Harbor Freight Utility Trailer Build DIY #utilitytrailer

I finally put together the second HB trailer I bought last fall. The first one I turned into my kayak trailer. I have a video of it on my channel. I sprayed the entire frame with undercoating. All the wood is treated or cedar with two coats of polyurethane. The side's of the trailer are also removable. Instead of lag bolts, my neighbor made hitch pins from bar stock. The pins can be pulled out when the sides are not needed.
This trailer should last a long time. My old trailer is from 2005.
#utilitytrailer #harborfreighttrailer #harborfreight
Link to my Harbor Freight Double Kayak Trailer Build:

UPDATE! 6-30-2020
for this trailer. See how it looks now. Nearing its third year.

If you use any links below, i get a little kickback. It will help my channel out a lot. thank you in advance. Make sure you check the specs and fit your application before ordering. products cgange all the time.
Here's some Amazon parts options:

These are the lights I bought. The Lights themselves are doing well. But to be transparent, the wiring turned to powder after one year. If you click on the link and take a look at the item, I believe I still get commission if you look for an updated LED light. Not sure. Always check the reviews especially about the wiring. I ended buying aftermarket wiring locally and rewiring the lights. They were using some reddish chemical for snow melting one winter and it wrecked the wires.
They have since gone back to salt.
LED Submersible lights

The gear I used on my trailer projects were from Red Trailer and I believe they are no longer in business. The Amazon links below look similar but I do NOT have hands on experience with them. I receive questions about where to get these Parts, so I added similar one's I found on Amazon to assist.

HEKA 8 PC Utility Trailer Wood Sides Latch Rack Stake Body Gates Corner Brackets with Screws

Set of Steel Trailer Square Tail Light Mounting Boxes - 24017/24018

Pkg of (2) Corner Gate Latch Sets for Stake Body Gates - Clear Zinc

[jasonbarnes]

I’m glad there are several manufacturers selling those latches on Amazon.

[jhitt]

Nice job. It's hard to beat that trailer for the money for light duty applications.
I would highly recommend not using plywood for the floor though. If you use 5/4 deck boards then the rain can drain through and if you had something damage the floor you can replace a board or two instead of having to pull up the whole 4'x8' sheet.

[scottcorthell]

I must have watched every YouTube video on this trailer and most were very helpful. Yours by far was the best and it gave me ideas for mine. I basically built it the same with stake sides, used Pressure treated instead of cedar, way cheaper., and I didn't paint it . Otherwise looks pretty much the same. Thanks for the great video and ideas.

[guyh.]

Love the undercoat/Rhino lining on the frame. I definitely need to change out my L-brackets for those wall connector thingy's.

[guyh.]

Watching again after a good couple of years use on mine. You can get those corners, hitch pins, and gate locks at Home Depot, Lowes, True Value, Ace, & my preference at farm stores.

[TrashxXxpanda]

This is by far the nicest set up for a harbor freight trailer I've seen, definitely buying one and going this route!

[dmrtechnology]

Add me to the cheerleading section. I've been thinking about getting one of these trailers for months, and spent most of last night studying the owners/instruction manual, trying to figure out exactly how I would build out the deck and sides. I first spotted a picture of your design online, immediately loved it, followed it to your video, and you have provided ideal answers to nearly every issue I was considering as I reviewed the manual. Your experience with the previous trailer obviously prepared you well for your next build out, and now all the rest of us who want/need a similar design have you (and your contributing neighbors) to thank for saving us a TON of time/aggravation with your making/posting of such a great video documenting your work. Thank you SO much for sharing it!

[ShakespeareCafe]

The black paint looks stunning. Keep people guessing if that's a HF special.

[mini_worx]

Great looking build. Looks like you took your time and didn't cut any corners.

[Stucknarutt]

Outstanding finished project my friend. Great job and a good looking one as well. Another good video that has made my decision to buy one easier. Should have it and be putting it together tomorrow evening. Thank you for sharing and showing sir.

[ad]

Looks great. The inside dimensions are like the plywood floor piece 4x8 ideal for carrying 4x8 full sheets but with the rails inside the posts doesn’t that cut into the inside dimensions? I think I’ll lap join the rails on my build.

[AEnthusiast]

You and your neighbor did a great job. I picked up a few good ideas.

[thomasgarrison]

Great job, I done my older I ton Harbor Freight Tilt bed trailer like yours, except I have a boat wench on the front!

[cubey]

I want to build an enclosed box on one of those trailers. It shouldn't be too hard or heavy, using 2x2 or 2x3 boards for the framing. 7/16 pywood for the walls and roof, painted with white premium outdooor paint and sealed up with rv grade lap sealant that won't crack like silicone. It won't be true 4x8 inside the box, but that's fine for what I want it for.

[AOTechWorx]

I never came up with the idea to spray undercoating on it. They tend to rust. Thanks for the tip. And nice job.

[AJ-dsxq]

Learning something new everyday! Thanks for sharing!

[DestroVR]

Great Build! I just bought one this week and am planning on doing a similar setup. Thanks for the details!! Love the cedar!!

[enterBJ]

Nice looking trailer. Your neighbor is awesome with wood.

[markbandy]

I just bought a new 2019 Harbor freight 4 x 8 1750 lbs fold up. It came with the upgraded lights you bought separately. Their version of course. Intensely bright !! Very impressed. You did a great build 👍. The light guards are a great idea. Going to get those. And just because it has a tilt feature, I bought and modified my licence plate holder to a fold up kind. You never know. The stake sides look awesome ! With your permission, I will use that design. I'm going to see if I can find autolock pins for the bottom of the stakes. Push it in, your done. I also added polyurethane washers 3/16 " down the center of the bed, before installing the floor. I didn't like the warp down the center. Everywhere a bolt head was located, I used a forstner bit and bored out the floor so it would sit level with the sides. Anyway, thanks for the video bro.

[real_Mike_Green]

Thank you. You helped me with my trailer by posting this. I appreciate it.