P1000 Aluma Trailers and E-Track

[StewB]

I have an Aluma 6812H - it has a 3,000# axle with brake flanges. Was fairly cheap to add e-brakes.
I really like this set up and as mentioned above, at 690#, you can move it by hand. In Utah, you don't have to register trailers under 700#. Saves $120 a year over my last trailer.
For tie downs, I bolted D-ring mounts through the deck and secured to 6" square metal plates underneath.
The D-rings are about 3 feet apart and a foot in front of the tailgate. I use straps from the D-rings and around the rear suspension.
In front, I use one strap from the suspension and looped around the tongue.
I can't add pictures of the tie downs as the trailer is buried in 18" of snow. But here's my Teryx4 on the trailer.

 

[Admin]

 

[jeffasweet]

I have an Aluma 6812H - it has a 3,000# axle with brake flanges. Was fairly cheap to add e-brakes.
I really like this set up and as mentioned above, at 690#, you can move it by hand. In Utah, you don't have to register trailers under 700#. Saves $120 a year over my last trailer.
For tie downs, I bolted D-ring mounts through the deck and secured to 6" square metal plates underneath.
The D-rings are about 3 feet apart and a foot in front of the tailgate. I use straps from the D-rings and around the rear suspension.
In front, I use one strap from the suspension and looped around the tongue.
I can't add pictures of the tie downs as the trailer is buried in 18" of snow. But here's my Teryx4 on the trailer.

View attachment 314101

You were able to add the brakes without changing the axle, interesting, and good idea. Wonder if I could do that to this one?

 

[StewB]

You were able to add the brakes without changing the axle, interesting, and good idea. Wonder if I could do that to this one?

The "H" in Aluma's lineup is for heavy. This one says 3,500# torsion axle, but 2,990# GVWR. If it has the heavier axle, it should come with the brake mounting flanges already attached. If they're not already there, the sales rep. said they could weld them on and install brakes.
If I drove an F350/3500, I wouldn't have worried about it. But as shown above, my tow vehicle is a 4Runner. I don't have all that much vehicle weight in front of the trailer and I go down I-80 in Parley's Canyon quite a lot. The "80" is for the average speed.
You'll be enjoying a fast downhill bobsled run, then come across a traffic jam on a corner. The ebrakes make a big difference.

 

[denone]

Just picked up a 2023 Aluma 7712H on Friday. $4100 before taxes and tags and was probably lucky to get it at that price considering how crazy prices are. I will take the e-track from my other trailer and move it over to this one.

My wife will pull it with her Explorer so need to add electric brakes yet. I checked and it already has the brake mounting flanges.

 

[jeffasweet]

Just picked up a 2023 Aluma 7712H on Friday. $4100 before taxes and tags and was probably lucky to get it at that price considering how crazy prices are. I will take the e-track from my other trailer and move it over to this one. View attachment 314133My wife will pull it with her Explorer so need to add electric brakes yet. I checked and it already has the brake mounting flanges.

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Nice deal, curious why pulling with an explorer makes a difference on your electric brake decision?

 

[Scoop]

Just picked up a 2023 Aluma 7712H on Friday.

JAN of 2022 and they are selling 2023 model trailers?

 

[Farmer]

Glad somebody brought this back up..... I was hoping to see the OP's install picks..... A few things stopped me from using the etrac....

1. Steel hardware and aluminum don't play nice together. SS hardware would get $$ if your going to do it right.
2. There's like a thousand crossmembers under these aluma's to either hit or avoid.
3. Etrac is kinda set in stone. What happens if you switch models/upgrade to a different width etc??? You really gonna drill a bazzilion more holes in your aluminum deck?

I ended up buying over the wheel bonnets vs all the above drama.

 

[denone]

According to Ford owners manual the Explorer requires electric brakes towing above 1500 pounds. I guess they just don’t have the brake capacity for these heavy beasts.

 

[denone]

Glad somebody brought this back up..... I was hoping to see the OP's install picks..... A few things stopped me from using the etrac....

1. Steel hardware and aluminum don't play nice together. SS hardware would get $$ if your going to do it right.
2. There's like a thousand crossmembers under these aluma's to either hit or avoid.
3. Etrac is kinda set in stone. What happens if you switch models/upgrade to a different width etc??? You really gonna drill a bazzilion more holes in your aluminum deck?

I ended up buying over the wheel bonnets vs all the above drama.

I just looked under the trailer and it does look like a real pain to add the e-track. I think I will abort that idea. That would be a bazillion holes in a new trailer and no turning back from that.

 

[denone]

JAN of 2022 and they are selling 2023 model trailers?

Doesn’t seem right but that is what the paperwork says. Aluma must be really ahead of the times.

 

[Farmer]

According to Ford owners manual the Explorer requires electric brakes towing above 1500 pounds. I guess they just don’t have the brake capacity for these heavy beasts.

Yeah, I gotta pull her manual out tonight and check ours.... its a 2013 sport ecoboost...... I'd like it if she could pull the wheeler while I pull the popup with my truck.

