The Ultimate UTV Trailer

[Matt Martelli - CEO]

I started this discussion over on Race-Dezert.com but it really belongs here because this all stemmed from us being in a rush and buying a pile of junk UTV trailer only to have it reduced to scrap metal in no time.

I have noticed with the growth of off-road (In particular the explosion of the UTV market) there are more good products and bad products. I myself have been guilty of buying cheap poorly made trailers that weren't made to last, especially driving down dirt roads. It's pretty ludicrous to think about the hundreds of thousands of dollars of off-road equipment that are being hauled around by cheap crappy trailers.

I wanted to see what everybody's must haves and favorite features are as well as preferred trailer builders manufactures are?

https://www.race-dezert.com/forum/threads/best-trailers-for-off-road-vehicles.127189/

 

[jakecarver91]

I like enclosed trailers so I can lock my stuff up and not have to worry about it. I have a haulmark edge and love it. Intech and ATC are also nice enclosed trailers. As far as flatbed open trailers go, don't buy aluminum if you're driving down dirt roads! I personally like big Tex car haulers with metal decks. Yiro fabrica also makes great metal deck trailers for a good price!


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[BiggJim]

Trailers......In my opinion it really depends on what you are doing. In baja...Im not interested in ever pulling another enclosed down the road for chasing/racing. Your on and off the highway often, the shoulder are non existent for the most part and the obvious....the lanes are not wide enough.

Ideally for baja I'd like to see a "custom" heavy duty flat bed trailer, about 7-7-1/2ft wide, tall deck for clearance, 20' long and built to haul 2 4 seat cars. So it would require some sort of lift/elevator system so that the nose of 1 car could sit over the nose of the other.

Stateside??? Enclosed all day everyday. a 28'er will take 2 4 seat cars, a 24 will take 1 with plenty of room to work. I have a hallmark thats seen thousands of miles....on road and off. Our new race trailer is from a builder back east and it has been solid to this point.

 

[Matt Martelli - CEO]

Enclosed are clutch for sure, but I just love the simplicity of open trailers for off-road applications.

 

[kmb760]

Enclosed are clutch for sure, but I just love the simplicity of open trailers for off-road applications.

For us out west it sucks towing with a flat bed during the winter when we get any kind of rain

 

[Matt Martelli - CEO]

Yeah - I feel you. I always think the rain is going to kill the electronics in the car. It also sucks getting into a wet seat. We rarely have any weather, but when you do enclosed are nice. Except in the wind tunnel on the way to vegas!

 

[sand shark]

For us out west it sucks towing with a flat bed during the winter when we get any kind of rain

Other than this winter, we rarely get rain. I prefer a flat bed trailer just for the ease getting everything tied down and day trips are much easier.

Carson built me a 8 1/2 x 18 flat bed trailer earlier this year. It is a solid trailer and their pricing was good.

 

[kmb760]

Other than this winter, we rarely get rain. I prefer a flat bed trailer just for the ease getting everything tied down and day trips are much easier.

Carson built me a 8 1/2 x 18 flat bed trailer earlier this year. It is a solid trailer and their pricing was good.

I have had both and still prefer my 20ft enclosed to do any kind of trip. It's small enough to not feel heavy behind the truck and large enough to keep a old mattress in to do weekend trips.

 

[Rusty5150]

I like my 24' enclosed. I had it custom built by Good Guys RV in CA. I upgraded to 6500lb torsion axles and 9' tall interior height.

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[kmb760]

I like my 24' enclosed. I had it custom built by Good Guys RV in CA. I upgraded to 6500lb torsion axles and 9' tall interior height.

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You kids are out of my price range when describing your trailers using the word custom built. I'm the guy trying to find that setup used for a "good deal"

 

[BiggJim]

You kids are out of my price range when describing your trailers using the word custom built. I'm the guy trying to find that setup used for a "good deal"

A good deal is always in my mindset....but I cant fathom putting a 25K plus toy on a $199 harbor freight trailer.

 

[Rusty5150]

You kids are out of my price range when describing your trailers using the word custom built. I'm the guy trying to find that setup used for a "good deal"

My enclosed was under $12k brand new. Too me it was 100% worth it. I can use it as a garage for storing cars also. It's a win win for me.


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[JoeyD23]

My $2000 26ft carson flat bed trailer has been running strong since 2012. Of course, proper maintenance of the wheel bearings, brakes and tires has been key along with not towing it like a dummy off-road. I also had the axles flipped to give me ground clearance for taking off-road.

The benefit I see to my trailer is that its light weight and has a fold down rear gate. I hate those super heavy ramps you have to slide in and out and re-position if loading up a long travel or standard width machine.

