Choosing a trailer comes down to three questions: what you haul, how you load it and what vehicle tows it. The type of trailer follows from the load, the size from its volume, and the capacity from its weight. Here is how to sort it out.
Trailer types
An enclosed trailer has walls, a roof and lockable doors. It is a contractor’s mobile workshop, a family’s storage shed on wheels and the best protection for an ATV, a snowmobile or a collector car.
A utility trailer is open, light and simple. It handles yard work, renovation materials, firewood and trips to the recycling centre.
A dump trailer has a box that a hydraulic cylinder lifts to empty soil, gravel or debris in one go. It is the tool of landscapers and excavation contractors.
A flatbed is an open deck that loads from every side: machinery, vehicles, lumber, steel, pallets. A tilt trailer tilts its whole deck to the ground so you load without ramps, ideal for low cars and low equipment.
For the biggest loads, a gooseneck trailer hitches in a pickup bed and carries heavier and longer. And for recreation, there are trailers designed for cars, ATVs and snowmobiles.
The right size
Start from your biggest regular load, not the exceptional one. Measure it with its attachments, then add room to move around, tie down and spread the weight.
- Utility: 4 × 8 ft for yard work, 5 × 10 ft and up for an ATV or long materials
- Enclosed: 5 × 8 or 6 × 12 ft for tools or an ATV, 7 × 14 to 7 × 16 ft for a mobile workshop, 8.5 ft wide for big jobs
- Dump: 6 × 10 or 6 × 12 ft for residential work, 7 × 14 to 7 × 16 ft for contractors
- Flatbed: 16 ft for a compact tractor or a car, 20 to 22 ft for a mini excavator and its attachments
On a flatbed, also check the width between the fenders: about 80 in for a car. On an enclosed trailer, check interior height and door height: 80 in or more to stand up and work.
The right capacity
The gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the trailer’s maximum loaded weight. Subtract the weight of the trailer itself and you get the payload, what you can actually put on it. The payload must exceed your heaviest load, with a margin.
The axles give a good idea of capacity: one 3,500 lb axle for a utility trailer, two 3,500 or 5,200 lb axles for an enclosed trailer or a car hauler, two 7,000 lb axles or more for a dump trailer or a machinery flatbed. Watch out for heavy materials: a box full of gravel quickly exceeds its axle rating.
The towing vehicle
Your vehicle’s towing capacity, listed in its manual, must exceed the actual weight of the loaded trailer. The trailer’s weight on the hitch plus passengers and luggage must not exceed its load capacity. Also check the hitch class, ball size and electrical plug. Our article Before your visit: can your vehicle tow the trailer? covers each check.
The rules in Québec
A trailer that weighs 1,300 kg or more with its load, or more than half the weight of the towing vehicle, must have brakes on all its load-bearing wheels. A trailer with a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more is a heavy vehicle: it must pass periodic mechanical inspection, with some exceptions based on use, and if it is used by a business, its operator must be listed in the Commission des transports du Québec register. The SAAQ trailer guide (new tab) sums up the loading and equipment rules.
Options that matter
Galvanizing protects steel from road salt far better than paint. Electric brakes, a ramp door, welded tie-down rings, a tongue box, extra interior height or a winch change everyday use. Pick the ones that serve your work.
The budget
Weigh the price against the service life: a galvanized, well-maintained trailer holds its value for years. Bank financing or a commercial lease lets you get the right trailer now and pay for it in instalments.
Have an idea of what you need? See our trailers in stock or talk to us: we will suggest the trailer that fits, in stock or on order.
