Utility Trailer for Subcompact Tractor

[paulsharvey]

To the OP: If you haven't bought a trailer U-Haul now rents a 16' 10,000# utility trailer, if your vehicle can tow it. Here is the thread I started on it.

U-Haul 16' 10,000# Toy Hauler Utility Trailer Now Available.

Vehicle and trailer inspections are no longer required in Texas, as of January 1, 2025. Emissions tests are still required in 17 of the largest counties. But I still have to pay the fee when I register my vehicles, that didn't go away.

Don't know if it is all U-Haul trailer rentals or just some? But they ask tow vehicle, and what it is hauling, and then some hard time you about it. Don't ever tell them a tractor, say a Geo Tracker or something as the load...

But, in all seriousness, picking up the rental, dropping it off, and all is a pain IF you are going to use it more than a few times per year. If this is a mater of getting the machine home, and 1 or 2 trips a year; a rental is probably the best choice. All of that of coarse dependant on distance and availability

 

[WinterDeere]

Don't know if it is all U-Haul trailer rentals or just some? But they ask tow vehicle, and what it is hauling, and then some hard time you about it. Don't ever tell them a tractor, say a Geo Tracker or something as the load...

But, in all seriousness, picking up the rental, dropping it off, and all is a pain IF you are going to use it more than a few times per year. If this is a mater of getting the machine home, and 1 or 2 trips a year; a rental is probably the best choice. All of that of coarse dependant on distance and availability

Good post. But also don't discount trailer maintenance if you own. Mine is getting a new deck this summer, and it's only 10 years old.

It's also getting some major retrofitting, but that's more in the area of discretionary customization, than pure maintenance.

I'm using mine at least a half dozen times per year, doule or triple that a few years, so well worth owning. But I did rent for many years, when I was using just 1-2 times per year, and it worked (mostly) fine.

 

[shooterdon]

To the OP: If you haven't bought a trailer U-Haul now rents a 16' 10,000# utility trailer, if your vehicle can tow it. Here is the thread I started on it.

U-Haul 16' 10,000# Toy Hauler Utility Trailer Now Available.

Vehicle and trailer inspections are no longer required in Texas, as of January 1, 2025. Emissions tests are still required in 17 of the largest counties. But I still have to pay the fee when I register my vehicles, that didn't go away.

I might need a trailer that size 3 times a year. $300/year. Makes no sense to buy one.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Well, true is, you also have to watch mission creep. If we get 9,999 capacity, 8x18; dual breaks, ect; we end up with a "dry" trailer weight of around 3500#. Then the issue is; we run our single ATV to the trail or pick up 500# of lumber; you start wishing you didn't have nearly 4000# of dead weight trailer....

So, single trailer, and the OP does specifically talk about budget; new. he's going to be tight getting a 6'4"x16', tandem, single set of brakes...

If budget wasn't an issue; a 6x12 or 6x14 light utility and a 7x18 equipment would be a great set up.

The certificate of ownership for my 16' 10.4k rated Gatormade GT-XT equipment trailer states that the dry weight is 2k. My "to do" list includes weighing the trailer especially after adding various "D" rings etc.

 

[WinterDeere]

I might need a trailer that size 3 times a year. $300/year. Makes no sense to buy one.

Price new is usually $5500 ± $200, depending on dealer and options. So 3x per year, if you assume 20 year life or resale at 10 years for half price, is roughly $92 per use to buy.

That assumes free storage and zero maintenance. If we assume $100/year inspection + $500 for new decking at 10 years, it's more like $133/use.

Of course, having the damn thing always on-hand and ready to use without the hassle of arranging and retrieving a rental is worth something, which for me is worth maybe $100/use alone. IOW, unless the rental is less than $33, I'd still argue to buy for 3x per year.

For others, the hassle of storing a trailer is a factor.

 

[shooterdon]

Price new is usually $5500 ± $200, depending on dealer and options. So 3x per year, if you assume 20 year life or resale at 10 years for half price, is roughly $92 per use to buy.

