Dos Oquis

Hi John,
Congratulations on your new Escape. Here’s a couple of thoughts on starting out trailering for you. To weight the trailer itself and your whole rig you can pay to use the CAT scale at a truck stop. Other ways to get it weighed are local landfills, grain elevators, quarries. They’ll usually do it for free if they are not busy. You’d pull on the scale, weigh the whole rig, pull off and drop the trailer, pull back on with just your tow vehicle. Do the math as they say.
Second. If I were you I’d buy or maybe you have a small bottle jack and a few pieces of treated lumber about 6X6 to spread the Jack point pressure and lift the trailer by the frame, not the axle. I’d put the stabilizers down once the trailer is up for
A safety cushion. Jack the trailer up in a level, hard surface. The harbor freight torque wrench in 1/2 inch with a lug nut socket and extension will allow you to torque your nuts. I would not use the torque wrench to change the tire. I’d use a tire wrench or 1/2 inch breaker bar and extension. Adjusting the brakes is not hard once you know how to do it. Sometimes it’s hard to relate to new trailer owners, as I’ve been pulling trailers for 55 years now. You’ll get good at it , just take your time and use your head. We don’t get down Oklahoma way very often but do enyoy rallies and traveling with our Escape. Feel free to PM me if you have questions. We will be at the Escape rally in May. If you are going to get up into our country sometime, let us know. Best of luck always
Iowa Dave and Rita
Atkins, Iowa