Utility trailers, any bad ones?

[Rock Crawler]

I'm shopping 7K gross tandem 6.5 and 7 for wide by 14 and 16 foot long utility trailers.

Lamar, Quality Trailers, Sure Trac, Gator Made....

I realize that are a metal rectangle with round tires on the bottom.... But Quality Trailers does a dovetail.

Some do full wrap frames to the axle while others do full frame to the first crossmember only.

There are angle iron upper rails and there are full tube upper rails.

There are set back jacks, and not set back.

There are LED/sealed/in frame harness lights, and there are old school exposed wires with standard lights.

So all of these things are easy enough to compare. What isn't is weld quality, steel quality and general frame squareness and able alignment. That's the secret unknown.

Do any of you have any insight?

 

[RickB]

In 2004 I bought a 7000 lb car hauler style trailer. It had a coupler rated for 5000 lbs which never caused any problem, but it pissed me off when I noticed the rating stamped in it.

 

[Tompet]

Of the photos you posted, I really like the iron bull pictured (going to look that up) and the little taper of front deck.

I have a few trailers and if this is for your tractor etc. 16' would be absolute minimum and I have one tractor about same as your setup. I have an Appalachian trailer 7k car hauler, 18' dovetail, brakes on both axles and swing up jack ( keeps jack from dragging on low trailer). It does tow well.

What I should have got was the 20' 10k size. Having a different (cheap 14') prior to this Appalachian it was a nice step up with rear slide in ramps, led lights and tapered front. It's already 8 years old. What sold me on this brand was 16" wide ramps with plate on ramps for a smooth surface to load small tire equipment. Ladder ramps suck for that purpose!

Like a lot of things quality comes with a cost when you start to compare brands you can see it. Check out Corn Pro. I'm not sold on powder coat for trailers, but having said that, verifying a good paint job (I.e. prep and primer) is worth checking into too.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Of the photos you posted, I really like the iron bull pictured (going to look that up) and the little taper of front deck.

I have a few trailers and if this is for your tractor etc. 16' would be absolute minimum and I have one tractor about same as your setup. I have an Appalachian trailer 7k car hauler, 18' dovetail, brakes on both axles and swing up jack ( keeps jack from dragging on low trailer). It does tow well.

What I should have got was the 20' 10k size. Having a different (cheap 14') prior to this Appalachian it was a nice step up with rear slide in ramps, led lights and tapered front. It's already 8 years old. What sold me on this brand was 16" wide ramps with plate on ramps for a smooth surface to load small tire equipment. Ladder ramps suck for that purpose!

Like a lot of things quality comes with a cost when you start to compare brands you can see it. Check out Corn Pro. I'm not sold on powder coat for trailers, but having said that, verifying a good paint job (I.e. prep and primer) is worth checking into too.

The Iron Bull 102" drive over is the car hauler that I'm going to buy, I've already made that call.

219 Iron Bull 12"x22' Wood Deck Car Trailer 999# GVW * 12" DECK * DRIVE OVER FENDERS | Best Choice Trailers & RVs | Locations in Pittsburgh & Harrisburg Area

The smaller landscape style utility trailer is my dilemma, but I think I'm going to go Lamar because the 7,000 gvw is 1525 lbs verses the other brands are all done amount heavier up to the heaviest Quality Trailers that is 2,250 lbs empty.

I'm not going to use it as a car hauler, I want to be able to pull with my wife's 2016 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk V6 with the 4,500 rated MaxTow package that gives 4.10 gears, oil/transmission/steering coolers and factory class 3 frame hitch. That way I can hail yaks, canoes and camping stuff and even the 2,000 lb mule with her Jeep.

For heavy stuff, the Iron Bull and the Ram it the F350 diesel can go to work.

 

[s219]

Lots of good brand landscape trailers. Normally you can tell by looking at them and paying attention to the welding, the size of the steel, the paint job (avoid powder coat), and the wiring. I remember looking at 3-4 brands when I was shopping for my 7x16 and all were good. Ended up buying the brand my Kubota dealer sold since it had a couple nice features. Been a great trailer. My trailer weighs 1600# empty.

