Selecting The Right Trailer For Your Needs

When you need a trailer to transport something, there are many different options to choose from. If your cargo is light, a small trailer may be fine, but there are trailers for sale that can small and large loads, so you will need to determine your needs based on the cargo.

Utility Trailers

Small trailers designed for light-weight use are popular for moving things like a lawnmower or some boxes to storage. There are flatbed options that tilt and others with sides that allow you to haul things like soil or mulch from your local garden center to your home. The items you can use these small trailers for is nearly unlimited, but you need to make sure that you do not overload the trailer.

The suspension on light-weight utility trailers has a weight rating, so be sure to check it before buying a trailer. If you overload the springs on the trailer, you run the risk of damaging the springs, axle, and tires. It can often cost almost as much to repair the damage as the trailer cost new, so pay close attention to the rating and specs for the trailer you are using.

Heavy Duty Trailers

If you need a trailer that offers more weight capacity or a large cargo area, there are many options on the market. Trailers with sturdier frames and suspensions can carry cars, trucks, and even heavy equipment on them with ease. 

Often these trailers have heavy-duty hitches on them, and some are made with goosenecks so that they can be connected to a large truck with a 5th wheel system on it. The advantage to a system like this is a better distribution of the load and less strain on the tow vehicle. 

5th wheel and gooseneck hitches are typically only used for trailers that will be hauling large loads, but there are some light-weight trailers that use this system for better stability when towing the trailer. Check with your trailer dealer if you are considering a gooseneck trailer for your hauling needs. 

The dealer can look at your truck and tell you if it will support a gooseneck or 5th and what work will need doing to put the hitch on the truck.

Trailer Restrictions

It is important to remember that just because you have a trailer that will haul a large amount of weight, there are places that restrict the weight of the trailer traveling over their roads. If you are over the weight limit, you could be fined, so check to make sure you are taking a route with your trailer to allow you to stay within the legal weight limit during your journey.