Trailer Reviews, Definitions, and MORE!

Driving Without Your Ball Mount!

Go Ahead Hit Me…

Although I don’t condone you drive around with your ball mount when you’re not pulling a trailer (and some states are working on legislation to prevent this) there are two reasons why thousands of people do:

#1. It paints a nasty mental picture that states if you hit me you’ll pay the price (and you will) …
#2. People who tow know the strength of a receiver hitch.

On most vehicles the receiver hitch is tucked behind and below the bumper. If you get rear ended or you back into something, your cheesy plastic or chrome bumper and expensive sheet metal get smashed first before it hits the receiver hitch. But, if you leave your ball mount in, that added extension might be just enough to take a 2-3 mph direct hit without damage.

Today, the lightest tap from a vehicle can leave damage from $450 to over $2,000 damage. The average cost to repair a plastic bumper is $450 and the average cost to replace a plastic bumper is $900. And if you have a vehicle with a backup alarm you’re looking at twice that amount.

There are over 12 million rear-end collisions in the USA every year – both reported and unreported and over 8 million plastic bumpers are replaced each year. The rear end collision accounts for 38% of all the dollars paid for automobile claims and you can’t afford to make a claim any more. The typical insurance premium will increase 40% if a claim is made.

Why It’s Not A Good Idea

But, according to Jeff Mohr, CEO of Mohr Mfg and superbumper.com: “the major drawbacks for leaving your ball mount in are that it may be illegal in some states and it will impale anything you back into when you’re parallel parking, (so that strategy could backfire on you and end up costing you money). Also, it’s only 2 inches wide so it does not cover much area and, if it’s hit it will bend your receiver hitch because there’s no give while transferring all of the impact energy directly to the vehicle and occupants. And on unibody vehicles it will tear the floor pan because it doesn’t absorb any crash energy.”

There are thousands of uninsured, distracted, inattentive drivers, drivers with poor judgment and lousy-stinking parallel parkers out there just trying to wreck your vehicle, cripple your family, steal your deductible and jeopardize your insurance. And, since you pull a trailer less than 1% of the time, it makes sense to use the other 99% to protect your rear.

The two most frequent vehicle accidents are getting hit while parked and the rear end collision. There are other products on the market today that can utilize the strength of your receiver hitch, are energy absorbing and will protect your family, vehicle and insurance better then the ugly old ball mount.

The Most Common Trailer Hitch Mistake
by: Jeff Mohr

In order for you to properly maintain your trailer, you need to be aware of the various products related to it. These products, which are collectively known as trailer supplies, are divided into several types based on their use.

Owning a trailer entails certain responsibilities and measures to ensure that your vehicle remains in good condition. You always have to determine whether you have all the right pieces of equipment for your trailer and that each of its parts is functioning well. This will lessen and even eliminate the chance of you encountering a problem with your vehicle while you are on a trip or are presently in a remote area. And the first and most important step in making sure that your trailer is well-maintained is by knowing about the various supplies related to it.

These products are collectively known as trailer supplies, and they are divided into a number of types depending on their use. The first type of trailer supplies consists of wheels and tires. These supplies of course are very important, as they are the parts of your vehicle that enable you to move from one place to another. Trailer wheels and tires come in various kinds such as aluminum wheels, chrome wheels, white smoke wheels, and modular wheels. If you are purchasing tires from stores that sell trailer supplies, make it a point to buy an extra wheel, which you would keep in a designated compartment in your trailer. By doing so, you would have a spare wheel, which you can immediately install in the event where one of your wheels becomes unusable.

The second type of trailer supplies consists of breaks for your trailer. These parts are also very necessary as they prevent your vehicle from colliding with other vehicles or with certain structures such as posts. Trailer breaks have different kinds including electric trailer breaks and hydraulic trailer breaks. Should you choose to replace the said part of your trailer with a new one, remember to check if the product you would purchase is compatible with your trailer’s specifications.

The next type of trailer supplies includes products for your vehicle’s lights and electrical system. These supplies increase the safety within and outside your trailer and improve your comfort as you stay within your mobile piece of property. Trailer lights consist of LED lights; stop, turn, and tail lights; clearance and sidemarker lights; and reflectors. You can also find a wide array of trailer lights for your vehicle’s interior spaces. With regard to electric supplies for your trailer, there are connectors made of chrome, aluminum, and zinc. These wirings ensure that a sufficient amount of electricity is efficiently distributed within your vehicle.

