Trailer full of frozen rubble

Four steps forward three back. The trailer was stripped of all planking, sides, gravel and wood chunks. So I took the jeep over to pick it up. On one jack stand the weld was broken. Still held up by the secondary stand.  I carefully backed the jeep into position. Then I tried to lower the jack. It was toast, It would not lower.  No pressure big snow storm coming tonight. The welder only had time right now, thirty miles from here.

So I put the primary jack back into the half broken weld, safety pin now missing and gingerly lifted the trailer. If it dropped there would be no way to pick it up. I kicked the broken stand out, it fell into two pieces. I slowly lowered the trailer onto the hitch. It wouldn’t lock into place. A kick here and a shove there, finally the comforting click and clunk. The trailer was locked in. After finessing the safety chain on, one side two long, the other too short, I took a moment for a deep breath and a quick sigh.

I rolled down the highway on my way to the welder. I pulled into the shop the bay door closing behind  over forty feet of trailer and jeep.

After some studying and the gathering of tools, the new jack stand was being welded into place. He got up and studied the jack and realized that he had welded it at a slight angle. I told him not to worry about it today.

I knew I would be back. I asked him if he could cut away the mangled fenders. I knew there was some rust damage under there. After an hour of cutting and welding I was ready to go. The welder stopped me and said ” I have to fix that. It looks terrible.” He was speaking about the stand.

” I have the time if you do.”  Was my reply. After using a level on at least two sides he cut the fresh weld with a grinder and re-positioned and re- welded the seam. I would be able to remove the trailer from the Jeep when I got home. (Although I was too tired and sore to get it of the Jeep. Still have cracked ribs)

I paid the $105 bill,  and got an estimate for repairing the rotted metal. It was going to be six hundred to fix the problem. That wasn’t going to happen this week. Jeep payment coming out Monday and credit card payments coming after that.

I will find some money somewhere to pay for the repair. It is what I do. With the fresh snow now starting to fall and the wind picking up, I have time.

Rod