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Trailer Care Part 2

2012-04-01T20:27:28Z

Ok, let’s get back at it; we left off last time with checking those tires out “good” from slight cracking in the sidewalls, proper air pressure, to the date of mfg. This goes for your spare as well. While you are down on your hands and knees checking those tires, check out the wheel bearings and brakes. Now for most of us we may need to be thinking this is the time to drag that old trailer down to the shop and have a professional take over for a while in this process. Not everyone is a shade tree mechanic so let the pro do their thing. In the mean time make sure they look at some things while they are under your rig. It doesn’t matter if it’s you or the pros while under that trailer look at the frame work. If it bent, bowed or twisted get that checked right away. Check the bottom side of the flooring if it’s made of wood look for dry rot, cracking and loose flooring planks. Nailing plywood over the top of bad flooring is just a bandage on a gaping wound get it fixed !!! Aluminum trailer owners check your floor as well. If you are running in those northern states the new de-icer they pour on the roads during the snowy months is tough on aluminum. So your floor looks good; is there wiring for the lights running along the frame? Check to see if its old and brittle. Any bare spot that can cause a short? Lastly, around your springs and running gear there should be grease zerts have your trailer lubed things work better when lubricated.

Hook up to the trailer plug in the light cord how many lights come on? If they are working proper but a little dim it could be as simple as a dirty lens. Just pull the lens off and wash them. Continue your walk around inspection looking for loose and broken things. If there is rust around a nut or bolt head there is a good chance it’s loose. Oil those squeaky doors and drop down windows. Get inside find all the loose swinging scary things your horses and mules have to deal with. When you think you have found them all put someone you trust behind the wheel and have the drive slowly down an old road while you ride in the trailer you’ll find more rattles and squeaks than you thought you had.

Just remember it’s always way cheaper and easier to take care of the problems at home than on the road. Who wants to hear your spouse or buddy telling you I told you so over and over as you walk down the road looking for cell service?

Happy Trails,

Andy

Trailhead Supply

Is your Trailer ready? (Part One)

2012-03-12T02:38:50Z

Wow!!! Two days of sunshine in a row and the snow is melting quickly, spring must be just around the corner! I better go hook up to the horse trailer this morning before the ground warms up and turns back into mud again. I’m going to have to jump a couple of mounds of snow left from the plow and pull it up by the shop for that spring time walk around inspection, to see what all needs to be fixed before the riding season really gets going. If any of you are like me, then preventive maintenance on a horse trailer is way down on that old to do list; maybe just above spending a sunny Sunday afternoon at the in laws looking at paint chips and trying to help them pick a color out to paint their bathroom. If you are the average horseperson what more is there to look at than 4 tires that are kind of round with some air in them and that coupler thing still must work because it still hooks up to the truck.

Ok, since we all know what the tires are lets start there. When did you buy those tires? Did they come on the trailer when you bought the trailer? Then how long have you owned the trailer? There is a date of manufacture stamped on the backside of the tire and it will tell you when that tire was made. This date is two digits for the week and two digits for the year.

Even though your tire looks like new the rubber breaks down with time. It is recommended to replace your tires every six years no matter how good they look. Another bad money saving plan is when replacing tires, is to replace those heavy rated trailer tires with passenger car tires. I don’t know about your spouse but mine weighs no where near what those horses weigh. No one wants to spend money on trailer tires, but who really wants to spend time changing a flat in the middle of nowhere with a loaded trailer? Why we are on the dreaded flat topic, check your spare if you run a lot of gravel pot hole infested roads to and from trail heads like myself, two spares may be a great idea.

It does no good to have a spare full of air if you don’t have a jack and lug wrench. Another handy item to carry is a ramp of some sort to run the trailer up on to change a flat so you don’t have to crawl under the trailer to jack it up. The ramp I carry with me is made by Trailer Helper, it’s faster and safer than using a jack. Click here to view one.

So, get outside in that sunshine and check on your tires. We will be posting part two of our maintenance blog soon.

Happy Trails!

Mule Halters by Trailhead Supply

2012-02-21T03:34:00Z

It seems like one of those topics of conversation that never ends, let it be at the trail head, around the campfire or at the store…mule halters. Everyone has their own idea how and why it should be built or made their way. So we listened and took the best of the best ideas and built what we feel is the best leather mule halter on the market. We started with US tanned Herman Oak heavy harness leather. We got away from the industry standard of 1 ½” straps and went with 1 ¼” straps then double layered it. This not only saves weight and lightens the burden on your stock but ended up giving this halter a great look and feel. We added two pull rings, one at the base of the chin and a second on the left cheek allowing this halter to be used as a side pull. The overhead strap can be either attached or adjusted using the large nickel plated roller buckle or adjust it to your mule then just use the large nickel plated spring snap on the opposite side to quickly and easily tack-up or remove the halter without having to touch the buckle. Every inch of this halter is double layered and all stress points are: glued, stitched, and riveted. Hardware is nickel plated. Trailhead Supply’s mule halter is proudly made in Montana right here in the USA. Stop by our store to check them out, or see them on our website.

Ready to Ride!

2012-01-24T02:46:14Z

One day of sunshine and I’m ready to ride. The sun was out, kinda warm, made it to 26 degrees; even my lost solar lights in the flowerbeds covered in snow came on tonight. Spring is closer than you think (less than 60 days). Normally, and normally is the key word, we have a long snowy winter here in Montana, temperatures dipping well below zero, with plenty of down time to get those inside chores done, but not this year. Winter… what winter! Why do chores when you can play, work, anything but chores. Less than 60 days till spring and I don’t know about you, but I haven’t even looked at my tack since I stacked all those saddles when I came in from that last elk hunt. I’m sure that I am not the only procrastinator out there. But with spring coming fast it is time to get those chores done regardless of the weather. Get out that Oakwood leather conditioner and oil up those saddles, check the straps, buckles, all the hardware and even those little Chicago screws. Anything that looks old, tired, and cracked, well now is the time to repair or replace it. I never have seen a saddle shop in the Wilderness; don’t let a little neglect spoil a good ride.

-Andy

www.trailheadsupply.com

We now have a blog!

2011-12-09T04:54:27Z

Welcome Everyone!

We are very excited that we now have a blog! This has been long awaited. We will be posting product videos, how to, tips, packing stories, photos, everything imaginable. Thank you for stopping by. Come by often, follow us, and tell your friends about www.blog.trailheadsupply.com

Our goal with our blog is to educate the worldwide community about horse packing while sharing some good laughs with our packing stories. So, sit back, enjoy your cup of coffee, and enjoy everything you find!

If there is something you would like to know about, add a comment, or email us at info@trailheadsupply.com

Sydney & Andy
Trailhead Supply

Welcome

2011-12-08T04:41:23Z

Welcome to my blog. Please check back soon for new entries.