We have now had the area prepared where the shop slab is going. Footers have been dug, sides have been formed, rebar and mesh have been installed and the plastic vapor barrier is in place. Next step, pour concrete!
Next up, the slab…
Author: Jan Petri
We Are Building a Repair Shop!
Today, we broke ground to begin building a repair shop. Above is my humble rendering of what it will look like. Right now it looks like this, though:
We will keep you updated about our progress on this project.
More and Better
We are coming up on our first year of serving the greater Orlando area with trailer sales. We have spent much of this first year just getting systems and processes in place to do serve customers who need trailers and trailer parts. Over time we realized that we needed to respond to the demand for service and repairs that was being generated.
Being that our place of business is just up the road from the Orlando landfill, we are presented with lots of service opportunities because a huge proportion of Orlando’s trailers pass by us every day on their way to the landfill. So, we decided to have a robust trailer repair and service business.
We have now hired a service manager. Rodney ably fills this new role for Load Runner Trailers in Orlando. Rodney is a classically-trained pianist who went on to major in jazz piano in college. Not only is Rodney a piano virtuoso, he also excels at repairing trailers. Rodney can take on any and all trailer repairs, including welding and fabrication. If you have repair or trailer service needs, get in touch with Rodney to set up an appointment. If you think your trailer needs warranty repairs, call Rodney to have him check out the issue and advocate for the needed warranty repairs. You can reach him at 407 274-9846 or serviceorl@loadrunnertrailers.com.
Next up: We are building a repair shop!
More Parts
Yeah, that’s right; we’re not the Apple Store… everything isn’t exquisitely laid out
Chargers
Take a look at this: above you see the 20 Amp rapid charger and the versatile solar charger.
If you want to be absolutely certain that your trailer battery never disappoints you, keep it charged. A poorly charged battery will ruin your day–and by extension–your customers’ days. If people count on you to show up and get a job done, or if you count on your dump trailer to dump when you get to the dump, make sure the battery is well charged.
Plug it in overnight. You can’t over-charge it.
But….,
… you can under–charge it, which will lead to hydraulic fluid spillage, undue stress on the hydraulic pump system and possibly a burnt out pump motor.
To avoid these calamities, consider getting the 20 Amp rapid charger pictured above here in the upper
We also carry a very capable solar charger that can be mounted on a toolbox permanently or it can simply be hooked up temporarily to whatever battery needs to be charged.
Balls and Ball Mounts
You’ve heard it, a chain is no stronger than its weakest link. The most commonly installed hitch is a “Class 3” hitch. But what does that mean? The hitch class refers to the gross trailer weight that the hitch can handle. By “handle” I mean, not just the tongue weight, but the actual force that is applied on the ball and ball mount when the trailer is towing, accelerating, and decelerating. Below is a table to summarizes hitch capabilities by class from wimpiest (class I) to beefiest (class V–that’s class 5, you millennials… just kidding). If you need one, come see us. We’ll hook you up!
| Class | Load | Tongue Weight | Examples |
| I | 2,000 | 200 | Bikes, kayaks |
| II | 3,500 | 525 | Small boats, etc… |
| III | 8,000 | 800 | Med. boats, utility trailers |
| IV | 12,000 | 1,200 | RVs, Encl Trailers, Equip trailers |
| V | 20,000 | 2,000 | 7-10k tandem/triple axle trailers |
I hope this helps you understand what kinds of parts we carry. Better yet, come in and say hi and see for yourself. 407 258-32665.
All the best!
Jan
A Trailer is the sum of its parts
We have the trailers; we have the parts!
A trailer is a collection of parts that have been assembled to create a function whole. Some parts break or wear out; or you simply need something new or different. We stock a bunch of parts to meet your needs.
Tires
- 3,500 lbs axles have five lug wheels. They come in two types of bolt patterns, 5-on-5 and 5-on-4.5. If you don’t know which you need, bring the wheel or a good picture of it showing the hub and lugs. Common tire sizes are 205/75R15 and they have six plies.
- 5,200 lbs axles have six lugs wheels. These come in one single bolt pattern and are commonly 8-ply tires. The common size is R225/75R16.
