New User - Easy Lift Hydra Trailer

[iceclimber]

Lots of older really interesting threads on this trailer ....
BUT Rather than hi-jack an old thread with my questions I've started a new one because i'm sure that i'm going to have quite a few more ....... very sorry

After placing a wanted Ad on this forum .... I've just collected my trailer today & have done a 1st 'mock up' assembly so as I could check I had all the parts + I want to get completely familiar with the trailer before trying it out with the motorhome.

3 Photo's attached and I appear to have a couple of locking pins missing ?
1 pin for the tow hitch socket (i.e. the same hole that the foot clamp spar goes through ) and 1 pin at the rear (the photo showing three lugs in alignment)
Also why is there a locking pin on the end of the chain that is connected to the bottle jack ? Where / how is this supposed to be used ?

Probably many further questions to come later once i've clarified these matters

 

[iceclimber]

Have answers from previous owner ...... No pins missing ....

In the two hitch socket ... a long padlock goes through the smaller hole ... nothing goes in the bigger hole.

And Re: the three lugs in alignment; goes the Pin thats on the end of the bottle jack when lifting to stop rotation of the ramp. & is not needed once the wheels are on and the load is bearing down on the wheels .... obvious now ?

 

[Silver-Fox]

You can do what I did.
Toss the jack and its associated bits in the back of the shed.
Assemble the Hydra and load the bike with a ramp
So much easier

 

[MikeD]

View media item 22240One my Hydratrail - it may have been newer or older than yours as it was slightly different. On mine :-

The big hole near the tow hitch mounting bolts is only in use when you mount the jack to lift the bike. You can see the pin on the jack in the picture.

The foot pad goes on the floor. The length of this should be adjusted fairly tightly to the ground or you may not have enough jack piston travel to raise both wheels.

The piston of the jack mounts on the pin on the upper arm. This allows the platform/bike to be lifted but puts the weight on the grounded foot pad and not on the rear axle of the motorhome.

The pin on the end of the jack chain goes in the three holes to stop the bike platform either falling left or right depending on the platform balance. Again only in use when you jack it up.

But as silver-fox says get a ramp. The jack and associated gear is heavy, does not store well and it is a bit of a pain using the jack unless the ground is reasonably flat.

The little hole where you can mount a padlock to prevent it being stolen is pretty well the only thing holding it to the back towbar mounting plate so I used to use a suitable high tensile bolt. I actually used to put a high tension bolt in every place a "R" clip was used. Did not fancy any jokers fiddling with it whilst I was having a coffee at a service station.

Remember it does not have any suspension, only the tyres so will get knocked about a fair bit.

I took mine to Spain regularly and never had any issues with it.

 

[iceclimber]

Yep, thanks for the info and the advice re: 'chuck the bottle jack and foot pad in the shed !'

I've only assembled the once & can see straight away that although a pretty nifty bit of design, it could be more trouble than its worth (i designed and built my own motorbike lift / bench based on an 8 ton ram ! only to sell it because it was too complex to use )

I will in all probability make a ramp ..... I've seen some chat on some other threads re: making a ramp, i'll use ally chequered plate.

What I am however really interested in is some from of suspension ?
Is this something that can be retro fitted easily ? I'm sure I came across a thread recently where it was discussed ?

O'h ..... and I shall be bolting that bottom hole in the tow hitch socket also !

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[Silver-Fox]

O'h ..... and I shall be bolting that bottom hole in the tow hitch socket also !

Personally can’t see the point of a bolt as it’s only in vertical shear.
Also held in place by the tow bar fitting.
A round 4” wire nail has a shear of around 4 ton so the padlock will be more

 

[Manic]

Not had anything to do with these trailers! but in the bottom photo it looks like it’s had something like a washer rubbing on the outside of the arm.

 

[Valkman]

It does have suspension. It's the pantogram itself that allows the trailer to rise & fall over undulations. One word of warning though....take it very slowly over sleeping policemen. This can cause a sudden 'bounce' of the trailer which can be disconcerting.

 

[Petehvan]

I have also purchased an Easylifter this week so I am watching this thread with interest. I'm yet to have a towbar fitted so it's a bit cart before the horse but you have to jump in when these things become available

 

[tacr2man]

I have also purchased an Easylifter this week so I am watching this thread with interest. I'm yet to have a towbar fitted so it's a bit cart before the horse but you have to jump in when these things become available

Do you mean the Hydratrail or the hydralift version ?

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[Petehvan]

It's the hydratrail version