Enclosed trailer recommendations?

[albravo2]

Last year we had 4 motorcycles, a rhino, fuel and an entire hunt camp in the back of a short box duallie with an 8' trailer.

It was fun, but space was short so I promised myself that I'd upgrade this year and I'm looking for suggestions on an enclosed trailer.

I'm thinking 16-20' long, and wide enough to get bunks on either side with room to walk in the middle. I'm 6'2" so I'd like at least 6'4" interior clearance.

Everything seems to have dual axles and electric brakes so I'm looking for other recommended features:

Are wide trailers a pain to tow?
Is there a sweet spot in terms of length for towing?
Is the V-nose better towing or just easier to unload?
Would you go longer than 20' and build in a cooler?
I know a ramp back door is better, but there seem to be better deals on the barn door. Is carrying ramps that inconvenient?

We have a good wall tent so I don't expect we'd sleep in there all the time but it would certainly happen sometimes.

Your experiences and advice appreciated.

[BCBRAD]

You need a big trailer, at least 7'x20', a v-nose gets extra room with out increased length. This gets you into two axles and probably at least 7000 lb.gvw.

We have a single axle 3500 gvw 6'x14' v-nose cargo trailer that is used to haul a bike or quad. This year we decided to "camperize" it.

Put two windows in it, a wood stove and removable bunk. Roomy enough for 2 people with a small table set up. We did not insulate as we figure the wood stove should be more than enough heat.

A well set up and balanced trailer tows just fine, make sure your tongue weight is ~8-10% of the trailer and its cargo weight.

[BimmerBob]

The bigger the better as far as size to use goes but the real crunch is storage when you are not using it. I thought long and hard about it and settled for a 16x7 V-nose by Charmac from Cummings Trailers on Fraser Hwy in Abbotsford. I went with the barn doors as the space to open the ramp door is double when you are confined in parking space and I found I can load quads without any ramps by raising the hitch as high as it goes then just driving the quad up onto the floor of the trailer, I have some ramps but have never needed them. I am still trying to finalize a plan for modding the interior similar to BCBRAD but can't decide on just what I need, too many options and my indecision is holding me up... I would like to attach a wall tent system to one entire side and the back of the trailer to have a huge enclosure with a wood stove in the tent portion to heat the entire space but have an unattached wall tent for the time being.

If anybody has any plans for adding cupboard space like in travel trailers I would love to see the details of how they did it while keeping weight down... I have a 400 watt solar/battery/inverter system for electric power going on it now and it works very well...

[wideopenthrottle]

I have seen a couple of setups with the trailer parked sideways behind the camper with a tarp over the gap...to use the trailer as a changing/cooking/drying/socializing in bad weather area so the camper stays clean...way easier with the double doors to use it this way

[DANOSON]

One thing to remember is that you want to be able to get utility plates not commercial or you take the chance of getting pulled over for weigh ins at the scales. Ticket was $135 bucks if I remember right and it was going through Quesnel. I have 16 x 8.5 ramp doors fold down bunks and sink counter top shelves up front 110 electrical plugs and 110 lights quad electric boxes and 12 volt led light through out. Built a tent that goes on the ramp after the unload had 4 guys in it for moose camp lots of room. Used electric heater not the answer will try diesel drip heater this year. Options are endless and I did change my plate to a utility but was a pain in the ass to do. Good luck and one of these days I will try and post some pictures.

[Hunterguy]

Hunterguy profile my gallery to see pics of the Moose is Loose Lodge enclosed trailer fits 3 quads.

[albravo2]

One thing to remember is that you want to be able to get utility plates not commercial or you take the chance of getting pulled over for weigh ins at the scales. Ticket was $135 bucks if I remember right and it was going through Quesnel. I have 16 x 8.5 ramp doors fold down bunks and sink counter top shelves up front 110 electrical plugs and 110 lights quad electric boxes and 12 volt led light through out. Built a tent that goes on the ramp after the unload had 4 guys in it for moose camp lots of room. Used electric heater not the answer will try diesel drip heater this year. Options are endless and I did change my plate to a utility but was a pain in the ass to do. Good luck and one of these days I will try and post some pictures.

Thanks. If you are looking for a diesel heater, look for the US military surplus one. They sell them on ebay for a fraction the price of the stuff that Cabelas or the other 'outfitters' sell them and they work really, really well.

I can't recall the number/model but if you don't turn it up on a quick search send me a PM and I'll get the details off mine.

[honeyman76]

I have a 8.5 x20. I had a 7 x14 but it was too small. I looked at getting a 7 x 20, but apparently, they only go to 16 feet in length with the 7 foot width.. You will need to go to am 8 foot wide by 20 foot then or 8 by 18 something like that. I would highly recommend an equalizer tow bar.
I ended up with commercial plates and it hasn't been a problem for me. But maybe it will? They haven't bothered me so far.

[Hunterguy]

Got stopped first trip with the lodge at weigh scales to hope. Commercial plate, payed a fine and than went to an insurance company showed them the bunks and got the r.v. plate no problem now trailer has a 10,000 gvw.

[albravo2]

I don't understand the difference between a commercial and utility plate. Why did you pay a fine?

[Hunterguy]

That's what I thought everything was new delux hitch and yes weighed both truck and trailer and there's a lot of regulations that go with the commercial plate, have a 2500 duramax he said you can't drive home to Langley until I took a special rider of insurance to drive it home. He says he stops those trailers all the time but said all we had to do is get the rv. plate.

