Multi-use trailer Opinions?

[LMychajluk]

We're looking at trailers for various uses, but don't really have the room to store more than one.

Ideally, we'd want this for:
1) Use w/ a Polaris Ranger SxS UTV
2) Occasional Car Hauler (rarely...)
3) Occasional 'Utility Trailer' (material runs at HD, etc...)
4) Occasional Tractor Hauler (Kioti CK3510se w/ Loader & Backhoe, filled tires, ~6k lbs.?)
5) Occasional hauling of rental equipment (Skid Steer, Mini Ex, etc...)
6) Maybe some light hauling around the property (pulled by the Ranger or tractor?).

I'm thinking an aluminum equipment trailer, rated for 10-12k, with stake pockets so we can make some wooden side rails would be almost ideal. I'm thinking if the trailer itself is in the 2k-2.5k lb range I should be able to stay within the weight limits of the tow vehicles. My biggest question is - would this type of trailer be completely unsuited for any of the things we'd like to use it for?

For reference, something like one:
Low Profile

Or, I'm kinda liking this full-tilt style:
Custom All-Aluminum Trailers, Truck Bodies, Boxes For Sale | Alum-line
(Not a lot of details on specs, though...)

The low deck and low weight of the examples above are key points to me.

Thanks for any opinions!

 

[i7win7]

Get power tilt, you can load 2 pieces of equipment. Ramps are a PITA. Can't find it now but, I've seen photos of flatbed power tilts that go up to a 40-45 degree angle - useful for loose materials.

 

[4570Man]

Get power tilt, you can load 2 pieces of equipment. Ramps are a PITA. Can't find it now but, I've seen photos of flatbed power tilts that go up to a 40-45 degree angle - useful for loose materials.

Tilts add a lot of weight and double the cost to save a few minutes with ramps.

 

[Reb954]

Tilt beds can make life interesting when in snow or icy conditions too.

 

[LMychajluk]

Tilt beds can make life interesting when in snow or icy conditions too.

Probably won't be using it much in the dead of winter, but good to know! I was more interested in the tilt for loading the tractor w/ attachments, but a beaver tail w/ ramps on one of the low-boys doesn't look like it'll be too much of an issue either.

 

[coobie]

Low profile trailer with spring loaded assist ramps.EBY makes a fine trailer.

 

[CADplans]

Multi use?? I had a flatbed trailer, sold it, and bought a 10X6.5 foot dump,, that was 20 years ago,,
The guy that sold it to me (new) said it was designed to move a skid steer, and haul materials.

Move a car? a local guy will do it with a rollback for $45,, I ain't hauling a car,,

The dump has done 100% of what I have needed,, and saved my back in the process.

2000 pound each culvert headwalls

 

[hslogger]

It looks like you are fixin to go top drawer first time. If you have the dough, get tilt steel or aluminum, your choice, and I would favor a tilt with a solid deck up front. A hydraulic damper as opposed to no cylinder is no fun at all. I've had a few trailers and never could swing the first cabin job but that's what I would go for.

 

[Tomtint]

I have a few trailers that I use for all the same reasons you posted. What I can tell you is that my low profile full tilt is the one I most often use. It's easier, faster, and just less hassle than my ramp trailer. The deck needs to be shoveled off in the winter..but they all do.
Mine is a Downeaster 20' 10k steel full tilt. If I had it to do again, I would get a galvanized or aluminum 12k with a stationary section in the front ..not the full tilt. And fork pockets on the side to store them when I'm not using them.

 

[LMychajluk]

Multi use?? I had a flatbed trailer, sold it, and bought a 10X6.5 foot dump,, that was 20 years ago,,
The guy that sold it to me (new) said it was designed to move a skid steer, and haul materials.
...

I think a dump trailer has too many issues for what i need. Among them:
- One large enough to haul the tractor (16' min) will probably be a HD and be >4,500# empty and over 10,000# with the tractor in it, which will be more than I want to haul. I could possibly go aluminum dump, but that's still 3000#+ empty, and probably pretty $$$.
- Tricky to load tractor due to the deck height. Skid Steer / Mini Ex not so much? Low-profile dumps seem to have their own issues.
- A 4500# trailer to haul around a 1000# SxS seems like overkill and a waste of gas. (Unfortunately, it's too wide for gate on the cheap Uhaul Util Trailers....)
- Can't be used for a car, and I don't know anyone that will tow a car 100+ miles for $45. Heck, I don't even think they'd load the car on the flatbed for less than $75.



If anything, I may consider buying a small dump trailer down the line (but again, I don't want to have to store >1 trailer...), but I also have fairly easy access to places that rent them if I need to.

