Im thinking about purchasing a wells cargo type cargo trailer to haul my bike and equipment. My question is are they very heavy and/or difficult to pull. I Have a grand cheerokee with a V8 and i usually haul my bike with a small flatbed type trailer just barly big enough for my DS and dont mind driving long distances cause i cant even tell im pulling a traier, but the other week, 4th of july weekend i pulled a descent sized camper 300 miles for the weekend (to the dunes!!)and it was ruff on my jeep, like slowing down it would want to wobble the entire setup etc, cause the damn thing was too heavy for the mid sized jeep to be stable, so im concerned the cargo trailer would do the same, basically anyone have a Jeep/exploreer/blazer pulling a 6x10 or 6x12 cargo trailer with a couple bikes? hows the ride?
thanks for your help guys
jetjock16

 

I'm getting ready to order a 18' SouthWest Expressline trailer.
I'll be pulling it with a Dodge Dakota with a 5.2L V8 (probably the same engine as your Jeep).
You should be able to haul a mid size trailer with your Jeep IF....
You use a Equilizer hitch
Sway control device
& the Trailer has brakes.

Your shorter wheelbase will be a limiting factor. As a general rule of thumb with the smaller trucks like ours you shouldn't haul a trailer that's longer than the tow truck, I'm pushing it because my Dakota is 18' long & my trailer is 18' long with a V nose.
That brings up another good point. A V nose is free space & will make the trailer more aerodynamic than a flat nose.

Go to Roadsters.com They have links to many trailer Mfgrs & many of them have an on line quote to give you a good idea of the price. It's a good place to start.

I've been doing a lot of research in the last couple of months & SouthWest Expressline seems to be the best trailer for the $$$ & they have a 5 year warranty instead of 3 years.

Wells Cargo is a good trailer but be warned that they are high $$$$$!!!!!
I speced out a SouthWest trailer with all my options & it was $7150.
For the same Wells Cargo trailer it's over $12,000!!! IMO They can't be that much better!!

Hope this helps.

 

I have a 6x12 Haulmark that I tow with a shortbox Silverado. It pulls it easy, only in a strong headwind do you feel it working the motor but still no problem towing it. The mileage drops a couple #'s but normally I get between 13 and 14mpg running the speed limits or slightly over. I would get brakes on the trailer, I have them on mine and you can stop much quicker than without. The handling is fine, trailer tracks very well with no sway or any weirdness at 70+ mph.

 

i'm sure you have your reasons for getting a covered trailer but if you haven't considered this you might want to -- snowmobile trailers. They work great. They are lightweight, inexpensive and mine will fit 2 ds650s side by side, plus its easy loading cause they pivot on a axis when the pin is removed so you both drive up the ramp.

 

I pull a 14x7 tandem axle Wells Cargo with my GMC Yukon. I agree with THEMOOSE...make sure your truck is equipped correctly, regardless of the size of trailer. Regarding the truck/trailer setup, I decided to go with an air-assist rear suspension system from AIR-LIFT on my truck rather than go with the distribution hitch setup. It cost me about $150 from Summit Racing, the system was simple to install, and it is very very easy to operate, plus it will work instantly with any trailer you load up...where the distribution hitch will take a little effort to transfer from trailer to trailer. Obviously, if you only tow one trailer, this isn't an issue, but it sounds like you might pull more than one on occasion. You just air up the helper bags after you load the trailer, and it instantly restores your truck ride height(if the truck sags with the added tongue weight), not to mention it firms up the side to side movement and eliminates most of the sway associated with overloading your truck.
In fact, I often inflate the bags just a bit even when I'm around town driving, it firms it up a bit, to ride more like a truck...I don't like the super soft car-like ride that most of the newer SUV's have...and this is nicer(in my opinion).
Note, tandem-axle trailers will handle more weight better than a single axle trailer when comparing apples to apples...it's more stablized, both in front to rear rocking action when hitting bumps, and side to side in windy conditions on the interstate. Sometimes I see smaller, single-axle trailers behind the same size truck I have and the wind pushes them all over...and my trailer is just 100% stable. Just something to keep in mind. In our 14' trailer, we can get 3 full-size quads in sideways...with room for all the gear in back. Also, we have gotten 4 race quads in the trailer when stood on end for transport to nationals...make sure you know exactly how much room you want IN the trailer. Ours only has the 6' cieling...and I wish it was the 6'6" or 7'...because if you're standing the quads on end...it gives you more space. Plus, if you're hanging out in the trailer, or seeking shelter, waiting out rain, etc...it's nice to be able to stand up in the thing.