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| The only situation in which you're grateful to see a police car pull up behind you with his lights on. |
I had originally planned on trying to make my tires last until the end of the show season, but I did bring my spare in this week to get it replaced (Trailer King Load Range E ST's, 10-ply, to replace my Hi-Run Load Range C ST's, 8-ply). When the bill only came to $100, I was like, "You know...I'm making two more trips than I thought I was before the blowout, and it really sucks not to trust your tires with your horse on board, what's $300 more to ensure I won't have a blowout on I-465 this weekend, really?"
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| Answer: we're never doing this again. |
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| Horse did not come home with me. Note the height of the chest bar on Connor and the distance to the hay bag. Poor guy hasn't eaten a shred in this trailer. I don't think he can't eat, it looks like he could stretch and reach it, but it must not be comfortable or something. Luckily all of our trips are short and I plan on fixing this in two months. |
There's still a lot of work that needs done to this trailer, which is why I got such a good deal on it which is the only reason I could afford it in the first place, thanks JenJ! With the tires taken care of, though, the rest of the work can absolutely wait until my show season ends the first week of October. Happy birthday to me! This is my list:
"Must do" List:
- Rebuild upper back doors - currently off the trailer
- Replace fender and steps - mine is somewhere on IN-37 South
- Check integrity of ramp - It's held Connor's weight so far, but I'm feeling/seeing some movement where there shouldn't be movement.
- Add lots of rings on the inside. This trailer has exactly one ring on each stall, and it holds the hay bag so far away Connor can't really eat, poor guy. I want to add rings and a hay manger bag for him.
- Overall inspection
- Fiberglass work (DIY): scrub the oxidizing fiberglass smooth, paint with RV paint? If anyone has had to do this process before, leave me a comment, I'm going off what I've read on the internet.
- Mount license plate. The old one is riveted on, underneath my brake lights, and must be swapped out by a pro. Luckily my two year old Texas plates in Indiana haven't gotten me pulled over so far, and I have the trailer plate in the truck cab.
- Fix/replace weatherstripping
- Wash it. I have avoided taking it through truck washes since it doesn't have back doors, that seemed like a bad idea, but I also don't really have room for it at my house, so I haven't had the opportunity to hand wash it either. Needs to happen one way or another.
"Will check the cost on and possibly do" List:
- Removing all hooks and bars from one tack room wall - current hooks are spaced out really far, and I'd like to install organizers on that wall (Paige from L. Williams' barn inspired me! She needs to do a guest post!)
- Mount spare on outside? - currently taking up valuable floor space in the tack room
- Removing rust from/repainting hitch - I do cover it, at least.
- Adding a weight distributing hitch to the truck - This really needs to happen if I ever haul two horses. It's honestly not a bad idea just for Connor, based on tongue weight.
Anyone else ever had to do a trailer overhaul before? Tips?
Haha, it always drove me crazy that there was only one ring on each side of the horse area, and those hooks in the tackroom just aren't enough. You can NEVER have too many hooks!
ReplyDeleteRight? They're just so inefficiently laid out. If they were going to do it that way, they could've put twice as many in.
DeleteI really want to sandblast mine and get it repainted, just on the bottom, but I don't know how to do all that. Hopefully my dad will get unbusy and help me! I also really wish there was a way to take my solid back doors and make them split so I can open the (nonexistent) top halves in summer.
ReplyDeleteI've done a lot of DIY with my trailer, including pool noodles on the butt bars. I still want to get pads for the chest and sides too and eventually take the mats out and reinspect the floors. SO much to do!
I really have no tips though, except every time you use it, clean it out RIGHT away! I'm sure you know this, but old hay and gunk leads to rust buildup.
I can ditto the above. I pulled my matts out yesterday to get ready for hauling today and EWW. I thought I was cleaning well but apparently not.
ReplyDeleteI have drawers in my tack room and lots of space to store stuff. For your tire I've seen ppl mount them outside on the nose depending on the way yours is shaped. And some I've even seen mounted in the horse area. It's secured to the wall between horse and tack room. Just a thought.:)
Electrical hook up in dressing room and cot/fold down bed attached to wall for cheap camping.
ReplyDeleteI need to figure out some sort of washing system for my trailer too, it gets a green slime on it in the summer. I was thinking of borrowing the barn owner's power washer for that.
ReplyDeleteYou have to trust your trailer and whatever that takes needs to be done!
ReplyDeleteI have a trailer need/to do list on my phone right now :) Definitely get the stabilizer system, we love ours. Peggy felt the difference hauling Roscoe back from Indiana last year. Ours was about $600 installed.
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad my poor trailer exterior is filthy from sitting under the trees. We clean the inside every trip, but the outside is a process.
Getting all your tires replaced had to give you peace of mind - so worth it! We have hay mangers in ours - sure Connor will appreciate the addition.
ReplyDeleteI got 99 problems but a trailer ain't one..because I don't have one..I guess that is kind of a problem though
ReplyDelete