 

[TimberXX]

personally i use uhauls when towing cars. but then i only do it every year or two. the skid and mini ex are hard, how big of a unit are you thinking of renting?

how big is your utv? a utv may struggle pulling a tandem axle moderately loaded off road.

maybe something like this, the sidess are partially built., 2 Sure Trac 7x14' Tube Top Aluminum Utility Landscape Trailer 7# GVW * ALUMINUM WHEELS * BI-FOLD GATE | Best Choice Trailers & RVs | Locations in Pittsburgh & Harrisburg Area

 

[LMychajluk]

personally i use uhauls when towing cars. but then i only do it every year or two. the skid and mini ex are hard, how big of a unit are you thinking of renting?

how big is your utv? a utv may struggle pulling a tandem axle moderately loaded off road.

maybe something like this, the sidess are partially built., 22 Sure Trac 7x14' Tube Top Aluminum Utility Landscape Trailer 7# GVW * ALUMINUM WHEELS * BI-FOLD GATE | Best Choice Trailers & RVs | Locations in Pittsburgh & Harrisburg Area

Towing a car would actually be pretty infrequent (unless I get back into car club events at the local tracks), so that's more of a nice-to-be-able-to. I was thinking I might be able to use the trailer for cleanup when trimming trees now and again, but that's not critical either (the Ranger XP 1000 only has a tow rating of 2,500# anyway...). I suppose I could tow it with the tractor, but then I'd have to un-hitch it to load it if I'm using the loader.

I would have more of a need (these days) to rent a SS or MinEx for when I can't do what I need with the tractor (Hydraulic hammer or power rake w/ a SS, or digging in close quarters w/ a mini-Ex), or the occasional lawn / landscape tools (self-propelled aerator, dethatcher, stump grinder, etc...) or tractor 3pt attachments (I have ~2 acres of lawn that I'm trying to maintain). I'd limit the weight of any rental equipment to ~6,000lbs, which is roughly what the tractor weighs w/ the loader and backhoe. Being able to transport the tractor to help out friends on occasion or take it to the dealer for service would be nice, and I have a few places I know of to ride the UTV for fun if I can get it there (a couple of times / year). Also, being able to bring home a pallet or two of materials would be nice as well.

The trailer you linked to has a GVWR of 7000lbs, which wouldn't cut it for the tractor. I'm looking more at a ~10k weight rating for the trailer - I'd limit my actual total towed load to ~9,000lbs at most (~6,500lb max load + trailer). The trailer will live outside as well, so I'd prefer an aluminum deck over the wood for minimal maintenance.

@Tomtint - I like the idea of the fork pockets!

 

[4570Man]

My 1100 pound wood splitter is a pretty decent load behind a side by side. A 2500 pound or more empty trailer plus any load is way to much for a SxS.

 

[Fallon]

I have a 14k 22' deckover power tilt. 4k lbs just sitting there. Easily pulled by my former Toyota Tacoma for runs with a light load. About 450lbs of tongue weight empty, which is probably close to the top end of a UTV.

Deck goes to 30 degrees maybe. Enough to be slick in the rain or snow. Not steep enough to dump anything.

Deckover means its tall. Combine tall with the steep deck angle & it's not as easy to load a tractor on. If you are just hauling a tractor, get a lower deck gravity tilt. But the lack of fenders means no width limits for tractor or impliments. You can also load non-tractor stuff over the side easily. No fenders or rails or lips to get in the way.

It's all tradeoffs. I'd go the same again I think if I had to do it over. I mostly move the tractor with impliments. But when I haul non- tractor stuff the benefits of the deckover make up for loading the tractor on a steep deck.

I previously had a 16' gravity tilt. Easy to load a tractor on. A huge pain to load any thing else due to fenders & a lip all around the deck. Also didn't work well with my wider flail mowers hitting the fenders or sitting crooked on the lip. It got replaced because it was to short. But went for more universal loading benefits when I did. Still miss the low deck & low loading angle at times though.

 

[Aquamoose]

Start making friends who have different trailers (and equipment & attachments). I have a guy who owns a 16’ equipment trailer and he can use my dump trailer. Another had implements I can use. Been an easy trade and we’re respectful so it pays to find the RIGHT friends.

 

[crazyal]

When you say side by side, I assume you mean towing your side by side, not the side by side towing the trailer. Is it a lack of room why you don't want two trailers? It seams to me that for your tractor you need a 10k trailer. if it's mainly room you could store a much smaller trailer on top of the bigger trailer when neither is in use. I have several friends with 10k trailers I borrow on rare occasion and find that towing one empty sucks. They bounce like crazy and are noisy. I can't see a side by side adding enough weight to one to smooth it out. Maybe a torsion axle (vs leaf spring) might be better, never owned one. I never got around to it but I did buy an older 2000lb trailer that I'm going to remove the deck, widen, and put two channels for the tires so it'll hold my side by side and pretty much nothing else. But it'll be very light and basic. Which will mean easy to store (possibly standing up).

 

[Renze]

I built a lowbed trailer with 1 foot high aluminium sideboards, foldable all around. Because aluminium ramps are popular among thieves and set you back 800 euro, i had my neighbour saw me some 2.5x12" planks from notchless Douglas fir.

I broke one once, because i exceeded the 2 ton axle load when wheelieing up the ramps with the biggest stump under the backhoe arm that the 3pt lift could carry. A replacement cost me 35 euro and an evening of work to put the galvanised steel hook part back on.

