pack the hub full!

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[ShadowChas]

I would prefer buying a complete trailer (like @ Home Depot/lowes/t.s.c., etc) they have bigger tires & ramp gates & short sides for just a little more$$$ but either way you should be fine with either. Most stuff will fit in the bed though.

 

[jonkatora]

I'm not currently familiar with Harbor freight current line of trailer offerings. I would deffently stay away from the ones with 8 inch tires. Only go with one with 12 inch tires. I would also make sure to pack the bearing full with a good grease. The smaller the tire the more revolutions per mile. At 60 the 12 inch tire is revolving whats equivalent to the 70's. The 8 incher would be turning closer to the 90's.

Bob, Good feedback. They are the 12" tires. I actually need to do some investigation about the tire speed ratings too. This trailer may see 55-60mph, but never more than that. I towed a small u-haul trailer on I-95 with my old Civic...never again

 

[jonkatora]

I would prefer buying a complete trailer (like @ Home Depot/lowes/t.s.c., etc) they have bigger tires & ramp gates & short sides for just a little more$$$ but either way you should be fine with either. Most stuff will fit in the bed though.

I was originally thinking about a nicer trailer, but I thought about how much I'd be using it. I'm estimating I'd use the trailer less than 50 times in it's entire useful life. With the HF trailers ($750 fully built with registration), that works out to $15 a tow. Any higher cost and I'm probably better off renting trailers from uhaul.

I think if I'd be trailering weekly, I would definitely be considering a nicer trailer.

 

[psuarmy]

Hey everybody. I know if I wanted to tow stuff, I should have gone with the ecoboost and 4k tow package. I just couldn't justify the gas penalty for and activity I'd be doing less than 5% of the time.

Harbor Freight sells the right trailer for me...a cheap one. However, I'm struggling to decide whether to get the 1200lb heavy duty or 1800lb super duty. Here are my thoughts with both.

1800lb trailer. Obviously this can tow more and give me more flexibility, but I'm worried that it's too close to the 2000lb towing capacity for the vehicle.

1200lb trailer. With this trailer, I know I won't be taxing the eCVT very much at all, but I'm missing out on being able to haul certain things.

My biggest concern with towing is the eCVT. I'm pretty sure Ford omitted the 4k tow package as an option for the hybrid for that very reason. I also know there's tons of variables to consider when figuring out how much to tow. I also know that the trailer capacity won't prevent human error in over loading it.

I am leaning towards the 1800lb trailer right now, but wanted to get the community's opinion. What option would you go with?

Get the heavier trailer. I am a fan of these trailers as long as you use them for light hauling. I have used mine for years. Best part is when they do go bad after 5-6 years her another and just keep your plate.

two suggestions though. First if you can weld it together instead of just the bolts. Makes a massive difference. I just bolted it together the ground the paint at the overlap and welded. Second is repaint it before you use it. The base Paint is just and will fade in a summer. 4-5 cans of rust oleum will last much longer.

 

[nubbuchadnezzar]

To max out the 1720 lb Harbor freight trailer, you would need around 28 sheets of 3/4" plywood (60lbs per sheet) or 34 50-lb bags of concrete, not including any kind of decking you would need to put on the trailer. Adding in the weight of the trailer itself, you'd be maxing out the towing capacity of the Maverick with a fully-loaded trailer.

If you don't plan on hauling this much weight, I'd focus more on how safe the trailer itself is (tire size and speed, as others have pointed out) as well as the dimensions of the trailer being sufficient for your needs.

Find a relative who wants to go half on the trailer. I split the cost of a pressure washer 3 ways with my dad and uncle since none of us need it on a regular basis.

 

[jonkatora]

Get the heavier trailer. I am a fan of these trailers as long as you use them for light hauling. I have used mine for years. Best part is when they do go bad after 5-6 years her another and just keep your plate.

two suggestions though. First if you can weld it together instead of just the bolts. Makes a massive difference. I just bolted it together the ground the paint at the overlap and welded. Second is repaint it before you use it. The base Paint is just and will fade in a summer. 4-5 cans of rust oleum will last much longer.