That assumes free storage and zero maintenance. If we assume $100/year inspection + $500 for new decking at 10 years, it's more like $133/use.

Of course, having the damn thing always on-hand and ready to use without the hassle of arranging and retrieving a rental is worth something, which for me is worth maybe $100/use alone. IOW, unless the rental is less than $33, I'd still argue to buy for 3x per year.

For others, the hassle of storing a trailer is a factor.

I have averaged 10% on my investments so $5500 nets me $550. If I can rent for $300 I am ahead. No maintenance and no having to move the darn thing around to mow grass.

I understand your point about having something handy and readily at hand but that becomes almost a non issue if you need something two or three times a year. Nothing I do is that time sensitive or important.

 

[paulsharvey]

The Gladiator Max Tow package is rated at 7700#. His tractor package might weight 2000#; maybe 2200# with a box blade or 2400# with a tiller. Even with an added safety margin, and room for growth; we dont need 10,000#.

If one day he upgrades tractor and tow vehicle; 7000# gives him a lot of room for growth, upto a smaller utility sized tractor, as long as its long and wide enough. If he gets a skid steer or larger utility tractor, then get a 2nd trailer,

 

[nyone]

I have a Bad Boy 1022H subcompact tractor that I will need to haul occasionally. These are the manufacturers stats on my tractor.

OVERALL LENGTH94.2"
OVERALL WIDTH44.5"
OVERALL HEIGHT86.6"
WHEELBASE53.1"
MINIMUM GROUND CLEARANCE8.3"
WEIGHT1,433 LBS.

With the bucket, the length and weight will change.

I am on a budget and want a reasonable bumper utility trailer with my Jeep Gladiator for local hauling usually under 50 miles. The Gladiator is fine for towing with the Max Tow Package. I have hauled stock trailers with no issues.

My problem is that most local dealers are in the $3600-$5000 range. My budget is $2000-$3000 (preferably on the lower end). Used trailers are often close in price to new trailers here.

1. Length 12’-16’? Does 14’ make sense?
2. Single vs tandem axle?
3. With or without brakes? Smaller utility trailers often do not have brakes.
4. Optimum GVWR for my use?

I appreciate any comments.

1433lbs without the loader. Thebloader adds another 5-600lbs. Are your rear tires loaded?

Appalachian trailer has some of the lowest cost/new trailers I have seen. I would not get anything under 7,000lb gvw. The weight of the trailer takes away from its capacity. Your looking at roughly $3300.

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Landscape and rear gate style utility trailers for sale. Choose single or tandem axle utility trailer options. Shop our cargo trailers today!

www.appalachiantrailers.com

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I have averaged 10% on my investments so $5500 nets me $550. If I can rent for $300 I am ahead. No maintenance and no having to move the darn thing around to mow grass.

On the flip side, with a rental you'll have no idea how many times the tires have been curbed, what shape the wheel bearings, brakes, etc. are in.

If something goes wrong with my trailers I only have myself to blame, which I much prefer.

 

[Torvy]

The other nice thing about choosing something small and light is that you can use the tractor to pull the trailer around the yard, when doing things like tree and shrub trimming. Then if your disposal is off-site, you can hook the trailer to your truck to haul it all to the mulch facility.

This is similar to my thinking. My SxS can pull my trailer, but the trailer has a strong enough axle to carry the SxS and could haul my tractor (sans loader) in a pinch. It doesn't tax my truck at all.

Partly it comes down to use. My trailer is used 90% of the time on the farm. The road uses are mostly for rock or other big landscaping items that won't fit in the truck bed. Hauling the SxS, tractor or attachments would only be for repairs I cannot do myself.

Others have multiple properties or do some commercial work with their equipment. That would change the calculus a bit.

 

[John_Mc]

If I had a 10k# trailer, I don't think I'd want to be doing grassy hills with it on my CUT, at least without adding a brake controller to the CUT.