My trailer is 2.05x4.20m, or 7'-10" x14 feet, has 195/50R13 tires for a deck height of 62cm or 2 feet 1 inch.

I built a tilt bed trailer for my brother but i never liked the clatter of the deck on the towbar. There was just no latch that could make a jolt free connection, so i decided to make a fixed drawbar, and foldable jackstands on the back so a tractor or car on the ramps doesnt lift the back of the tow vehicle

In fact, the foldable jackstands enable me to disconnect the trailer and engage parking brake, fold down the front board and use the tow vehicle to pull a stranded car on the trailer. I dont need no dang winch ! Electric is a bunch of money for collecting mostly friends cars, and manual winches are just rubbish.

If i need to haul dirt, i have a tractor drawn 7 ton three sided tipper, you never haul dirt far, so the tractor is fast enough for tipping duties.

 

[LMychajluk]

Thanks again for all the inputs.

Regarding space and multiple trailers - we have ~2 acres of cleared 'lawn' around the house (which is on the side of a hill, not all flat), with 2 garage/sheds side x side with 'parking' area in front of them as well as some space on either side of the pair that's big enough to park a car / truck / trailer (one that's already occupied w/ an old car that may soon be gone). But, there's not enough room in the parking area to drive a truck in a circle, so we'd have to back the trailer down at least 1/2 the driveway when parking it. Also, no one lives at the house full-time (it's more of a weekend / summer home), so the less equipment that is stored out in the open the better. And let's just say there are certain 'elements' in the family that won't appreciate the aesthetic of various pieces of equipment scattered around the property. So, for now, 1 trailer, and let's just leave it at that...

Doing some more thinking, I don't really need to use the trailer around the property, so pulling it with the SxS isn't really a requirement. I guess I was trying to 'add value' to the purchase with that thought.

Trimming down my original list of uses, these are really the main ones, in rough order of frequency of use:
1) Use to transport a Polaris Ranger SxS UTV
2) Occasional 'Utility Trailer' (material runs at HD, etc...)
3) Occasional Tractor Hauler (Kioti CK3510se w/ Loader & Backhoe, filled tires, ~6k lbs.?)
4) Occasional hauling of rental equipment (Skid Steer, Mini Ex, etc...)

We may also have occasion to move some furniture between 2 houses about 100mi apart, but will probably use an enclosed rental trailer for when we need to do that.

Now I'm looking at this H&H, except 20'. H&H HDA Aluminum Lowboy Equipment Trailer 7x18' 999# GVW Stand Up Ramps Extruded Floor - YouTube
(The EBY I posted earlier was nice, but a quote I got on it was more than I was looking to spend.)

I figure the HH trailer (or equivalent) can do all of the above. I do like the swivel D-rings, the extra stake pockets, and the aluminum deck. It does seem to have a Torsion Axle setup, which, from what I gather, is lower-maintenance and more corrosion resistant (which is good since the trailer is more for occasional use and will live outside). Based on the design, it also looks like I won't have much trouble finding a WDH that will work with it, which I think i should still have for the heavier loads, and is light enough that my brother can use it w/ his SUV if he needs to (staying within his limits, of course).

 

[Fallon]

Torsion axles wear out. There are just rubber pieces holding the axle stub to the axle tube. After 15+ years the runner hardens up & sags. I need to replace the axle on my 2002 Casita travel trailer for this reason. Not as much travel as a new on & the trailer is 2" shorter than stock.

Torsion axles are also independent. You roll over a speed bump & the front axle takes all the weight of the trailer, then the rear does. That can overload the axle & tire. Leaf springs have the front leaf connected to the rear leaf with an equalizer pivot. When you hit the speed bump, the front axle goes up. The equalizer gets pushed up on the front & in turn pushes down on the back. That pushes the rear axle down to help equalize the load.

I tend to think torsion axles are superior for single axle trailers like my travel trailer. Better dampening, better ground clearance, take up less space, etc. But they aren't as good for heavy hauls or multi-axle setups.

You should be greasing the equalizer & possibly shackles on a leaf spring setup. Those parts do wear as well. So they dont last forever. But a torsion axle does wear out whether you use it or not due to the rubber aging & hardening. A leaf spring setup kind of only wears out as you use it.

 

[Renze]

Fallon, i agree mostly, but the amount of aging on the torsion rubber isnt a rule of thumb, my trailer is built in 1991, so 29 years old. I rebuilt everything, except the torsion suspension. It has 2.5 ton gross capacity but it has been loaded double that (the loader driver at the quarry thinks its funny to overload trailers)

Torsion rubbers are protected from UV light inside the axle tubes so they dont age much, they mostly fatigue crack from use.

But i agree that 3 axle torsion axle trailers are a bad idea, when the first axle is steered against the kerb, its two against one so the swing arms bend, eating your tires. We decided to stop building selling 3 axle torsion trailers back in 2007 when i worked in that business