Arising Industries Enclosed Cargo Trailer

[JGaulard]

I remember telling you that I had ordered the trailer, but I have yet to post any pictures. I did take a few down in Florida, but wasn’t very pleased with them. Since so much time has passed, I figured that I better get up what I have, because if I don’t, I may never. And that would be a shame.

Also, I recently took a very long trip, basically maxing out the trailer. It, by itself, weighs 2000 pounds. Its capacity is 7000 pounds – gross. I figure I had at least 4000 pounds in it, which I’m sure is a low estimate. Weight has a way with these things. It’s always heavier than you estimate. Anyway, the trailer performed better than I could have imagined. It was strong, didn’t sway at all, had even tire wear (which was virtually nothing) and handled all the bumps and porpoising like a champ. I swear, there were times where I was surprised the thing was still back there. I put this trailer to the test. It passed and was worth the money. Nice job Arising Industries.

Here are some pictures I took the day I bought the trailer. What I really want to do is to take some of the interior and of all the finer points. Things like the door latches and the dome vent. Also, the interior light isn’t too shabby. But I suppose I’ll have to wait on those things for a nice day. I’ll do it, but for now, enjoy the pictures of what I’ve already taken.



COMMENT: I just picked up a trailer from arising industries last week. I read all the Arising trailer reviews and determined that they were good trailers. There was an error on their part in the placement of the floor track. I do want to say they did everything in their power to make it right. They picked up the trailer 6 hours away and brought it back to me at my location. They went above and beyond to fix the track. I feel they will stand behind their product. Because of this, I give them a great review.

COMMENT: I have no doubt they have a really good product. I put my trailer through a lot of abuse driving from Florida to Maine. I had it loaded to the max. Also, if you think you can simply pull a trailer on the highway and it’ll be a smooth ride, think again. The roads I took weren’t smooth in the least. It got a workout. I do want to mention on thing though – my trailer has only been used once. Like I said, I drove from Florida to Maine. During our trip through New Hampshire, we encountered a small amount of snow. I am sure the town didn’t apply any salt or treatment on the roads (it was basically slush). I took a look under the trailer a few weeks ago and noticed that the black paint on the frame is peeling off and the steel members are beginning to rust. I think the paint job on the frame can be completed with a higher quality paint. I am now planning on either spraying the frame with Rustoleum or undercoating to stop any further rust. Thank you for your comment!

COMMENT: Hi Jay. I am a trailer Dealer here in Georgia. You could have gotten the “salt package” from Arising Industries, through your Dealer. It consists of a tough undercoating, corrosion resistant wire connectors and an isolater between the body side and frame rails to prohibit any salt wash from getting between the metal parts. If you didn’t get that option, you can bring your trailer to a Ziebart or other rustproofing/undercoating company and have it done. A lot of my customers get Rhino Liner or Line-X truck bed sprayed underneath. The cost isn’t that bad and it really provides some killer protection. Best of luck.

COMMENT: Thanks for the comment. Those are some good options you suggested. Since there is already existing rust on the trailer, I decided to go with Fluid Film (undercoating would only cover up a growing rust issue). This seems to be the best protection at this point. And since I rarely, if ever, use the trailer, the Fluid Film won’t readily wear off and will protect the trailer frame from moisture from the ground. I’m aware that this is how trailers are. I must say, I am still impressed by the quality of this one. It’s built solidly and now that I’ve got the rust thing under control, I don’t have to worry about it anymore.

COMMENT: I CURRENTLY A OWNER OF A USED ENCLOSED ARISING TRAILER MFG 12/2010 WITH NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRAILER! THE MODEL NUMBER IS 8205 TRMC AND ON THE TOP OF THIS TRAILER IT HAS 2 EACH MAX/AIR HAND CRANK OPERATED AIR VENTS. ONE OF THE INNER PLASTIC DOMES THAT YOU HAND CRANK UP IS BROKEN. IT APPEARS THAT YOU MAY HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. I’M LOOKING FOR A DISTRIBUTOR/DEALER TO PURCHASE THIS PART . ANY SUGGESTIONS?

COMMENT: Give me a call at my Dealership. DIXIE TRAILERS in Lawrenceville Georgia. I will try to find the proper replacement part for you. 678-447-8992.

COMMENT: I have a 2014 Arising Industries trailer and it is hands down the best trailer I’ve owned. I had to replace brake parts because of heavy loads, and the fact that I tend to let the trailer do more braking than needed. I undercoated mine with a spray to stop any rust down here in Florida. The biggest problem with trailers is sometimes they sit more than they are used. And with me being on the water, I have that salt air to tend with. As far as Arising standing behind their product. My trailer is a tall boy with a very big ramp. I had an issue with my ramp cables. I contacted Arising and they sent me cables instantly.

COMMENT: Looking at the enclosed arising trailers what do they use for the frame and how thick is it and the x braces also the rest of the trailer, is z bar used and do they have a option for 10000 gvw.

COMMENT: I had a blow out on my 22 foot driver's side. Anyway, I need to order a driver’s side fender and screws.

