I had to get my trailer out about 3 weeks earlier than normal because I will have to pick up my new mower. I got stuck on an ice patch while turning from behind my garage and the truck slipped backward. *CRUNCH* It folded a nice crease in the quarterpanel and popped the plastic trim piece.

I would like to at least pay this thing off before tearing it to pieces. I'm going to have to learn to do autobody repair.

*ouch*

I learned long ago to buy the hitches with three ball mounts so I could limit the trailer radius.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I learned long ago to buy the hitches with three ball mounts so I could limit the trailer radius.

I'm interested.

If you are not experienced in body work I would not advise you to try to learn on you're new truck. Bite the bullet and have it professionally done. Do it yourself is always noticeable to the dealer or the next potential buyer and it will devalue the vehicle by more than what it will cost you to have it done by a decent body shop.

quote:

Originally posted by lastmanstanding:
If you are not experienced in body work I would not advise you to try to learn on you're new truck. Bite the bullet and have it professionally done. Do it yourself is always noticeable to the dealer or the next potential buyer and it will devalue the vehicle by more than what it will cost you to have it done by a decent body shop.

I don't plan to ever sell this one. I'll drive the wheels off of this. If i get 20 years out of this like I did the last one, I'll be more than satisfied and probably ready to retire.

If there is any break in the paint get it fixed sooner than later. If you have broken the electrocoat layer on the metal under the paint it will rust out under the paint. You will start to see bubbly paint and your screwed by then. If it's a nice new truck get it fixed, whether you or a professional but don't leave it.

Paint doesn't just look pretty it protects the car

quote:

Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
If there is any break in the paint get it fixed sooner than later. If you have broken the electrocoat layer on the metal under the paint it will rust out under the paint. You will start to see bubbly paint and your screwed by then. If it's a nice new truck get it fixed, whether you or a professional but don't leave it.

Paint doesn't just look pretty it protects the car

Yes, I put a nice slice in the paint. I am going to get it fixed. I'm just feel like a total idiot.

I feel your pain...

About 3 months ago I backed my almost new Jeep Gladiator into my 2016 F-350. The F-350 is usually kept in another location so I had a brain fart.

Surprisingly my new insurance company, Erie, said I did NOT have to pay any deductible and when my renewal came around it only went up by about $40...

Years ago my driveway at my old house was covered in maple leaves after a sever rainstorm while I had been at home depot in my truck.
Well my old driveway was a hard incline to get out of and I whipped in with that Dodge D250 I had and tapped the brakes.
Nothing! It slid all the way down the driveway in I slammed into my Suzuki Samurai, pushing it INTO the house.
Ugh. I repaired everything myself.
Including the bent Suzuki.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I learned long ago to buy the hitches with three ball mounts so I could limit the trailer radius.

OK, you gotta help a poor boy out.
I googled "hitches with 3 ball mounts", and I can't see how that would help mark123.

I jackknifed my trailer and the bed side was re-skinned. When talking with the claims adjuster he told me of a client who did the same then backed up and hit the other side of the truck too.

I'll call today to see what my deductible is and decide if it makes sense to file a claim. This will be my first claim with Erie.

quote:

Originally posted by Muddflap:

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I learned long ago to buy the hitches with three ball mounts so I could limit the trailer radius.

OK, you gotta help a poor boy out.
I googled "hitches with 3 ball mounts", and I can't see how that would help mark123.

Maybe he's talking about something like this:

I have no idea how I'd even hook that up though.

Marzy, how about some pics?

It was an old RV sway control hitch I picked up.

I removed the sway balls and put tractor pins through them to limit the turn radius.

With fairly minor damage I usually just go to the no-name shop(who I trust) & ask how much for a ‘90% repair’. That’s a repair that will be unnoticeable to the naked eye, from the unwashed, casual observer.

Most any body shop can do much more than the shade tree mechanic with making things better. An estimate never hurts, is free.

Mark, I have never seen anything like that, but I guess it makes sense.

Mars, ok, I understand.

I can see the advantage of having 3 balls, but couldn’t figure out how it would help with jackknifing.

Please keep any jackknife away from the balls!

You are not alone.

My PWC trailer is very short and likes to jackknife. The amount of corrections to make down the boat ramp when a bunch of pandemic induced crazy folks are on your ass to get done is mind blowing and stressful as fuck.

At home my 'hood is alley fed so driveway/garages are in the back. I have a carport back there so let's just say backing the trailer into the garage is just not going to happen. I pull into the alley right behind my house, then disconnect the trailer and manually push it up an incline into the garage. It's the safest way. Parking the truck takes being very careful so backing up a small trailer that likes to jackknife is nigh on impossible.

So end of summer I unhook the trailer. Start pushing it up the driveway (takes every muscle in my body). PWC is 800 lbs + the trailer so got to be 1000 lbs. I can feel the strain in every muscle in my body as I do this. I mean it takes all the physical effort you have in your body. Well I'm pushing it up and there is a nice lip on my garage floor from the driveway. Trailer starts going the other way, and I'm trying to stop it. I end up punching a single plank or piece of wood out of my neighbor's raggedy ass fence. He was understanding. And it was one piece of wood so literally a 60 second job to bend the nails and hammer it back to the fence. Neighbor told me the fence was an old POS and they had been putting off replacing all the wood. Thank God he was understanding and I was mortified because I do everything I can do be a good neighbor and not disturb or affect others.

Well neighbor gets new fence installed, really nice fence. After many years of that thing falling apart they finally replace it. The next day I said fuck it, and fuck this. I'm going to tear muscles, end up in my ortho's office again, or give myself a heart attack. Ordered a parkit360 the next day. I finally got it (backordered) late last year. I was hooking up the trailer, while it was still in the garage and pulling it out but even that is daunting as the angle to get into the alley and straighten it out is challenging. Now any time that trailer is touched, the parkit360 motorized/electric trailer dolly will be used. Now my problems are limited to the boat ramp.

At first I thought no way am I paying this money for an electric dolly. Now I view it as it's worth its weight in gold.

quote:

parkit360

Well, that's pretty friggen fancy. I may have to look into that but not until I get a new trailer.