Help with choosing a trailer type...

Hi all,

Sooo... I thought I was going to have to buy a shed because I was adding an ATV to the garage, since I live on the trail, and I sold my old one last year. (I also added a commuter car) Anywho, turns out everything fit, it's a bit squished, but I am now thinking an enclosed trailer might be a better idea since it would store if needed, and haul. FYI I do have a hilly driveway, downhill if that makes a difference.

I have never ever towed a trailer, nor have I ever wanted to after seeing what happens when one comes off and goes through someone's windshield. As a first timer I am wondering if an enclosed trailer would be too much of a hassle and learning curve, as I have no idea how to back up a trailer, or use trailer related features on the truck. Another option is just buying an open trailer, either way I am thinking like 8 x 10 at most, maybe slightly smaller. I would be using it to tow the ATV for rides and for service, as well as the ride on mower and snow blower for service.

Looking for advice and some pros and cons of both types from those of you with trailer experience. I do have friends that will def help teach me the ropes in person, but I am just wondering which one would be better, and if the enclosed is really much more of a headache.


Thanks,

T

 

If you're not worried about weather, open utility trailer with an attached ramp is a good idea. Can serve as multipurpose too for hauling yard waste, larger HD/Lowes runs, etc.

Backing a trailer is all about taking your time. I will say LARGER trailers are actually easier to maneuver while backing (Has to do with the distance the wheels are from the pivot point aka hitch).

I have a 4x8 HF trailer that is actually pretty handy. Got it incredibly cheap of FB marketplace and fixed it up quite a bit for no cost really just my time. Only downside to mine is I have removable ramps, not a tilt gate ramp on the back. The 4x8 fits a quad, but it is tight.

Sometimes smaller trailers are hard to see behind our big trucks, so I added some white PVC poles to the back for visibility while backing up.

If I had to do it again, I would likely go with a slightly larger 5x10 or 6x10 open utility trailer just to get a little extra space and the attached drop gate.

Here is mine for reference (midway through some upgrades)! Good luck!

 

If you’re going to store your atv in it to free up some garage space, enclosed. But like Evan says, open trailer is more versatile. Get a larger one than you think you need. Backing it up takes practice but it’s not too hard to figure out.

 

Doesn't really answer your question but I would hesitate to store anything of value in the trailer if you go enclosed unless you have really good security on your property. Too easy to steal.

As to your question, I had relatively minimal experience towing a trailer before I bought my camper. I think you should be ok with either one. You may want to find a big parking lot and practice backing. You could also see if your local AAA does RV driver training like ours does.

 

The downhill driveway isn't going to be a problem unless your trailer starts getting over 1,500 pounds. I have a long, steep gravel driveway and I have no worrys with my 6,000# travel trailer going up or down. If you think you will be heavier than 1,500# consider a trailer with either hydraulic surge brakes like the Uhauls have or the more common electric brakes.

I too have a 4x8 Harbor Freight trailer left over from my Honda Element days that still gets used for making limestone runs or whatever doesn't fit in my 5.5 bed. Open deck works for me since I have enough storage space the trailer gets stored in my extra garage but if I needed additional storage space for my ATV, an enclosed trailer tall enough to stand up inside would be my choice. If I needed to make a gravel run I'd rent a trailer for the day.

If you have any concerns about a larger enclosed trailer blocking your rear view there are many wireless cameras available. Mine cost about $150 from Amazon. Worked fine for my pulling my travel trailer.

 

@trucksareforgirls2 you could always get a front hitch as well and push a trailer back until you are comfortable.

 

My $.02 is this. If you are going to purchase a trailer purchase the trailer a little bigger than your needs. I pull a 6' x 12' open utility trailer, single axle for my Honda 4-wheel ATV. It is more trailer than needed for that task, but I can't tell you how many times I have used it for more and filled it up. Better to have and not need, than need and not have. Good Luck.