I do plan to re-deck it soon, or at least replace a few of the boards. After 7 years there is some rot, but I have abused those deck boards through usage, and by leaving bulk materials on the trailer for weeks at a time. Come to think of it, I still have a couple buckets of crusher run on there from December....

 

[fried1765]

I'm shopping 7K gross tandem 6.5 and 7 for wide by 14 and 16 foot long utility trailers.

Lamar, Quality Trailers, Sure Trac, Gator Made....

I realize that are a metal rectangle with round tires on the bottom.... But Quality Trailers does a dovetail.

Some do full wrap frames to the axle while others do full frame to the first crossmember only.

There are angle iron upper rails and there are full tube upper rails.

There are set back jacks, and not set back.

There are LED/sealed/in frame harness lights, and there are old school exposed wires with standard lights.

So all of these things are easy enough to compare. What isn't is weld quality, steel quality and general frame squareness and able alignment. That's the secret unknown.

Do any of you have any insight?View attachment 594060View attachment 594061View attachment 594062View attachment 594063View attachment 594064View attachment 594065View attachment 594066View attachment 594067

Do pay heed to the advice from s219, in post #5.
AVOID powder coated trailers if at all possible!
I have a 20' equipment trailer from Quality Steel & Aluminum.
Best bang for the buck, but has that nasty powder coating.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Do pay heed to the advice from s219, in post #5.
AVOID powder coated trailers if at all possible!
I have a 20' equipment trailer from Quality Steel & Aluminum.
Best bang for the buck, but has that nasty powder coating.

I bought a Quality Trailers (out of Ohio) today. With a spare tire, dovetail, 7K tandem, full wrap, 2 rear loading supports, 7'x16', reinforced ladder ramps built in to the rear ramp, spring assist rear ramp.

Out the door with tax and added accessories was $3,180. I'm very happy with my choice.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I'm working hard on the Olympic WaterGuard wood stain and sealer. I decided to add a color to it with the Woodland Cedar transparent stain. Supposed to provide 3 years of protection on decks, so hopefully I'll remember to apply something again in 3 to 5 years.

I still need to weld on the rear loading supports. Likely will get to that tomorrow, my back is killing me!

 

[Industrial Toys]

Funny, I just saw it mentioned above. YES, AVOID a POWDER SCAB trailer. What a poor quality process!

 

[oldballs]

But Rock,

You said in post #4 that you were going to buy the Iron Bull. What changed your mind, if I may ask?

I've got a equipment hauler (11,680 GVWR rated) that is 20 years old....is on its third deck now. And with regular linseed oil treatments, the decks rot pretty quick due to hauling gravel from the quarry etc.....like S219 noted. I am not hauling gravel with this last deck....I hope.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Rock Crawler]

But Rock,

You said in post #4 that you were going to buy the Iron Bull. What changed your mind, if I may ask?

I've got a equipment hauler (11,680 GVWR rated) that is 20 years old....is on its third deck now. And with regular linseed oil treatments, the decks rot pretty quick due to hauling gravel from the quarry etc.....like S219 noted. I am not hauling gravel with this last deck....I hope.

Cheers,
Mike

Oh, sorry... You misunderstood me. I was looking at/for a pair of trailers.... This is the small/light 7,000 gvw that I can pull with my wife's 2016 Cherokee Trailhawk with the Max Tow package that gets 4.10 gears, the Transmission and engine oil coolers, factory class 3 hitch, trailer sway control and 4,500 towing ability. So I can attach this 2,000 lb trailer and put calling gear, kayaks, canoe and firewood on and we can go. I can also use this trailer and the Jeep to haul the 2,000 lb mule.

But I can also load my B2650 or Mule Pro on it and attach it to my trucks and go as I please...

But the Iron Bull 102” wide deck is for getting down and nasty with my Jeep. My current car hauler is 19 years old and has seen far better days, and with a 109" width.... I really just want out of that thing and into something nice, new and that is not a rolling federal offense!

I'm still buying the Iron Bull, just not today... Give me a month or two to sort out some finances seeing as how I've spent about $10,000 in the last week in free cash and my wife is starting to tense up pretty noticably

 

[cathy liebchen]

we have Big Tex trailers for the smaller ones, Hooper for the bigger equipment trailers. We use equipment trailers instead of car haulers. And on the smaller trailers, ones with solid metal sides. Much more versatile than the ones with the open rails.

