Birdddogs '69 Baja and beam build

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Am I right in assuming this is not just a "new to you trailer" but a "new" trailer?

Some advice I was give when I bought my trailer was to immediately repack all the wheel bearing before you did anything else. The reason being that the manufactures buy the axles in large lots then stand them on end against the outside of the building where rain water can get in. My trailer was built in Texas and, one would assume from watching the movies, that Texas was dry but the problems they are currently having with water dispels that thought.

I did pull the drums on both axles and did find exceedingly wet bearings on one end of each of the axles so I replaced the bearing, races and seals on both sides of both axles. I also looked hard at the brake assemblies, drums and linings but they looked to the plus side of marginal so OK.

I would have liked to have a "covered wagon" but at the time I bought they were hard to find and very expensive so I stayed with a standard "Beaver/Dove tail" style of trailer. Yours has a front door making it easier to tie your rig in; good job as I have seen some w/o a front door.

I do not tie-down to the axle as the body can still bounce around that way. I also use the spring-line type of tie in; this is where the tie from the front end goes to trailer towards the rear of the car (I usually tow with the buggy facing to the rear so I can safely change the location of the weight, once loaded on the trailer, forward or aft to balance the tongue weight and the rear goes to the front. Its an old boating trick that works well with trailering).

Don't forget to cross your chains. Not required in all states but a good idea because if the trailer comes off the ball the front of the trailer' tongue will be caught and not dig into the ground. Some people also add a tie of the chains at the crossing for additional protection. Also, after my bad towing experience where the hitch itself broke in two, I do not recommend cable but use chains. When my trailer hitch broke and the dinks brakes were automatically applied the safety cables broke immediately even though they were correctly rated for the tow.

[bajaherbie]

If it fits, it ships!

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[birddog1148]

New old stock 2015 was special order and customer backed out. Been sitting at a Tractor Supply store for 2 years. I think I got a good deal 7000gvr. Has brakes

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[birddog1148]

Lee, thanks for the great advice, open trailered cars for years but what you just shared makes lots of sense.

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[Ol'fogasaurus]

http://www.4wdadventurers.com/showthrea ... ety-chains

I'm back to having problems posting here so my time here may be near an end by the way things are going now days.

Your trailer sounds like a very good deal but I would still check the bearings. As soon as I got my trailer home I did the advised check of the bearings and, as I said, I found them wanting.

I have been towing a trailer and/or a dink for almost 30 years now and I still don't like to do it. In each of the last three years I have had an event that Snowbirders often hear about from others. So far I have been very lucky as at least two, if not three of them could have been very bad. On one of them we got help from some of the "locals" that got us up and going much quicker than otherwise would have happened. One guy yelled from his truck that he had "never seen a hitch break like that before".

One of the things I am going to change on my trailer is to put a white light at the rear of each side of the trailer. It will be pointed towards the ground but at an angle where that I can seethe spot on the ground in both of my rear view mirrors. The idea is to know where the end of the trailer is when lights are required.

Most of the vehicles now days have rear cameras which does help when hitching up and backing up but its that inch or two that is still a bit hard to get with them. The same with passing another car or parking.

The chain crossing thing goes back to the late '50 or early '60 before the law was changed in this state.

[birddog1148]

It will fit, but barely

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[Ol'fogasaurus]

Even on my open trailer a buggy fits... just barely , just not as obvious. I think you made a good buy.

[birddog1148]

Sold the enclosed trailer and picked up a new aluminum flat bed. Last summer I got a camp up in Lake Co Mi, about an hr from the silver lake dunes. Lately I have been thinking of putting a 2.3 ford from a Ranger in the Baja. I have the whole truck.

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[Leatherneck]

You’ve got most of it just need the adapter, probably some heavier springs and your back in business. Good to see you back on STF.

[birddog1148]

Yea, even have a 3 rib in the shop.

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[Ol'fogasaurus]

Just re-found this picture. It shows the spring line method.

Dune House trip Aug 2005 026.jpg

The straps hook to the body via. the rear torsion bar and the front torsion bar. This way the body is stopped from jumping/being pushed around. I don't think the style of the belts over the tires then tied to the trailer.

Lee

[shrink2u]

Just re-found this picture. It shows the spring line method.

Dune House trip Aug 2005 026.jpg

The straps hook to the body via. the rear torsion bar and the front torsion bar. This way the body is stopped from jumping/being pushed around. I don't think the style of the belts over the tires then tied to the trailer.

Lee

Nice, here is the new trailer

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[Ol'fogasaurus]

Is it wide enough to allow wider wheels on your Baja to fit inside. Mine was just a smidge less than perfect with one set of rims and tires.

Lee

[birddog1148]

82 in wide, wider than my Jeep, 14ft long, 2500lb capacity

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[birddog1148]

Well now I bought a school bus to convert to a camper. But thinking about sticking a 2.3 from a 96 ranger in the Baja. I have a 3 rib I bought several years ago and never got installed.