I seldom need a trailer and it's even more seldom that when I do that my enclosed 12x7 won't work. After a headache renting a U-Haul car hauler, I'm thinking of purchasing a flatbed trailer for the sake of convenience, even though the economics don't make sense for how seldom I need the trailer. I'm of the mindset "Buy once, cry once" but I want to make sure there's not something I'm overlooking. Initially I was looking to get a simple dual axle 16' utility trailer with rails around it like many lawn services use. That would address the few times I need to take my lawn mower to the shop. The mower just barely fits into my enclosed trailer, and anymore the enclosed trailer is used like a storage shed. It's a chore to unload it just to transport the mower. The simple utility trailer option would also be the answer when I rent a trencher (once in 5 years) and the equipment rental shop charges me extra to rent the trailer to transport the trencher. I ruled out the lawn care type trailer when I realized anytime I want to tow an automobile the railings will make opening the doors on the vehicle a challenge when it's on trailer. A true flatbed trailer without rails will also work better for any palatalized items I may have loaded with a forklift. My next thought was to purchase a simple flat bed car hauler. That would work for everything mentioned above, but I want something rated for at least 10K pounds as I'm considering purchasing a compact tractor. A tractor is another item I would seldom put to use, but I won't wager that at some point I won't purchase a tractor with a loader. I want any trailer I purchase now to be more than enough for any tractor and implements I may purchase in the future. Finally, the tilt trailer obviously won't have a dovetail as is so common on many of the car haulers. Not having a dovetail is a plus in my book as even on trailers without dovetails it has sometimes been a problem backing into an inclined driveway. I believe a tilt trailer will tilt down to the correct angle to load a compact car on to it without being so steep the front bumper valence gets torn up. Am I correct? A tilt trailer, I think, will also be better than a flat trailer without a dovetail needing longer ramps than what would be used with a dovetail. I believe 7' wide will be wide enough for anything I may haul. I don't believe I'll ever have a need for a deck-over to have a wider platform. I also think 20' without a dovetail should not only accommodate any vehicle I'd put on it but also will be plenty to fit a compact tractor with a front loader and even an implement on the back. The only potential drawback that I see to the tilt trailer is that only one item can be loaded on it. Can't put one lawn mower on and then tilt it down to put a second ZTR or riding mower on it, but I don't see that as being an issue for me. I will be going with a wood deck so as not to have to deal with a hot metal deck when securing loads. I also like the ease of adding tie down anchor points on a wood deck. Please weigh in with your thoughts. Am I on the right track or is there something I'm overlooking?
Personally id find a deck over with a beaver tail and ramps. It sucks having stuff not fit between the tires
There's apps that you can rent out your trailer when not in use, so you might be able to get the purchase price back by renting it.
Welcome to the Forums! Glad to have you. What's your budget?
Got a tilt once. But I use my 18' + 2' dove BP for skiddy, and as a general flatbed. You cannot load a pallet of material behind the axles of a tilt and have it hold up. Bent a Midsota (really well known quality) tail with a pallet of tile. So back to ramps for me.
Welcome to HEF!
The tilt trailer is fine. If you load a pallet from the rear don't put the trailer in a tilt position Place the pallet as far forward as you can. Then use another pallet to push it forward. To remove the pallet, use a pallet puller and chain to pull it back enough to grab it. To load multiple machines, load the heavier one first as far forward as you can, before the bed tilts. Then load the smaller lighter machine after that. Then move the heavier machine forward, then the lighter machine.
+ shim up the tail when loading and unloading.
Could have stake pockets with removable sides on a flat deck or car hauler type trailer. Would have to measure height from deck to top of fenders for a lower trailer. Probably low enough for most cars. The other thing to worry about is a car bottoming out on the deck or beavertail or hitting the rear if the ramps are too steep.
I’ve had an 18’,10k lb tilt trailer for 15 yrs or so. It was owned by sunbelt rentals. It’s all galvanized and a nice trailer. Sometimes the tilt part is a pain as mentioned but there are work arounds, also mentioned ( shim the back, etc). The biggest pain to me is in working around the wheels and fenders. I think a deck over trailer would be real nice. But, other than that i like the tilt, no fooling with ramps just pull the pin and drive on.