[allan]

I have a campmaster 8x24, 8" custom lift. split in the middle 12' in the back is open space with dual fold down bunks. Front is small kitchen , toilet and table with couch.
It has a 20 ft awning and the back compartment can fit 2 full size quads or a suzuki samurai.
I paid $7000 for it and about 1500$ in repairs and upgrades.
Someday I would like to add a small wood stove in the back to heat instead of propane furnace. It would rock to use as my hunting rig but but right now it's only play pens, pedal bikes and kids toys.

[boxhitch]

Thats quite a load your hauling. Keep things under the magic 4600 kg and your cl. 5 license is good too.

Various pre-made cabinets are available for workshops storage that should be more than sturdy enough , and they could be installed as removable units, keeping the trailer versatile.

[Daybreak]

I prefer the ramp style single rear door as opposed to the two barn style doors. The ramp style makes loading simpler and when hinged down and supported in the level position it makes a great patio area... off the ground, out of the mud and dirt and easily fits a few chairs, a small table and camp stove. Everything inside is right within easy reach and things can easily be shifted indoors if the weather turns inclement.

I will be fitting mine with a roll out canopy for over the patio this summer. It is really a great perk to have the hinge down door and the increased living area it provides.

[DANOSON]

Re: Enclosed trailer recommendations?
I don't understand the difference between a commercial and utility plate. Why did you pay a fine?


albravo2 the reason for the fine with commercial plates is that all the weight goes against the total gvw of the vehicle towing the load and your insurance has to cover that. I know it seems stupid that someone can tow a 36 foot trailer with utility plate but cant tow a 16 foot cargo trailer with 2 quads in it total trailer weighing less than 7000 lbs. Problem is when you go insure they cant find a picture of a 2 axle cargo trailer that is over 1450kg that is not commercial. Because you have to take the weight of your truck and trailer combined you would be over 5500kg and you would have to insure your truck for that and then every time you pass a scale you would have to stop and get weighed as a commercial vehicle. With utility plate truck and trailer are separate weights. Hope this helps. There is another thread on here somewhere explaining it all.

[albravo2]

Re: Enclosed trailer recommendations?
I don't understand the difference between a commercial and utility plate. Why did you pay a fine?


albravo2 the reason for the fine with commercial plates is that all the weight goes against the total gvw of the vehicle towing the load and your insurance has to cover that. I know it seems stupid that someone can tow a 36 foot trailer with utility plate but cant tow a 16 foot cargo trailer with 2 quads in it total trailer weighing less than 7000 lbs. Problem is when you go insure they cant find a picture of a 2 axle cargo trailer that is over 1450kg that is not commercial. Because you have to take the weight of your truck and trailer combined you would be over 5500kg and you would have to insure your truck for that and then every time you pass a scale you would have to stop and get weighed as a commercial vehicle. With utility plate truck and trailer are separate weights. Hope this helps. There is another thread on here somewhere explaining it all.


very helpful, thanks.

[ACB]

I prefer barn doors to the ramp door as long as you have really good portable ramps. I have 12ft. trailer that I take on solo trips that can pack a Quad and all my gear that I set up with a "plastic shack" , tarp and conduit. Had a buddy that does boat tops put a boat top zipper on a heavy duty white tarp that serve's as a door. Just bungee cord it to the conduit frame. You can get the angle pieces at KMS tools. Then put the heavy duty white top and side tarp that as a heat resistant gasket for the wood stove over the frame and bungee cord it to the trailer with the doors open and then we put a floor tarp down with fake grass carpet on top. The whole thing takes about an hour to set up. In a pinch two guys and their gear can sleep on cots, one on each side in the trailer. A buddy of mine has a 16ft.L 7ft.W cargo trailer that we'v used the same set up on, works great a very comfortable camp. I'v used my 12ft in the middle of Nov. and was perfectly warm enough at 20 below. Only one draw back, didn't tow well in over a foot of snow. Wanted to swim down the road. LOL

[allan]

Thats quite a load your hauling. Keep things under the magic 4600 kg and your cl. 5 license is good too.

Various pre-made cabinets are available for workshops storage that should be more than sturdy enough , and they could be installed as removable units, keeping the trailer versatile.
yup I'm good to go, I have a truck scale at home so it's easy to make sure I'm legal.
I also have proper insurance for gvw. and my class one.
I chuckle every year another one of my dads buddies buys a bigger RV then realizes that they are almost overweight and come to my place to tweek their trailer to make it legit when they are towing so they don't need to get a class 3 and different insurance :)

[dirtrider999]

Well for the last 10 years my dad and I have used a 16x7 enclosed and would park 2 quads and our quad trailer on a rack up above the quads. We would either sleep on the fold down beds in the trailer or our ez-up. Last year we built a at deck for the truck so we could have 2 quads on the deck and all the water and fuel under the deck and another quad and freezer in the trailer.it worked very well last year.

[cdub]

I just bought a 16 x 8 and am just in the process of camperizing. Have to make it look nice for the wife so a full kitchen and 2 door propane fridge are in the works. Biggest pain so far will be installing the water tank underneath between the axles. The lift kit was the easiest part so far after buying the manufactures kit for $125.

[Hunterguy]

Go to hunting gear inside pics of the lodge for ideas