- 7,000 lbs axles have eight lugs. These come in a variety of sizes and load ranges (numbers of plies). The most common size is 235/80R16 with 10 plies (load range E). They also come in 14 and 16 plies. If you want to avoid blow-outs and punctures, get 14 or 16-ply tires. Sixteen ply tires are actually 17.5-inch in size and come in this size, 215/75R17.5
- Bud wheels: If you have dual tandem 10 or 12k axles, you need these tires. 235/80R16 is the size, but the rim is configured to attach to the second adjacent wheel.
Have you ever experienced the following? You load something on your trailer and you strap it down expertly with your ratchet straps. Then, when you get to your destination and you try to undo these straps, you feel like an all-thumbs moron. No matter what you do, you can’t undo the straps that locked your stuff down so easily. Finally, in frustration you bring out the knife and you show those straps who’s the boss: you cut them, and then for good measure, you slice them up some more.
Guess what, now you have buy more straps. Honestly, that works for us; we will gladly sell you straps on a subscription basis, but if you think it makes sense to simply buy the straps once and have them work, consider getting Snappin’ Turtle brand.
Roller bearings. That’s the secret. Snappin’ Turtle ratchet straps have roller bearings in the tension mechanism. Less friction means that when you release the ratchet locking mechanism, the tension in the strap will overcome the friction in the tension mechanism and your ratchet strap will roll off the tension device without having to cut the webbing.
You bought your trailer, you use your trailer, you need your trailer to make a living. Don’t let some criminal schmuck make off with your trailer and its contents. Protect it with a first rate lock.
We have those.
We like locks that can’t be defeated in 40 seconds by a reasonably fit 8-year old wielding a crowbar. We recommend Proven Locks from Proven Industries. They are custom-designed for the particular coupler you have. Made from two interlocking parts and a puck-style padlock, Proven Locks are made from 1/4-inch thick steel. Mr/Ms. Burglar is going to need a an acetylene torch and 12 hours to remove one of these. We have surveillance video of would-be heists where the perp throws him/herself on the ground and pounds the ground in a tantrum over not being able to remove these locks. Not kidding… Actually, I am kidding, but we can easily imagine that this is how would-be criminals react when they encounter a Proven Lock.
We also have other–locks, as it were–if you simply want to present the criminal with a challenge.
To be continued….
Cargo Trailers of All Sizes
Do you need an enclosed trailer? We have ’em. In all sizes.
For what do you need an enclosed trailer?
Are you a handyman–sorry, handyperson–who needs a place for her/his tools? We have 4x8s, 5x8s, 5x10s, that are popular for those purposes. All of these have 3,500 lb single axles. They weigh between 800 and 1,000 lbs, and are rated for 2,900 lbs,meaning that you can load between 2,100 and 1,800 lbs in these trailers. Starting with the 5 x 8s, you can get a side door and a ramp door. In general, you can get any color you want, as long as its white or black…
Are you a landscaper? Do you want to keep your equipment? Then, you need an enclosed trailer. Depending on what type of equipment you have, you can choose an enclosed trailer that fits your needs:
- 6 x 10
- 6 x 12
- 6 x 14
- 7 x 12
- 7 x 14
- 7 x 16
- 8.5 x 14
- 8.5 x 16
We carry all these sizes with rear ramp doors and 32-36-inch wide side doors on the passenger side. We also carry all the specialized racks that you need for blowers, weed-eaters, water coolers, etc…
Need to move a car, tractor, or furniture? Do you need a mobile office, do you have an insulation business, are you going to fashion your own recreational vehicle? Then, you are probably looking for something bigger. We have these too, both as bumper pulls and as goose necks.
- 8.5 x 18
- 8.5 x 20
- 8.5 x 22
- 8.5 x 24
- 8.5 x 28
- 8.5 x 30
- 8.5 x 32
- 8.5 x 36
- 8.5 x 40
The largest bumper pull trailer we carry is 36 ft long. We carry goose necks in 32, 36, and 40 ft sizes. Because a goose neck trailer has a riser that extends over the bed of the trailer, you have to remember to subtract 8 ft from the overall length to get the length of deck.