No one ever wished they had a smaller trailer

 

[Rock Crawler]

I agree completely. Always jump at least 2 sizes larger in trailer than what you think you can get by with. That way it will only be to small once in a while.

My old car/Jeep hauler is a 24.5' long deck by 109" wide.... That's called being spoiled!

 

[Stimw]

I bought this 16' trailer used, damaged for $500. It was racked and dog tracking about 2' out coming home.
I also built the bulkhead on the front which is so handy for many things.
I have had over 2000 lbs on top of bulkhead and tailgate. Also hauled tubing 24' with no problems.

 

[RandyT]

Something that isn't normally known about the landscape gates is there are normally only rated for 1000#. Some of the heavier built trailer have 2000# ratings, unless you get into the equipment type gates rated for several thousands pounds like was is found on trailer rated for 10000# and up.

 

[Rock Crawler]

2 ft. dove tail with spring assisted gate, wrap around channel tongue, radial tires, rubber mounted sealed beam lighting in enclosed light boxes, conventional wiring with gel filled connectors.
GVWR 7000 lb. – Capacity 6000 lb. with 1000 lb. Hitch load
***Ramp Capacity 4500 lb.***

Treated wood deck

Standard 2 ft. dove tail

82″ between fenders

3500 lb. braking axles with 4 wheel brakes

Double eye spring suspension

205/75 R15 load range C 6 ply rating Castle Rock Radial tires

3x3x3/16″ angle frame

3x3x3/16″ top rail

3″ channel cross members

4″ channel wrap-around tongue

4 ft. full landscape gate (spring-assist standard)

2 5/16″ A-frame coupler

Top wind jack

Tear drop fenders with backs

Steps in front and behind fenders

Stake pockets, self charging break away kits, safety chains, skip DOT reflective tape, and all rubber mounted sealed beam lighting, conventional wiring with gel filled connectors

Primed, 2 coats of automotive grade acrylic enamel, pin striped

 

[Rock Crawler]

I did make a late night video last night. Dang it, am I tired!

Smouse Trailers, Quality Trailers 16x7 utility trailer review. - YouTube

 

[Rock Crawler]

So today I am on my way to breakfast at 8 am, yes I slept in I'm sorry. after breakfast I'm going to Rural King and I'm going to buy weld on D rings and I'm going to run 8 weld on D rings down each side and four across the front header. I'll buy vht epoxy paint to repaint the areas where I weld and also to repaint where I weld the rear support stands on to the frame underneath. Then while I'm at worrell King I'm going to buy a couple handfuls of bolts for stock. they have the best prices around for bulk fasteners, so every time I'm there I like to walk out with at least 5 to $10 worth of paired sets of bolts nuts and washers to put in my Benz. I do that because if I need a bolt that ends up being an hour and 20 minute round-trip to go get a $0.50 bowl, because of that ice talk a lot of chemicals and a lot of hardware at my place because I just don't have time to run back and forth to buy things on an as-needed basis. as usual I'm driving down the road using voice to text so if this is a little bit messed up, I should be able to look at it later and fix it when I'm not driving.

 

[s219]

Something that isn't normally known about the landscape gates is there are normally only rated for 1000#. Some of the heavier built trailer have 2000# ratings, unless you get into the equipment type gates rated for several thousands pounds like was is found on trailer rated for 10000# and up.

Yep, that is a good point, and even the ones with higher ratings can have a big caveat -- it usually assumes the load is over the reinforcements, hinges, or "faux-ramps" welded into the gate frame. If you are going on the ramp arbitrarily, the rating may not apply.

One of the things I liked about my trailer was the gate construction, with closer spacing for the cross members. But I also bought a separate pair of equipment trailer ramps (from a member here who swapped out for aluminum ramps, due to weight). With those, I can position the ramps to exactly match the wheels on my tractor. I absolutely would not use the gate for my L3200, but with ramps it's a non issue. And the ramps hook in a track on the rear of the trailer, so they can be positioned to any width and be secure.

 

[CornettoTrifecta]

I just picked up a Quality Trailers gooseneck last week as well, first load yesterday. From all appearances it will be a good trailer. 20+4 14K GVWR, 4400 unloaded weight.