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thrills

Small utility trailers

thrills
9 years ago

We are thinking of buying a small utility trailer, mostly for yard related hauling (branches, bulky materials that don't compost well, and bringing in mulch, compost, etc.).

Anyone have tips for what to look for and what to avoid? I'd prefer something small for driving purposes, but do want to be able to bring in paver sand and maybe rocks for various projects.

We have also considered just buying a pickup but we like the vehicles we have now and don't really want the hassle of shopping for a vehicle.

Comments (7)

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    Make sure it is beefy enough and large enough to do at least a cubic yard of dirt , and gravel. I can get 3 cubic yards in my 16 footer but now we have a new van and it struggles to haul that load. The old van was so much stronger. I miss it. It looked like rusty hell, but it had spunk. This new van looks nice and shiny but is a slug.

    It is important to match the size of your trailer to what you are hauling it with. I love my 16 footer when it comes to hauling brush out of the "back forty" ( not actually 40) and do not wish it smaller. For hauling, I could probably uses smaller trailer but a strong one. A 10' or 12' long one. I think an 8' would be small for me.

    If you are going to haul dirt, compost , it will need sides or something that sides can be built on. My trailer came with a metal frame that was open. I paneled mine with some old 2X 12's and bolts..

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    you have been a member since 2008 ... but i dont recognize the name... in this forum ...

    did you .. perhaps.. post this in the wrong forum ???

    ken

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago

    We got a 5 x 8 trailer last year for exactly this purpose. It's so great! I park it in the compost corner and put branches and clippings on it over time. When it's full I strap a tarp to it and haul it to our municipal compost facility. And when we need to buy bulky things or paver blocks or whathaveyou, we now have a way to do that. I can't say enough good things about how handy this is.

    Having sides is nice for containing what you are hauling. We opted to not get the fold-down ramp. Aside from that it's pretty straightforward! Go for it!

  • thrills
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    We'd love the carrying capacity of a 16 ft trailer, but we are looking more at ones in closer to the 5x8 size. I imagine using it just as Karin describes. Thanks for the input. it is one of those things I don't want to end up being more hassle than it is worth. We really could use something though...would make hauling in compost sooo much easier.

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    We use ours to move large pieces of furniture that we build to. It was used in the building of our house and shops. I am also thinking of getting a smaller one but large is what we have. Great for moving rock.. Storage is not an issue. We have the space , But I HATE backing it up.

  • lazy_gardens
    9 years ago

    Make sure your VEHICLE can pull as much as your trailer can hold.

    And the larger trailers may hold more, but they weigh more. Don't waste your towing capacity on a trailer you can't fill up.

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago

    Oops, I lied. Ours is 4 x 6. Just got back from emptying 3 months worth of clippings at the compost facility. Now that it's empty we can fill it up again when we tackle some overgrown shrubs this weekend.