Where are you finding brake controllers for CUTs? I've been looking for one for my NH TC33D. My log forwarding trailer has electric brakes that have come in very handy when pulling it with my truck. I'd like to find something fr the tractor, so I don't get pushed around when coming down hill with the trailer behind the tractor while working in the woods.

I'm figuring I will have to trigger the brakes manually, since there is no brake light circuit on my tractor (and I'm not using the brakes that often anyway, since it's a hydrostatic transmission). I've considered using one that I pulled from one of our old vehicles but it's not weatherproof, and I don't want to have to remove it from the tractor every time I'm done using it (or worry about whether it's going to work after getting caught in the rain).

 

[nyone]

Where are you finding brake controllers for CUTs? I've been looking for one for my NH TC33D. My log forwarding trailer has electric brakes that have come in very handy when pulling it with my truck. I'd like to find something fr the tractor, so I don't get pushed around when coming down hill with the trailer behind the tractor while working in the woods.

I'm figuring I will have to trigger the brakes manually, since there is no brake light circuit on my tractor (and I'm not using the brakes that often anyway, since it's a hydrostatic transmission). I've considered using one that I pulled from one of our old vehicles but it's not weatherproof, and I don't want to have to remove it from the tractor every time I'm done using it (or worry about whether it's going to work after getting caught in the rain).

Why not just use a resistor inline with a 3 possition switch. Center could be off and up/down could be hi/low. I would not but over 10v to the brakes as they will prob lock up.

 

[ultrarunner]

An old Kelsey Hayes brake controller with the long over ride lever?

Nothing electronic… all mechanical.

 

[John_Mc]

Why not just use a resistor inline with a 3 possition switch. Center could be off and up/down could be hi/low. I would not but over 10v to the brakes as they will prob lock up.

The problem is that a standard electric brake draws about 7 or 8 amps per axle. I've got brakes on all four wheels, so my trailer could draw as much as twice that. That means I'd need about a 200 watt resistor. I can find wire wound resistors with that rating, but they are fairly large (ranging from 4" to 8" long) and they get hot in use, so finding a good place to mount them will be an issue. None of them mention anything about being weatherproof, so I might be back to the same problem: protecting the device from the weather.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

My local U-Haul has a 6x12 tandem trailer with ramp for $34.99 per day. They've never let me down.

 

[WinterDeere]

Where are you finding brake controllers for CUTs?

My newest CUT has brake lights, so I'd probably just tap my old Tekonsha P3 into that circuit. God knows I'll never buy another truck without integrated OEM brake controller, so the Tekonsha is just sitting in a bin collecting dust, as so many others are.

 

[John_Mc]

My newest CUT has brake lights, so I'd probably just tap my old Tekonsha P3 into that circuit. God knows I'll never buy another truck without integrated OEM brake controller, so the Tekonsha is just sitting in a bin collecting dust, as so many others are.

I have a Tekonsha P3 gathering dust - removed from our minivan when it was finally retired a month ago. I'm not worried about the lack of brake lights, since with a hydrostatic transmission, I'm seldom using the brakes anyway: I just let off the pedal. I'll mostly be using the manual override lever.

The issue I still have is that it is not weatherproof. I might be able to find a place to mount it where I can put some kind of cover over it when not in use (possibly with an open bottom for the wiring?) I could lift the cover off when using it, and remove the controller entirely for the winter snow removal season.

To the OP: sorry for hijacking your thread. I probably should have started a new one, or resurrected the one I started years ago on this same topic.

 

[ultrarunner]

I installed about a dozen of these as a teen… mostly for folks with horse trailers…

Seems to be no shortage online.

 

[John_Mc]

I installed about a dozen of these as a teen… mostly for folks with horse trailers…

Seems to be no shortage online.

I do like the large, easy to grab knob. There would likely be no problem finding it during an "Oh S*%t" moment.

The concern is that they are intended to be installed inside the cab of a vehicle, not out exposed to the weather.

 

[ultrarunner]

^^^ True about exposure…