Choosing a trailer Rice, Mustang, Big Tex

[WoodChuckDad]

I'm looking at tandem trailers. I looked at some Rice, Mustang, and Big Tex trailers. Feature to feature, the difference in price is about 200-400 dollars for. 14 foot trailer. The less expensive one, BigTex only has one brake axle. The Rice and Mustang have two axle brakes. All seem solidly built. Anyone have experience or opinions?

 

[countrybumpkin]

I've had a couple of rice trailers, I still have a 20 foot all steel car hauler I bought new in 2003 , have hauled anything and everything on it all over the place and have not had a single issue with it. Another one I don't have any more was a 28 ft goose neck, I bought from a friend that was needing to sell it. I ended up selling it because it had fenders and fold up ramps with no dove tail, didn't work to well for my uses a very nice trailer though. We also have a couple of there 16 foot utility trailers at the station that we use to haul hazmat equipment on that have been trouble free. Rice is only 2 miles from my house so we have them everywhere around here so I'm a bit partial.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Thanks, Bumpkin. I like the look of the Rice trailer. And the ones I looked at had 2 axle brakes, which I also like. They also are the most expensive of the group. The Big Tex are the cheapest of the three but only have one trailer axle. I am sure the Big Tex can be ordered with 2 Axle Brakes but I don't know what the price or lead time would be.

 

[Morning Wood]

Kaufman trailers are a good bang for the buck. Wring and paint aren't great though.

 

[TheGoose]

You sure you want 14'? I have two trailers-12' single axel and 16' tandem axel. The 16' does a nice job hauling my tractor and box blade. The 12' is easy to move by hand and has a ramp gate for hauling lawn mowers and utvs.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Wife wants the greater maneuverability. I know that she will load it to the gills whenever she uses it so I definitely need the tandem. I would go with the 16 if it was just me.

 

[WM75Guy]

I like both my Big Tex trailers, have never had an issue. I have a Big Tex 50LA 14' with a ramp gate. While it has 2 3500# axles the trailer itself is only rated at 5000# GVWR. It weighs 1,400# so that leaves a payload capacity of 3,600#. It does everything I bought it for, hauling the Mule and ZTR. I don't ever come close to overloading it. I haul the tractors and hay on the 20' GN 12GP 12,000# trailer.

 

[TheGoose]

I see what you mean about maneuverability. But as I've gotten older I've learned that a shorter trailer can be harder to back but a tandem 14 should be pretty easy.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I bought the Rice Stealth 16 footer drove it home today. Put about 140 miles on it.

 

[TheGoose]

Good choice. I like the gate.