Need trailer direction, in purchasing
#1
11-30-2005, 01:48 PM
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Need trailer direction, in purchasing
Hello all,
Well went out and bought the the quads for the family and now i need a trailer to transport and store in. There is a catch 22 with all this.
I leave in a housing track that has limited space on the side. no RV access. The fence area is 8 feet max from fence to wall. I need a trailer that i can fit on the side of the house that would not abstruct the sides. As of right now I have 3 quads. Kawasaki 400, Polaries Phoenix and Rapter 80. I would like to be able to fit them all in the trailer, This leaves room for possible purchase of another in the back of the truck if needed. Any suggestions on On sizes i shall be focusing on. Thanks for any directions you can send me.
See You out there riding
Ron
Well went out and bought the the quads for the family and now i need a trailer to transport and store in. There is a catch 22 with all this.
I leave in a housing track that has limited space on the side. no RV access. The fence area is 8 feet max from fence to wall. I need a trailer that i can fit on the side of the house that would not abstruct the sides. As of right now I have 3 quads. Kawasaki 400, Polaries Phoenix and Rapter 80. I would like to be able to fit them all in the trailer, This leaves room for possible purchase of another in the back of the truck if needed. Any suggestions on On sizes i shall be focusing on. Thanks for any directions you can send me.
See You out there riding
Ron
#2
12-01-2005, 09:49 PM
Elite Pro Rider
Do you have a balloon?
Do you have a balloon?
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,853
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#3
12-02-2005, 10:32 AM
#4
12-02-2005, 08:08 PM
Need trailer direction, in purchasing
Humm, that is a poser. Well, I don't have any direct size recommendations but how about I throw out some ideas based on what I have done and the mistakes I have made. I would not pretend to be a master of all that is a trailer but I have done this dance a few times both for car and ATV. Currently I own 3 trailers. A 24' enclosed, a 16'+2'dove tail open, and a 5'x 12' tilt. (As a note, I just read through this for corrections – man I am long winded!!)
You sound like you want an enclosed and you mentioned leaving the quads in the trailer. Is that to have a place to store the quads so that, say, you can free up some garage space perhaps? Here is my deal (mind you MY deal/thoughts) with ATV's and an enclosed trailer, at least as I see it. Loading is a little more of a chore. You, typically, load in from the back. To maximize space in some cases you need to turn quads left to right. Hard to do in a box. I have heard of some folks using wheeled ATV jacks to get them where they want them. You could load one side ways in the front through a personnel door at the nose. Most side doors I have seen are 4' (on average 22’ + trailers). A tad tight for most modern ATV's. This is based on a typical car size enclosed trailer. When you get in to the smaller (shorter) enclosed trailers, lets say less than 20', they tend to get narrower. Either the box gets a little skinny as it is built inside the wheels as opposed to over them or because at some shorter lengths builders tend to use lighter axles and smaller overall boxes. Look at the typical enclosed trailer at Home Depot as an example. Loading them side be side may not be possible. Not even sure I could load my 2 400 AC's side by side in my 24 footer. Securing them is another deal Most enclosed trailers I have seen have been set up for their use AFTER being pre built, basically, barren. You have to figure out where you want all your stuff then add rings in the floor or perhaps track as necessary. This may limit you and cause a redesign in the future if your quads change. (You mentioned 90, how soon till that’s a bigger machine??) I tend to get frustrated enough messing with tie downs in a tuck bed when I have decent access all the way around the quad. I would hate to have to climb over an ATV wedged between, say, a wall and another quad. This all is baring a custom built trailer as you can do what you want then and get it ready to go. Rings all over the place, big side doors, etc... Again, I am assuming typical pre-built "on the lot" units that I have seen from most manufacturers at a typical dealer.
If you have your heart set on an enclosed I would look at a typical motorcycle/power sports trailer. When you get into shorter boxes (non typical car / race trailers) the doors tend to swing to the sides like on a semi trailer. You want a ramp. Same trailer, just a different door. If you have a local manufacturer where you can buy direct my bet is the cost difference is 0 if not less as there is less fabrication in 1 door as opposed to 2. If you buy from a dealer/re-seller I bet they will call it motorcycle trailer and class it as such. Around here that is how the dealer do it and they charge a little extra for it.