 

I have an Aluma 638 trailer I bought to haul 2x motorcycles behind a CRV with a 1500lbs max towing capacity. It did the trick actually, it's incredibly easy to push around off the vehicle since it only weighs 300lbs. But then I bought a Highlander, read it had 5k towing capacity, and wanted more space for 3x bikes, and liked the sound of enclosed, so I picked up a 7x14 SA enclosed.

Yeah. That didn't go as planned. Just because the payload and trailer combined was only about 4k lbs, shy of my 5k supposed capacity, lol that Highlander suspension was not up for the task. Airbags didn't help. And that V6 was screaming with it behind it empty even. I tried various routes for loading up and ensuring I had the right balance over the axel and it just couldn't be done.

Sold the Highlander, bought my Tundra, and sold the 7x14. Oh man, it was soooo easy to haul that 7x14 with the Tundra though, hardly even felt it was behind me. Still have my little Aluma trailer so I can still haul all three bikes at once if I want.

Moral of the story is: the Tundra will absolutely take care of your needs here, the questions are - how much money do you want to throw at this, and do you really care about the enclosed space or not? It is very nice to have enclosed for when you want to keep other stuff in it - say, etrack on the walls for tons of extra storage even when hauling your ATV. But you'll have a hard time beating the price on an open utility trailer to simply move the ATV around. I wouldn't go smaller then a 6x10 on either open or enclosed, personally.

I hope to pick up a deal on a 7x14 or 7x16 enclosed tandem someday so I can do motorcycle trackdays with ease, move most of my motorcycle maintenance and shop stuff into the trailer so I can finally get my truck into the garage, but haven't caught a good deal yet. I got lucky swapping out the 7x14 SA I had, there was a while that trailer prices were crazy and I only lost the price of tax on that little foray.

 

Picture of stupidity for posterity: a 7x14 with 7' height single-axel enclosed trailer, on a good-looking minivan... er, Highlander lol. At least you're starting off with a proper vehicle for towing!

 

Go with a nice used 6*12 enclosed tandem axle. But only if you can keep it secure. Numerous ways to do this and you can watch all of them on YouTube. If you buy it right, chances are you can get all and maybe even more money back if/when you sell it. If you are hauling palletized or crated items you would want an open deck over, small tractors, equipment, cars, you want a flatbed lowboy. Backing up is not a problem, when/if you get a trailer just head straight to the nearest church parking lot and practice. Don't forget it is behind you ever, don't forget to carry a spare, watch YouTube and learn about trailer wheel bearings and trailer brakes, make sure the lights work and maintain them. Don't worry too much about the thing coming loose, use the right size ball on the drawbar and make sure it stays tight, use safety chains and a break away switch with your hitch. Keep a good break away battery on the trailer. Balls are in three sizes, match up with the three sizes of couplers, don't ever try to cheat this! You can check out e trailer website and YouTube for a bunch of things that I have mentioned. Keep it simple and stay rural while you get some practice. You got this and can do it. Also don't forget take widened turns, watch overhead clearance, and you might benefit from stick on blind spot mirrors as well.

 

Regardless of what kind of trailer you get, for the most part, I can tell you a single axle trailer may bounce around quite a bit more than a double axle. At least, that's been my experience.

 

Should be pinned as a stickie.

 

Just a little quick advice for the newbie! I could write a book, but I don't want to overwhelm the person.

 

Thanks, I appreciate all the input. Will def do some serious research and learning.

About 17 plus years ago, while working as an EMT, I had a call on the highway for a person injured after a trailer came loose and went through her windshield. She wasn't just injured, she was killed instantly, so since then I have been VERY Leary of ever towing a trailer, but I really need one. I am hoping the info I am learning will help me be safe and never cause harm to someone else.

