Car hauler vs landscape utility

[PA452]

Looking for a trailer mainly to haul my BX23, though I'm sure I'll find lots of other uses. Possibility of hauling larger tractors but most likely the BX23 (2700# with FEL and BH attached) will be the heaviest and certainly the most common.

I've been debating this for a while. I was originally set on a 16' landscape utility. But in the past few weeks, I've switched to car haulers and nearly bought a Big Tex 60CH last weekend. In recent days I'm starting to consider the landscape again. Just curious, which do you guys prefer and why?

I originally liked the landscape because I'm used trailers with fold-up gates/ramps. I like the rails as kind of a last ditch safety, and figured it would also be easier to build walls that attached to the rails for things like mulch, limbs, or other lose material. But I can obviously still build walls for the car hauler, it will just take up my stake pockets and require a little more building effort. I like the idea of being able to load things via ramps from the side if need be on a car hauler, but frankly the only thing I can see doing that with would be quads, and if I wanted a quad up front sideways, I could always load from the back and turn sideways by hand. Loading something up front by forklift the car hauler wins of course, but I kind of doubt I'll find myself needing to do that very often if ever.

While I find the rear gates convenient, I think I've officially decided against it, primarily because I want the option of being able to have something hang off the back a bit if need be.

The 60CH does not car a dovetail. Not at all worried about loading the BX23 with only the FEL and BH on, but I'm wondering if I'll have issues with mower decks on my tractors hanging up at the crest of the ramps when loading. Still, I kind of like the idea of no dovetail with the idea that it won't hit the ground so often on uneven terrain off the paved roads, or even on some paved roads.

What do you guys think?

 

[MossRoad]

Back in 2002 we bought an 18' car hauler. We've never regretted it. Its 7000# capacity, weighs 1500#, so it has a 5500# usable load. It has two D rings on the front and 3 stake pockets on each side. I bought more D rings to weld to the sides, but honestly, in 15 years, I've never needed them. It's a diamond plate steel deck, so no wood to break or rot.

I built sides for the front half out of simple 2x12s with two stakes. So sides are only 12" high. But that's just right for a couple yards of black dirt, a couple scoops of mulch, or a couple tons of stone. There's a bumper bar across the front. I just made a 2x12 fit between the two side walls, so it just wedges in there if needed.

I put a pickup truck tool box across the front on the A frame to hold full-length shovels, post hole digger, ax, chains, tie downs, tarps, etc...

The nice thing is, I can load it easily from either side or the rear. I can haul lots of loose material. I can drive up and unload most of it with the bucket. The ramps store under the deck. I can haul 18' long logs if needed. I've had friends borrow it to pick up cars. I could add more D rings along the sides and cut pass-through ports for the chains through the wood sides if I wanted to haul loose material AND chain something down at the same time. It's just a very versatile trailer. :thumbsup:

Good luck in your search.

 

[Citydude]

I have an 18' car hauler hydraulic tilt. From logs, dirt, gravel, limbs and my tractor, it's worked well for what I use it for.

 

[tractchores]

I found that the landscape / utility trailers seemed to be lighter duty. Car haulers would work, but we're harder to get used and had lower capacity. I ended up with an equipment trailer with a 10k capacity, mostly because it was cheap and available. Most equipment trailers have some kind of ramps (fold up, slide in, etc). Mine are fold up, but detachable. I carry a car on it once in a while as well and the ruggedness is nice. The downside is it is super heavy and not usable for much else... But for $1,000 I'm happy.

I think your best bet is to decide new VS used, if it's used then it will come down to what style is available in your price range. In my area equipment trailers are much easier to find on the used market VS utility or car haulers. If it's new then think of the jobs you want to do. If you aspire to carry a bigger tractor then a car halter or better an equipment trailer is better. If you might want something with tracks someday then an equipment trailer is a much. For smaller just wheeled tractors a car hauler can be a great fit and has good resale.

 

[Teachu2]

I debated this subject and ended up with a Big Tex 70TV. It can handle my tractor with the FEL and box blade when needed, my Rhino, my riding mower, my car, 1200 bricks, multiple pallets of retaining wall, 16' lumber, two cords of firewood, or four Harley baggers. It gets used most hauling brush and tree trimmings. I added two legs in the gate to carry the tractor, and the ramp is easy to remove if I'm going to load palletized cargo. The sides are about 2' high, which gives cars and motorcycles a bit of protection from road debris and rocks. Loose cargo is contained, which is nice if you have to move loose bricks, firewood, mulch, and similar materials. The top rails are handy when hauling tree trimmings - I weave ratchet straps across and tie the load down securely.

For my needs, it is the better choice. YMMV.

 

[PA452]

Thanks for the replies guys. Something I should have mentioned in my original post, my tow vehicle is a Tacoma. The tow rating is 6500#, but I'd like to keep it well below that. I've read a lot of people on the Tacoma forums say they were uneasy pulling over 4000# with their Tacomas; that said a lot of those guys are pulling campers which with the wind resistance is a different animal than a tractor I suppose.

