Opinions for a cargo trailer.

[Whopper Stopper]

I am looking at buying a cargo trailer to haul my portable fish house and ATV. I currently have an open trailer and get tired of always having snow or road spray all over everything. I am thinking about a 6x12 or 6X14. Being I am just hauling assorted gear, I am leaning toward a single axle. Besides the need to install a controller in my truck, I just hate having to fiddle with electric brakes.

The main reason for my posting this here is because it would be criminal to not tap all the knowledge and expertise on this board. What brand of trailer would you go with? Is there anything that I should make sure and stay away from?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and as always thanks for any tip or comments. Much appreciated!

WS

[Dave]

Just wondering why you'd need brakes on a trailer that size?

[FishinFools]

Tell me about your open trailer? Maybe I'll buy it...

[Smoker]

I have a 6 1/2'x12' and I can get the wheeler and a yard dump trailer in it. I need to unhook the trailer and slide the hitch under the wheeler. I think the box on the trailer is about 4 1/2 ft long. So it will depend on how big of a house you have.

[crappiegetter]

Just wondering why you'd need brakes on a trailer that size?

If he goes with a tandem axle they require brakes on them even if the size of the trailer is small. Where I work all our dual axle trailers have surge breaks and the smallest is 5x10. Minnesota trailer brake requirements:A trailer with a gross weight of 3000 lbs, GVW or more, or a gross weight that exceeds the empty weight of the towing vehicle, must be equipped with brakes that can adequately control the movement of and stop and hold the trailer.

Since he is most likely just using it for the wheeler and ice house its light enough to not need brakes.

[luckydave]

I have a 6x12 for my ATV and Yukon with a rear ramp door that swings down. It's great for keeping things clean and always ready to go without worrying about weather. The brand is Interstate-1 and it is a wedge nose which adds extra length / room.

[Powerstroke]

A better question is why would you not want brakes?

I guess I don't understand the "fiddling" with electric brakes. You plug in and go. If thats the only trailer you have with brakes then you should never have to adjust it.

I would measure to see what size trailer would be the minimum you would need and go from there. Extra room is always nice, especially if you want to add shelves or a fold down bunk.

[Whopper Stopper]

Not wanting brakes on the trailer is a personal decision. When I go fishing I try to keep things as simple as I can. Electric brakes have a tendency to require extra attention. It’s the just plug in and go that usually gets people in trouble.

Corrosion is a big culprit with them. Being I am probably going to be using it in snow and slushy conditions problems will surface a lot sooner. Brakes hanging up is fairly common especially on trailers that sit a lot from lack of use. I would love to fish daily but unfortunately as of yet, I have never made any money doing it.

All our trailers at work are equipped with them and even with daily inspections and regulated maintenance, every once in a while we’ll have failure. Surge brakes would of course also be an option but they have their own problems. Anyway, that’s why I don’t want them for my intended purpose.

Thanks for the replies.

[titelines]

You could check out Remeckel Trailers in Forest Lake. Dennis makes some great stuff and it'll last a couple lifetimes. I've got one of his 4x8x2 utility/canoe trailers that I haul everything in (ATV, snowmobile, Yukon, trash, brush, bikes etc.). He makes bigger ones and there's no worry of road spray etc. Nice canvas toppers on them, and you can et 'em with solid rear doors as well as ramps.

[Dave]

WS, sounds like we think alike. I like keeping things simple and with majority of use for an ATV and other gear, I see no reaon to include brakes either.

[Powerstroke]

I also use tons of trailers at work and rarely have troubles but like you said, they get inspected and used regularly. It is a personal choice.

I personally have no experience with a cargo trailer for your needs, but I'm interested in the discussion since I'm shopping for next year. Please let us know what you decide on.

[Macgyver55]

A better question is why would you not want brakes?

I guess I don't understand the "fiddling" with electric brakes. You plug in and go.

Not really, after working on countless trailer brake systems over the years, in my experience they are the most costly option to maintain on a trailer. They are not quite the problem on RVs and summer use trailers, but on winter use trailers they are a frequent problem, especially on infrequently used trailers. The connectors, the wiring, the rusted drums (or rotors) the stuck cylinders among other things require a lot more maintenance.

I personally went with a Sno Cap enclosure on my 8.5 x 12 trailer for my sleds and I love it. One of the main benefits is its light weight so it adds little to the total weight of the trailer.

[ccarlson]

My suggestion would be to go with an all aluminum trailer. The extra cost pays off in weight savings, longevity and re-sale value.

I have an 8x24 all aluminum enclosed snowmobile trailer and love it. It pulls like a dream and no worry about rust.

I also prefer electric brakes and have never had a problem with them.

ccarlson

[PurpleFloyd]

I just sold a 6.5 x 12 cargo trailer yesterday.When I bought it about 12 years ago I did use it to haul my ATV around and it certainly worked, but the single axle enclosed trailers really bounce around on the roads bad. At least mine did anyway and in my experience an open trailer is a better choice. A few years ago a neighbor needed money and sold me one of those steel 6x8 utility trailers that he had only used once and that became my ATV trailer and it works much better. Lighter, tows easier, Better MPG, you can have a windshield on and not worry about it being too tall to get in the trailer etc.