Let's see if my HF mig welder can handle it. I swear I shop at other places.

 

[oljackfrost]

Are you in the Midwest? Fleet Farm has Teske trailers for only a little more than buying a Harbor Freight. Here is a link to the manufacturer, they could maybe tell you where else to buy.
https://www.teskemfg.com/
HF needs to be assembled, TT are welded. HF tires are rated for 45 mph, TT for speeds you would actually go. I’ve had both, there is a huge difference in quality. Also TT are made in Minnesota, not manufactured in pieces and shipped from China.

 

[psuarmy]

Let's see if my HF mig welder can handle it. I swear I shop at other places.

My Chicago electric did the job.

 

[jonkatora]

Are you in the Midwest? Fleet Farm has Teske trailers for only a little more than buying a Harbor Freight. Here is a link to the manufacturer, they could maybe tell you where else to buy.
https://www.teskemfg.com/
HF needs to be assembled, TT are welded. HF tires are rated for 45 mph, TT for speeds you would actually go. I’ve had both, there is a huge difference in quality. Also TT are made in Minnesota, not manufactured in pieces and shipped from China.

Northern Virginia... but these look like pretty good. Wish I was closer.

 

[FordHybrid]

Harbor Freight Trailer - 276 lb.
Load capacity - 1720 lb.
Total - 1996
Maverick Hybrid Towing Capacity - 2,000 lbs
The ~1500 lbs. Payload is the truck's load capacity, other wise the towing would exceed.
That is how I see it.

 

[JakRussll]

I would avoid the 12' tires myself. That is a lot of RPM's and builds up a lot of heat - then you add in the weight. Maybe okay around town but I could never put a 12" tire on the highway for long due to the marginal highway rating on the tread. Not that you asked, but Tractor Supply has an 8 x 5' trailer with 14" tires that is near your price range.

 

[Dallas Maverick]

Hey everybody. I know if I wanted to tow stuff, I should have gone with the ecoboost and 4k tow package. I just couldn't justify the gas penalty for and activity I'd be doing less than 5% of the time.

Harbor Freight sells the right trailer for me...a cheap one. However, I'm struggling to decide whether to get the 1200lb heavy duty or 1800lb super duty. Here are my thoughts with both.

1800lb trailer. Obviously this can tow more and give me more flexibility, but I'm worried that it's too close to the 2000lb towing capacity for the vehicle.

1200lb trailer. With this trailer, I know I won't be taxing the eCVT very much at all, but I'm missing out on being able to haul certain things.

My biggest concern with towing is the eCVT. I'm pretty sure Ford omitted the 4k tow package as an option for the hybrid for that very reason. I also know there's tons of variables to consider when figuring out how much to tow. I also know that the trailer capacity won't prevent human error in over loading it.

I am leaning towards the 1800lb trailer right now, but wanted to get the community's opinion. What option would you go with?

I can answer this one!

I have the #1800 trailer. I bought during quarantine for the very reasonyou’re thinking. Weekend warrior projects and the like. It’s been great and I use it a LOT.
A couple things:

1. The trailer doesn’t weigh 1700 pounds. It has a capacity of 1700 pounds. Built out, it weighs around 300. Combined, the weight of the trailer and it’s payload puts it right at the hybrids limit,
2. The trailer is designed to fold up and store in your garage. I’m a city dweller and it’s one of the reasons I got it. That being said, it’s heavy. My neighbor has the lighter one and it is much easier to handle in that capacity.

 

[mktmgrjrm]

When I was looking for a utility trailer, I checked Harbor Freight but decided to go with a Carry-On from Tractor supply. I pull it currently with a Transit Connect that has the same towing capacity as the Maverick - no problems at all, but I never fully load it. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...r-6-ft-x-8-ft-open-wood-floor-utility-trailer . I'll be using it for the Maverick if it ever gets here!!

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