 

[JGaulard]

CURT Adjustable Dual Ball Mount​

Apparently, Laura and I have a long trip coming up. We’ll be once again trailering all our belongings across the country in an effort to get ourselves situated for some major adventure. And this landing spot, by far, is going to be the most adventuresome yet. Big mountains, big snow, big vacation spots and big ocean. I’ll give you one last hint because I’m not going to tell you exactly where we intend to end up until we get there. “Big moose.” That’s it. That’s all I’m saying.

I kind of knew this trip was coming for a while. I’ve been in talks with a few people and things have been rolling right along. While I wasn’t sure of what exactly was going to happen, I did want to prepare as much as I possibly could, so I began getting what we needed squared away. One major item I needed was a good ball mount for my new truck.

While I already had a mount that I used to get us to Florida, it’s only rated for 6,000 pounds and it’s one of those entry level, hollow Reese hitches you can find at Home Depot or Lowe’s. What I needed was a really heavy duty ball mount that could handle upwards of 7,000 or 8,000 pounds. I know we don’t own that much weight, but the trailer I’m getting weighs in at 2,000 and about a ton and a half later brings total gross weight to 5,000. That coupled with the various toys I may be finding myself driving in the future might bring me above the weight an entry level hitch can bear. Plus, my current mount’s height isn’t adjustable. There’s nothing more annoying than seeing a tilted trailer being pulled down the road. Trailers really need to be level, especially tandem axle ones.

Anyway, after much research, I ended up getting a sweet “CURT Manufacturing 45900 Channel-Style Adjustable Dual Ball Mount.” Weighing in at 32 pounds, I’d say this mount is heavy duty enough.

Since I didn’t really find many nice, up close photos online before I purchased this hitch, I thought I’d do other truckers a favor and take a few myself. I got all the important stuff – the sticker on the side with all the pertinent information listed, the weight ratings of the hitch and the balls, the look of the hitch and what it looks like on my Ford F-250. I hope it helps. I’ll also put a video review by etrailer.com below the pictures.



COMMENT: Just wanted to let you know, I was searching online, desperate for any information on ball mounts, as I needed to get one for my neighbor’s boat trailer I was going to be hauling (with the boat attached of course). This blog set me on the course that eventually led me to where I got all the information I needed. By going thru the etrailer link you provided, I eventually (many google searches later) found another site, where they have stuff like “how to” guides and advice pages – really nice. I just wanted to thank you for the help.

COMMENT: Great Article on driving to Maine! I am about to do the same with a Diesel Ford F250 and a camper unit that sits on top.

 

[JGaulard]

Installing a Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller​

The trailer I’m purchasing has trailer brakes. I’m not sure when trailer brakes become necessary on trailers, but I’m guessing it’s when you jump from one axle to two. The weight of the trailer increases and the load capacity increases as well. With trailer brakes, your towing safety increases exponentially.

When I was up at B&B trailer sales, I talked to the guy who works there for some time about brake controllers. He mentioned two he liked; the CURT TriFlex and the Tekonsha P3. The Tekonsha was a bit more expensive, but from what he said and from what I read online, it’s the one you really want to purchase and use. More features, simpler setup, etc…

Earlier this week, I did a little comparison shopping online and eventually purchased the Tekonsha controller from ecustomhitch through Amazon. I got it for $144 and figured I’d save some money and install it myself. The installation is fairly simple. I found a few videos online that covered the entire process. Since I ordered the controller coupled with the wiring harness for my 2008 Ford F-250 Super Duty, I thought it would be smooth sailing.

I received the controller yesterday and headed out to the truck for the install. I took pictures along the way to post on this blog. Unfortunately, I ran into a bit of a hiccup.





I’m going to post half of the rather simple installation process below. I had to stop right after I ran the wiring harness though the dash and after I hooked it up because once I did and turned the ignition key, I got an error indicator light and the truck wouldn’t start. There was also no power to the controller. After some research online, I realized that ecustomhitch sent out the wrong wiring harness. Apparently, the “Super Duty” in my truck matters. Super Duty’s require a slightly modified harness than other Ford trucks and vans. I contacted them last night about the error and they shipped a new one this morning. I initially received a “3036” harness when I need the “3034-P.”

The photos below include some pretty decent shots of what you need to do if you’d like to run a brake controller wiring harness for something like a Ford F-250. You need to remove the auxiliary adapter panel, the center coin panel (where the factory brake controller would be, if I had one) and the cigarette lighter panel. The factory connection for the brake controller is plugged into the back of the coin panel. Unplug it and plug it into either the pigtail plug your truck came with or the custom wiring harness you purchased with your controller. Then, run it through and connect it to the controller. I’m going to post a “Part 2” to this post once I receive the correct harness and I finish the install. For now, enjoy these pictures.

Part 2 of the Brake Controller Installation​

Just this morning, I received the correct wiring harness for my Tekonsha brake controller. As I mentioned earlier, I initially received the wrong one. With the new harness in hand, I was able to easily finish installing what I needed to install.

It’s very simple to complete a task like this. Simply remove a few panels in the dashboard, slide the wiring harness through the guts of what’s inside, drill a few holes to hold the controller bracket in place, attach the controller to the bracket and then connect the harness to the controller. Lucky for you, I took some pictures of part 1 and then some more of part 2. If you have any questions about what you see, please ask in the comment section below.

I haven’t configured the controller yet. When I get around to doing that after I receive the trailer, I’ll most likely write about post about that as well. Until then, enjoy what’s below.