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Posted by: Dragginbutt
I am taking a WAG here, but I'd suspect you would be nearing your max rating with that setup on a single axle trailer. Not a good idea. I have pulled a double wide snowmobile style trailer that is 102 inches wide, 10 ft long deck. All alluminum, and I have an enclosed 22 ft v-nose. The alluminum open trailer is a breeze to tow, however it sticks WAY out on both sides of the tow vehicle. You really have to pay attention that you are in the middle of the lane with them. OK for a short haul, but a bear on long trips.
I'd recommend a 7 ft wide max and a dual axle setup. You can see around them while pulling and backing.. a very important point. I like dual axles because of the build it they will come syndrome. YOu will always find a reason to add something on the trailer. With you sitting at your max to start, you need that extra margin of safety.
I too like the TRITON line, as they have several models that you can load from the side very easily. Being all aluminum, they are light too. A little pricey, but they are all alluminum, and you will save gas because of it, so you have to think about that as well. You might consider putting a shell on the truck to break the wind a little better too.
Lastly, with the weight you are towing, and the light weight of the mini pickup you use to tow, consider brakes on the trailer a must have. You are really over taxing the ability to stop the rig with the weight you are pulling. The trailer brakes will give you back that margin of safety.
What ever you buy, figure out your needs, and go a little bigger. Two machines become 3. I'd almost swear they breed... You can always put a third machine on a trailer that is bigger than what you need today.. but if you go too small, you will be spending the $ all over again to upgrade. Do it now, and save yourself the headaches down the road.
Posted by: Dragginbutt
Agreed to a point. He might need that 500 lbs to be legal on load rating. Pulling multiples with a lot of gear that always sneaks in may put him close to his max rating, not to mention what the hitch rating and tongue weight tops out at. I still think brakes are a necessity too. That set up could end up swapping ends real fast with a light truck like a Ranger.
Posted by: Dragginbutt
Good choice, and am glad you were allowed to try it before you buy it. Keep that guy on your Christmas card list. Not many will do what he did... Only recommendation is to get it home, and make sure you grease the wheel bearings. Soemthing they are not well known for doing at the factory. I sincerely hope you have the kind you can just hit with the gun and not have to dissasemble the whole thing.
Good luck with your new toy, and make good use of it.
Posted by: Dragginbutt
Go back to the trailer guy, and get a spare that matches what is on the trailer. That way there is no doubt in your mind that they are load rated etc. I noticed your speeds, take time to make sure you are not exceeding the trailer or tire ratings.
Posted by: tencubed
Just a thought on spares. In the years I have been towing trailers I have used the spare tire maybe three times. I have, however, found overheated bearings on trailer hubs several times. This is not due to not maintaining them but rather the fact that trailer bearings are often quite a bit smaller than those found on most tow vehicles. They also set a lot which can cause condensation problems. Whatever the reason I have found it advisable to carry a couple sets of spare bearings and seals. For the trailer I use currently I bought an extra hub with the bearings already in it. Haven't used it yet but it will be a lot easier to just put on the hub rather than change bearings alongside the road.
Just my opinion here and I could be wrong. But probably not.
Posted by: jcdc04atv
Farmboy, I have three comments.
First, the difference in weight savings between an aluminum and steel trailer will only make minor improvements to your mileage if everything else stays the same. I am guessing you will only save 400 to 500 pounds on a trailer that small. A quick test to see if an aluminum trailer will gain you extra mileage is to leave one of the two atv's you carry off the trailer and go for a test drive at highway speeds for an hour or two and see what mileage improvement you get. I am assuming your atv weighs more than 500 pounds.
Second, get rid of those expanded metal ramps that are sticking up in the air. They create an unbelievable amount of drag. From my experience, I bought a set of aluminum fold up ramps to carry in the truck and removed my expanded metal ramp and I gained 2 - 3 mpg immediately.
Third, a Ford Ranger that is geared for lightweight running with a small engine will drink gas when put under that kind of load. I am not aware of very many trucks that can pull an open trailer with a large parachute (upright tailgate) and get good gas mileage. I just learned to live with 13 to 15 mpg pulling my trailer.
Posted by: raidermike67
Is your truck four wheel disc? You might want to consider upgrading brake pads, if you do any long hauls on any steeper grades they could overheat. I'd say you're pretty much at your limit, my dad has the Ranger with that 4.0L engine and his mileage really sucks period.
Posted by: 99farmboy
Hi folks,
I&39;m in the market to find an ATV trailer to haul 2 ATV&39;s. Currently we use a retrofitted 5x10 trailer that hauls 2 ATV&39;s sideways (see my pics). This works, but when I go on long interstate hauls and have to hold 75+ MPH I get a lot of wind drag and my MPG is terrible (11-12 MPG - Ford Ranger w/4.0L). I get better fuel economy at 55-60 MPH. Plus the trailer we fixed up does weigh quite a bit. Not sure how much but I&39;m sure it is well over 1,000 lbs. since we added so much iron to it. (I typically haul 2 &39;05 Polaris Sportsman&39;s, 400 & 500 carb)
I have found a new steel trailer locally that is 5&39;x14&39;, 3500 lb. single axel, wood floor, mesh drop gate, new 6 ply trailer tires and only weighs 900-1000 lbs. for $945 + tax. I don&39;t think this is a bad price and the sales rep said he owns one for his 2 ATV&39;s and loves it.
Does anyone out there own one like I described? What do you think and do you have any advice.
Thanks folks!
