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Post by Freeborn on May 17, 2022 20:01:37 GMT -6
The wife and I made it back from Arizona just fine. We traveled from Arizona through New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa and into Minnesota. Somewhere along that drive I broke the welds on part of the trailer frame. That trailer bounced pretty good on many occasions and I am guessing the large yellow strap kept it together for the last part of the trip. I look over the trailer very closely at every stop so this must have happened close to home otherwise I would have seen it. I have 150 miles to get to my place and get the golf cart off the trailer so I have added a few more straps and plan to give it a try. The welds that are in front of the original yellow strap are all still intact. One things for sure these manufacturers make these trailers cheap, they don't even run a full length weld along the frame. Once I get the cart off I'll have it welded up like it should be. If I was buying another trailer the welding is one thing I would look allot harder at.  
I added additional Straps.   |
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Post by Catscratch on May 17, 2022 20:10:10 GMT -6
I'd say you got lucky. When I was demoing a lot one of the best ways to strengthen a car was to weld the frame seams. Manufacturers have been going light on welds forever.
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Post by Freeborn on May 17, 2022 20:19:10 GMT -6
I'd say you got lucky. When I was demoing a lot one of the best ways to strengthen a car was to weld the frame seams. Manufacturers have been going light on welds forever. Yep, very lucky. That could have been an expensive problem. The welds on this trailer are to light. Considering the trailer is rated for 3000 lbs and the cart weighs less than a 1000 I am surprised they broke. Maybe I should of had the load farther back but at that weight I figured it did not matter. |
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Post by biglakebass on May 17, 2022 20:42:46 GMT -6
What brand trailer?
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Post by Freeborn on May 17, 2022 20:43:40 GMT -6
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Post by Foggy on May 17, 2022 21:25:03 GMT -6
In my time I converted lots of companies from steel products to aluminum Aluminum weighs about 1/3 that of steel and can flex about 3x that of steel.....yetcan have nearly the sametesil strength in the right alloy and temper. On welded products the welds should’ve much more area than steel to prevent cracking in the weld zone due to temper variations resulting from the heat aof welding 3 x may be ideal....but mechanical fasteners are better. My 2 cents |
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Post by caveman on May 18, 2022 4:18:58 GMT -6
I'd say you got lucky. When I was demoing a lot one of the best ways to strengthen a car was to weld the frame seams. Manufacturers have been going light on welds forever. Yep, very lucky. That could have been an expensive problem. The welds on this trailer are to light. Considering the trailer is rated for 3000 lbs and the cart weighs less than a 1000 I am surprised they broke. Maybe I should of had the load farther back but at that weight I figured it did not matter. It matters. Trailer broke from operator error IMO. It may not have mattered as much with a steel trailer, aluminum got that flex. That flex is engineered for in the design. Put the weight over the axle with a bit of tongue weight.
Also, throw a strap or two over the machine to keep the suspension tight. Having the suspension bounce around just sends more vibrations through the trailer not helping anything.
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Post by Freeborn on May 18, 2022 5:13:20 GMT -6
Yep, very lucky. That could have been an expensive problem. The welds on this trailer are to light. Considering the trailer is rated for 3000 lbs and the cart weighs less than a 1000 I am surprised they broke. Maybe I should of had the load farther back but at that weight I figured it did not matter. It matters. Trailer broke from operator error IMO. It may not have mattered as much with a steel trailer, aluminum got that flex. That flex is engineered for in the design. Put the weight over the axle with a bit of tongue weight.
Also, throw a strap or two over the machine to keep the suspension tight. Having the suspension bounce around just sends more vibrations through the trailer not helping anything.
Yep, I figured that's how the welds broke (flexing). The middle yellow strap runs up under the cart frame to each side of the trailer. The cart did not bounce during the trip but its suspension did go up and down. I am using 4 straps on the corners going from the frame of the cart to O-rings on the trailer bed and then a large yellow strap across the middle of the cart to each side of the trailer. In the past I have had three 4-wheelers on this trailer without issue. Still, I'm surprised it broke with just the cart aluminum or not. |
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Post by caveman on May 18, 2022 6:03:36 GMT -6
I had to take a look at the welds on my H&H after seeing this thread. 99% look 100% good after 2 years of relatively light use. The one with a bit of a crack has two supporting welds nearby. Must be a known stress area. My trailer is the smallest H&H with this same frame design. Noticed on it the frame is welded at the the wheel, or back of that main frame piece, very heavily. And then again welded heavily towards the front. Not much in the middle. Might want to look at adding something like a little triangular piece in front of the fender for more support.  |
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Post by Tooln on May 18, 2022 6:17:28 GMT -6
The wife and I made it back from Arizona just fine. We traveled from Arizona through New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa and into Minnesota. Somewhere along that drive I broke the welds on part of the trailer frame. That trailer bounced pretty good on many occasions and I am guessing the large yellow strap kept it together for the last part of the trip. I look over the trailer very closely at every stop so this must have happened close to home otherwise I would have seen it. I have 150 miles to get to my place and get the golf cart off the trailer so I have added a few more straps and plan to give it a try. The welds that are in front of the original yellow strap are all still intact. One things for sure these manufacturers make these trailers cheap, they don't even run a full length weld along the frame. Once I get the cart off I'll have it welded up like it should be. If I was buying another trailer the welding is one thing I would look allot harder at.
I added additional Straps. You were lucky to make it home ok. Glad you caught it and added the extra straps, I'm sure it helped. Weight distribution is everything when hauling anything. |
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