ATV Trailer Advice

Guys, I’m thinking about buying an ATV trailer and need some advice from those who have been there/done that. There’s so many different options out there and I’m not sure what’s worth spending on.

Needs: I have 1 Polaris Sportsman 500 and at some point I’m sure I’m going to end up with a kids ATV or the need to pull the ATV and some other stuff, so I need a trailer that is bigger than I strictly need for the ATV and it has to handle the weight of the ATV plus.

I also want a trailer that can double as a utility for the occasional bulk load of lumber, topsoil, landscape block, leaf/brush hauling, etc, so I need sides and a full floor. What weight capacity? I’m not sure.

Really, dimensions are my key question. 5×10? 6×10? I really have no idea. I know my Polaris needs at least 4×8, but how much more do I need to add on a kids ATV and have other storage space.

Obviously I want an integrated ramp. I’m thinking a front end that’s high enough to deflect rocks/road grit would be nice. I have a trailerable heavy duty cover for the ATV, so I can cover it when it’s on board.

I’m on the fence about going all in on aluminum. I’d like to do it, but is the cost really worth it? I’m also concerned about buying a trailer now and then discovering that I need bigger/better in 3 years and losing a bunch of money because I bought the gold plated option. Lots of steel trailers out there, but then we get into weight and the pros/cons of a wood deck.

Guys at work have suggested snowmobile trailers, but they look like one trick ponies to me. No sides, relatively low weight capacity. Also, those little tiny tires riding fully under the bed just scream “bearing maintenance nightmare” to me.

Any advice from those who have trailers and been there, done that?

Thanks.

Grouse

If you plan to use it in winter, go aluminum. My steel frame trailer looks like its 20 years old after using it 3 winters due to the salt. Every year you get to wire brush it and repaint.

Yes, I figured aluminum would be the lower maintenance option. Also, I like the idea that even a bigger trailer is pretty easy to push around because of the weight.

Also, the aluminum ramps are so nice compared with a heavy steel one.

But the cost is significant.

Grouse

I target weight capacity at 60-70% of rating. So if I’m toting a 700# machine, 200# gear, 150# of misc, and figuring a 250″ of steel/wood on of the trailer I want a trailer that has a minimal axle rating for 2200#. A lot of my friends have light duty ATV/snowmobile trailers have such minimal axle ratings and their tire wear sucks. Mostly the machine(s) max them out and the stress of bouncing on the road far exceeds the rating

This won’t be the most helpful advice… but it’s what I’ve learned.

No matter what style trailer you purchase you’ll quickly learn it’s not perfect IF you like to haul toys around the country. It’s great trailer companies make all these style specific trailers but it’s unrealistic to think a person could purchase one for every need. Plus salty roads complicated by open versus enclosed, followed by do you buy big enough to haul family, friends, neighbors, kid’s friends, etc. And then there’s the technical mumbo jumbo – quick clamp wires vs soldier, LED vs old style, rails vs no rails, hundreds of ramp styles to choose from, steel vs aluminum and on and on.

For the Polaris 570 UTV we recently purchased Google dot com found me a steal of a deal on a Aluma brand 6812 model. Will allow for a couple extra feet of space to pack onto the trailer what won’t fit in the Tahoe. My biggest concern is the 50 tons of road goop/salt which will be applied as I drive from southern MN to northern MN, which is where I prefer to angle thru the hard water.

FWIW and good luck shopping. The used trailer market is pretty strong so if you find out what you buy isn’t meeting your needs you won’t get stung too bad…

Kurt, I’m with you about the compromises that have to be made.

My initial thought was enclosed, but that limits the versatility so badly that it pretty quickly became a non-starter. It’s nice to keep things clean and dry, but for any other kind of hauling it’s very limiting.

Road slop is an issue although I’m not sure how much winter hauling I’ll be doing right now. I guess like you I’ll just have to live with a cover and go from there. Last winter we had so much snow that an ATV wouldn’t have been usable for me from December onward anyway.

Grouse

I have been thinking about an all purpose dual ATV trailer for years. Right now I have a single place utility trailer that “does it all” but like you guys mention finding a do it all trailer that fits two quads is the challenge. The stupid part is I have multiple ATV’s and cannot trailer two machines so my wife and I could enjoy some different trails together and we definitely would.

Yes, it seems to me that the most economical “2 machine” option was a snowmobile trailer. Which to me at least is the worst option as far as versatility. For what I need, it would basically haul ATVs and work for nothing else.

I looked at a couple of trailers where the ATVs go on sideways on one sideways and one straight on, but we’re getting into some pretty significant $ here.

Grouse

I have a question about steel trailers and the rusting. does the rust impact its use at all? from everything im reading people only complain that it looks bad. well I don’t care if my trailer looks like a pile of rubbish as long as it gets my ATV from point A to point B. Im in the market for an ATV & trailer so im trying to determine if the extra cost of aluminum is worth it because if it comes down to aesthetics its not.

Thanks

My steel trailer is about 9 years old and looks pretty bad but seems to work the same. The wooden floor needs to be replaced.