Posted by: 99farmboy
Hi guys!
Thanks for the responses. Here is a little more information on my 4.0L Ranger. It is the “off-road” pick-up and is set up for towing/off-road. It has a 5000 lb. towing capacity with a low speed trans axel and has all kinds of torque. The biggest problem with the old trailer is the weight and the fact that the ATV&39;s are towed sideways.
Saturday I went down to the trailer placed with my two ATV&39;s in tow and evaluated their options. They let me load up my ATV&39;s and since it was slow that early in the AM the salesman and I took it down the Interstate for a 30+ mile test at 75MPH highway speeds. It towed sooooo much easier than my existing trailer I couldn&39;t believe it. When we returned the salesman told me to remove the back ramp and try it again. WOW! I had no idea that the expanded metal ramp was like dragging an open parachute. Even with the ATV&39;s loaded removing the ramp made a HUGE difference! Even on hills at 70+ MPH the ranger had no problem holding speed and rarely came out of overdrive. It didn&39;t bounce around, towed straight and was a pleasure to tow. The salesman suggested going to Harbor Freight and buying a set of aluminum ramps and removing the expanded metal ramp if I&39;m going on a long trip.
The trailer itself appears to be well built and did not flex with the two 715+ lb. Polaris&39;s on it. The 3500 lb axel & springs on the trailer hardly budged when loaded. This time of year he said they will move a bunch of these for guys that use them for ATV towing & hunting. So far they have never had a problem with them.
To make a long story short I&39;m impressed with this little trailer and it will work well for what I&39;m using it for. I bought it.. $945.
I&39;ll keep you posted if it doesn&39;t live up to my expectations.
Thanks again guys!
Posted by: 99farmboy
Thanks for the reply&39;s folks.
This past weekend I took the trailer to Perry Lake ATV park about 60 miles away. The trailer worked great with the 2 ATV&39;s in tow and I didn&39;t see the gas gage drop quite as fast as it did with the old trailer. Still not great for a Ford Ranger, but at least a little better.
As far as the brakes I have drum brakes in the rear and disk in front. This trailer is much easier to stop than the other one and less weight. I&39;ve had the brakes checked and they are still going strong. When I go down a relatively steep hill I take the pick-up out of OD and it holds a slower speed very well with little use of the brakes.
As far as the bearings I did pull the dust caps off to make sure there was grease in the bearings and they seemed to be greased up quite well.
I just need to get fixed up with a spare before I go on a longer trip. I was hoping I could use the spare from the other trailer but the hub size is different.
I&39;d recommend one of these trailers if you only have 2 ATV&39;s to tow. For me is was much cheaper than a new pick-up.
Posted by: 99farmboy
After the last interstate run at 70-75 MPH I did feel the hubs and they were a little warm, but it didn&39;t seem too out of the ordinary since it was about 96 degrees out. They were at least consistent. I&39;m going to keep an eye on them as I usually do with all trailer bearings.
I was wondering about the small spare tires you can get. I keep thinking that those would not be heavy enough to have on a trailer with 2 heavy Polaris Sportsmans. My concern is having a blow-out at 10:00 at night and still having 4 hours of interstate driving to get to where I need to go. I&39;m not sure if I should just splurge for a full size used rim with trailer tread or a used radial tread, or just go with the small Wal-Mart spare.
Any thoughts or experience would help.
Thanks!
Posted by: workn4livn
99farmboy
I have the exact trailer (5x14). I pull it with a 06 Nissan Frontier v-6 automatic. I haul the trailer loaded with a 03 Rancher and a 05 Foreman. The trailer pulls great and have never noticed a weight problem. When I am on a long trip @ high speeds I take the removable gate off and put it in the back of my truck for less wind drag. The top rail on mine is made from 1 1/4 sq. tubing, I like that more than just angle iron. It also came with 15" tires white spoke rims and I got a spare with the holder for about the same price you stated.
I really like my trailer and would recommend it to any one.
Ronnie
Posted by: Floorit
I'd say scratch the steel trailer idea, especially for the vehicle you're towing it with.
I drive a Toyota Quad Cab V6 and haul 4 quads on a trailer behind it. My trailer is a 102" wide X 14 ft long aluminum Triton. It has a big gear box on the front for all the gear and tools. I have no problem going 70mph. The trailer itself weighs 800lbs / 1800lbs fully loaded.
You outta see the looks I get as I pass on hills....lol.
http://www.tritontrailers.com/index.html
It tows beautifully, and the price was right. I paid $3000 with a spare tire and mount included.
I know for where you live, you can get the same one I have for less. If the size I have is too big, there are lots of sizes available.
My trailer is rated for 3000lbs
I'm thinking for the $$ you want to spend, it would be a good investment to go aluminum [never rusts and the deck is guaranteed for the life of the trailer
Posted by: LaPurr
For a temp spare, you can get a rim and tire already assembled from Wal-Mart for about 25-33 bucks. This is where I got my spare from. The reason I say temp, when one tire goes, it seems that you should replace both tires when they throw a tread type blow out (IMO) cause That means the tread has seperated/flat spotted, and the other tire is probly in the same condition. You could wing it, and use the other tire, and turn it into a spare, and just replace them like that (hope I made sense there). As far as where to place it, my trailer came with a mount, with it hadnt cause I have caught my leg on that damn thing a couple times. My next trailer I will not get a mount on, and just carry it in my truck, little less wind/drag resistance I would imagine this way too (BETTER MPG!! Hopefully..).
