You'll probably never find out, that was 3 years ago and he never came back. Just a few months ago, I bought my first all aluminum trailer, an Aluma 54"x8' trailer. They do cost a few hundred more than astandard steel frame/wood floor trailer of the same size but man is it light, right at 400 lbs even with the optional 12" extended sides all around. It pulls so easily and tracks perfectly straight at 75 mph on interstate. Will never rust and aluminum floor will never need repainted or boards replaced. Very light and easy to move around by hand. I'd recommend an Aluma for anyone wanting a light, high quality trailer. Very high quality integrated tie down points at each corner make it easy to secure your machine very well. They're not bolted in either, they're welded to the floor so they will last as long as the trailer does.

 

I hadn't looked at his profile so didn't know if he had checked back in or not, but you are right - aluminum is the way to go.

 

I like how it doesn't really affect my fuel economy that much either. On a long trip, that would add up. My 2004 Colorado ext cab Z71 4x4 with 3.5 auto gets about 20 mpg unloaded, still around 15-16 mpg pulling my trailer with my Brute Force on it, total weight around 1100 lbs or so. Max towing is 4000 lbs as the truck is configured, it pulls this light load like its not even back there. The light tongue weight is nice too, the suspension barely squats at all.

 

I agree with all the above, plus I can easily man-handle the trailer around the yard if I need to.

 

I cringe every time I hear someone buying a cheap trailer. You have many thousands of dollars tied up in your machines, why skimp on quality trailer to haul it. Why do people thing it is worth the risk? Also, I always recommend at a minimum, that you either buy a trailer that has grease fittings for the bearings or install them and grease them even if the trailer is new. Chances are, the bearings are dry too.
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Hemi5.7 posted a few times last year on other topics so he could still be lurking around here somewhere. I'd like to ask him how his math adds up. "I paid 500 for mine. 700+100 discount". 700-100=500? My 5x8 tilt bed trailer is all steel except for the wood floor and has a steel rail on the front and sides. I've had it for maybe 19 years and don't remember the price or the weight. I think it was $800 and 600 pounds but could be way off. Whatever it weighs I can still pull it up the length of my driveway by hand. Getting it from the street to the sidewalk takes some effort because it's steeper but once I get it to the sidewalk it's not bad. It's stored outside all year and none of the boards has ever rotted. It came with a Dexter Axle with the E-Z Lube system. I pump a couple of ounces of grease in each side once a year and never had any kind of problems with it. E-Z Lube System

 

I wondered about that, too. How long will a new $500 (check the math like Frank mentioned) trailer hold up when hauling a 700lb or 800lb ATV plus fuel cans and what ever other gear gets tossed on the trailer or tied to the ATV?

 

That's another thing too, get a trailer that can actually handle the weight. The trailer I have can easily handle twice the weight I'm putting on it. The axle and suspension will never even be stressed. I hate to overload anything, you're just asking for trouble. The weight ratings are there for a reason, they're not suggested limits than you can just ignore because you can fit more on there. Same goes for your tow vehicle. Don't try to tow more than it can safely handle. You might get away with it a few times but eventually you'll either break something on the vehicle or it will cause an accident.

 

tru dat - you never want to over load a trailer...

 

Excellent point about weight ratings. My trailer is rated for 1,500 pounds IIRC and my ATV is almost 700 pounds dry weight. I found one place that says it weighs 731 pounds which is still a little less than half of the trailer's rating. I'm fairly sure it weighs more than the trailer itself. I only have 12" wheels and a trailer with bigger wheels will generally have a higher weight rating. I believe my truck is rated for 5,000 pounds with a tongue weight of up to 500 pounds. The truck and trailer can easily handle the weight and can still stop in a reasonable distance without trailer brakes. When it comes to trailers I think you get what you pay for and a cheap price will get you cheap quality.