Cargo Trailers Yes?/No? Off High Clearance? One axle?/Two?

The overall length of a trailer is NOT the critical factor in the stability of a trailer!
There are several factors:
Distance from the hitch pivot point to the axle.
Tire track (or center to center distance the wheels?
Spring center to center distance.
Wheel height (or distance from the ground to the axle center)

Just look at the difference between a motorboat trailer and one for a sailboat.
The motorboat trailer has the axle very close to the motor.
A sailboat (especially a keelboat) has the axle near the center of the boat.
That's due to the for aft COG.
Same goes for height of the COG, the higher the wider the track is needed. (The same trailer with a load of stone compared to carrying a raised Jeep. The stone is stable due to COG)

As far as 'backability', there are two major distance factors:
one-being hitch to trailer axle and the other is the distance from the tow vehicle axle to the hitch. (Try backing up a 5th wheel or a 48" supertruss)

Most comercially made trailers have these factors worked out for "standard" loads, but is your load what the manufacturer was thinking about. Putting a heavy quad behind the axle without much up front is not what they were thinking of.

You should put almost as thought in getting a trailer as a TC, without the wife factor

trail-explorer wrote:
Tandem Axle. They generally don't need rear stabilizers to keep them from tipping when you go in/out to load/unload when not hooked up to the truck.

The general rule for stable towing, and ease of backing up (for enclosed cargo trailers) is the length should be double or more the width... like 7x14 or 7x16 and up.
7x12, not so good.

6' wide is going to be a PITA though because you can't see it in the truck mirrors behind the camper.
Truck camper, I recommend minimum 7' wide

My single axle is far enough back that there's no chance of tipping.

Backing has never been a problem as the trailer is 7' across the fenders. Also, by tipping the mirrors down slightly I can easily see the tires when traveling or backing.

I thought we would use ours more than we do. Right now it is working out great for our rhino and small quad, but I just don't like to drive in the slow lane towing something.






I have really enjoyed the mods to the truck for the smaller items, but it is nice to also have the trailer if we want to bring it all! If you are still in the market I suggest you look into Solares trailers in Hemet, CA

clicky thread on the Solares trailer I have

Here are the mods to fill so I do not have to take the trailer!
Low profile cargo rooftop carrier


front receiver hitch with cargo rack and mounted bike holder (daughters bike)


thule swing away bike carrier on the rear (3 bikes)


next mod is trying to include the Torklift sidekick with the swing away bike rack.

I had a 6x12. It was annoying trying to back it in to campsites, etc because I couldn't see it in the mirrors to keep straight. By the time I saw it in mirrors, it was crooked and I'd have to pull forward and start over.

7x14 would be a good size, while not being so long to become a challenge in parking lots - pull through and take up 2 parking spaces.

I'd HIGHLY RECOMMEND a minimum tongue length of 4'. Less then 4', sharp turns become an issue due to width of the truck camper.

Good info in my trailer thread: Upgrades to my trailer - 8.5x20 Haulmark

I'm towing a 7'x16' Pace dual-axle enclosed cargo trailer behind my 2011 Silverado 3500HD Duramax DRW. I went with the 7' wide based on comments in another thread. The trailer fenders are easily seen in the mirrors when towing, and backing up is not that big of a problem.

Tandem Axle. They generally don't need rear stabilizers to keep them from tipping when you go in/out to load/unload when not hooked up to the truck.

The general rule for stable towing, and ease of backing up (for enclosed cargo trailers) is the length should be double or more the width... like 7x14 or 7x16 and up.
7x12, not so good.

6' wide is going to be a PITA though because you can't see it in the truck mirrors behind the camper.
Truck camper, I recommend minimum 7' wide

The old David Bradley, I'll bet those are hard to find!

N-forker,
The width of a utility trailer makes a big difference, but not how you think.
For pavement pounding, on-road trailering, I do like a 7' wide trailer behind the TC. It makes it easy to see in your mirrors while backing. My 14' car trailer is like that. Easy to see the side clearance lights in the mirrors. I did an SOA on it as it would drag bottom just going up the gas station driveway. And that's on-road.
For hardcore, off-road trailering I like a narrower, smaller model as it is much easier to maneuver on tight turns and down "V" shaped arroyos. It does not cut your corners like a wider longer trailer would. You would think I would like a military M-100 or M-416, Viet Nam issue jeep trailer, both of which I've owned in the past, but no, they are built like a tank and very heavy for the size, especially the m-100: about 600 pounds. Also, no tailgate. According to the military manual it takes about 4 hand grenades to scuttle the thing before the enemy can get it. The only up sides are, they have a rotating pintel, a hand brake, and will actually float (if unloaded) when fording. I had 2 other jeep trailers in the past: 1 I built in the 1960's from 3" L stock. The tongue snapped off while doing the Monache Meadows trail. Another was a ConFer Toyota Land Cruiser jeep trailer. This lightweight was the best one I had as it had the 6 lug, 15" wheels with L.C. tires and a lot of cool extras. It did have an achilles heel: stiff unforgiving leaf springs, the main leaf of which snapped in two at the centering bolt hole in the middle of the Visciano Desert in Baja. I retrofitted the springs with pick up springs and shocks when we finally limped home.
My bro has a 5x7' aluminum covered trailer but it is springs under axle, stiff leaf springs,14", C rated tires and has very little ground clearance.
I would say MOST, not all of the commercially available trailers are too heavy, too big/long; and woefully under rated for off road use. Why? Weak frame (just enough to get by); stiff unforgiving springs and no shocks. What you want is something just big enough for your purposes and way over built; something you just don't have to worry about. My little Bradley fits the bill. Weighs about 300 pounds; double diamond plate floor, all metal, pickup truck springs over axle, big, oversized hubs and bearings; 3" tube, straight across axle; 30" tall 15" tires; pintel; as bullet proof as they get. It was offered by Sears Roebuck, this one in 1955. A neighbor sold it to me for $100. I have had 3000 pounds of crushed rock in the back and it does not whimper, and it has a tailgate. I built some cedar stake sides which help with bulky loads.
Just some ideas.
jefe

I have an aluminum 6'x14'single axle flat trailer that carries our Wildcat and 4-wheelers. I also have a small motorcycle only trailer to bring the motorcycle when that all I need. After all ya gotta have toys when you get there. :)

Here is my homemade 8 x 10 flatbed trailer with a "SnoCap"
SnoCap's are made in Minnesota and weigh about 100 lbs.





The trailer with the cap weighs about 900 lbs.