How/where do I find where The Trailer Smith has his shop? I think I’m in the same state. I’m a first time used travel trailer buyer and I suspect the axles are not aligned correctly due to unusual tire wear. I trust this man and have been watching his videos a lot for the past two months. I’m enjoying the content and learning!

So aah, I'm female, so no torsion axles for this girl, too many curbs 😂😂😂

I set my controller so it will keep the truck from moving under idle and add a couple more up

I have the same set up but my 7 pin has the led lights in it question though when hooked up to battery or shore power the 12v aux led stays light is that normal

I should probably look at my enclosed trailer brakes and bearings it's 19 years old and I have never even had a drum off.

My left ear enjoyed this audio

Exactly, I was thinking I could pull it apart, wash and repack the bearings quicker and 100% clean.

My trailer was by no means this big, but while the old, rotted lumber was off, I stopped the flooring installation temporarily to install new wiring (just because) and lights. I also completely repainted the entire frame with POR-15 and then gloss black. I built a paint trough and lined it with a solid sheet of 3 mil plastic. I put the Thompson's water seal in the trough and literally soaked each board in it for 15 minutes before removing and putting on saw horses to dry for 48 hours. Then, repeat. This way ALL edges of the boards got some sealant. It was time consuming, but hey.... It's my trailer and I need it to last. It turned out looking super nice.

Spring is best, torsion doesn’t last.

My aluminum... single sea-do style... 150lb... Triton... tortion... trailer... goes through one set of tires whenever we do our 5,000 km round trip moose hunt... the trailer carries a 4x8' sheet with a 2'x2'x4'... 3/4"outdoor plywood... 2" styrofoam SM... lined box/fridge... with a floating SM lid section... under the top plywwod... which customizes the fridge size to suit the need... The box takes up our cold food provisions... and brings back... one... hopefully two... moose... 300 to 800 lb... butchered... At the end of the trip... the tires will be almost bald on the inside... probably due to tire splay... from the carried weight... but at 50 bucks per new wheel... it's no biggee...

I typically use dielectric grease on the wire ends to keep corrosion to a minimum because moisture will get inside the plug eventually.

Graphite in powder is great for open or exposed sprockets drivers so should work well with leaf springs. Is not wet, is salt resistant, doesn't react with water and high temp resistant also . I can't think of a more adequate lubricant for this application.

About how much is it to throw on new bearings for Dexter 7000lb axle? Just labor? Anyone?

Nooo My dually and trailer weigh less than 16k lbs on the scale. I load max 8500k lbs. Now I drive that over the scale and I’m under 26k lbs. that makes me non cdl. I pass every dot inspection and there’s been all levels.

Anyway to keep the box from slamming down when lowering it or a way to switch to gravity down.

Agree with you 100% old way with inspection of parts, bearings, seals and brake components is the way to go! Just takes the guesswork out when towing in the middle of rural America and having a failure with no parts houses for miles.

Thanks for the info. Did this and my trailer is running smooth!! I will do this each time I use it

is it weight? I have a CDL "B" can use this for this?

How does the magnet function with the brake hardware and it also has a breaking surface?

Pardon what might be a stupid question but here goes. Why not use rust remover like naval jelly on areas not contacted by brake shoes or bearing races rather sanding it?

Do you know what would cause the magnets clips to break and the magnet falls off the arm?

I bought a trailer with 205/75R14 with a 4.75”/120mm 5-bolt pattern. Couldn’t in my life find a 14” rim with the 4.75”/120mm bolt circle to put a spare in play. Had to buy a 15” rim to get the bolt pattern needed, and ended up having to get P205/70R15 tires (passenger car tire, not ST) to get the OD of the tire suitably close to the ST205/75R15 tire. Because of the 1” rim difference I needed the lower side profile. Fortunately, it was going on a dual axle trailer and my total GVW when both ATV’s are on it is only 3000 lbs including trailer. So the 750 lb load per tire means the passenger rated tire is well within working load and speed rating. But what a PITA to buy a used trailer with an odd bolt circle pattern/rim diameter combination!

