Day 632 – USA (CALIFORNIA): Great idea but…

Nothing quite like leaving everything to the very last minute. We are experiencing some major issues with the trailer at present, and I’m leaving tomorrow night. Ouch. This is going to be a cliff hanger.

Kirk and I made an early start on getting the longboard trailer into shape. We spent most of the morning driving around aquiring the various required parts. U-bolts, nylon webbing, nuts, bolts, washers…once all was together, the construction began.

I couldn’t help but think that the likes of Peter Sanftenburg (Rollsrolls owner and creator) and Dave Cornthwaite (UK Rollsrolls distributor) would be having kittens if they saw us ripping into a Rollsrolls deck, making it into, of all things, a trailer:

The Rollsrolls deck becomes a trailer in Redondo Beach, California, USA The Rollsrolls deck becomes a trailer in Redondo Beach, California, USA

The Rollsrolls deck becomes a trailer in Redondo Beach, California, USA The Rollsrolls deck becomes a trailer in Redondo Beach, California, USA

The Rollsrolls deck becomes a trailer in Redondo Beach, California, USA

The reality is, the Rollsrolls deck makes a fantastic trailer. It’s nice and stiff, really lightweight, and being so narrow, it doesn’t get in the way of my foot as I push the front board.

Once we got the whole thing together, I strapped on all my gear. The first impression was not good. As soon as I turned, the trailer flopped over on its side. Even at relatively slow speeds, the trailer was very unstable. The culprit? The rear truck is too narrow. Not wide enough. It’s narrower than the load itself, so naturally even the slightest amount of sideways force is enough to push the trailer off balance. A moderate side wind would even be enough.

Kirk and I decide that what we need is a really wide truck at the back. Like a mountain board truck. If we had a week worth of time to order one of the internet, we’d be fine. Problem is, it is Sunday tomorrow. And I leave in the evening. How to find a shop that sells mountain boards, that has spare parts? It is not going to be easy.

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