Harbor Freight or utility trailer form Craigslist from ATL to Seattle

[mastee]

Hello,

So in the next few months we are planning a move from Atlanta to Seattle. A few boxes and other items can fit inside with the seats down (I think I did 6 large boxes in my previously owned 3rd gen) and I would need a small trailer, like a 4x8 at harbor freight for $299, I am finding some already built ones on Craigslist for couple of hundred more, these can fit another 8 large boxes from u haul, I have one mountain bike as well I hope that can fit in between the t4r and trailer with those double hitch adapters.

I have never driven with a trailer towed behind before and just starting out my research, we have been consolidating and will not have furniture except a few things that can be taken down, besides that clothes, kitchen items, books, tools etc, I also do not foresee exceeding any weight limits

Has anyone done a 2700 mile trip like that before with a trailer behind in a 4th gen 4runner?
any tips, am I thinking in the right direction?

 

[TrueBlue]

I think it might be cheaper to just rent a uhaul trailer to bring some of your things.. on a different note I'll be moving up to Seattle in a few months.. should plan some trail trips together [emoji108][emoji108]


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[ajspagna]

I just recently relocated from Atlanta to Denver, and towed the 6'x12' uhaul cargo trailer the whole way. My 4runner handled it like a boss. Gas mileage was terrible though. I had to fill up every 150-200 miles or so. You should be fine since you don't seem to have as much stuff. Unless you see your self using the utility trailer in the future, I would rent a uhaul.

 

[Schmuly]

Re uhaul vs Harbour freight trailer

The uhaul trailers are overly built (very heavy) compared to Harbour F's trailer. We bought a HF trailer (4x8) 3 years ago and it worked very well for us.
Is the HF trailer new or used off Craigslist? Ours was new so we had to put it together, get a permit to take it down to get inspected and register it. it was about $50 extra for wood deck and sides. We sold our place around Las Vegas and move about 800lbs of furniture and tools back to Canada (1200 miles) no problem at all and towed it with a 04 Sienna and '12 Prius V (wagon). You will have no problem pulling it with a 4runner so long as the weight is legal. I think the Uhaul trailer is almost as heavy empty as the HF trailer was loaded.
We sold the HF trailer up here in Canada for $850 after we were done with it as we had a trailer up here already.
PS we kept our speed to 65- 70 mph. checked the heat on the tires and bearings every-time we stopped ....always good!

 

[AuSeeker]

One thing to keep in mind is you said "boxes" and it appears you're thinking a utility trailer which means an open trailer, you need to keep in mind that the boxes will start falling apart if you get into even a modest rain storm, if the trailer has a solid floor you may be able to avert this using a heavy duty tarp if you can secure it in such a way that the water can't get into the trailer/floor area, which isn't as easy as it sounds, water has a way of getting under things when going down the road at highway speeds and not to mention what will happen if the tarp tears on your trip, that will be the most likey time the rain will pour down if your luck is anything like mine.

If it were me I would try and get or rent an enclosed trailer, I also agree that the U-Haul trailers are heavy and you will notice it in gas mileage, even though your 4 Runner should pull it with ease.

Also another tip is make sure you load the weight on trailer evenly or even a little tiny bit heavier towards the front.

 

[mastee]

Thank you for the suggestions, great, I should have nothing to worry about then, I did a T-cooler in my 3rd gen bypassing the tranny, I have not done it with the 4th gen, perhaps something to consider before towing?

For trailers, something like below
4x8 trailer

5X8 TRAILER

I priced uhaul enclosed trailers, $350 for 4x8 or $450 for 5x8 and 6x12 is $750, I do not need the 6x12 plus I can leave some items with family here.

The HF is $300 plus registration, plus build, so I was leaning into buying the used one from CL, and just sell it once there. I have driven across country a couple of times just not with a trailer...

Precisely because of weight difference I am considering an open trailer, it will be easier to handle besides the gas. My wife of course have a few cloths/shoes but they do not weight too much, we can close them in plastic bags and cover with tarp, keep duct tape extra tarp for rains, outdoor gear, tools, pots n pans, books can also stay in trailer and electronics can go in the 4runner, I have a few monitors for work and couple of servers...I backpack a lot keeping stuff dry is something I should be able to do, right..

I have not thought about the route yet, I-40 and I-94 I have driven cross country before, so perhaps the I-80 or I-70 route this time, we really want to pass by the Rockies if possible..

We will be stopping, have family and college friends dotted along the way Houston, Denver, Arizona, orange county, sf, Portland..

It would be nice to be back in West Coast, I used to live off 280 in SJ and went to school in Cupertino, CA, been a nomad since..

 

[vjack]

Keep in mind some of those little POS trailers are really not designed for heavy loads or long highway stretches. The wheels are tiny (which means they spin really fast and generate a lot of heat). Also usually the weight capacity is pretty low so you need to be careful not to overload them. They're designed for minor household tasks like taking some trash to the dump or picking up a few bags of mulch from Home Depot.

I would recommend looking for a used heavier-duty trailer.

