Does anyone own (have owned) a enclosed trailer that holds both ATVs and has some living space (weekend warriors, Pace Explorers, etc). Can these be towed with the Toyota V6 Tacoma (5000lbs tow rated small truck) easily. Most are too large (7000 lbs and up). Does anyone know of some smaller ones and some idea of prices. How much room is there to deal on theses? ANy info would be a great help!!
Thanks

 

Here's an18 Ft. trailer that I've been eyeing. You'll be pushing it. On level roads you'd be OK, but on any mountain roads like here in Utah, there's no way.

 

I have been eyeing a tailgator.. I really want one.. however I have a f-150 4x4 with the larger 5.4l motor, so I can tow up to 8000 pounds.

The idea is really nice.. I just wonder how it's going to turn out in real life... I wonder about keeping it clean, I mainly ride in dirt...


Brad

 

Mine's a 22' United Expressline, 10' "garage" with 12' living area. We sleep 6 of us it it, using every available area. My garage area is carpeted, they can be ordered or changed out to a tile setup. In terms of towing though, it's 7000+ pounds with as much as a 1200 lb tongue weight. No problems for the V-10 F250SD. We paid $10k, and it's a '92. New ones are running around the $20k range, depending on the options for a steel frame trialer. In your case, from what I've seen around here (MI), it might be cheaper to dump the 'Toy' truck and get something bigger. The lightest trailer I came across was by Featherlight, totally aluminum and top-notch quality. They are very expensive though.

 

Towing, trying to drag along 2-3 quads and a living space is really tough for a light half-ton, even full size. I built a super light, 840 lb. 6'x 14'ATV trailer that hauls 3 quads plus stuff. I pull it with a half-ton, 4x4, Z-71 Chevy X-cab. Then I've got a Palomino pop-up slide in camper in the short bed. It's smaller than any travel trailer/toy hauler but it only weighs 1200 lbs wet and has everything except for A.C. which could be added. This is the lightest set-up I could come up with.
840 lb trailer plus spare and stuff, call it .......1,000 lbs.
1200 lb camper plus stuff and camping gear, food.....1,500 lbs
3 quads, 460 DS, 400 Raptor, 600 Grizz, 1,460 + stuff.1,750 lbs.
That's 4,250 lbs right there. This truck is rated for 5,000 lbs and it's huge. With the overdrive 700 POS tranny, I have to watch the weight very carefully, and pray I don't blow the tranny anyway.
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

 

I do see people pulling small (18' box) toy haulers with V-8 half tons, but I don't think it's the wisest thing in the world to do. These things are very heavy fully loaded (most have 100 gal water tanks!) and will wear out a small truck in a hurry. As far as pulling one up hills with a V-6, forget it. On the grade out of Pismo (N on Hwy 1), my F-350 deisel can only do 55 with the truck & trailer loaded. When my dad had an F-250 with a 460 V-8 he tended to overheat on the same grade. It takes alot of truck to haul one of these things. You'd be better of in the long run, and a whole lot safer, to get a 3/4 or 1 ton with a V-8, V-10, or deisel motor.

As far as the trailers themselves, I think toy haulers are one of the greatest inventions ever! We really enjoy ours.

 

From the sounds of it, your looking for a trailer exactly like one that I designed a couple of years ago. 12' long, under 3000lbs. fully loaded, hauls 2 quads[or 4 dirt bikes or 3 street bikes], and priced around $7500 with every option[a/c, heater, fridge, etc..] It's not the most luxurious toy box made, but entry level that can be towed by a mini-van if needed. Does this sound like the sort of trailer anyone would be intrested in?

I'd love to start producing these, but funding is the hard part. If anyone out there is looking at investing, I'd be intrested in getting this project going again.

 

Thank you all for the replys! I still have not deciede what to do. I do however understand the point you all made about maybe getting a new truck. I really like my little Toyota (plus it is paid for) but a larger truck may be the answer. I am interested in the idea of a small trailer like the one that is listed as weighting around 3000lbs. I only take the quad somewhere once a month so I really do not tow all that much. I am also thinking of trying to build my own from a smaller enclosed trailer. How hard do you guys think this would be? Any idea if I can find a junkyard for RV's somewhere and get cheaper parts???
Thanks for the help

 

My girl & I have been looking at these trailers too.
They have been having some good sales on them. I think her & I should hold off awhile. She wants one now. I currently have a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 4X4 with the Off-Road pkg. (Dodge puts 3/4 ton springs on a 1/2 ton truck) It also has a 360V-8 & 4:10 gears. It does an OK job of towing. I told her I should get a 3/4 ton Dodge because I would have the 47RE tranny instead of the 46RE currently in the 1/2 tons including my Off-Roadster, plus than I could go with a 5th wheel. Even with 3/4 ton springs I still have 5 lug axles, I'd like the bigger rearend for a big trailer.
I could use my old 1969 International Harvester 3/4 ton 4X4 pickup....
With drum brakes & sloppey steering I doubt it would be the ticket for hauling a trailer 75 mph on the highway, but it will still pull your damn house down [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Knutz, I can think of three or four friends off the top of my head that have half tons and would like to get a toy hauler but can't afford a 30K truck or a 15K+ trailer to drag behind it. I'd think a light weight, no frills tariler would sell like hot cakes.