Amazing deal on equipment trailer
We got our wires crossed when ordering 7 x 18 ft equipment trailers with kicker ramps and tandem 7,000 lbs axles. We ordered three, the factory sent 13! Imagine our surprise–followed by panic–when several tractor trailers arrived stacked with these beautiful equipment trailers. So, I don’t know if that is how it really happened, but we do have them, so help us out…
WHAT TO DO?
Find out how much you can save on these beauties by calling us or stopping by. You’ll be glad you did.
The fact is that we have way too many of these equipment trailers. Our boo-boo is your good fortune. Normally, these trailers sell in the mid-$5,000 range. You can pick up one, two, or more for way less. We can’t guarantee how long we will have these, and when the next (smaller) load comes in, they will be back up at the proper price.
So here’s what you need to do… Get in your truck and come take a look. We are located at 5311 Young Pine Rd, Orlando 32829. You can also call Walt, George, or Jan at 407 258.3266 and make an appointment to see these or any of the other 300-plus trailers that we have in inventory. C’mon on in, we have the trailers that make you money!
The Best Car Haulers
Need a car hauler/equipment hauler that is easy and versatile to use? Are you looking for a car hauler that makes loading easy to use and accepts cars with low ground clearance? If that is the case, you need a tilt deck trailer.
Guess what? We have ’em. We have them with a 7,000 lb single axle, tandem 5,200 and 7,000 lb axles, bumper pull, gravity and power tilt. We have them from 16 ft to 26 ft. A common configuration is to have a 16-ft tilt deck and a 4-ft platform forward of the tilt deck. Other configurations are available as well.
We have tilt decks in different brands as well. We have Load Trail, Top Hat, and MAXX’D right now, right here at our Orlando location.
We even have specialized units like the scissor-lift trailer below. Scissor lifts are great at reaching greater heights, but they are not that good at climbing even the tiniest grades, which is why this trailer is as low to the ground as possible, yet it still has a beefy 7,000 lb axle.
Top Hat makes this clever 18-ft tilt with 3,500 lb axles. Notice, that unlike other tilt decks, on this on the fenders don’t tilt with the deck. The effect of that is that it makes it supremely easy to clear the driver’s door over the fenders because the tilt action raises the car above the fenders.
So here’s what you need to do… Get in your truck and come take a look. We are located at 5311 Young Pine Rd, Orlando 32829. Today, May 27, we have all the above-described trailers sitting on our lot. You can also call Walt, George, or Jan at 407 258.3266 and make an appointment to see these or any of the other 300-plus trailers that we have in inventory. C’mon on in, we have the trailers that make you money!
We have Colors
Load Runner Trailers, 5311 Young Pine Rd has the largest inventory of trailers in Orlando, possibly even in the state. Today, May 24, we have 317 trailers at this location. In addition to our inventory here, we also have 263 trailers at our location in Tampa and 150 in Ft Lauderdale.
We have enclosed trailers, dump trailers, equipment trailers, car haulers, utility trailers, bobcat trailers, and specialty trailers.
Want to stand out a bit more? Want a trailer that has your brand colors? Come see us then, because we carry trailers with colors!
Stop in and see if we don’t have the trailer you need in the color you prefer. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will take the time to help you select the trailer that will work best for your needs and will help you make money! Call now to book a time to select your trailer, 407 258-3266. Ask for Walt, Jan or George.
BIG, HUGE Enclosed Trailer
Check out this big beaut; a 40 ft enclosed goose neck trailer. That’s 32 ft on the floor, followed by a riser and an 8 ft space in front of that. This trailers is black, has triple 7000 lbs axles. It weighs 5,800 lbs, which means that you can load a hefty 19,000 lbs in it. This Freedom brand trailer is backed by the manufacturer’s five-year warranty on structural integrity.
You can definitely put some stuff in this trailer–even tall stuff. It has an interior height of 87 inches, which is 7′ 3″.
We have this and 298 other trailers on our lot at 5311 Young Pine Road in Orlando (32829). Call us, 407 258-3266, George, Walt, Joanne, or Jan will answer the phone and will make your trailer buying experience quick, simple, and stress-free.
Race Trailers
Not only do we have specialty trailers on site, we can get the special, specialty trailer that you need quicker than most any other dealer. Because we are one of the biggest purchasers of trailers for many manufacturers, when we need something, the manufacturers listen and help us out quickly.
