02Sled Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Congrats on the new trailer. Disconect the cables just gives you some exercise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 That's what I was thinking, but for some reason the dealer shop suggested I go to a barn door and portable ramp to avoid the cables! At this point I see no reason not to detach one cable and reconnect it when sledding season ends. I guess I'll know better once I see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 That's what I was thinking, but for some reason the dealer shop suggested I go to a barn door and portable ramp to avoid the cables! At this point I see no reason not to detach one cable and reconnect it when sledding season ends. I guess I'll know better once I see it. Don't do that. It will be such a pain in the butt. You can get buy with one cable no issues. Just remove the cable that is on the opposite side of your handle, so you can support and guide the door down. If you have wind up bars, a few extra turns on the spring wouldn't hurt either, to give it abit of extra leverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sledjunk Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Blake I wouldn't modify the door without someone experienced in adjusting the springs properly. A knowledgeable overhead door shop should be able to help you. I expect that the spring load and cable size is balanced to work as designed and may need some investigation to change it. The 'wind up' springs used can be very dangerous when they let go. JMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techdenis007 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I tend to agree .... I'd look at moving the anchor points over towards the side of the door for winter use, and set them back to standard position for summer. Unless you've installed garage doors or worked on overhead springs you'll wanna be a bit careful. Removing one spring isn't an impossible idea, but doing it without losing a finger, and re-installing and winding it up is something else ... I've been there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I watched the guys loading up the spring on our garage door when we had it replaced and he suggested that if I needed the tension adjusted I call him and he would do it no charge. He said if you don't know what you are doing you can get hurt pretty easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I tend to agree .... I'd look at moving the anchor points over towards the side of the door for winter use, and set them back to standard position for summer. Unless you've installed garage doors or worked on overhead springs you'll wanna be a bit careful. Removing one spring isn't an impossible idea, but doing it without losing a finger, and re-installing and winding it up is something else ... I've been there. I have installed garage doors before. I still do repairs today for people I know. You need the windup bars, professional ones. I would be shocked if the door has two springs, most trailers have one. Normally 3 to 4 turns per foot height. Winding up springs is the easy part, just have to take your time, and make sure the bars go all the way in. You would be surprised how easy it is to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I have installed garage doors before. I still do repairs today for people I know. You need the windup bars, professional ones. I would be shocked if the door has two springs, most trailers have one. Normally 3 to 4 turns per foot height. Winding up springs is the easy part, just have to take your time, and make sure the bars go all the way in. You would be surprised how easy it is to do. Probably is when you have the tools as you mentioned and know what to do. I guess the guy offered to come back for my garage door if needed knowing I don't have the right tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Probably is when you have the tools as you mentioned and know what to do. I guess the guy offered to come back for my garage door if needed knowing I don't have the right tools. Lots of people have been hurt. That is why no one sells the tools to work on the doors, liability I think. Not a job for the regular Joe. I find dealing with the springs was the easy part. Changing out the bearings, end brackets, bottom brackets and putting on new cables is a pain in the butt. If the door is perfectly balanced when it is closed both cables should have tension like a guitar wire. Same thing when the Door is all the way up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinental couch Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I agree with Denis and Sledjunk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhz06 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Would it be possible to put some type of spreader bar between the cables when you need to get the sled in and out that would still allow you to drive over it? I'm thinking something along the lines of a spreader bar with ski guides attached to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techdenis007 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 .... maybe just a hook screwed into either side of the door, to grab the cable onto ... easy peasy .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 If both cables are left in place, I wonder if they can be spread apart - - or will they be too tight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techdenis007 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 There's probably a couple of turns more cable left on the drum, 1 1/2 for sure, and there has to be some extra in case you park on uneven terrain, etc. You'll probably find they're pretty tight to move over by hand, to get slack to move them to a 2nd hook. Take some pics of the cable drum ends when you get it, with the door up and down. We'll easily see then if you can actually move the cable mounting points permanently for the skis to clear, or if the cable will roll up incorrectly onto the drum. No sense losing too much sleep over it now, you've got until almost Christmas before you get it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'm going to call at 9 and see if they can switch to the 6 X 12 size. This will add a foot of width but unfortunately an extra 11 inches of height and 272 lbs of weight comes with it. Has anyone towed an enclosed trailer with a sled in their truck as well? I am going to ask about extending the tongue length. I want to be sure I can have an 11 foot long sled in the truck bed with tailgate down and still tow the trailer. I have a full length truck bed 8 ft plus 2 with gate down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'm going to call at 9 and see if they can switch to the 6 X 12 size. This will add a foot of width but unfortunately an extra 11 inches of height and 272 lbs of weight comes with it Has anyone towed an enclosed trailer with a sled in their truck as well? I am going to ask about extending the tongue length. I want to be sure I can have an 11 foot long sled in the truck bed with tailgate down and still tow the trailer. I have a full length truck bed 8 ft plus 2 with gate down. Good idea on switching the trailer. Extra height will be nice for working in the trailer. 