Building a Harbor Freight trailer in Pennsylvania

The Harbor Freight Trailer I built fully loaded.

Last Updated on 6 months by Christopher G Mendla

I purchased a Harbor Freight kit trailer in Feb 2017. Here is what I learned building it and some details on registration, especially if you live in a State such a Pennsylvania

Overview

I was renting trailers from U-Haul for most of my needs. I ran into a problem when I switched to a Ford Explorer because U-Haul would not rent trailers to be used with a Ford Explorer. I could go in with my Mom’s Mountaineer, which the the exact same frame and they would rent to me. I’m not sure if that inane, idiotic policy is still in effect or not.

I looked at the trailers sold by Harbor Freight. With my super-duper membership and a sale price, I got the kit for about $300 or so. The two very heavy boxes fit in the rear of my explorer with the seats down.

Assembly

My son helped me get the boxes into the garage. We started the assembly.  Below is some of the contents of one of the boxes.  We started laying everything out. Unfortunately some of the parts are not labeled but with a little thought it all falls into place.

Unpacking a Harbor Freight Trailer Kit
Some of the contents of one of the two boxes from the Harbor Freight Trailer kit.

The main frame is composed of 2 4′ x 4′ sections. I used a large carpenter’s square to make sure those parts were square.  I also used a compressor and air wrench for most of the assembly. NOTE – I was working in the garage in February. I had to be careful to pre-warm the compressor with a heat gun before running it. I also set up an infrared propane heater. WARNING – using a propane heater in a garage can be risky in terms of fire and Carbon Monoxide. However, the garage is pretty drafty and I’d leave one of the doors open a crack. I have since started using a parabolic electric infrared heater. It seems a bit safer to use than propane. 

NOTE – if you download instructions online, be sure that they are for the exact same model you purchased. I found that there are subtle but important differences between the models. Also, in a state such as Pennsylvania, you need to send the EXACT instructions in when you title the trailer. 

Most of the assembly was a one man job. My son and I worked on it when we had time. However, there were a few steps where two people are definitely needed.  The clips to hold the wiring just don’t seem to work. I ended up replacing them with wiring holders screwed into the plywood frame. Be sure to run the wiring in a way to allow for folding and the tilt feature.

One of the more difficult tasks for me was getting the nuts on the bolts that hold the hitch on. It is a tight space and the cold certainly didn’t help.

Roll out

Finally, I had it pretty much together and rolled it out.

The assembled  frame of the trailer
The assembled frame of the trailer

The Pennsylvania registration nightmare

The next step was to get it registered. NOW THE “FUN” BEGAN. I contacted a title company and found that the trailer was considered an experimental or home built trailer. In order to get it registered in Pennsylvania I would need to:

  • Get it weighed and get a weight certificate.
  • Go to a specialized inspection station

Registering out of state considered and rejected.

I briefly considered registering it in New Jersey where it would occasionally be used. Another option was to register in in Maine which had pretty much of a no hassle, no questions asked registration system. However, if I were ever to be involved in an accident, a shady lawyer might use that against me rendering the insurance useless. So, I decided to go legit and register it in Pennsylvania. .

Getting a weight certificate

I found that our local dump/recycling center would be happy to weigh the trailer and provide a certificate for about five dollars.  The problem was how do I transport it two miles to get it weighed?  If I trailed it, it was unregistered and that could result in a hefty fine (Happened to a friend). I could rent a trailer to trailer it but U-Haul wouldn’t rent a trailer if I used my Ford Explorer. So, I contacted the USS Enterprise. They beamed the trailer to the weigh station and back.  🙂

When I got to the weigh station, I had to show the certificate that came with the trailer.   Funny.. Most of that certificate was in CHINESE. The guy at the weigh station was very helpful and figured it out.  I got my certificate..

Special inspection

Now, I had to get to the Specially certified inspection station which was about 6 miles away. I also heard that there was an officer who liked ticketing unregistered trailers in that township.  Rather than take my chances I called on the USS Enterprise to beam the trailer there and back. The owner of the station checked out the construction and wheels. He also made sure that all of the lights worked.  That was something like $100 if I recall correctly. I had to have four pictures which he had to sign.

Filing for tags

OK , Great. All off mine paper are in ordung!! .  I took the paperwork to the local tag place.  They found the person who knew how to do the homemade trailer registrations. We sent all the paperwork out. NOTE – You need to include the construction manual in the package.

Application – REJECTED!

After about 4 weeks, some government employee in Harrisburg rejected it. It wasn’t complete. I needed to have the floor and sides installed.

Constructing the sides and installing the deck

The deck

My son and I were able to get a 4×8 sheet of 5/8 pressure treated plywood into the back of the explorer. Actually, he did it as he’s a weightlifter. As I was trying to get someone to help us, he picked it up and put it in the truck.

The trailer is designed to fold which would mean two 4’x4′ pieces of plywood. Since I have plenty of room outside for the trailer and no extra room in the garage or shed, I decided to use a 4’x8 piece. My thought was that this would make the trailer a bit stronger. I used carriage bolts to bolt it to the frame thinking that the rounded heads would be better for the cargo. I should have just used hex head bolts as the carriage bolts in plywood are difficult to tighten.

