In the market for an ATV/gear trailer

In connection with the previous post, I am also in the market for a trailer to pull my future ATV and any camping gear I may want. In addition to light camping with just the 4-wheeler, we'll also want to car-camp and bring lots of gear like Springbar tents, cooking gear, coolers, etc. so we'd like to have room to haul that as well.

• We'd like the trailer to have a 2-ATV capacity for a future ATV purchase.

• We'll be pulling it with a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a four-year-old 4.0 6-cylinder engine. I'd imagine I want it maximum as wide as the Jeep, and probably a single axle? We'd like to be able to get it into somewhat tight spots - places offroad where our Jeep could go.

• I'd like to have sturdy sides on it (maybe a foot high?) so we can throw a tarp in it and haul dirt - we haul compost from the landfill for our gardens sometimes.

• Ramps - liftgate/dropdown kind or detachable ramps? I'm sure there are many kinds, but it seems like attached hinged ones are a little more stable when riding the machine onto the trailer. I'd hate to fall off a rickety ramp.

• Anything special to look for when judging the quality of a used trailer? Rust, wear, holes in deck, etc.?

One like the image below grabbed my attention - it would allow us two machines on top and plenty of space for gear underneath. But would they be too high and cause wind resistance? If we had a trailer where the machines are on the deck and take up most of the space, do you just festoon your gear all around the machines and tie everything down real well?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7...51/Trailer.jpg

• Our Jeep didn't come with a tow package, so we've got to add one. The mainstream brand out there seems to be Curt. Their price seems somewhat reasonable - $179 for receiver and wiring kit, or $129 for receiver only. Should I stick with Curt or can Harbor Freight type brands work? I'd kind of hate to rely on Harbor Freight quality pulling a large investment of gear down the road at 70mph, but some say it's okay.

Contact Big Bubbas trailers in American Fork/Orem area. As for the hitch setup, I wouldn't go cheap. I'd go Uhaul or Curt.

As for reviewing a used trailer, look at the tires and axle. How are the tires wearing (bad wear might indicate lack of bearing lubrication, etc). How does the general frame of the trailer appear? Wiring intact and functional? Trailer brakes?

Not sure if it's just the angle of the photo or not, but the ramps in the picture look really steep. Not that big a deal for the advanced rider, but less experienced riders might not feel comfortable.

Maybe it's just me, but the center of gravity looks way too high on that trailer, probably wouldn't be a big deal, except that you are towing it with a Cherokee. You certainly want to avoid the tail wagging the dog. If it were me, I'd get one that's at least 7' wide and as low as possible. Trailer sway is no fun.

In addition to what BruteForce said, I would make sure that everything functioned properly. Coupler, jack, ramps, gate, lights, etc.

Thanks a ton for your help. Will keep these in mind as I hunt.

If anyone else has other ideas, please feel free!

Does it matter if the tongue is just a straight arm without the diagonal reinforcements?

Unless you want to see it wobbling left and right, I'd get the trailer assist arms.

It does not matter if the tongue is straight or has the diagonal reinforcements. Usually the trailers without diagonal reinforcements have a heavier gauge tongue to compensate for the lack of extra supports. If you want to use anti-sway bars you will most likely need to have the tongue type with the diagonal reinforcements because of how the anti-sway bars attach. Anti-sway bars will help, but are not necessary for a trailer that size. The key is how you load the trailer, make sure you have plenty of tongue weight, but not too much. Equalizer http://www.equalizerhitch.com/hitches help with both weight distribution to all 4 wheels of the tow vehicle and reduce sway. However they make tight turns near impossible and have to be disconnected if you do need to make a tight turn. Again, I say, with a trailer the size you are talking about it will not matter. Just hitch up and go!

How about mesh floor vs wood floor? I probably won't do much moving with it, but it seems like it would be nice to be able to slide things across it on occasion. I assume mesh will support the weight of a 4-wheeler.

I just replaced my trailer deck with 3/4" X #9 raised expanded metal last fall and love it. I had been fighting with the 3/4 inch plywood for 5 years and finally had enough. The only downside I can think of is if I wanted to haul mulch for the garden--I'll need to put a tarp down. Other than that, it's awesome--snow just falls/melts through, can wash the machines without leaving a mess on the trailer, etc. Looks good too.

I did have to brace the frame up a little with some 1" square tube, but it's now strong and flexes very little.

It took me a little longer to finish than I expected because now that I could see the ugly rusted axle and frame, I had to sand and paint the whole thing--but it looks really good now.

So I went for the Curt hitch. Got it from Amazon for a screaming deal. Now I can't get the bolts on the Jeep loose to install it. WD40, no impact wrench. Any suggestions? Gary's in Orem already told me he wouldn't install it, and trailer dealers are all telling me the same thing. Do you know anyone who installs them? About how much should I expect to pay?

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Originally Posted by Sun Dance

So I went for the Curt hitch. Got it from Amazon for a screaming deal. Now I can't get the bolts on the Jeep loose to install it. WD40, no impact wrench. Any suggestions? Gary's in Orem already told me he wouldn't install it, and trailer dealers are all telling me the same thing. Do you know anyone who installs them? About how much should I expect to pay?

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The guys at UHAUL will generally do this work without complaint. If that doesn't work, PM me and I'll be glad to hit it with my impact wrench.

Did you get your hitch installed?

Thanks guys. I had a friend help me with a nice ratchet extension and a cheater bar to get the old bolts off. Works a lot better than a box end wrench. Install was easy. Looks great. Wiring, that's going to be a little tougher.

Not sure if you've ever used it, but I love "Liquid Electrical Tape"--just brush it on the exposed wiring in the connections to seal them from the elements and lessen the chance of shorts.

Wiring isn't so bad.

A tip: get some rust proofing liquid for cars in a spray bottle (not aerosol) and spray down the connecting areas wherever wires are exposed. Places like the area around the tail lights etc, and don't be stingy with it.

The stuff repels water and isn't conductive so it doesn't short out wires. What it does do, besides slowing down rust, is keep connections from getting dry and forming any type of surface rust. I've been doing it for years to anything I tow and have never had a problem with electrical(or rust).