Get FinancingTips For Buying The Right Cargo Trailer
Whether you’re hauling equipment to a worksite for your business or taking water or trail gear out to a park for recreation, choosing the right cargo trailer is the best way to ensure that your assets arrive at their destination in good condition. Here are a few tips to help you choose the right trailer for your needs.
Features & Benefits
Cargo trailers are enclosed and often feature a rear door as well as a side door for easy loading and unloading. Cargo trailers offer numerous benefits including protection from inclement weather and road conditions and added security. They also enable carrying of loads that might be susceptible to blowing away in the wind or toppling out of an open trailer. Enclosed cargo trailers are generally light-duty trailers made from aluminum or steel with gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWRs) of 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms) or less with single or tandem axles.
Items To Be Hauled
The type of items you need to move their size and weight will greatly impact the type of trailer you buy. Some items, like motorcycles and snowmobiles, have specialized trailers available that are tailored to the unique needs of the item. The distance you’ll be traveling and/or the frequency with which you will move your items will inform the kind of investment you want to make. You’ll also want to check on local legal requirements regarding size and storage requirements when the trailer’s not in use.
Towing Capacity
Before you spend money on a trailer, you have to be sure you have a vehicle with a gross combination weight (GCW) rating capable of hauling it when it’s fully loaded. While you’re factoring the hauling weight, also look for auxiliary items such as wiring for lighting and other accessories you may made need to buy if you don’t already have them.
Aluminum Or Steel
Aluminum trailers are lighter and rust-resistant. Steel trailers are heavier but often cheaper. Both materials produce strong, durable trailers, so it ultimately comes down to preference and how the trailer will be used. If you’ll be parking or storing it outdoors and towing it in rainy weather or in snow where rock salt will get on it leading to faster corrosion, aluminum might be better. If you’re on a budget and have a vehicle that can handle the extra weight, steel may be fine.
Gate Style & Other Features
There are a few options for gates on enclosed trailers. If you’re hauling a car, lawn care machine, or other vehicle, a fold-down ramp gate will allow easy loading and unloading. Others may choose double back doors. Inspect the overall structure of the trailer including the sidewalls. Trailers that have studs spaced closer together will be stronger and weak sidewalls can flex in and out during travel. If you’re buying an enclosed trailer, you clearly want your gear protected from outside elements, so the condition of the roof is an important consideration. A one-piece aluminum roof that wraps down around the sidewalls will provide the tightest seal.
Find The Right Cargo Trailer
You’ll find a large selection of new and used cargo trailers for sale every day at UtilityTrailersToday.com, including units from popular manufacturers like Rainbow, Car Mate, Legend, Bravo, and more.