New trailer!

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I can definitely see a use for that, especially an enclosed work trailer. The insurance might come down enough to pay for monitoring costs too.

 

[racsan]

I looked it up, dont know what the monitoring costs would be but the gps device itself is $100. Can find them on fleabay for $35.

 

[sgtsandman]

I can definitely see a use for that, especially an enclosed work trailer. The insurance might come down enough to pay for monitoring costs too.

I'm not sure it would make a difference in the insurance. I suppose it depends on where you are from. My utility trailer is covered under my auto insurance if it is hooked up to one of my vehicles during an incident. The insurance I have on it is for when it is not hooked up to my vehicle. My insurance is $3 every 6 months for comprehensive and collision. Of course, the thing is so heavily modified now, other than the base trailer and it's contents, it could never be replaced as is. But that is neither here nor there for the discussion at hand. Nothing was ever asked about tracking services or any discounts being applied if it was available.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So I saw mention of using eye bolts for tie downs and I would strongly recommend against this if you’re intending to use hardware store eye bolts, they aren’t truly load rated. Rated eye bolts are more expensive, and I never much liked eyes sticking out potentially in the way. Much better to use D-rings for tie-downs, they lay flat when not in use, TSC and other places have them, and they are load rated. I bought some 3/8” weld on rings and there is 7 welded on the little trailer, three across the front, one on each side in the middle, one in each back corner, and I welded nuts in place to bolt one in the center of the rear (that way a mower deck doesn’t have anything to catch on but the ring can be bolted I place quickly if needed). I also put stake pockets around the edge and with the way the C channel frame is, I can hook there too.

 

[Blmpkn]

So I saw mention of using eye bolts for tie downs and I would strongly recommend against this if you’re intending to use hardware store eye bolts, they aren’t truly load rated. Rated eye bolts are more expensive, and I never much liked eyes sticking out potentially in the way. Much better to use D-rings for tie-downs, they lay flat when not in use, TSC and other places have them, and they are load rated. I bought some 3/8” weld on rings and there is 7 welded on the little trailer, three across the front, one on each side in the middle, one in each back corner, and I welded nuts in place to bolt one in the center of the rear (that way a mower deck doesn’t have anything to catch on but the ring can be bolted I place quickly if needed). I also put stake pockets around the edge and with the way the C channel frame is, I can hook there too.

Are load rated eyes forged or something? And hardware store eyes cast?

 

[Roert42]

Are load rated eyes forged or something? And hardware store eyes cast?

All the ones I've seen at a regular hardware store were bent rod and welded.

 

[Curious Hound]

Are load rated eyes forged or something? And hardware store eyes cast?

Yes. Load rated eyes are forged. Their load rating is much, much higher than cheap bent rod eyes. But they still must be used properly to retain the ratings.

Here's a tip of the iceberg.

 

[sgtsandman]

Hardware stores do sell load rated eye bolts as well. At least True Value stores do. I have a few installed on my trailer where it matters. Otherwise, I have rated, recessed rings on the deck and on the walls. All bolted into the frame or reinforced sections of the walls.

In any case, they have a load rating cast or forged into the ring and the ring is a solid ring instead of being a bent rod.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've used the smaller D rings on small trailers from Harbor Freight with good results, I have a bunch I need to add to my 5ishx12' trailer but when I built it I put a angle iron rail around the outside so most stuff doesn't need anything fancy... The bigger D rings from HFT and the such are just meant for 1/2" carriage bolts so aren't rocket surgery to install (but I never seem to remember to install them somehow even though I have a bunch of them too...)

 

[Vindictus]

Some of our work trucks have a similar device that plugs in the ODB2 port. Cheap to buy around $50, but are $400 a month to monitor.
Tells you where they are. How fast they drive, even when the truck is running.

 

[Josh B]

Some of our work trucks have a similar device that plugs in the ODB2 port. Cheap to buy around $50, but are $400 a month to monitor.
Tells you where they are. How fast they drive, even when the truck is running.

I did something like that in the 70s, but we had to dig into the dash and find the wires they all had to hook to, It was a large rental/lease outfit, when I started had about 1200 tractor trailer rigs and I think 800 of them were getting the trip masters was what those were called. It told what speed they drove, what RPMs they shifted, all kinds of simple stuff, and that was high tech then. In fact a number of drivers quit first.

 

[Blmpkn]

Most of our trucks at work have the tattler boxes. Ours are mounted up under the dash, but hard wired.. not plugged into the obd port. With how computerized vehicles are nowadays its kinda crazy what It can read. Speed & rpm naturally, gear, location, but also total throttle and brake input, it can tell if the truck is off but the key in the ignition, it can tell how many lbs are sitting on the passengers seat, it'll alert our corporate office whenever you hit a M.F pothole and tell them you've either done hard braking or hard acceleration...

a well placed empty bag of chips will remove it's ability to transmit data though.

 

[Roert42]

Back in the old days we used midgets, stuck 'em behind the seats with a bucket of ice to keep 'em cool. That's till OSHA came in and put them poor little people out on the street.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah, towards the end of me working for Autozone they started plugging tattlers into the OBD 2 ports. Not only would it report every pothole as hard braking or acceleration, but if the van was overloaded (they nearly always were) and you tried to get going on a hill, because the front suspension would unload when you gave it enough gas to go, it would scream hard acceleration. We were all told that if you played with it, you would get in trouble, but if I saw it was messed with, I just left it alone and never said anything. The other dumb thing was the two West Virginia runs always got dinged for doing 65-75 in a 55 on the one highway, I-79 near Pittsburgh. Thing is, even the semis do 65-75 on that strip of highway and cars typically up to 85. Trying to do 55 will likely get you flattened. I suggested that the one manager try driving that sometime at 55, lol

 

[racsan]

Well I “sprung” for a gate lift assist. lol Found one on ebay for $125 (vs $250 @ tsc) so I ordered it and just got it on today. Works well. Theres 2 coil springs in each yellow square tube, one inside of the other. Next will be either sideboards on the inside of the rails or tie downs.