Trailer repair welding in Meridian, Idaho
A trailer breaks at the tongue, the fender, the ramp or the deck, and it always breaks the week you need it. I come to where it's parked and weld it back into service.
Where trailers crack, and why
The tongue. Most tongue cracks start right behind the coupler or where the tongue meets the frame. That's where the whole load bends every time you hit a dip. A hairline crack there grows every trip. If you see rust bleeding out of a seam near the coupler, that's a crack.
Fender brackets. Fenders vibrate. The little brackets holding them crack, the fender starts to flap, and then it tears the side rail. Cheap to fix early. Expensive after.
Safety chain loops and jack mounts. Often just tacked at the factory. They break off and you find out at the gas station.
Deck cross-members. On older flatbeds the cross-members rust from the top down under the boards. The deck feels soft before anything looks wrong.
Ramp hinges. Ramps get dropped. The hinge pin bores egg out, the hinge plates crack, and the ramp doesn't line up anymore.
How I fix a cracked tongue
I don't just run a bead over the crack. I grind it out to clean metal, drill the end of it so it stops running, and weld it through. Then I fit a gusset plate on each side that carries the load past the repair. The tongue ends up stiffer than it was. If the crack is behind a coupler that's been welded before, or the tongue tube is rusted thin inside, I'll tell you it's time for a new tongue section. I can build and weld one in.
Steel or aluminum
Most utility, equipment and stock trailers are steel. Boat trailers, snowmobile trailers and a lot of enclosed cargo trailers are aluminum, and aluminum needs different equipment and a different approach. I do both. Read the aluminum welding page if yours is aluminum, because the photo you send me matters more.
What I need from you
- A photo of the whole trailer and a close-up of the break.
- Whether it's been welded before.
- Where it's parked and whether I can get the truck next to it. A trailer at the back of a full lot takes longer.
- Unhook it or block it. I'll be under it.
What it costs
Visits start at $95. A broken chain loop or a fender bracket is close to that. A tongue with gussets on both sides is more, and I'll price it from your photo before I come out. It's a fraction of a new tongue assembly and you don't lose the trailer for a week.
Trailer work is one of my most common welding repair jobs, and I do all of it on site with the mobile rig. Stock and flatbed trailers on farms are covered under farm equipment repair, same truck, same day.
Before you call
Is a cracked trailer tongue safe to tow to you?
Don't. A cracked tongue can let go at highway speed. That's the point of the mobile rig. I come to where it's parked.
Can you weld my trailer's axle?
Axle tubes, no. A welded axle is a liability. Spring hangers and mounting brackets on the frame, yes, and those are what usually break.
Do you repair enclosed cargo trailers?
Yes, the frame, the tongue, the door hinges and the ramp. Aluminum skin and framing is aluminum work. See the aluminum page.
Can you add a spare tire mount or a toolbox bracket while you're there?
Yes. Small add-ons are cheap while the truck is already set up. Mention it when you call so I bring the steel.
Tell me what broke
Send a photo and a few details and I'll call you back with a price and a day. Or just call, Monday through Saturday, 7am to 6pm.