If I had to make a guess for a size on the enclosed I would say you need a good 7 1/2’ wall to wall and around 15’ long to load 3 adult quads left to right. That would be an absolute minimum guess. Even then I bet it would be tight turning them after driving them in front to back. Measure their maximum diagonal width as that is where you will run into problem trying to turn them in the box. Park them side by side to get the length. I am guessing 5’ a quad (thus the 15’ length). Don’t forget to add some space to run straps. I am betting even at 5’ a quad it will be tight. I am basing that on measuring my 05 400 independent suspension Arctic Cat when I was deciding on a 4’ or 5’ wide tilt. My 01 cat will just squeak in under 4’ wide, the 05 is just beyond 4’. Split less then a foot to either side: now you are talking inches of space to play.
What ever you measure out don’t forget about anything else you wan to take along. Tools, grills, camping gear, cooler, food. You could throw them in the truck bed but what if you have that other quad in the bed like you mentioned. Can’t put it all in the truck as I bet the riders will be in there. You will have to shove stuff all around the quads. To unload you have to take apart the puzzle. Been there, done that, had all my stuff spread all over the camp like my trailer puked. Not fun.
Have you thought about an open wood deck car trailer? You could easily get your 3 quads on an 18isf foot flat bed. I have gotten 3 full size quads on mine many times with about zero effort beyond driving them on and lashing them down. The weight of the rig should be a lot less and, thus easier to tow. The wind will be less of a fight as well. You did not mention your tow vehicle. Using ramps you can load from any side. When I do 3 I put one on the nose right to left loaded from the side via ramps. Securing them is easy as you just take the straps over the side to the frame. Almost infinite combinations plus the quad is at chest level so there is little climbing and contorting to get you strap hooks set. Just walk around the trailer. I made sure mine had stake pockets so that I could use them as attachment points as well so that I could pull a strap at an angle and not worry about it sliding on the frame rail. The trailer would also be much cheaper. If storage is an issue take part of the savings and build a shed. Around here I can get a 16' + 2' dove tail 7' wide deck with clip on ramps, 2 3500lb Dexter axles with brakes on one axle, new 15' tires, wired for lights for just over $1500. Basically it’s a car trailer. Not the highest end trailer I could get but nice and heavy. It is more than capable to do what I need while lasting me for just about forever with good care and the amount of use I will make it endure. I wanted to dove tail so that I could use it for cars as well, you could just get a flat 18 deck and probable save a few bucks. You could also use the open trailer for just about anything else. Picking up sheets of ply wood or drywall, loads of mulch, moving, etc. Another bonus is that it would be completely obscured by tour fence so it is less of an eye sore and less of an attractant to prying eyes wondering what you have
Physical size and moving the trailer around is another issue separating the enclosed and the open.
>The fence area is 8 feet max from fence to wall. I need a trailer that i can fit on the side of the house that would not abstruct the sides.
Not sure what sides you are concerned about. Side of the house or trailer? Access around the trailer?
Getting a decent size open or enclosed will net a "similar" max width. One way or another you will just about kill your 8' width. You will tend to have a little more perceived room around the open trailer as the decks tend to be a rectangular with a protruding fenders and wheels. You can have some space to walk around with a trimmer and cut back the grass. The typical larger enclosed will be a box of consistent width with "counter sunk" wheels and internal (to the box) wheel houses. The smaller enclosed will afford you the same rough extra space as the open deck if it has a similar external wheel and fender design. One way or another the crunch point is any trailers widest point which may be your sticking point.
There is always the open utility trailer option. Look for a lawn service type utility. I have seen quite a few tandem axle models that are in the 6’ wide range that run out quite a length. Some smaller quads can be loaded left to right on these but you have to deal with getting up and over a side rail that this type of trailer tends to have. The rail is necessary as the deck frame tends to be of a lighter construction that a typical car trailer. The rail adds to the trailers overall strength as well as helping keep things on the deck You may be able to find one long enough to load the 2 big quads end to end with the 90 left to right on the front or back. My problem here is that, at least around here, to get this type of trailer in the length I (you) need I am well beyond the price of a decent car trailer. The car trailer would be, for me, more versatile.
