Years of reliable service doesn't come without a price. And in the case of our 18-foot Carson flatbed trailer, that price typically rears its ugly head in early spring, just before the busy jeeping season begins. Last year we serviced the trailer's four drum brakes, wheel bearings and wiring arrangement. This time around we're swapping in a new premium set of tires, installing a clever little moisture-resistant housing and greasing the wheel bearings to ensure long service life. As with any project vehicle in our arsenal, the Carson Hauler sees regular use, and sometimes even abuse, yet thanks to regular attention, it's always standing by for our next task, whatever that may be.
During a recent tire test session, our Carson Hauler made our day out much easier, allowing us to transport the Teal Brute to Northern California's Cow Mountain Recreation Area. Nothing beats the piece of mind that comes with having a reliable way to get your rig home from a day of hard wheeling.
 Inside, a retaining spring...  Inside, a retaining spring staked to the base secures documents for piece of mind. This handy little water-tight housing is a great place to store a copy of our insurance paperwork as well as the trailer registration in this handy little water-tight housing. |  The Bearing Buddy product...  The Bearing Buddy product is a must have for anyone that tows regularly. In the simplest of terms, the product allows an otherwise sealed bearing spindle to be greased by simply removing a dust cover to gain access to a greasable zerk fitting. Bearing Buddys are available at just about any auto parts retailer across the country. |  As you can see from this photo,...  As you can see from this photo, the General TR tread design is ideal for foul weather use and short off-highway jaunts. We think these tires present the perfect balance of sure-footed grip and classic long-life ribbing to aid us with whatever we happen upon the way to and from the trailhead. |
 We try to pump a few squirts...  We try to pump a few squirts of grease into each of our Carson's four Bearing Buddys every few months. Grease is cheap protection when you think about it. |  We stumbled into this handy...  We stumbled into this handy little unit at a local Napa Auto Parts store. It was found in the trailer supply section next to trailer-related lighting products. Basically, it is a moisture resistant document holder with a see-through cover. A permanently adhered gasket keeps whatever you put inside it dry and safe. |  We contacted our friends at...  We contacted our friends at General Tire to see if they offered a trailer tire that would last more than 50,000 miles. Our inquiry was answered with a set of 285/85/R16 General TRs. These tires are super-durable with extra-deep tread blocks. The tread design is rated for mud and snow, yet features five semi-solid long wear ribs to help our trailer track straight as an arrow. They are load range E-rated and built from a cut and chip-resistant compound. |