I am a little bit surprised that you call the first type a torsion axle. In my knowlegde a torsion axle has one long square which is held in the middle of the axletube. The arms can move independent from each other but the spring action happens in the square by twisting it. The square can be built from multiple layers and the arms need a pivot in the axletube. I own a fairly old cattletrailer built on an old military torsion axle. The torsionbar has three layers and the arms are clamped by a grubscrew with a counter nut. Here in Germany the first type axle in the video ist called rubber spring axle, because of the spring action happening in the rubber. It is a very common type.

I thought trailer breaks are self adjusting..??

Very wise man!👍🏾

I agree with you it is easier but not faster and will spend more $$ on Greece I also prefer the old fashion way

Try thr airtight seal system. I used them flawlessly for years on saltwater trailers

I call them junk especially on a boat trailer.

I grease my boat trailer axles after every trip and pump until it’s basically clean which isn’t a whole lot as I do it so often. My utility trailers I do it every 2k miles or so. They usually take a bit more grease to see clean. I recently pulled down the hubs on boat trailer to inspect and was totally happy with what I saw for 13 years and probably 40k miles. Everything looked like new. Maybe I’m just lucky.

Its been 2 months and you haven't told us how much this cost. Please share. The workman is worthy of his hire

Old skool, I'm taking it apart.

if you don't know what your talking about you should not be posting this video CDL is federal law not local!! the weight of combo unit makes it a CDL A dual-wheel pull behind a 3500 truck may require a CDL depending on the combined Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the truck and trailer; if the combined weight exceeds 26,000 pounds, a CDL is typically needed, even if the truck itself is a 3500 series with dual wheels (dually). Key points to remember: GVWR is key: The deciding factor for needing a CDL is the combined GVWR of the truck and trailer, not just the truck's configuration.

One of the best video's on you tube about this subject, Thank-you for sharing and educating us. 👍

Why are you guys all driving illegal. CDL simply means engaged in commercial trade I wish you would all get impounded are you engaged in commerce ( your not doing it free) go get the CDL and be legal . Can't wait till they start taking rigs ! I'm on Long Island NY yes I drive legit insurance and all

Getting to the 8 mo mark on a new travel trailer so I’ll probably try the ez lube for the first few years since I get maybe 4000 miles per year of use if we’re lucky. My stupid center caps are going to be in the way so I’ll probably swap to a wheel cover when I pull the wheel off. I was just checking hub adjustment today to get ready for a trip. A month ago a buddy lost a hub on a single axle when the supplier he got the axle from never installed a retention clip…. He did have the axle running for 2 years and never adjusted it so he had a part in the failure. It was passenger side so rotation kept it on until it didn’t…. So I was paranoid and had to check before my next trip since tweaker Tommy and methy Mike built my travel trailer….

Hello, I've been looking at your video and I have question that maybe you can help me with. I have a travel trailer that all 4 wheels have a sensor that tells me the temperature and the pressure. I notice that 1 wheel Is higher temperature of 15 degrees I was looking at your videos and I went ahead and check the alignment and notice that wheels was off on a tandem trailer3/8. So I decided to go ahead and upgrade the suspension to Wet bolt system. I'll see if the alignment is corrected. My question is what is the temperature acceptable In the tire as your driving? Also what pressure can it go to be acceptable on the tire? Your videos are great and thank you for providing them.

I repacked my 7k axle bearings recently, and it was the first time for this 2 year old trailer. I didn’t even realize it had the EZ lube option. When I finished cleaning everything, I shot a little grease through the zerk fitting and was surprised it only came out between the rear bearing and seal. I was worried about pushing grease past the seal into the brake area, so I decided not to grease that way. Your video explains how the front bearing would get lubed, but as you showed, it would take a ton of grease and still be questionable. Thanks for posting.

Thanks ! I have a 5 way trailer I want to use my tractor how do I wire ?

I have a leaking vent on my race car trailer that I've neglected because I didn't understand how to service it. You're video showed how easy it will be to replace the vent myself.

Totally agree with you. Trailer max PSI! Minnesota varies in temp a lot. Check them when it gets cold they are always low.

Outstanding video. I really appreciate the safety tips. Thank you!

Glad I saw this video. I’ve been riding on borrowed time. I will be repacking before my next trip. I was definitely not using it correctly. I was triple pumping and spinning the wheels. Basically just mixing the grease. I used it like a time extension and will eventually repack.

click... quick verification up front for the punters...They are all springs... (With coil springs "they" twist a really long bar - wound - around a smaller centre to make it a lot smaller of a package than the geometric length). Leaf spring - the flat leaves bend - deflect with "spring rate".. Load sharing - is the biggest plus - for suspension configuration - Torsion axles have inbuilt damping - plain springs need dampers - if they are desired.