Slats and rear gate

I used pressure treated 1×4’s for the side slats and 2×4’s for the posts. Once again, I had to fit a bunch of 8′ lumber into my Explorer. I kept thinking “Dang, it would be nice to have a trailer”

A couple of notes

  • I used cut off pieces of the 1×4’s as spacers when doing the next levels.  I’d screw them into the side posts until the next slat was through bolted.
  • I used 2×4’s for the posts. Since the brackets are slightly smaller, I had to trim the posts a bit to fit into the brackets.
  • I added a bunch of red and  yellow reflectors to the sides, front and back
  • In order to make the rear gate easily removable, I used D-clips which you can see below through the post holder.
  • Locking hasps with D-Rings seem to make a pretty good connection. I had to play with the hasps to get the right orientation for the 90 degrees.
  • All hardware used washers.
  • The heads on the interior side for the hasps were slightly countersunk
Trailer stakes with a removable tailgate
Closeup of the rear gate for the Harbor Freight Trailer

Back to registration – AKA the nightmare of bureaucracy.

Here is the trailer ready to get re-inspected to satisfy the bureaucrat in Harrisburg.

Trailer ready for inspection photos
Trailer ready for inspection photos

Now, I am back where I was. I could not legally take it to get weighed and inspected again until it was weighed and inspected. I grabbed the communicator and dialed up the Enterprise. Kirk was a bit short with me. Something about trying to save Mining Colony Epsilon 12 from a Romulan invasion.  After a few minutes of whining he broke off from the battle and beamed the trailer to the weigh station, then the inspection station (The SPECIAL inspection Station) then home.  The new documents and photos went back to the tag place.

A couple of weeks later, my shiny new trailer tags had arrived. I bolted them on and was now legal in PA (About 2 months after completing the trailer).

Summary

After all was complete, I tallied up the costs for the kit, inspections, wood and hardware for the wood. Even without considering my time, I would have probably been better off to purchase a used trailer that was already registered in Pennsylvania.

As far as the trailer, I found the kit to be of excellent quality. My only suggestion is that Harbor Freight try to find a way to make buyers aware of the insane registration requirements in PA.

Some idiots demanded speed bumps on one of the roads between my Mom’s house and my house. As with any trailer, you have to take these idiotic bumps at 2 mph unless you want the furniture in the back to be splinterized. That creates some hard feelings with the drivers behind you.

Other things to consider.

  • I added a tongue jack that I re purposed from a boat trailer.
  • Cargo straps and a dolly are helpful
  • I plan on adding some light and heavy duty tie downs.
  • Depending on where you are, a trailer lock might be a good idea
  • At some point, I’ll rig up a full cover to use when storing it.
  • I did not immediately paint the deck and slats. As I understand it, pressure treated wood needs to season a bit. I’ll try painting the deck with a non skid paint in the spring.
  • I used a full 4×8 sheet of plywood for the deck. That prevents folding the trailer but since I keep it outside, I can forego that feature. If I ever need to fold it a careful cut or cuts with a circular saw should fix things. 

Here is the completed trailer with a full load of fine maple furniture.

The Harbor Freight Trailer I built fully loaded.
The Harbor Freight Trailer I built fully loaded.

Update November 2019

I’ve gotten a decent amount of use from the trailer for tasks such as:

  • Moving a bedroom set between houses.
  • Taking a bed and other furniture to my son’s college apartment.
  • Hauling 15 50 pound bags of asphalt cold patch for a pothole (aka tank trap) at the end of my driveway.
  • Getting firewood from a friend’s place.
  • Taking trash to the dump.


Overall it has been a decent investment. Had I known about the byzantine idiocy that I would have to navigate through to get it titled, I might have purchase a used trailer with a good title or even a new fully built trailer.

I found that Krylon Red Banner Gloss was a good match for touching up the frame. After the pressure treated wood had seasoned, I used white semi gloss paint and primer on the deck. I added a couple of coats of clear polyurethane on the sides.

Update August 2023

I was checking my tires and found that they showed substantial dry rot. I replaced the tires. I used one of the tires I replaced and mounted that as a spare.

About the author Christopher G Mendla

I am a full stack web developer, IT Manager, Project Manager, Educator, Technologist and someone who maintains a keen interest in life and the world around me.

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  1. A welded 3000 gvwr trailer from Cabelas was/is about 1300, iirc

    Home build can get much worse vs “trailer in a box deals, ive heard that PADOT wants a receipt for every nut and screw used, so they can tax you for it..

    1. That’s true I when through the same ordeal when I got mine 2yrs. ago in Norristown PA like he said the trailer it’s self isn’t bad but would recommend buying a complete one from Tractor Supply Company for the same cost in the end.

      1. what weight station did you go to? I live in BLue Bell and want to get it taken care of and what was the process like for you and what steps did you take

        1. There is a place near me called Construction Demolition. It’s a waste transfer station. They charge a nominal fee to weigh the trailer and issue a certificate. As far as the actual inspection, I had to take it to a station that was authorized to do that. It was less than a couple miles from my house. The guy did a thorough inspection but was very reasonable. When you take the pictures, take the time to get them right. They are a bit picky about them meeting the requirements. Oh, And don’t lose the manual for the trailer. You absolutely need to send that in with the application.