6 feet is less then 8.5 foot I have. If you use a pickup it will push all of the air out of the way and trailer will tow like a breeze. If I tow my 8.5 foot enclosed with a suv, I use 20 percent more fuel then towing with the large v8 pickup, because the suv is not as wide as the pickup and trailer sticks out more on each side. 6 foot won't have this issue. Truck can handle on sled too, no issue there as tongs weight with one sled in a trailer isn't much really. Only issue is having to un hook trailer to get sled in and out of truck. minor really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'm going to call at 9 and see if they can switch to the 6 X 12 size. This will add a foot of width but unfortunately an extra 11 inches of height and 272 lbs of weight comes with it. Has anyone towed an enclosed trailer with a sled in their truck as well? I am going to ask about extending the tongue length. I want to be sure I can have an 11 foot long sled in the truck bed with tailgate down and still tow the trailer. I have a full length truck bed 8 ft plus 2 with gate down. A slightly longer tongue may be a good idea however the placement of the tongue jack could be a problem. If I recall from the video it is an integrated tongue jack on the trailer. This is similar to what is on my wifes horse trailer and I can't lower the tailgate when her horse trailer is connected. The post of the tongue jack is in the way and would hit the tailgate about 2/3 of the way up from the bottom of the tailgate. I believe you will find that the tongue jack on that trailer is about a foot back from the ball. Most of the snowmobile trailers have bolt on tongue jacks that sit further back from the ball and are bolted to the side of the A frame. Most that I see with a sled in the back of a truck with a trailer connected lift the back of the sled and close the tailgate. I saw one guy with a nice new trailer that had a good dent in it. He turned too tight and the sled hit the trailer... something like the guys with a 5th wheel taking out the rear window of the cab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 My tongue jack swivels sideways when not in use. Lowering a tailgate isn't an issue. Don't all new trailers have these! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 My tongue jack swivels sideways when not in use. Lowering a tailgate isn't an issue. Don't all new trailers have these! A lot of cargo trailers in particular don't. The A frame is a true A right up to the coupler and there is a triangular coupler bolted onto the A frame and the tongue jack goes through the middle of the A and is bolted onto the triangular coupler. It's like the tongue jack you find on an RV. They crank up and down with a handle that is on the top of the post but don't swivel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskywizard Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'm going to call at 9 and see if they can switch to the 6 X 12 size. Good call. With this being a decent quality trailer you can bet they've already got the lift cables as far apart as they can and still clear the door flanges. You weren't going to find any safe, cheap and easy fix that was going to let you squeeze those skis by. 6' solves the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave K Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 You can buy a longer receiver for your hitch I needed one for my sled trailer because of the surge brakes, and the lip on my tailgate, as well as my wife's horse trailer. I have also fixed said tailgate before because of a similar jack on another trailer we used to have. When buying new, you should be able to request a different jack to be put on so it swings out. Even if you have to buy it at TSC on the way down and they mount it for you. (It cost me $300 to fix my tailgate, a new jack is only $50-60 or so) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 Thank you all for the great input on this topic. NEO would not widen the cable stance or extend the tongue because they do not want to compromise the trailer. I'm now getting a 6 X 12 without the standard tongue jack. Action Trailers will install a swivel jack which will be fine, given the trailers fairly light tongue weight. If a sled on the truck or the opened truck tailgate gets in the way I will buy a longer drawbar as Dave K suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 You can buy a longer receiver for your hitch I needed one for my sled trailer because of the surge brakes, and the lip on my tailgate, as well as my wife's horse trailer. I have also fixed said tailgate before because of a similar jack on another trailer we used to have. When buying new, you should be able to request a different jack to be put on so it swings out. Even if you have to buy it at TSC on the way down and they mount it for you. (It cost me $300 to fix my tailgate, a new jack is only $50-60 or so) I experienced the same... my wife went off to a horse show with a friend of hers.... came back with a big dent in the tailgate. Her friend opened it and just let it drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manotickmike Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Little late to this, but I bought a 6x10, all aluminum cargo trailer by ATC. Came with torsion axles, screwless walls, 3/8 ply inner walls and barn doors. Torsion adds weight, but the ride is good, doesn't bounce around. The barn doors are much lighter than a ramp. Spec weight for this trailer is 972 pounds. I use a tri-fold ramp with ski guides. I HAD to keep the weight down, as for now, in addition to towing with my RV, I tow with a car, with a capacity of 2000 pounds. Towed fine last year with my Skidoo 700 touring. Brought my Apex Attak home in it. In the "off season" I have chocks for 2 of my dirt bikes, and a 3rd (hers...) goes in backwards between them. We get a "change room" that's 3' x 6" up front with the man door and lots of room for all the riding gear. Couldn't be happier. I've used the trailer numerous times to bring home appliances, the sled lift, but usually it's a garage for the bikes, so I can just hook up and go and have everything already loaded. If Diane commits to sledding and we go to 2 machines, a re-think will obviously be in order, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave K Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Blake, when you go to pick it up, it going the scenic route, and not the 400/401 route, you have to stop in at http://www.annamaes.ca/ for a meal. They may not have butter tarts, (not sure) but they have the best pecan pie, which is really just a larger version of a butter tart. Greast food, all homemade, and really reasonable prices. If not in the mood for pecan pie, you have to try the cheesecakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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