A few other things to keep in mind…some of which, like most of the above, is my opinion.
Protect it from the elements to keep it looking good and to hold down rust.
Sounds like you will be storing it in the side yard. Get a few rectangular paving stones that you can park the trailer on. This will keep the tires off the ground.
You might want to pick up some tire covers from an RV place. They will keep the sun off the tires. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=30041
I like to keep my trailers covered when not in use. A tarp and a little rope do the job. Again, harbor freight.
I tend to like wood decks on open trailers as opposed to mesh. If I have a problem area I can replace a board. I don’t worry about the deck deflecting under load between the deck frame (depending on load and gauge of the mesh). No unsightly surface rust in the wood like you get if you nick paint off the metal mesh. If you have to re-deck the thing you don’t need much more than a trip to a lumber yard.
Take care and good luck!!
You sound like you want an enclosed and you mentioned leaving the quads in the trailer. Is that to have a place to store the quads so that, say, you can free up some garage space perhaps? Here is my deal (mind you MY deal/thoughts) with ATV's and an enclosed trailer, at least as I see it. Loading is a little more of a chore. You, typically, load in from the back. To maximize space in some cases you need to turn quads left to right. Hard to do in a box. I have heard of some folks using wheeled ATV jacks to get them where they want them. You could load one side ways in the front through a personnel door at the nose. Most side doors I have seen are 4' (on average 22’ + trailers). A tad tight for most modern ATV's. This is based on a typical car size enclosed trailer. When you get in to the smaller (shorter) enclosed trailers, lets say less than 20', they tend to get narrower. Either the box gets a little skinny as it is built inside the wheels as opposed to over them or because at some shorter lengths builders tend to use lighter axles and smaller overall boxes. Look at the typical enclosed trailer at Home Depot as an example. Loading them side be side may not be possible. Not even sure I could load my 2 400 AC's side by side in my 24 footer. Securing them is another deal Most enclosed trailers I have seen have been set up for their use AFTER being pre built, basically, barren. You have to figure out where you want all your stuff then add rings in the floor or perhaps track as necessary. This may limit you and cause a redesign in the future if your quads change. (You mentioned 90, how soon till that’s a bigger machine??) I tend to get frustrated enough messing with tie downs in a tuck bed when I have decent access all the way around the quad. I would hate to have to climb over an ATV wedged between, say, a wall and another quad. This all is baring a custom built trailer as you can do what you want then and get it ready to go. Rings all over the place, big side doors, etc... Again, I am assuming typical pre-built "on the lot" units that I have seen from most manufacturers at a typical dealer.
If you have your heart set on an enclosed I would look at a typical motorcycle/power sports trailer. When you get into shorter boxes (non typical car / race trailers) the doors tend to swing to the sides like on a semi trailer. You want a ramp. Same trailer, just a different door. If you have a local manufacturer where you can buy direct my bet is the cost difference is 0 if not less as there is less fabrication in 1 door as opposed to 2. If you buy from a dealer/re-seller I bet they will call it motorcycle trailer and class it as such. Around here that is how the dealer do it and they charge a little extra for it.
If I had to make a guess for a size on the enclosed I would say you need a good 7 1/2’ wall to wall and around 15’ long to load 3 adult quads left to right. That would be an absolute minimum guess. Even then I bet it would be tight turning them after driving them in front to back. Measure their maximum diagonal width as that is where you will run into problem trying to turn them in the box. Park them side by side to get the length. I am guessing 5’ a quad (thus the 15’ length). Don’t forget to add some space to run straps. I am betting even at 5’ a quad it will be tight. I am basing that on measuring my 05 400 independent suspension Arctic Cat when I was deciding on a 4’ or 5’ wide tilt. My 01 cat will just squeak in under 4’ wide, the 05 is just beyond 4’. Split less then a foot to either side: now you are talking inches of space to play.
What ever you measure out don’t forget about anything else you wan to take along. Tools, grills, camping gear, cooler, food. You could throw them in the truck bed but what if you have that other quad in the bed like you mentioned. Can’t put it all in the truck as I bet the riders will be in there. You will have to shove stuff all around the quads. To unload you have to take apart the puzzle. Been there, done that, had all my stuff spread all over the camp like my trailer puked. Not fun.