Black with a hole in the center.... ROFLMAO... I knew what I was getting into with my travel trailer. My expectations low have been met, but I got it stable after two years and modifications improvement on the suspension and new tires. Much better longer expected life.

OK, you are the expert. And you are down to earth and practical and to the point. What if you were to want to buy a smaller cargo trailer to use as an off road trailer. I'm looking at a V front small as int 10 footer single axle that will go off road. Not looking for brands unless you can indirectly as you do here. WW is somewhat regional. They do appear to be high high quality. Cheyenne Wyoming is my closest from Helena MT.

Oh, a good video would be to look at a Harbor Freight utility trailer. Few seem to understand that they DO NOT have highway running gear on them and are really only for city street driving assuming you built it right.

Great video.The man explained in great detail.

Oh goody... One, NO I never knew HOW to do it or fully understood how it worked. I thank you once again and subscribed for teaching me. I was already going to take it to have a manual bearing pack job done this coming spring just because my dad taught me nothing easy is good. First year I let it go. Next spring, I did the EZ lube process. Did I do it right? I doubt it as soon as I saw red I stopped. I check my hubs every gas stop and noticed in 2023 they seemed hot with one in particular hotter. This last spring, I did do it right but used my new electric M12 grease gun as my old arthritic hands can't do a grease gun anymore. I'm wondering about my brakes... I still have them, but did have to up the percentage it seemed this last summer I pumped it till it was all red this year and Noticed the hubs ran much cooler this year. So, for three years, I have about 15K total on the tandem axle set up with one surely not done right EZ lube process and two much better but adequate? Don't know. It will be interesting to see what the guy says when he takes them apart this spring. Oh, I've done greased em when I was young. I'm done with that at 69. All my stuff is falling apart.

Second question: I noticed that on a lot if not most or all of the new "off road" single axle "teardrops" ranging up to 14 15 feet now have tortion bar suspensions. From this, video I am getting that is a "good" set up with a single axle. They, as an industry, must have found an advantage there that warrants the extra 800 to a thousand bucks in price I'm thinking. Now, I'm looking at a "more expensive" tandem axle travel trailer (Forest River Rockwood "Ultra LIght") with a tandem axle tortion suspension and reconsidering to be honest. It also sits high seemingly unstable underneath a support piece so I was already wondering. I appreciate the insight on strengths and weaknesses of both types that makes sense from someone who would know...

Some of the information presented information is not correct. I was a Police / DOT officer ( weighmaster and HazMat certified ) for 26 years. I have also been a CDL Driver Examiner for 8 years. I have had my CDL since 2007. The biggest truck you can drive w/o a CDL is 26,000 lbs. The biggest trailer you can pull behind that 26,000 truck is 10,000. SO it is a 36,000 lb combination but NON CDL. TO make it easy , a Class B truck is ANY truck rated over 26,000 lbs. And a Class B driver's only limitation is their trailer, which is 10,000 lbs. Class A is a trailer rated OVER 10,000 lbs pulled by a truck big enough so that when you add the two GVWR"s together , you exceed 26,000 lbs. A 12,000 lb truck can pull a 14,000 lb trailer NON CDL. Change the truck to 13,000 and use the same 14,000 lb truck and you need a Class A CDL. A 10,000 truck could pull a 16,000 trailer NON CDL. 11,000 pulling 15,000, 12,000 pulling 14,000, 13,000 pulling 13,000 14,000 pulling 12,000 , 15,000 pulling 11,000 , 16,000 pulling 10,000 are all NON CDL. Sometimes it's the trailer that can get you in trouble. You can ( for now) derate a trailer to avoid CDL but you cannot derate the power unit. The Feds are proposing a regulation disallowing the derating of trailers to do this. Lastly , you do not have to go to a formal school to get your CDL, you DO need ELDT training but that can be done on site by a Traveling ELDT Provider ( like me) as long as you are willing to continue to practice and have someone else to go out driving with. I have done this in 17 states in the past few years. CDL schools wont tell you this but it is LEGAL. I use my background to cover the required material and completely go over the final test ( I just cannot test people I train).