CanadianViking,
I prefer to tow a trailer for two quads. Because they are lower to the gorund which makes it easier to load. Plus it still leaves plenty of room in the back of the truck for the rest of your riding gear and stuff.
If you buy a trailer for only one then you are always having to hook and unhook just to get one quad loaded. This is a pain in the butt!!!!
If you are really against towing something then get the truck bed platforms. They are nice. The only thing I don't like is the steepness of the ramps when you are trying to load them up. You basically have to get a run at it to make it up the ramps.
Which way you go depends on how long you are going for and what else you are wanting to take. If you are going to tow a travel trailer then get the truck bed platforms. Or you could get those combo trailers that will haul your quads and still offer a place to sleep. These are vary nice!!! If you are going to sleep in a tent or stay at motels then I would go with the trailer just because they are soooo much easier to load/unload.
If you decide to do the trailer route defenitely get one big enough to haul atleast two quads or more, depending on if your friends go.

 

I have two artic cats also, a 500 manual and 400. I just purchased a triton SL8 two quad trailer this month and all I can say is wow! Total weight of less that 2000lbs with quads, two side ramps, smooth riding, easy to lube the hubs, and good looking too. Mine fits in one side of my two car garage. I can tow it with our small truck or my two larger trucks. Go to their web site and check it out. Also in the event that your truck ever breaks down you can latch the trailer to another truck and get them home while your truck is being towed. I'm also not a big fan of weight being hi on my truck and too much over the axles. Handleing can be a nightmare if the weight is high or the rearend is overloaded.

 

Thanks for all your replies!

OK, part II of my question:

If I get a deck to haul both quads on, do I need a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton pickup? I've heard both from salesmen but I would like to get a real answer on this.

I can get used 1/2 tons for dirt cheap, 3/4 tons are a bit more $$$ and harder to find. I'm hoping a 1/2 ton can do it, but with each quad weighing close to 700lbs each + gear and gas I'm not sure it can.

Suggestions? Can I use a 1/2 ton or should I get a 3/4 ton?

Thanks,

 

CanadianViking:
I tow a lot of trailers around quite often, as well as hauling loads all over. Stability is definately a concern, and in some circumstances, a new Chevy Duramax Diesel, one-ton dually would be ideal, but hey, back to reality right?. Sure a half ton truck will do the job, but I prefer the 3/4 ton for the added stability. The 'Cats weigh right around 650 lbs. dry weight-add gas, oil, all your gear, camping equipment if over night stay is involved, the trucks gas, etc., etc, the list goes on. With that increasing list, is an equally increasing weight. Applying too much weight to the 1/2 ton truck not only makes it ride different, but it squats out the back end far too much for my desires, and becomes increasingly more dangerous. My vote goes for the 3/4 ton, which ever way you decide to haul-trailer or deck. However, if you do end up with the 1/2 ton, I'd highly recommend getting a trailer to at least haul one quad-I've had hay trucks tip over due to weight, not a pretty sight, so I'm kind of leary of suggesting the deck-on-truck method for the two 'Cats on a half ton truck, if you see what I'm getting at.

Best of luck with the situation, it's definately a tough decision.

Mike

 

I agree Cowboy.

I was a little surprised when ppl I talked to suggested that a 1/2 ton is fine for the two quads - I just can't see a 1/2 being able to handle the load safely.

The trailer vs. deck issue is a hard one for me. I have room in my garage to store the two Cats, but I don't really have room around my yard to store a trailer. If I do with a deck, I will just leave it on the pickup and won't have to worry about storing it.

 

Go with the 3/4 ton for sure with a rack. Most 1/2 tons trucks spec out 1500 +/- lbs payload capacity - that includes passengers, gear, quads. The 2 AC's alone will about max out a 1/2 ton. Most 3/4 tons spec out 2500 +/- lbs payload capacity.
I haul my AC with a 2500 silverado. One quad isn't bad, but two quads on it would load it down pretty good. I remember visiting a web site that made the ATV racks, and remember that they recommended 3/4 or 1 ton pickups.

 

Yeah, I agree with you, and the others (like Tcat), as well as the manufactors. 1/2 pickup is pushing it, 3/4 is minimal. I sometimes forget this part, as I have a 1-ton dually. That's durn near perfect for the ATV caddy. And I leave mine on all the time, as it is all aluminum, and won't rust. Plus, I get a lot of people stopping me to ask what it is!

 

Greetings,

Storing a trailer can definitely be a hassle but you might find a compromise. I walk my trailer into the garage hitch first (I bought a trailer dolly so I could do it by myself -- works great). Then I lower the ramps and park all my lighter rolling stock on the trailer -- ATV cart, DR Brush Mower, tow-behind flail mower, small rotary mower and the trailer dolly. This packs it all into one area so I can pull the quads in beside. You could also just leave the quads parked on the trailer in the garage, although the weight might beat down the springs over time, but blocks or jacks under the body would prevent this. In any case, if the trailer fits in the garage, consider stacking up on it to multiply space.

 

What a great idea!!

I never even thought of keeping the quads on the trailer. That would solve my storage problem - I'll unload the quads, roll the trailer into the garage to the location where I was going to keep the quads and then load the quads back up onto the trailer again.

Cheers & thanks for the suggestion!

 

Greetings,

After re-reading your response, I wanted to offer one other thought.

If you take the ATVs off the trailer before moving it into the garage, you will need to find a way to hold down the front end of the trailer when you re-load. I know this might be obvious to some, but I've seen it happen where someone assumes the trailer will stay down just like it was hitched up. But without the hitch on the ball, there's nothing to hold it down when you hit the ramps.

Mine is so well balanced that it will fly up if I push my brush mower (150 lbs.) onto it without counter weighting the front end. A 400 lbs. quad will be much worse. So if you can't back it in fully loaded, or if you want to pull it in so you can load/unload around home, check out some ways to either weight the hitch end, prop up the back end, or install a hitch ball on the wall of your garage.

Just a thought, hope it might prevent someone from having a nasty surprise.