Post by Teachndad on Oct 2, 2014 13:50:04 GMT -8
Hi,
I am a newbie. Having never bought a non op trailer before and I am also a person on the hunt for a vintage trailer, I had some questions on what are the options for moving the non op trailer to your home. I called AAA and asked if they would tow a a non op trailer even if I had trailer towing included in my AAA membership. The answer was, "No".
If the following info is posted elsewhere on this forum, please post the link,
Thanks.
I define non-op as a trailer that has been sitting and the tires are flat and cracked and incapable of holding air or can only hold air for a few miles. Bearings haven’t been lubed in years and the electrical system for the rear tail lights may or may not work. In this scenario we will also assume that the coupler on the tongue is operational. If it’s not, I guess you only have option 1 to consider.
Here are some options that I was considering but they are not driven by experience, but only by guessing.
1. Hire someone to haul over a trailer with a winch and load it onto the trailer and take it to your home. I assume this can get expensive.
2. At the sellers location, bring a spare set of wheels, grease and materials to clean and re-grease the bearings. Of course, this makes the assumption that the races and bearings are operational. Remove the old wheels and mount the spare set.
3. If you don’t have a spare set of wheels, go over to the sellers and remove the wheels. Go find a tire dealer and purchase a set to be mounted on the existing rims. Return to the sellers location and mount the wheels. Relube the bearings at this time as well.
4. If rear lights are inoperative, or missing, you will need a set of magnet lights. I found a set at U- haul that had good reviews. The ones at Walmart didn’t. Make sure you bring an adapter to wire connect your tow vehicle to the trailer if necessary. The magnet lights are a 4 pin connector, I believe. Bring masking tape and the other supplies needed when you look at trailer – there is a thread here with what to bring on your initial trailer viewing. It includes the lights.
If the brakes don’t work, then that can be handled at your homesite.
Please comment on any of these options to correct or expand on.
Cheers
Rod
I am a newbie. Having never bought a non op trailer before and I am also a person on the hunt for a vintage trailer, I had some questions on what are the options for moving the non op trailer to your home. I called AAA and asked if they would tow a a non op trailer even if I had trailer towing included in my AAA membership. The answer was, "No".
If the following info is posted elsewhere on this forum, please post the link,
Thanks.
I define non-op as a trailer that has been sitting and the tires are flat and cracked and incapable of holding air or can only hold air for a few miles. Bearings haven’t been lubed in years and the electrical system for the rear tail lights may or may not work. In this scenario we will also assume that the coupler on the tongue is operational. If it’s not, I guess you only have option 1 to consider.
Here are some options that I was considering but they are not driven by experience, but only by guessing.
1. Hire someone to haul over a trailer with a winch and load it onto the trailer and take it to your home. I assume this can get expensive.
2. At the sellers location, bring a spare set of wheels, grease and materials to clean and re-grease the bearings. Of course, this makes the assumption that the races and bearings are operational. Remove the old wheels and mount the spare set.
3. If you don’t have a spare set of wheels, go over to the sellers and remove the wheels. Go find a tire dealer and purchase a set to be mounted on the existing rims. Return to the sellers location and mount the wheels. Relube the bearings at this time as well.
4. If rear lights are inoperative, or missing, you will need a set of magnet lights. I found a set at U- haul that had good reviews. The ones at Walmart didn’t. Make sure you bring an adapter to wire connect your tow vehicle to the trailer if necessary. The magnet lights are a 4 pin connector, I believe. Bring masking tape and the other supplies needed when you look at trailer – there is a thread here with what to bring on your initial trailer viewing. It includes the lights.
If the brakes don’t work, then that can be handled at your homesite.
Please comment on any of these options to correct or expand on.
Cheers
Rod
