Best Trailer Brand

Hi guys! I'm in the market for an enclosed trailer to haul my motorcycles in. I am looking for a 6x12 SA ramp door enclosed trailer. I was wondering what everyone's opinions on the best made trailers out there were. I have heard good things about Pace, mixed opinions on Haulmark, and good and bad about other more obscure brands.

I have heard the best trailer suspension is a tortion setup and that for strength, 16" OC construction, which the cheaper trailers won't have.

Let me know your thoughts!

 

I have a Wells Cargo all steel frame with aluminum skin enclosed and it has been a great trailer. Suspension on mine is straight axle with leaf springs but haven't had any issues with it.

I think with the enclosed ones it's more of what you want to spend for the quality you expect. Cheaper one treated right will probably last almost as long as the others.

 

How has your tire wear been with the leafs? That's why I hear that the tortion suspension is better as it doesn't cause the tires to wear as much.

 

If you might consider light camping use with your cargo trailer, look up the VRV, the smallest ones are barely more than a cargo trailer but have a number of cool features.

There is no steel or wood anywhere in them! They are nearly 100% aluminum, so no rust or rotten wood, ever!

There are a few different companies building them and some are cheaper than others, for obvious reasons. (Livin' Lite, VRV, ATR)

They are not cheap but since I need a cargo trailer and I want to camp, it was the perfect fit for me.

 

That would be nice, but I'm just looking for a minimal and cheap (in comparison) trailer for my bikes. I'm also going to get a topper for my truck and do this for sleeping arrangements.

Any other comments on trailers? Opinions?

 

I ended up w/ and H&H. Very happy.

Stay away from Lark or anything made in Georgia. Try and stick to brands made in the mid-west.

My H&H ended up cheaper than a similar Lark. I was like you, looking for a cheap trailer to haul motorcycles around. After a lot of shopping I found a nice dealer w/ H&H. Go bigger as well. move up to at least a 7x12 if not a 7x14. Go dual axle or at least get a single axle w/ brakes. I started w/ a 5x8 thinking it would be great as it would fit in my garage. I kept getting advice to get bigger. Glad I did.

After reading many threads about trailers and towing, it seems that weight does not affect MPG much. Once you hit a certain weight, the MPGs stay about the same.











Sleep in the trailer at night on air mattress'.

 

You don't need torsion axles either. Not needed for the amount of weight you're dealing with. The Toy Hauler I just sold had the same type of axles as my 7x12 cargo and it pulled beautifully at 10,000 lbs.

Spend money on radial tires and possibly go up a rating as well. Mine came w/ radials and D rated tires. Basically one tire could support the trailer empty and two near max weight rating. Four should be overkill.

 

FYI, Mine listed for over $4500 and I ended up paying $4250+ tax and he threw in a matching spare. Flip up jack has proved to be very convenient as well.

 

My dad has an Interstate car hauler, 8.5"x24'. He has absolutely no complaints about it. Its been down some pretty nasty roads headed to hunting camps and still tows awesome. As far as tires go, I hate trailer tires with a passion. On my flatbed that I haul my rhino on I have light truck all terrains. On my travel trailer(18' prowler) I have 10 ply gladiators. Hands down best trailer I have ever seen. Expensive, but worth it. They are the only trailer tire I have ever seen actually wear out and not come apart at half tread or more.

 

Thanks for the replies guys! I thought about going bigger, but I will only be hauling two bikes side by side. I figured if I keep it smaller it will be cheaper...?

I see an awful lot of Georgia made trailers almost everywhere. Are they really that bad..just poorly made? I will definitely look into H&H and Lark.

Thanks for the advice on the Torsion axles. I figured it may not be necessary for such a small trailer but I had read horror stories of tires being destroyed with the leafs. I guess its just an over exaggeration, and likely only on the heavier/larger pulls. I also figure, if it comes with bias ply so they can get it out the door cheaper, I can just upgrade to radials.

I would like to be under and out the door for $3000. That kind of limits my options.

 

I bought a cargo mate trailer to haul my HD in. I hade to order it the way I wanted. I need the back door opening to be 6ft to clear my windshield and I needed the axel put above the leaf springs to get lower. Out the door it was $2750. 10ft long 5ft wide and 6foot tall. Prefect to pull behind my Taco because I can see straight down both sides with stock mirrors. If I stagger the bikes I get 2large motorcycles. It is the best pulling trailer I have every used. I have about 8000 miles on the tires and they still look great.

 

cargomaxx, they do custom aswell.

 

Stay away from Cargomaxxx trailers. I am having a lot of trouble getting delivery of one I ordered almost a year ago.

 

That's great, thanks for the info. Since I will mostly be hauling at least two bikes, I'm going to go with a size up, 6x12.

I found a local dealer not to far from me that sells Cross Trailers, made in Indiana. Brand new, out the door (taxes, title, registration) for $3000 and these trailers come with radials. I think that's a pretty good deal and I haven't heard much of Cross as a brand, but they seem to look just as good as all the others I've seen.






http://www.kateskars.com/2015_Cross_6X12_Arthur_IL_229115284.veh

 

Car Mate trailers in Leeper, PA makes hands-down the best! They have contracts with Disney world and Summit Racing is now starting to sell them. I've been around a lot of trailers the last 5 or 6 years and Car Mates are better built, finished, and customizable. I have no affiliation with the company other than being a happy customer and having seen other trailers that don't hold up the way they do!
http://www.carmate-trailers.com/

 

Go with 7x12. You'll be happy you did. The extra width makes a HUGE difference hauling motorcycles. Although the 12' should make it possible to stack two bikes end to end without staggering.

This is how I set mine up. I can get the front ones out without removing the rear ones. It's tight, but possible.

 

thanks for the heads up

 

I think at this point in my life, and with a 1st gen, anything bigger than a 6x12 won't be needed, thought I won't deny the added size would be nice. I am going to be traveling cross country and wanted something that follows nicely and for only having two bikes, 6x12 will be fine. Plus, the 7x12 is over the price limit I set for myself.

I'm sure I'll upgrade eventually. Maybe.

I do have one question for you. With those tie down plates (I'm assuming from Harbor Freight), what did you use to fasten them in? Did you wood screw into the floor or drill through and use bolts with nuts on the underside?

 

For anyone else out there new to trailer buying, I though I would share what this experience has gained me. I think as far as brand goes, one person's experience can vary from anothers, as with many things. Choosing solely based on brand may not be the best approach. I would recommend that when looking at any trailer, see how its built and what materials they used. That more than anything should tell you volumes about the manufacturer.

Things to look for:

Tires: most smaller trailers will come with bias-ply BT205...while these aren't terrible they are a way to cut cost and the dealer I found made a deal with the manufacturer to get all of his stock standard with radials at no extra cost...that makes a huge difference to me.

Flooring/Walls: most I have seen will have 3/8" plywood walls, and 3/4" flooring...anything less and they are skimping out.

Siding: .024 and .030 thickness are very common...obviously the thicker the better for strength and/or protection.

Framing: box tubing is the best...which is what is on the trailer I'm getting. Channel is alright but another way to skimp on cost...and strength! Same goes for angle iron.

Axles: from what I understand, spring axles are just fine for smaller trailers, but as you get up in size and weight, torsion axles are preferred...they are also more expensive, but paying for better axles up front will save you tires in the long run.

That pretty well sums up my buying experience. Feel free to add or comment on anything.

 

I'm not a fan of polaris bikes, but their trailers are pretty nice