That trailer had come off of a person's car, the person that owned the trailer left it on the side of the highway and notified the state PD, who then requested a tow truck. The tow company showed up with a regular tow truck, the state cop told the tow driver to not tow it with that since it had already come off the owner's car, and to wait for a flat bed tow truck. The guy didn't listen, and he put it on the tow tuck and of course it detached on the highway and well you know what happened next...

T

 

Yeah, that’s when you just get to work on the job at hand. I can’t tell you how many accident scenes I’ve been on. I can’t recall any where the trailer was the cause.
Trailers were involved but not the cause.

 

Wholly smokes! Very unfortunate! Hence the reasons I listed adequate safety chains and a break away system in my post. Redundancy simply matters! Your story reminds me of a time a moped was hanging by a come a long on back of a motorhome in front of me while in the center of 3 lanes of congested 60 mph traffic. I was on the phone with 911 dispatch to get it resolved when it came completely loose and up over the cab it sailed. The whole event was on a miles long older bridge stretch with no emergency lane and no shoulder leaving folks with absolutely zero room to escape. Not sure what all happened, but I was never asked for more information or to testify about what had occurred. One reason I specifically said tandem axle in my post is because that second wheel and tire can be just enough to save the day. That said, beware sometimes one blowing out can almost instantly blow out the other one as well, not often though. Good luck and good on you for taking the time out to learn about how things work and how to make an honest attempt at being safe.

 

BTW there are kits for monitoring tire pressure and temperature of your trailer. Much like TPMS in your truck. When going a long distance I use one.

 

Hey,
Just one more question, and that is, if I choose an enclosed will I need to add tow mirrors to my Tundra?

 

Not exactly, it's sort of a preference, experience, usage, frequency of usage, etc. thing. Personally, I like tow mirrors and also have added 3" round stick on blind spot mirrors. Really depends on what you can make work best. That said, Tundras look sexy with tow mirrors. In fact, I have an extra set of manual folding OEM version that I could potentially let you borrow for a period of time and if you like them you could just have a new set shipped to me. The ones I have are basically new, traded my OEM factory mirrors for them so I would have extra in case I need em. PM me if you want to try and see what we could agree on. Good luck!

 

I tow a 23' long by 7'6" wide trailer. I bought a set of

$72 K Source 81300 Towing Mirror

K Source 81300 clip on mirrors and hardly even look in them.

 

I think Enclosed you would probably benefit from them. Open trailer, likely not. If you go anything over 6’ wide you’ll benefit. Anything under you won’t need them in my opinion.

for reference, I bought the 1A Auto tow mirrors and love them:
https://www.1aauto.com/2014-21-toyota-tundra-driver-and-passenger-side-2-piece-mirror-set/i/1amrp01768?f=1074674&y=2021&gclid=Cj0KCQiAic6eBhCoARIsANlox84fur_cUoJ1aIwczEm0onWsjwJ4jlDRYO7pSNAmn7Wr-hk774bwbm0aApVaEALw_wcB

They have a set with an amber lenses but I opted for the black.

 

As others said, you may not necessarily need them but I love my Boost Auto mirrors, even when I'm not towing.

 

Thanks everyone for the great info!!

 

PLEASE remember, just dropping the tongue on the ball does NOT mean it is hooked..

Case in point your story of the wrecker losing a trailer...SAFETY chains are just that; to protect the load but also those around you..

Locking clasp on trailer chains should be LAW ,not those dam slip over j-hooks...

And I LOVE your idea of "training" to tow & back-up....Some Boys that can back a semi-lowbed into a tight job space have a hard time backing a

small trailer into a driveway.

 

Much easier to jack knife a shorter trailer than a longer one.

 

Amen too that.... Con loves watching me TRY to back up a small trailer.... Plus , when I try to cheat and use the rear window instead of

my mirrors... holy follow the snake path

You can give me a 30' tag trailer hooked onto a tri-axle any day before giving me an 8' box trailer behind my Tacoma or Tundra and blind

backing my dump trailers into a golf course bin....... Those days gave me plenty of repeat customers