“You need a grease gun and some wheel bearing grease, and you’ve got to be sure your lights are working properly. “Trailers are pretty low maintenance,” Elliott told us. But whether you have a small utility trailer or boat trailer, a fifth-wheel RV or a horse trailer, a little bit of maintenance is essential to safe operation. The sway control arm is a huge improvement.”Įlliott pointed out that, generally speaking, trailers aren’t complex machines, and that it doesn’t take much work to keep one up. I think it’s partially because it’s moving a lot of wind, and also because it’s short, and the truck has a short wheelbase, too. The best thing I bought for the camper, though, was a trailer sway control arm. Now I have 4-pin and 7-pin on that vehicle. “I put a brake controller in both vehicles, and I put a 7-pin connector on my truck. “I only have brakes on the camper, and they work great,” Elliott explained as we looked over his equipment. I asked Elliott what other trailering and towing equipment he’d recommend from his experience. If I bought a new trailer, I’d go ahead and get bearing buddies for it.” I think they’re good to have, even if you don’t put it in the water. In fact, now I’ve got Bearing Buddies on everything except the camper. “I put a new coupler on my jon boat trailer, just so I can use a 2-inch ball for all my trailers and don’t have to switch,” Elliott said. He updated another trailer to make it more compatible with his existing equipment. Back home, Elliott welded on a new jack, one of many trailer repair and maintenance projects.Īside from the occasional repair, Elliott also dedicates some time to making his trailers better, or just keeping them in good, working order. But the failure of the trailer tongue jack meant he needed to replace the part immediately. I had to get the car jack out and jack the trailer up to get it back on the ball right.”įortunately, the jack from the towing vehicle worked. It hadn’t given me any indication before that it was going to go out, but there was nothing I could do. It just gave out the gears just stripped completely out at that point. “That’s when the old, 1961 trailer jack decided to quit. I set the camper trailer tongue down on the ball, but I never picked up the latch, so it wouldn’t seat.” “It was right at checkout time, of course. “We were at Indian Creek Campground in North Carolina, near the Smokies,” Elliott said. Elliott recently told me about one instance when things didn’t go just right. Prepared as he is, a small problem can sometimes get in the way of profit or a fun weekend in the woods.
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Since he uses his equipment for both work and play, Elliott carefully maintains his trailers with quality trailer parts and replaces aging components before they fail. He also has a small, vintage camper–called “Canned Ham” because of its shape-that he and his family tow to the woods to get away. Elliott runs a canoe rental business that depends on trailers to move equipment. We spoke to Elliott Johnson, a guy that probably does more towing than the average driver. NAPA stocks a range of trailer hitches, wiring adapters, wiring harnesses, trailer lighting, hub bearing kits, trailer brakes, brake controllers and more.
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Keeping your trailer in good working order and making necessary repairs will save you money in the long run and ensure that your fun or profit isn’t ruined by a breakdown.