  2. Thanks for the write-up. Been looking into these now that they have been reintroduced with better specs and they are on sale now to boot. I was under the impression that as long as you were transporting directly to and from for inspection purposes, you could haul it without title. Similar as to driving a vehicle to and from repair facilities for the purpose of inspection when the inspection has expired.

  3. Do any of you know if you NEED to go to a “Special inspection Station” or can it be a regular inspection station. I live in Harrisburg and my regular mechanic said he can do the inspection for me at no charge. However, he isn’t a “special” inspection station on their list. What’re your thoughts?

    1. As far as I know, it has to be a special inspection station. When I checked back when I was registering the trailer, there were only 2 or 3 in my area. Fortunately the nearest one was easy to work with. Your tag place SHOULD know but they don’t do these that often so they might not be right.

    2. Try this link http://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/dvspubsforms/BMV/BMV%20Safety%20Inspection%20Bulletins/enhancedstations.pdf I think that is current.

  4. Do yourself a favor if you live in PA… DONT BUY A HARBOR FREIGHT TRAILER! I did, bought it for $300 and went through the exact same BS as the first post above. The end result, a 4×4 trailer with a final bill of $700. PA has terrible trailer laws.

    1. If I had to do it again, I would definitely steer away from a kit because of the insane Pennsylvania laws.

  5. Thanks for your help and sharing your registration exoerience. Having that information made my registration pricess quivmck and easy! Weighed, inspected, and application all done same say. Two weeks later my tags arrived. Great trailer!

  6. I was wondering if the 3/4″ plywood is required for the decking to get this through the PA inspection and approval process. I would prefer 1/2″. I’m currently in the process of finishing the build.

    Thanks

    1. I >>THINK<< that the requirement is just that it has a deck. Check the instructions for the trailer. If that doesn't specify a thickness, then you should be OK. If I recall correctly, I got shot down the first time because I had no deck. So, I did the deck and side rails and retried.It might pay to check with the inspection station prior.Good luck

  7. Thanks for all the information. I was interested in the Harbor Freight folding trailer but reading these experiences makes me nervous. Anyone know if there are any ready made trailers that fold like the Harbor Freight one that you can buy to avoid these inspection and registration nightmares? My understanding is that in PA trailers with a gross weight under 3000lbs don’t require inspection. The space saving of the folding trailer is the attraction for me. Thanks!

    1. I don’t know of any similar trailers.

      Given the current situation, I think that even if you purchased one, it could be months before you could get it registered and inspected and tagged.

      Good luck

  8. Thanks for your detailed experience.
    It’s necessary to take the trailer to a specialized inspection station every year or the first time for registration only?
    I mean, can I perform the normal inspection in any inspection station the following years?

    Thanks.

    1. As far as I know, it only needs to be inspected one time. After that, all you need to do is maintain the registration.

  9. Hi Chris, I’m going thru this same thing in PA with a HF trailer. Let me ask if you remember, when you bought the trailer at HF, did the store manager sign and NOTARIZE the MCO document? I’m finding notaries that say the MCO needs notarized, but almost no one mentions this step. My MCO is signed but not notarized and this is my problem. Did you have to notarize anything along the way?
    Thanks

    1. Sorry about the late reply.

      I don’t recall anything being notarized at HF. It’s been a while so I could be wrong

    2. Were you able to get the tags for your trailer? I am currently running into the same issue in PA, auto tag place indicates the MCO must be signed and notarized by the seller/harbor freight manager. My MCO is signed, but not notarized currently. I am planning to go back and have it signed by the store manager and have my public notary notarize the signature at the store. Any insight is appreciated! Cheers from Yardley PA!!

      1. I don’t recall needing to get anything notarized but that was a couple of years ago

        It would almost seem that Pennsylvania is deliberately making it increasingly difficult to buy a kit trailer such as from Harbor Freight.

        I think your plan is sound. I’m not sure what other path you could take.

      2. How did this go for you? I am currently in the same predicament. I also bought my trailer an hour away in MD; store manager is going to call my nearest HF and ask them to notarize the MCO but I have a feeling I’ll be making a second hour long trip. A kid checked me out at the front, so not surprised he wouldn’t have known, but irritated at the store personnel…hope to hear it went well!

  10. I bought my kit in 2019 but am just now trying to title and register it. I’m running into the mco dealer notarization issue. I called the store and they said they don’t do that. Not only that, but HF they also said they no longer sell the kit in PA because of how hard it is to get titled. I didn’t plan on making sides at this time. The manual says they are optional. Does anyone know if PA will reject the application without sides?

  11. I wanted to buy one of these kits from the Norristown store last year. It said it was in stock online and when I went there they said they didnt have it and they no longer sell them in PA because of the titling nightmare. I’m still considering getting one because I really want the space savings from the folding feature, but I’d have to find one in NJ. Based on reviews, the quality on these seems to be a lot better than the ready made trailers from Lowes too.

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