[quote=Edchris177]I have a Trailex Aluminum trailer, & once towed it empty about 1000km,(660mi), over to the Chicago area to pick up a Nacra 5.0
There are no handling issues with hauling it empty, it will still have some positive tongue weight. The Trailex,(as do many others) has an adjustable lock down for the ball hitch. Have a look at it, you will see that it can be screwed up/down. You want an "almost snug" fit on the ball. To loose & it tends to bounce a bit on the ball, makes for a noisy ride. To tight it becomes a pain to get it locked down. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT BALL! You can,(unsafely) put a 2" hitch onto a 1 7/8" ball.
As Pete alluded to, it may prevent mucho aggravation to have a look at the bearings before you head out. Especially on a trailer with bearings subject to immersion. The Bearing Buddies are cheap,(but they will not save you if the bearings are already shot) they work by using a spring loaded plate to keep grease pushed into the races. An exposed grease nipple in the center allows you to "pump them up" with just a few strokes of the gun. They must be purchased in the exact size for the hub. They are installed by simply removing the original bearing cap, then driving them onto the hub. Use a deadblow hammer, or place a block of wood against the Buddy, then drift on.
The biggest problem with towing your empty Trailex is that it is nearly invisible, & it is very light. You will soon forget it is behind you. Light is good, (I calculated less than 1mpg difference when towing with a V6 Toyota van), invisible, not so good.
A trip as you describe usually means long hours of boring driving. IT IS VERY EASY TO FORGET WHAT IS BEHIND YOU, BECAUSE IT IS INVISIBLE & ESPECIALLY HOW WIDE A CAT TRAILER IS. Don't ask how I know this, the only good thing was it involved an old steel trailer, not the Trailex.
Allow a few extra hours to check over the lights, have some wire, connections & wire strippers with you. I'm not sure how "ready to go" translates into "not a single light works", but it happens all the time. Borrow or buy a spare tire, you know too well how many trailers you see sitting on the roadside because of this & bearing failure.
Bring a few wrenches, the Trailex use a unique design that allows them to be easily customized by simply loosening a bolt, then sliding a part in the channels built into the extrusions. In our case the Nacra mast did not clear the van roof. It was a 5 minute job to loosen 2 bolts & slide the mast stand a bit further back to increase the angle.[/quote]
