Thoughts on utility vs car hauler trailers

[hawkeyestoob]

I am in the market for a multi use trailer for my personal (non commercial) use and want to get some thoughts and real world experience from the group here.

I am looking to be able to haul any one of these a few times each year:
- full size car
- Polaris 1000 SxS
- John Deere 2032r w/ loader and one 3 point implement

I have plenty of room to store the trailer at my place either in or along side my barn. I know that I want 2 axles w/ brakes but beyond that I am open to almost anything. Bumper pull or gooseneck would be fine since I will be pulling it with my 2500 diesel.

Any brand or style recommendations would be appreciated as well and any features or options that are worthwhile.

 

[retractable]

I have a 20 ft tilt bed H&H made in western Iowa. Have pulled it to co,wy,neb,wi,mo and no issues at all. I added the winch. It pulls easy and straight. I have hauled a 70 jd tractor on it and large wood logs. Make sure you get hd axle 6 bolt or more.

 

[pnora]

20 foot deck. 2 foot beaver-tail. Wide spring loaded ramps. 5K axles.

 

[#41]

You don't really need a goose neck, so apply that extra money into a tilt deck. It makes loading and unloading so much easier and arguably safer too.

 

[gkent]

I think the loader is going to trump the other two items !!!

 

[pnora]

I think the loader is going to trump the other two items !!!

That machine is about 2,000 pounds plus the loader and rear implement. A c-body would out weigh it .

 

[RJ Squirrel]

20 foot tilt deck with 5K axles!

 

[493 Mike]

Lots of heavy D-ring tie downs-well anchored!
Mike

 

[33 IMP]

You obviously need a full width deck
My car trailer is lighter than a full width wood deck, by a bunch, but it is rails only car hauler, no utility .
I don't know how I did without an electric winch for so many years. I would never even think of a trailer without one now.
And you'll need as many tie-down spots as possible.

 

[hawkeyestoob]

You don't really need a goose neck, so apply that extra money into a tilt deck. It makes loading and unloading so much easier and arguably safer too.

Excellent point. I will not be hauling heavy enough that a gooseneck would be a real advantage but having a tilt bed is really nice.

 

[Virg464]

Just my .02: I prefer Hyd-surge brakes over elec-brakes. No electrical issues to be concerned about, and they seem to give a smoother braking response than elec.

 

[F4R/T]

Make sure that tilt deck will fit a long pick up truck on it ! If the tilt deck isn’t long enough and you get a club cab long bed on it the truck will have too much wheel base to allow the bed to tilt down as the rear axle will still be on the ground and the bed will try to tilt up ..

 

[hawkeyestoob]

Make sure that tilt deck will fit a long pick up truck on it ! If the tilt deck isn’t long enough and you get a club cab long bed on it the truck will have too much wheel base to allow the bed to tilt down as the rear axle will still be on the ground and the bed will try to tilt up ..

I would not have thought about this. But it sounds like a great youtube fail video waiting to happen.

 

[hawkeyestoob]

I am liking the way these Nordtek trailers look. The aluminum frame with wood deck keep the weight down and the size should be good for my intended use. My biggest concern is if the car door will clear the fender.

 

[F4R/T]

I’ve dealt with it ,helping a buddy along side of the interstate .. I didn’t think about he borrowed his father in-laws trailer which was a very nice tilt deck but the truck wheel base was too much to load it and get it to tilt..

 

[HawkRod]

Just my .02: I prefer Hyd-surge brakes over elec-brakes. No electrical issues to be concerned about, and they seem to give a smoother braking response than elec.

The only issue with surge brakes is backing up. I had to back up a hill with surge brakes many years ago and it was a PITA!

One other feature to perhaps look into is a shield on the front to protect your car. If you are towing a beater it doesn't matter, but if you tow something nice you want to protect the car from stone chips, etc.
The picture below isn't the greatest, but hopefully it gives an idea about the shield.

 

[493 Mike]

I’ve dealt with it ,helping a buddy along side of the interstate .. I didn’t think about he borrowed his father in-laws trailer which was a very nice tilt deck but the truck wheel base was too much to load it and get it to tilt..

Just carry a pair of 2x6s to extend the ramp. Once the weight is on the planks, the trailer won't drop back down. I use that method with my own tilt bed trailer.
Mike

 

[33 IMP]

I am liking the way these Nordtek trailers look. The aluminum frame with wood deck keep the weight down and the size should be good for my intended use. My biggest concern is if the car door will clear the fender. View attachment 1995217

I went a couple decades with my trailer before I ran into trouble getting the door open, over the fender. I now have two or three that won't clear. I drilled and tapped a series of holes into the steel deck to bolt pieces of 2x12 to, to match the wheelbase on the drivers side. Enough to get the drivers door open. (I'm way too old to try to get thru a one foot high drivers window.)
For a wood deck, you'd only have to nail down a couple pieces temporarily. Remove after unloading.

 

[65Fury440]

When you are talking utility trailer, you're referring to a couple things, depending.
Usually, a utility trailer is a trailer that has a full deck and some type of side rails. Many times, car doors won't clear the side rails. Open deck car haulers are cheap, but lots of road grime will be on the bottom of the vehicle you are towing.

Most trailers will have 3500 lb axles. Brakes on at least one axle is almost mandatory to be safe. There are 2 types of springs, shackles and torsion axles. 3 if you count air bags, but they are rare. Shackles will eventually wallow out and need replacing, YMMV.

Some upgrades you should consider include, upgrading the 4" C channel to 5", and going to a recessed trailer jack. that allows you to open the tailgate, as the jack sits back, the other thing a recessed jack does, is it adds another structural component in the tongue triangle (see pics below). I haul around a 6K lb Yanmar tractor with usually 1000 lb implement on the back. When you get up to those weights, you can lift the back of the truck up, thereby lifting the tires of your truck, eliminating the stationary brakes of your rig. If you are on a hill, you will go for a ride. Landing gear on the back of the trailer is highly recommended.

A steel deck is a lot tighter and quieter trailer than a wood deck. It just ties everything together better. I choose to run a wood deck on my 10k trailer because implements and a loader scratch the deck up.
D rings, LED lights, and radial tires are other things I choose on a trailer. The picture below show my Sea Body on an 18 foot trailer. Removable fenders are nice for low cars.

I sold trailers for years, and seen the effects of going cheap. One guy bought a bare bones trail like the open trailer below with no reinforced tongue. He was going about 60 coming back with a car he bought one night on unfamiliar back roads. The was an unexpected RR crossing, and he said he got air with the truck and trailer. the togue bent down to where it was inches off the road surface. As with anything else, don't buy the base model.

 

[hawkeyestoob]

Thanks for the detailed reply and ideas @65Fury440. I appreciate you taking the time to do this.

going to a recessed trailer jack. that allows you to open the tailgate, as the jack sits back, the other thing a recessed jack does, is it adds another structural component in the tongue triangle

I had not thought about that as an option to look for but I completely understand the thought process and practicality of this.

A steel deck is a lot tighter and quieter trailer than a wood deck. It just ties everything together better. I choose to run a wood deck on my 10k trailer because implements and a loader scratch the deck up.

I am looking to try and save a few pounds for fuel efficiency and trying to avoid rust since I live i the midwest and it is ultimately unavoidable. That is why I am leaning towards an aluminum frame with wood deck. Plus having a wood deck allows for screwing in temporary cleats or chocks if needed.