I'm about to buy a trailer to eventually haul 2 ATV's. I know that to do this, I'll need to load them sideways rather than long ways. I plan on getting a tandem axle, 16' trailer. My question is can anyone here recommend just getting the regular 77" width, or should I go for the wider 83" width?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

If you are planning on a 16ft open trailer, you do not need to load 2 atv's sideways. They will fit end to end driving on from the back. I used to have a 6 x 10 big tex trailer that I liked a lot. I loaded the front atv sideways and the back one I just drove straight on. I would go with the narrower trailer depending on your tow vehicle, the skinnier one will be a little easier to park and go thru the drive thru at Mcdonalds and with 16 ft in length, you will have plenty of room for 2 atv's and all your stuff.

 

You should have no trouble at all doing what you want with that trailer. I have a 6x12 trailer that I can put 2 on nose to tail and 3 on sideways. But that was with Scramblers now that I have a Prairie 650 and a friend has a Sportsman 700 it may not work as well since they are both slightly larger and it was tight before.

 

I haul two Cats side-by side on a Shorland'r single axel flat deck (see photo). The deck size is approx. 7.5' x 10' with a little space under, between and around the machines for extra stuff. The detachable ramps mount anywhere around the perimeter. Not sure what kinds of roads you travel on, but for me the shorter trailer is better than long and narrow for turning around on fire roads.

 

Are you just getting the trailer to haul the ATVs? If so, like others said, you don't need 16'... in fact, for a side-loading trailer, 8' is all you need. It's pretty safe to say that all ATV's are under 48" wide and under 7' long. If you're going to get a side-loading trailer, I'd highly suggest the 83" width, especially if it has the ramps that fold upright for trailering. If you go with the 77", some of the larger ATV's won't quite fit... the Polaris Sportsman's are 81" long, and that doesn't include rear bumper, brush guard, or winch. Those trailers are nice, and everyone has their reasons for liking a certain type... but I bought a 12' snowmobile trailer strictly for hauling ATV's, and I'm still convinced I made the right choice. I can fit two ATV's side by side and have plenty of space for other stuff, and can also fit a third ATV across the front without any problems when I want to. The movable ramp lets me drive all three on and off extremely easily. If you never want to haul three (you never know), you could always go with a 10' and still have plenty of room... that was my original plan, but then I realized I could add two feet and be able to haul another one. I'm glad I did, I've already needed to haul three. If you want more info on mine, let me know.

 

Great info guys.... Thanks. Actually, I plan on have 3 full-size ATV's in a couple of years. That's why I am looking at the 16". I know I can get 3 on there sideways.

The Polaris Sportsman is 81", but aren't the tires less than that from back to front. I think they come it at right under 77", but still, 83" wide trailer would be much easier I think.

Thanks for your help.

 

You are correct, the tires are less than that... I was referring to the side-loading trailers where the ramps actually fold up and become the walls of the trailers. When folded up, they extend well above the tops of the ATV's. Those are nice, but like I said, not so good for longer ATV's. Also, you can get three ATV's sideways on a 12' trailer with no problems. If you get the 16' you're talking about, or go to a wider 14' trailer (i.e. snowmobile trailer), you'd actually be able to haul four. If you know you want to be able to haul three... having room for a fourth isn't a bad idea.

 

I was wondering if any of you have looked at or owned toy box trailers, big ones? the ones I have been looking at are in the 36" to 40" with aslide out, and able to haul 4 fullsize Quad's . I have looked at lots on the net and like the looks of weekend warriors stuff, but the nearest dealer to me is 2000 miles away. I saw that Jayco is coming out with a new one 36' Talon w/ slide & bulk head between storage area& living. I guess what I need to know, is what things were done wrong in the design that you could have done different, and what problems you had with camp grounds etc...

 

I haul our two Trailbosses on a 5X13 single axle utility trailer, it works great. The last foot of the trailer angles down to the ramp at the end. This allows the ramp to be shorter, stick up in the air less when hauling and get less wind resistance. The trailer's wheels are about the same width as my Pathfinder so this trailer is easy to pull and maneuver. I have a three car side entry garage and can back the trailer into the single car bay from the street (took a litle practice at first). I had a Triton SL8 aluminum trailer with the fold down ramps on each side and loved it until it was stolen along with our first two quads. It was wider but towed nicely. Replaced it with the utility trailer because of price and I wanted the longer bed to haul some other stuff.

 

I've been looking for a 5X13(or 14) low-slung, dual axle, aluminum for a long time now as I agree with gone-fishin' and tmm2good that a narrow trailer is MUCH more comfortable to haul and is even handier when hauling other things that require bunching together or tie-down rail space to haul well.

Ideally, I'd like to have the axles moved forward just a bit and have dummy weight in the rear for correct balance when hauling empty. Standard axle placement (approx. 60/40) makes the unit a little 'tongue heavy' when hauling two quads end-to-end.

I'll probably never find anyone that makes this trailer; but have been quoted 3 grand (!) to customize a 5X12 (too short) and just may see about adding the extra foot myself and see what happens.

By the way, maybe it's just the upkeep here in MI. and the way I love the way they haul..........but I'll never own a steel trailer again.

John