Need something special? Give us a call, come check out what we already have or message us through our website. We would love to show you what we have and discuss what you need (or want 😉 ).
Meanwhile check out this beautiful race trailer.
It is 24 ft long, 8.5 wide, has rubber-button floor, ramp door, tandem 5,200 lbs axles, electric jack, extra wide RV-style side door, spider mag wheels, escape door, loading lights, interior LED strip lights, 30-amp service, inverter and two interior receptacles.
Come check out this beauty before someone else does and buys it! Meanwhile, take a peek here.
The Brute is Here–and gone!
(April 12, 20149) This is the ultimate equipment trailer. Well, it really is, but it has already sold. That didn’t take long….
Load Trail makes the best in the business and this is the “mostest” that they make. It has 12,000 lbs Dexter, oil bath axles, electric over hydraulic brakes (essential if you actually want to come to a stop with a full load when you need to–and not just eventually if you instead have just electric brakes).
It has a low-profile, pierced frame and best of all, it has an hydraulic dove, which means that you can make use of the full 40 ft, not just the 35 ft of the deck, excluding the 5 ft dove where the mega ramps usually sit.
The 9 ft hydraulic dove can lift a beastly 10,000 lbs and will allow you to make quick and comfortable work of loading and unloading. No more hefting of mega ramps or slide-outs. If nothing else, your back will thank you for this convenience. Sure it’s more money to have the hydraulic dove, but if you don’t get it, you’re going to spend that money anyway–with your chiropractor and/or orthopedic surgeon.
Come take a look at this beauty. It is sitting at Load Runner Trailers, 5311 Young Pine Road, Orlando, 32829. You can also call us at 407 258-3266, and we will tell you the same story. By the way, we also have one that is 32 ft long.
We are George, Walt, Joanne and Jan. We know trailers and we carry Load Trail, Lamar, Spartan, Top Hat, MAXX’D, Freedom, Covered Wagon, Empire Taylor, Barrentine and more brands. We offer excellent financing opportunities that don’t carry pre-payment penalties. We will help you find the right trailer for your needs so that you can get out of here quickly and easily and put that new trailer to use to make money!
The Pieces and Parts Needed to Tow a Trailer
Hitch it up and go.
That’s all it takes, right? Stick a ball through the back bumper, drop a trailer on to that ball and drive away. No worries…
Well, not quite.
A competent hitch system is made up of several components. Let’s explore what goes into having a tow system that will do the job and do it safely.
The components
To safely hitch a trailer to a vehicle, you need the following components:
On your vehicle you need:
The hitch
The hitch is the component that enables and creates the connection between the trailer and your vehicle. It is bolted to the frame of the vehicle so that it forms a stable and strong connection. All the forces of towing, accelerating, braking, tilting, and more that act on the vehicle as a result of towing are carried and absorbed by the hitch. It is important to get the correct kind of hitch for the type (weight) of towing that you are going to do. Hitches are made grouped into five classes with 1 being the lightest and 5 being the heaviest. Most trucks are set up with a class 3 hitch.
The ball mount
A ball mount–as the word strongly implies–is the piece to which you attache the trailer ball on which the trailer coupler is attached. Two important things are drop and weight capacity.
Drop refers to how many inches below the receiver the ball mount sits. Common distances are 2 -10 inches, and usually available in 2-inch increments.
The ball
The ball is the connection between the trailer and the tow vehicle. Trailer balls come in three principal sizes or diameters:
1 7/8
2
2 5/16
Two and 2 5/16 are the most common sizes and pretty much all trailers 12 ft in length and over have couplers that require a 2 5/16 ball.
The ball is secured to the ball mount with with a large nut and a lock washer. A 2 5/16 ball with a 1 1/4-inch shank will have a nut that takes a
1 7/8-inch wrench and if it’s a 1-inch shank, the nut will require a 1 1/2-inch wrench.
At Load Runner Trailers in Orlando we can install hitches, swap out ball mounts and trailer balls, install brake controllers, hitch systems, and much more. Give us a call at (407) 258-3266 to find out what we can do to make your trailer experience easier and more profitable.