If you insist on making a cross-country trip with a cheap trailer, I would STRONGLY recommend getting a spare wheel. Also bearing grease is a critical maintenance item for any trailer, particularly for long-haul trips. Check the bearings regularly: if they are getting too hot to touch, stop driving and solve the problem before you lose a wheel on the highway.

 

[AuSeeker]

I wouldn't buy the first trailer you linked, the 4 X 8, it looks like it's been sitting there a long time and has seen much better days.

The second 5X8 trailer look to be in much better shape and having the front, rear and side rails makes it a much better trailer and you will appreciate having the rails to help contain what you load on the trailer.

That being said, you really, really need to check out the tires on any used trailer you may buy, many used trailers have sat for extented time and the tires at first glance may look fine but if you look closer you may see that the rubber has dried out and the tires will have many tiny cracks in the rubber, these dry rotted tires will most likely fail at some point during your trip and worst case cause a serious accident, so keep that in mind and be prepared to buy new tires at around $90 to $100 each!!

Also I whole heartedly agree on checking the bearings as well and also having a spare tire, along with making sure the wiring is functioning correctly, many of these items on a used trailer may need to be repaired before you set out on your trip!!

 

[who done it]

I moved from NJ to Raleigh, waited on CraigsList to find the perfect 5x8 for about 400 with a title and registration to deal with registration issues. Not easy, but if your willing to travel an hour or so in the area I think you can find one. I also use zoomthelist.com to search CraigsList in a general area.

 

[iBison]

My sister and BIL moved from Illinois to Florida recently. I'm probably going to have to haul the rest of their furniture and other stuff down there. I'm just going to rent a one-way uhaul.

 

[Bob22222]

A word of caution here. Just my opion, but it's based on what I believe is common knowledge. That being that Harbors Freight has a reputation for low price and "iffy" quality at best. And their not alone here this is true of all, and I mean all resellers of low-priced Chinese tools and hardware. Basically inferior metallurgy and poor machine work.
In my experience nothing from HF with a bearing or a motor in it will endure extended use in the real world. Their stuff is great to hang on a peg board in your garage until you have to use it for a real job and it likely fails after 1/2 hour of hard use.
I might use a well maintained non-abused HF trailer to take a 100 lbs of yard waste 10 miles to the dump site but a I have serious doubts as one being able to endure 3000 miles at freeway speeds over several mountain ranges. The CL trailers look like the same kind of crap only worn.
There is a reason real trailers cost real money. OP it sounds like you don't have much experience towing. Or much experience at seeing what happens when equipment fails at a critical moment under load at high speed. I'd say if you don't care about yourself (and family or passengers?) then go ahead and take the risk. But for the sake of the rest of us also traveling the roads who neither want to be envolved in witness the potential aftermath of such follie please rent a real trailer, get rid of your "stuff" and replace it at the other end, or if you think it's unreplaceable how about be real creative and ship it. Most likely you'll recover the cost of shipping in not taking the gas mileage hit from towing. Find a decent pallet (free) and tie your stuff down and take it to a local carrier's dock such as Con-way, Old Dominion, or Road Runner, it should be less than $250 to ship to 500 lbs.
Normally, Id stay out of this. But, the OP seems to want to blow off or ignore vjack's sage and kindly advice offered above. And like I stated your not only sacrificing your own comfortable position with such an ill-advised attempt but the safety and well-being of the rest of us and our families on the road.

 

[iBison]

Find a decent pallet (free) and tie your stuff down and take it to a local carrier's dock such as Con-way, Old Dominion, or Road Runner, it should be less than $250 to ship to 500 lbs.

Fastenal also ships affordably.

 

[sportsbriefcase]

I definitely would buy a trailer instead of renting on the cost savings alone. I made the move from Dallas to Montana last month and opted to purchase a 7x12 enclosed cargo trailer and based on research, I quickly learned I could turn around and flip the trailer here in Montana for a profit because there is such a low supply of trailers in this remote area. I would guess you could at least break even selling the trailer in SEA, coming from a big market like ATL.

 

[mastee]

I am not trying to blow anyone off, just trying to learn, that is why I said above I have not towed anything before, let alone 2700 miles, now please forgive me if I came off like that....our and others safety on the highway is 1st priority, not a few hundred dollars.....

HF is out, I will probably do the uhaul one, thank you for your inputs

EDIT:
"sportsbriefcase" yes there is quiet a large market here, I found a large number of trailers in all price range, say what kind of trailer will be safe and best to flip?

Question: As with regular tires, does trailer tires also have the month/year of manufacture listed on sidewalls?, which can be used to negotiate the price for new rubber, if needed?

 

[Rodtheviking]

I towed the Uhaul 5x8 from Seattle to Pennsylvania with a 96 Land Rover, not a problem.

And again the 5x8 trailer with our KIA Sportage, a few trips back and forth from Seattle to Vancouver.

They work great, the 4runner should have 0 problems and be plenty safe.

 

[AuSeeker]

All tires should have a date code, it's a Federal Regulation.