The Big Tex 60CH weighs around 1460#. It has a GVWR of 6000#, so a carrying capacity of 4540#. Part of me hates to get a 6000# rather than 7000#, but given that I'm trying to keep the load a little lighter I like that this trailer weighs less than a lot of the car haulers I've looked at. Most of the others that I've liked are closer to 1900#. Anyway given the circumstances, I won't be able to use an equipment trailer; it needs to be something lighter. If down the road I never need to haul something heavier and I get a bigger truck, maybe I'll trade up the trailer. But right now, the heaviest most common load I will be hauling is around 2700#, with lots of other uses I expect will be less. I doubt I'll ever load it with more than that while pulling with the Tacoma, but if using a bigger truck, the heaviest tractor I could conceivably find myself towing right now would be my parents' John Deere 1050 which comes in around 4140#. That's not likely to happen though, it hasn't needed to leave their property in nearly 40 years now.

I'll be buying new. Around here seems like everyone selling used trailers wants nearly new prices unless the trailer is really beat up.

 

[PA452]

I debated this subject and ended up with a Big Tex 70TV. It can handle my tractor with the FEL and box blade when needed, my Rhino, my riding mower, my car, 1200 bricks, multiple pallets of retaining wall, 16' lumber, two cords of firewood, or four Harley baggers. It gets used most hauling brush and tree trimmings. I added two legs in the gate to carry the tractor, and the ramp is easy to remove if I'm going to load palletized cargo. The sides are about 2' high, which gives cars and motorcycles a bit of protection from road debris and rocks. Loose cargo is contained, which is nice if you have to move loose bricks, firewood, mulch, and similar materials. The top rails are handy when hauling tree trimmings - I weave ratchet straps across and tie the load down securely.

For my needs, it is the better choice. YMMV.

The dry weight of that trailer is higher than I'd like, but I must say it's not as heavy as I expected. For a lot of applications and I think most of my use, that would actually probably be a really nice option. I can always build walls for a car hauler (though not that nice), so I guess it's going to come down to is it worth it to me to have walls that I only install when needed and can remove when not... Wish I could afford both.

 

[Teachu2]

Having permanent sides eliminates very few uses, and gives me far sturdier sides for tying down things like refrigerators and the like. My son used it to move his household. I don't have to store, install, or remove side panels. It's always ready to work. It's not my only trailer, but it's my most often used.

I tow it with a Tundra, because that's what I already had. I could handle a 10k trailer, but didn't really need one. If you put 3000lbs of tractor in mine, you'd be at 5k, vs 4.5k on the car hauler. Either way, you'll need a trailer brake controller on the Taco. You will need to load properly. You will need to downshift, and keep your speed down on downhill runs. Do these things, and you'll never notice the 500lb difference. Don't do them, and the 500lb difference still won't matter. I've seen a 2500lb cargo trailer flip a full-sized pickup, and have safely towed 5800lbs with a '79 Toyota standard mini-truck, 22R 4 cylinder, 5 speed manual. Just don't get in a hurry, and you'll be fine with either trailer.

 

[KennyG]

I have a utility trailer and, if I ever replace it, will definitely get a car hauler with removable sides. The utility works OK but, for me, the fixed sides are sometimes in the way. The few times I've hauled a small car on it it is a real pain because you can't open the doors.

 

[fried1765]

I found that the landscape / utility trailers seemed to be lighter duty. Car haulers would work, but we're harder to get used and had lower capacity. I ended up with an equipment trailer with a 10k capacity, mostly because it was cheap and available. Most equipment trailers have some kind of ramps (fold up, slide in, etc). Mine are fold up, but detachable. I carry a car on it once in a while as well and the ruggedness is nice. The downside is it is super heavy and not usable for much else... But for $1,000 I'm happy.

I think your best bet is to decide new VS used, if it's used then it will come down to what style is available in your price range. In my area equipment trailers are much easier to find on the used market VS utility or car haulers. If it's new then think of the jobs you want to do. If you aspire to carry a bigger tractor then a car halter or better an equipment trailer is better. If you might want something with tracks someday then an equipment trailer is a much. For smaller just wheeled tractors a car hauler can be a great fit and has good resale.

In my opinion a $1000 used 10K trailer has many potential issues.
Were the axles overloaded by the previous owner?
Have the wheel bearings EVER been repacked, or replaced?
Are the tires of the appropriate weight rating, and less than 10 years old from date of manufacture?
Do the tires have 50% tread remaining?
Is tire sidewall hairline cracking visible?
Do the electric brakes (required) actually work properly?
Is the emergency breakaway battery fully charged, and..... does it hold a charge.
Two years ago I paid $4400 for my new 14K equipment trailer, w/ramps.
I use a 14K Equal-i-zer weight distribution hitch.
I tow only several times each year, but I do so at highway speeds.
I know exactly how my trailer is maintained, because I have maintained it since new.
I suspect that in ten years I might be able to sell my 14K trailer for $2400 (I store it inside).
I consider $200 per year to be well worth the peace of mind when pulling a loaded 14K trailer.