 

[PJon]

Reviving an old thread. I'm looking at purchasing an Aluma trailer and adding more e-track. The dealer had originally installed it around the outside edges of an Aluma 7712 Tilt, but that is too wide to get them directly under the tires, so I figured I'd install two more strips at the width of the tire centers on the LE/SE model (what I'm likely going to be ordering, anyone have measurements on tire centers?). The dealer said they welded them on, which sounds better to me than having to drill and bolt. Does anyone see issue with this? If not, I'll have them install another set spaced for the P1000 tires. For the Mac tie-downs above, are most folks ordering the Medium size?

Here's the trailer with e-track, there's one running horizontal at the front as well.
View attachment 314071

Seems to me that your Aluma dealer (salesmen) is/are misinformed. The Aluma deck is aluminum. I have never heard of welding steel (e-track) to aluminum. If there is aluminum e-track available, it wouldn’t have the strength for tying down a side by side. Bolting the e-track down would work well. Just be careful in your positioning. There are a few places on the bottom of the deck that you can’t get to. Your pioneer has different width tires front and rear and if you just use 2” wide straps, you’ll need to get the straps in the center of the tire. Centers of front tires should be 54” and centers of rear tires 52”. The stock machine is 63” wide. The safest setup would be using the Mac tire baskets then set your E-track centers at 53” front & rear. With this setup, if you decide to change tire widths or rim widths at a later date, the tire basket setup will still work well

 

[PJon]

Doesn’t seem right but that is what the paperwork says. Aluma must be really ahead of the times.

I noticed the same thing. Bought my trailer in Dec 2020 and it’s titled as a 2022.

 

[Vikes79]

Congrats on the purchase, the price of a steel trailer compared to full aluminum trailer is right around 1/2 in my area.

you can get a 12’ big Tex for $2900…equal sized aluma trailer is about $6300. Just checked a local dealership website

at $4k you did alright.

if buying new, I’d have a hard time today buying an aluminum one at current new price difference I am seeing locally. Just simply not enough weight (fuel) and maintenance savings over the life of the aluminum trailer vs buying two steel trailers.

it’s gonna be a hard crash on trailers and campers….

 

[StewB]

Congrats on the purchase, the price of a steel trailer compared to full aluminum trailer is right around 1/2 in my area.

you can get a 12’ big Tex for $2900…equal sized aluma trailer is about $6300. Just checked a local dealership website

at $4k you did alright.

if buying new, I’d have a hard time today buying an aluminum one at current new price difference I am seeing locally. Just simply not enough weight (fuel) and maintenance savings over the life of the aluminum trailer vs buying two steel trailers.

it’s gonna be a hard crash on trailers and campers….

I had different math given my circumstances.
Previously had a steel tandem axle trailer with 1,700# dead weight.
My Aluma weighs around 600# and doesn't have to be registered.
I was killing my 4.0L 4Runner with the extra weight, but even my 4Runner is oversize to park in my work garage (which is socially engineered to make you drive a Fiat or ride the bus). I don't think I can park a truck in my work garage without pinstriping things.
So I either had to buy a more expensive trailer, or both a truck and a Fiat 600 for commuting.

Still trying to convince my wife that I saved money by buying a more expensive trailer.

And to continue what others said, I bought my 2017 trailer in mid 2016, so the company's still running ahead, and the price really has gone up to $4k. Just one more reason I saved money buying a more expensive trailer. 👍

 

[Scoop]

I noticed the same thing. Bought my trailer in Dec 2020 and it’s titled as a 2022.

I just bought my all aluminum 7x14 enclosed in NOV 2021 and it was/is a 2022, which I would expect.

Dang ... by 2040, you'll be able to buy a 2047!

 

[lowrider]

Wow...I feel guilty buying a 3,500 lb 7x14 steel with a ramp and new lumber on it for $1.200. It needed some paint and a quart of Rust Bullet solved that and I put new tires at $175 and a set of bearings and Bearing Buddies.

 

[Scoop]

Why feel guilty, @lowrider? You were likely the smartest one of the bunch.

 

[StewB]

Congrats on the purchase, the price of a steel trailer compared to full aluminum trailer is right around 1/2 in my area.

you can get a 12’ big Tex for $2900…equal sized aluma trailer is about $6300. Just checked a local dealership website

at $4k you did alright.

if buying new, I’d have a hard time today buying an aluminum one at current new price difference I am seeing locally. Just simply not enough weight (fuel) and maintenance savings over the life of the aluminum trailer vs buying two steel trailers.

it’s gonna be a hard crash on trailers and campers….

Agree with you on trailers and campers. I'm saving my scratch with the hopes the crash is even bigger with decked out Sprinters.

 

[PJon]

Agree with you on trailers and campers. I'm saving my scratch with the hopes the crash is even bigger with decked out Sprinters.

When I bought my Aluma 6812 with bi- fold ramp, it was right at $3,000. Then added a spare tire (Aluma) and mount and with the sales tax (high in Arizona) the whole thing with a permanent tag and registration was just under $4,000. It sure tows nice and is a lot faster loading and unloading with the Erickson tie downs. Couldn’t use them on my old heavy steel trailer. The only tie downs that were safe on it were basket type for use with stake pockets.