Have you thought about an open wood deck car trailer? You could easily get your 3 quads on an 18isf foot flat bed. I have gotten 3 full size quads on mine many times with about zero effort beyond driving them on and lashing them down. The weight of the rig should be a lot less and, thus easier to tow. The wind will be less of a fight as well. You did not mention your tow vehicle. Using ramps you can load from any side. When I do 3 I put one on the nose right to left loaded from the side via ramps. Securing them is easy as you just take the straps over the side to the frame. Almost infinite combinations plus the quad is at chest level so there is little climbing and contorting to get you strap hooks set. Just walk around the trailer. I made sure mine had stake pockets so that I could use them as attachment points as well so that I could pull a strap at an angle and not worry about it sliding on the frame rail. The trailer would also be much cheaper. If storage is an issue take part of the savings and build a shed. Around here I can get a 16' + 2' dove tail 7' wide deck with clip on ramps, 2 3500lb Dexter axles with brakes on one axle, new 15' tires, wired for lights for just over $1500. Basically it’s a car trailer. Not the highest end trailer I could get but nice and heavy. It is more than capable to do what I need while lasting me for just about forever with good care and the amount of use I will make it endure. I wanted to dove tail so that I could use it for cars as well, you could just get a flat 18 deck and probable save a few bucks. You could also use the open trailer for just about anything else. Picking up sheets of ply wood or drywall, loads of mulch, moving, etc. Another bonus is that it would be completely obscured by tour fence so it is less of an eye sore and less of an attractant to prying eyes wondering what you have
Physical size and moving the trailer around is another issue separating the enclosed and the open.
>The fence area is 8 feet max from fence to wall. I need a trailer that i can fit on the side of the house that would not abstruct the sides.
Not sure what sides you are concerned about. Side of the house or trailer? Access around the trailer?
Getting a decent size open or enclosed will net a "similar" max width. One way or another you will just about kill your 8' width. You will tend to have a little more perceived room around the open trailer as the decks tend to be a rectangular with a protruding fenders and wheels. You can have some space to walk around with a trimmer and cut back the grass. The typical larger enclosed will be a box of consistent width with "counter sunk" wheels and internal (to the box) wheel houses. The smaller enclosed will afford you the same rough extra space as the open deck if it has a similar external wheel and fender design. One way or another the crunch point is any trailers widest point which may be your sticking point.
There is always the open utility trailer option. Look for a lawn service type utility. I have seen quite a few tandem axle models that are in the 6’ wide range that run out quite a length. Some smaller quads can be loaded left to right on these but you have to deal with getting up and over a side rail that this type of trailer tends to have. The rail is necessary as the deck frame tends to be of a lighter construction that a typical car trailer. The rail adds to the trailers overall strength as well as helping keep things on the deck You may be able to find one long enough to load the 2 big quads end to end with the 90 left to right on the front or back. My problem here is that, at least around here, to get this type of trailer in the length I (you) need I am well beyond the price of a decent car trailer. The car trailer would be, for me, more versatile.
A few other things to keep in mind…some of which, like most of the above, is my opinion.
Protect it from the elements to keep it looking good and to hold down rust.
Sounds like you will be storing it in the side yard. Get a few rectangular paving stones that you can park the trailer on. This will keep the tires off the ground.
You might want to pick up some tire covers from an RV place. They will keep the sun off the tires. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=30041
I like to keep my trailers covered when not in use. A tarp and a little rope do the job. Again, harbor freight.
I tend to like wood decks on open trailers as opposed to mesh. If I have a problem area I can replace a board. I don’t worry about the deck deflecting under load between the deck frame (depending on load and gauge of the mesh). No unsightly surface rust in the wood like you get if you nick paint off the metal mesh. If you have to re-deck the thing you don’t need much more than a trip to a lumber yard.
Take care and good luck!!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Customer Service #1
Arctic Cat
73
05-15-2020 08:46 AM
Logan Collins
Classifieds, Garage Sale & Swap Shop
0
09-05-2015 08:03 PM
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)