How to Tighten Lug Nuts
Trailer wheels come in three common configurations:
- Five lug nuts: 3,500 lbs axles
- Six lug nuts: 5,200 lbs axles
- Eight lug nuts: 7,000 lbs axles and 10,000 lbs axles
The basic objective when attaching a wheel to a trailer axle is to ensure that it stays on. Watching one of your trailer wheels separate from the trailer and roll off into a ditch–or heaven forbid–into an oncoming car is both fascinating and terrifying at the same time (emphasis on terrifying for the gal/guy in the oncoming car).
So how difficult can that be?
Not very, but you should still do it the right way. Lug nuts should actually be tightened in a specific order to ensure that they stay snug to the wheel equally and securely.
So what is the right way?
Funny, you should ask… Here follow three easy-peasy diagrams that show you how to properly tighten lug nuts.
Trailer Safety IQ Test
Take this quick test of your trailer safey IQ.
Instructions: Read the question, think hard about your answer and then:
If your answer corresponds to option 1, slide the blue button to the left
If your answer corresponds to option 2, leave the blue button where it is.
If your answer corresponds to option 3, slide the blue button to the right.
Good luck, Einstein!
Safely Towing a Trailer
Safety is important to us because we love repeat customers. Chances are, if you disregard all safety precautions and get yourself hurt–or worse–not only will your family and friends be upset once there less or nothing left of you, we will have lost a potential repeat customer. And that hurts.
So, don’t be a dummy; use common sense and these tips to make sure that all your trips that include trailer towing, are as safe as you can make them. Here follow nine tips on how to make your trailer towing as safe as possible. This post will be followed by many more on all aspects of the fine art of getting you and your cargo there safely.
- Don’t do stupid stuff. Sure, we all push the envelope every once in a while, but if it’s going to cost you a day’s revenue, or more, because you damaged your trailer, please think again. We have some really cool new trailers coming this summer, and we want you to be able to come back and buy one (or more).
- Hook it up properly. Are your hitch, ball mount, ball, and coupler all rated for the weight you are carrying? Chances are you are spending all your good luck on a trailer connection that is not properly rated.
- Make sure your tow vehicle is up to the task. You simply can’t tow a 14,000 lb trailer with a Smart car. It won’t work. I promise.
- Know how much your trailer can carry. Sure those axles look sturdy. I know your crazy Uncle Butch loads his trailers with twice as much weight as those weenies at Load Runner Trailers say they can carry, but we promise you, he’s making it up or he doesn’t know pounds and tons.
- It really does matter whether your brakes work or not. This is no joking matter: your trailer brakes are hugely, bigly important. Remember: a body in motion tends to stay in motion. If you hit the brakes on your truck and the trailer behind it isn’t also activated to slow down, you are going to experience panic and you will endanger yourself and everyone with you/around you.
- Your trailer lights are not just there to give law enforcement something to do if yours aren’t working. Trailers need marker lights and all the signal lights to properly communicate your navigational intentions when driving. Once you’re towing a trailer, the vehicles behind you can’t see the signals on your vehicle. If those signals aren’t replicated on the trailer, we have, what in the movie “Cool Hand Luke” was called a “failure to communicate.”
- Take care of your trailer tires and carry a spare. Trailer tires are made of rubber and are filled with air. In essence they are ruggedized balloons. They can wear down, deflate,puncture, explode, and are especially likely to do these things if you don’t own a spare.
- Trailers are not engineered for high speeds. Just because your chipped, 699 horse-power Super Duty can do 160 mph with your 32 ft gooseneck in tow, doesn’t mean that the synapse that fired off that notion should be heeded. The reason is simple: your trailer and its tires are not designed for speeds in excess of 75 mph.
- Axles are sturdy, but they are not perpetual motion machines. Load Runner Trailers carries trailers equipped with the best axles in the industry, Dexter and Lippert. Still, if you don’t take care of them, they will lie in wait for the most strategically awful opportunity to fail in order to wreak painful revenge on you for not taking better care of them. That said, unlike a metrosexual who requires facials, massages, spa days, counseling, and yoga to get through his day, axles only require a shot of high-quality bearing grease every two to three months to serve you unflinchingly and flawlessly.