Downside is that its lightweight and because its so long has flex which means pounding it off-road will eventually twist it up. But in over 5 years of use and tens-of-thousands of tow miles she's still strait as an arrow and works great. She looks a little beat up now but thats to be expected when you have used it for so long.

With all that said, she is nearing her life as a trailer I feel confident in towing for another five years. I would hang onto it for light duty work but I am ready to upgrade to a more robust trailer that I could put a car or truck on if I had too. But I don't want a 26ft long drive over car hauler that weighs more than my truck. There is a downside and upside to everything. There is no silver bullet when buying a trailer with needs like UTVUG and Mad Media.

Keys to trailer life success:
1. Service it every few thousand miles or at least inspect it. (Wheel bearings, brakes, wiring, etc)
2. Don't hit shit with it. The damage I have on my trailer is almost always self inflicted such as clipping a fence post and breaking a tail light, or of course the occasional tire blow out that fold the fender up.
3. Loan it out as least as possible. Friends never seem to treat stuff like you would and rarely ever repair it for you when they do mess it up.
4. When towing it, be conscious of the road you are towing on, the weight of your load, and don't drive like an idiot.
5. Loan it out as least as possible, and don't drive like an idiot... lol

 

[Bumpers]

On a flatbed I like wood floor.. I had a metal floor for a while and it was loud and slick when wet. I use a 20' equipment trailer for long hauls or multiple rigs.. short trips less than 2 hours I usually pull a 6'x14' single axle.. it's just easy to get in and out of places

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[BajaBoundMoto]

Trailers......In my opinion it really depends on what you are doing. In baja.....the lanes are not wide enough.
Ideally for baja I'd like to see a "custom" heavy duty flat bed trailer, about 7-7-1/2ft wide, tall deck for clearance, 20' long and built to haul 2 4 seat cars
Stateside??? Enclosed all day everyday.

What @BiggJim said.

Because my trailers are pulled mainly in Baja I'm mostly concerned with the max. width too. I tow bikes, UTVs, and a 1600 car so I don't need a 102" wide Trophy Truck hauler (wish i did though...).

I have a few of the typical AzTex/BigTex/Carson type flatbeds that are 96" max width (fenders outside of deck box), those work great all around and aren't terrible on Mex.1. My oldest one is 21 years old, has yards of re-welds on it, and works like a champ.

I was never into enclosed trailers for Baja just because of the width and top corners. Back in '05 I bought an older Pace enclosed trailer that's 84" max width and it's AMAZING for the Baja roads. It tracks right behind the tuck and you don't even know it's there. Fenders are inside box. Regular RZRs fit inside easy but long travel wider not so easy.

In '15 I ordered a custom narrow box enclosed (same dimensions at the Pace) from Charmac (about $12k). It's a very nice, well built, trailer but doesn't tow as perfect as the Pace because they put the axles ~20" farther back.

So now that I'm into UTVs more I want another flat bed, but custom...
I've been watching what that company in Mexicali YIRO makes, nice stuff, but I think they might be a bit busy building big heavy duty race car trailers.
I'm trying to afford one from another Mexicali maker called VIMETAL. I want it to be 86" max width, low deck with drive over fenders, gate ramp, 2 axle, and 26' long so I can do (2) 4-seat RZRs on it. It could carry the long travel/wider RZRs and the 1600 car easily. That would work awesome in Baja (except for hotel parking lots). I think a combo like I'm wanting would be a decent seller.

 

[Matt Martelli - CEO]

Here is one of our new baby's coming from General Truck Body!

 

[Matt Martelli - CEO]

Here are some pics of the build process. The guys at General Truck Body do it right!

 

[ironworks]

I thought this trailer worked well for racing. Enclosed is handly but a pain in the ass to keep clean. And I think I can haul more parts in this rig.Its pretty tongue heavy with the camper.

 

[Ratoutahell]

I thought this trailer worked well for racing. Enclosed is handly but a pain in the ass to keep clean. And I think I can haul more parts in this rig.Its pretty tongue heavy with the camper.

That trailer is sweet! Where did you get it?

 

[ironworks]

That trailer is sweet! Where did you get it?

I bought a sprinkler contractors trailer off craigslist. It was a gooseneck I converted to bumper pull. I then sloped the back cabinets to improve the ramp. Its a 20ft long box. Might hold 2 2 seaters if your hillbilly enough to hang it on there. It holds a bunch of stuff and pulls good. But with axle position she is pretty heavy. I'm interested in selling it as My Class 5 I'm building is too wide for it. It needs a paint job to match whoever's race team uses it. I would sell it for $6500.