I had a steel trailer made for me about 20 years ago. The deck is 6.5′ wide by 14′ long. It has dual 3500lbs axles. I had it made for my bobcat at the time. The thing is a tank and I have used it to haul firewood, dirt, wood chips, box blinds, bobcat/now tractor, and polaris 6×6. It has been a great trailer, but it’s heavy and hard to move around by hand, but can handle a darn big load. The trailer doesn’t look new, but it certainly still performs like new and it would take 50 plus years to rust out with the thick steel it’s made of.

At the farm we have an aluminum trailer with roughly the same size deck. Both trailers have sides on them, home made out of wood. The aluminum one is way easier to move around by hand, pulls easier and only has one 3500lb axle. We use it for goose decoys, duck boats, some firewood, but much less quantity, polaris ranger 6X6.

If I had to pick just one of those two I would have a hard time, but it would be the steel trailer. Despite it’s weight it is just more versatile and can handle a much bigger load.

If I was in your shoes I’d get the steel trailer with a little bigger deck so you can load the wheelers on sideways. Build wood sides for it and you have a heavy duty trailer that can also carry 2 atvs. Go big or go home, you won’t be sorry you have the extra weigh capacity for one minute.

I like my 7712 pj. I can haul two ATvs it has ramp back gate and side ramps. Wood deck is solid. I use it daily for mowing work too. Reasonable price. Aluminum are nice but expensive and don’t necessarily last longer. Yes I have rust but doesn’t affect the use and don’t feel bad because I beat it up anyway. Trailer costs new around 1600.

Look around and find a dealer that can order a galvanized trailer. Only the bigger dealers may have them in stock. My next trailer will be galvanized. When I priced one once it was only about 150 bucks more than painted steel. Have worked on enough trailers that I would never buy aluminum unless it was light duty and going to replace every 5 years. The aluminum ones I have seen don’t hold up to rough service.

Someday I wont be able to move my steel trailer alone. I am already thinking of an aluminum replacement that will do everything my steel does. Sooner than later since I risk injury every time I use it.

I recently bought a 5×8 aluminum trailer from fleet farm actually and has worked pretty great for me so far this winter. I haul my Honda Rancher Atv with it. The steel trailer version of the one I bought was about $300 cheaper, but the aluminum one was way lighter. Makes it easy for me to move the trailer around even with the ATV on it. Also with it being so light I can haul the atv to the lake then hook the trailer up to the atv to haul out all the gear if needed. The trailer has solid sides on it about 2 feet high so i can put my auger and other fishing gear in it with it having wash or spray get onto it. so far very happy with the aluminum trailer I got.

Check these out. Came across them online a while ago.
http://www.dualtracktrailer.com/

Grouse,
You might consider looking at Mission trailers. I ended up getting an 12’x101″ aluminum cross over style trailer for my snowmobile/ATV/Otter flip over. The benefit of the “cross over” style is that it has a full width drop down rear ramp and also a side door. It is made back east somewhere, but I picked mine up on the eastside of Lake Winnebago. Cost was $3995. If you have any interest let me know and I will get the name and address of the dealer. It was not a small operation, they had all sorts of trailers.
bestfishes – jim

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Yes, it seems to me that the most economical “2 machine” option was a snowmobile trailer. Which to me at least is the worst option as far as versatility. For what I need, it would basically haul ATVs and work for nothing else.

What doesn’t the snowmobile trailer do that you would need?

Depending on your weight capacity needs, you can haul lumber/wood/leaves/etc with a snowmobile trailer. You can add removable sides to the trailer and it doesn’t take much to do. They sell stake pockets you can add to drop in side walls. You will obviously be limited with the amount of landscape block you could haul as the trailers are usually around a 1400-1500 lb capacity, but I have hauled many loads of lumber with one. You just need to take caution with how you tie down your load.

I have two wheelers and also a snowmobile so a snowmobile trailer works best for me. I would prefer to not own multiple trailers, although I would like a 3 place instead of the two place I have now.

NateR wrote:

I recently bought a 5×8 aluminum trailer from fleet farm actually and has worked pretty great for me so far this winter. I haul my Honda Rancher Atv with it. The steel trailer version of the one I bought was about $300 cheaper, but the aluminum one was way lighter. Makes it easy for me to move the trailer around even with the ATV on it. Also with it being so light I can haul the atv to the lake then hook the trailer up to the atv to haul out all the gear if needed. The trailer has solid sides on it about 2 feet high so i can put my auger and other fishing gear in it with it having wash or spray get onto it. so far very happy with the aluminum trailer I got.

Is this the one you got? This is what I need. Something that will haul an ATV but have sides to haul leaves and brush. One that would hold 2 quads would be optimum.
http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/big-max-5-ft-x-8-ft-aluminum-utility-trailer/0000000204470

Ultimate atv trailer. No rust, ice fish out of, hunting camp, mini garage, moveing van with walk up ramp door. Refuge from zombie apocalypse.

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