Moving on, apart from these trailer supplies, there are additional pieces of hardware you can acquire to help you maintain your vehicle. One example is a trailer toolbox, which has all the basic instruments and devices that you need in adjusting and repairing the small parts of your trailer. Other trailer supplies like equipment racks and spare tire carriers

help you organize the major parts of your vehicle. For the inner parts of your trailer, there are products such as fans, ventilators, locking devices, door handles

and latches, and wall pads that increase the level of comfort within the vehicle.

Equipment trailer one of the most important utility vehicles for all those who deal in heavy industry, building supplies, automobiles and numerous other goods and services where there is a constant use of equipment trailer and utility trailer.

Well, in case you plan to buy hauler or gooseneck trailer one should go for the right kind of trailer or hauler so as to benefit the most from perfect trailer that makes the loading and unloading work easy. First of all, while buying a utility trailer, one has to know exactly what kind of trailer one is looking forward. It means regarding its use, one can classify the trailers such as car carriers, tandem axle, custom trailers, motorcycle and ATV, equipment trailers, dump trailers, take 3 trailers, titan trailer and single axle to name a few. Application and user end purpose is one of the most significant factors while choosing the equipment trailers. The decision of open and enclosed trailers purely depends upon the utility that is going to be served by the equipment trailer. For products that are no weather friendly or fragile, one should go for enclosed equipment trailer so as to enhance the safety and security of cargo. In comparison to open trailers, enclosed trailers are of much help as they are free from spoil sport weather that can damage the cargo while ferrying from one place to another. It may be that open trailers are relatively cheaper than enclosed trailers, yet, one may have to pay heavy price if the goods are damaged. Same rule applies for choosing a single or double axle trailer. With single axle equipment trailer, one gets just a single load carrying axle. Usually, the single axle trailer comes with the option of breaks. Well, if you are plan to felly heavy cargo, it is essential to have trailers that support break. In case of heavy stuff, it is essential to go for double axle trailers that have two axles for load bearing. These are some of the important features that one should definitely check before buying a good equipment trailer for ferrying heavy goods from one place to another.

While buying equipment trailer one should never ever compromise on quality. One should research more about the equipment trailer manufacturer or provider so as to avail the best quality trailer. Always remember that a good manufacturer will definitely provide guaranteed products that come with heavy load bearing capacity.

So, for all those who are looking forward to buy equipment trailer or Car Hauler, it is essential to have a clear idea about one’s preference and utility. This will definitely give you an added advantage while choosing a perfect trailer that ensures quality good ferrying service from one place to other. In case of specific requirements, one can go forward for custom made trailers such as custom smokers, custom utility trailer, golf cart trailers, air force trailers and numerous other to name a few.

Trailer Manufacturers usually fall under 1 of 2 business plans and knowing the difference can save you money. Trailer manufacturers that offer TRUE factory-direct (some trailer manufacturers claim to be factory-direct but they are actually resellers) save you the mark-up that resellers have to charge to make a profit. So essentially true factory-direct removes the “middle man”. The downside is you may have to travel to pick up your new trailer, or some manufacturers, like Kaufman Trailers offers freight options. Appalachian Trailers is conveniently located in Ohio and PA and they are factory direct as well.

The alternative is to choose the local trailer dealer. Dealers usually have a relationship with the manufacturers of their their choice and receive a small discount for residual purchases. They, in turn, mark up the prices and resell them. Markups vary from according to each lot’s policies.

So in conclusion, if you can find a true factory direct manufacturer such as Appalachian or Kaufman you can save on your next trailer.

Welcome to EquipmentProTrailers.com - The BLOG dedicated to Hauling Trailers.

Have you tried to purchase a trailer in the past only to confused by all the terminology, styles of trailers, or conflicting information? The goal of this site is to help clarify and educate anyone interested in purchasing a car hauler trailer, equipment trailer, skid steer trailer, drop deck trailer, air brake trailer, utility trailer, gooseneck trailer or dump trailer so that they can cut to the chase and find what’s best for them.

We hope that you will find our website informative, educational, and most of all, a way to get the perfect trailer for your needs