What is the smallest trailer I can get away with?

[RickB]

I gave under $2000 for the 18 foot version of the trailer Hazmat has pictured on page one of this thread. Not a cheaply built unit IMHO.

 

[tracdoc]

Bob,

To me, your comments in this thread suggest that your instincts are pointing you toward a 14 footer. For what you have, and your other comments about not adding or changing to something larger, IMHO a 14 footer is your best option.

Sure, having 2, 4 6 or more feet would be nice, provided there were no downside. If you don't need the extra footage, there is the downside of poorer handling, extra weight, wear and tear on your haul vehicle, gas consumption, parking, etc.

I gave this quite a bit of thought, and went with a 14 foot, all aluminum Featherlite, dual axle, @ 7k# GVWR. It weighs in @ just under 1000# and it is a dream to tow. The brakes are awesome, and following some guidelines from other threads in TBN, I have them "dialed in" a perfect match to the tow. My tow vehicle is an '04 V6 Toyota Tacoma 4WD that has a top capacity of 5.5k#

We use the trailer for towing our race car, a Mini Cooper spec series racer + spare tires/wheels, tools, etc., and I'll be using it to haul our PT-425. Oh, someday, we may get a bigger race car or a bigger tractor, but unlike cars, quality trailers don't depreciate to any significant extent if they are well cared for. One just has to look into the auto/moto racing Classifieds. The good trailers hold value. When we moved abroad a few years back, we quickly sold our previous 14 footer for ~$300 less than what we paid after 3 years of good use, and the buyer was getting a bargain when he looked at new equipment.

I don't buy oversize clothes because I may gain weight some day. Buy what you need and, as grandad said: "buy right, and cry once."

 

[Bob_Skurka]

tracdoc: Is FEATHERLITE a brand of tralier?

 

[om21braz]

Not tracdoc here, but yes Bob Featherlite is the brand name. Check out the link for details on trailers and all the other items they manufacture. The horse trailers are very popular around here.

Featherlite

 

[hazmat]

<font color="blue"> So at this point I am stuck. I don't want to spend the $3500, but don't want the cheap-o-crap-soon-to-be-at-the-junkyard trailer for $1500 either. I'd like to stay around $2000 to $2500 and get something that will last, but I can't find THAT trailer. </font>

Bob,

My Trailer is a load trail

I felt it had the right blend of not too crappy welds, for the right price ($1,600 if I remember right). The Aluminum featherlights are beautiful but spendy.

I found that the used trailer market (at least around here) is ridiculus - the sellers wanted far too much money for their trailers.

 

[Henro]

Bob,

For some reason while hauling dirt for about 4 hours today, loader and dirt scoop full on each end, I started to think about your feelings toward your backhoe and then the desire for a trailer...

...And a light bulb came on and I wondered whether you shouldn't just rent a trailer when you need one...

Might be more cost effective and you would not have to worry about storage...and if a 16' was too small you could get an 18' next time. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Henro, I've thought about renting. But the trailer will do some double duty work hauling ice cream freezers, pop coolers, and occasionally a couple pallets of mulch. So I'll be using it, but it will be used by the company too.

 

[Moon]

I've considered the idea of renting them also, but can not find anyplace that rents open trailers. Are these types of trailers rentable in larger metro areas?

Moon ...

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Home Depot stores rent trailers, as does U-Haul.

Yesterday we found a trailer company that had pretty nicely built trailers and made them to order, today I ordered my trailer. $1595, dual axle, dual brakes, wood floor, 8" elevated railing on 3 sides, 6' stowaway ramps, 14' with no beavertail. Not the best made, but good enough for the amount of use it will be getting. I went with 14' because it will accomodate 98% of what we plan on hauling, if I need bigger, and that is an if, then I'll rent on that special occasion.

Then I priced hitches. $199 installed on an '02 Mountaineer, $308 installed on an '04 Volvo XC90, "about $400, but maybe more, on an '04 Dodge Cargo Sprinter, and you'll have to wait a couple weeks for me to get one"

So the trailer will be pulled by a 2002 Mountaineer!

 

[BigEddy]

The original post said smallest trailer.
There's a landscaping company around me that regularly hauls their B21 in a fifth wheel 6x10 or 6x12 Dump trailer (10,000-12,000lb).

They lift the bucket and place it up over the truck bed, and leave the hoe sticking out the back. The tractor itself fits nicely in the dump box with the doors closed.

Might not work for everyone, but it works well for them, and they have a dump trailer to work with at the site as well.

Just another approach.