Utlility Trailer Question

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A question for the hive mind...

I've been researching utlility trailers and looking for some feedback on the merits of steel vs aluminum body.

My intended uses are along the lines of weekend warrior projects like hauling mulch, plywood and such. Maybe furniture here and there.
I'm not using it for work or landscaping jobs, etc.

A 5x8 seems to be the right size and my SUV should be adequate to pull it. I'm looking at ones with 15" tires.

Are the aluminum trailers worth the extra cost?

Or call it a day and get a steel trailer and just be prepared to wire brush and touch up the rust spots?

What says you?
 
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The aluminum is nice and light but for your purposes of occasional use i wouldn’t invest in one. I would also second getting a little bigger 5x10 if it will fit your budget and can pull it fine. It will give you a little extra size, trailers are also like buildings you always need a bigger one. Plus the resell on it will be better as more people prefer that size.
 
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I third looking at something bigger. I wouldn’t own anything smaller than a 6x12. There’s not much advantage to aluminum over steel except for the weight. Unless you just trash it, rust and paint shouldn’t be an issue. I use mine pretty hard and don’t have any problems.
 
You only pay for it once - but you'll wrestle it hundreds of times. Lighter weight might be worth protecting your back.
I can still move my 5x10 steel trailer by hand on level ground. But, it's not as easy as it used to be. In hindsight, aluminum would have been much easier.
It looks like aluminum costs about $800-1000 more than steel. That doesn't sound so bad to a guy with a sore back.

Another strong vote for 10' or longer, even if it is steel.
 
Be prepared to crawl un an aluminum trailer about every 3rd time you use it. It's never a question if it will crack but when. Then the hassle of finding someone that really knows how to weld aluminum to fix it.
 
Depending on how often you plan to use it, you might look at renting a trailer when ever you need one. Tractor Supply rents them by the day and we are constantly getting "coupons" for a free trailer rental. No big up front cost, no maintenance, no property tax and no issue with having to store it some where.
 
If you have any ambition to move this thing around your yard, the aluminum will be blessed relief. I have a steel 5x10 and it's a real strain to shove it through the grass.

I wouldn't have anything smaller though. There are plenty of other options besides the way I do it. On my phone I see ads for a tracked, remotely-operated trailer dolly. Move your trailer with a phone app and a robot.

Become religious about tire pressure. Pull bearings out and clean them completely before repacking.

One of the risks of a big trailer is the temptation to overload with dense materials. If I filled mine with sand it would be massively overloaded.


ETA: Found the trailer caddy ad
1710241341541.png
 
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only trailer that needs to be aluminum is a boat trailer for saltwater imo.

dad has a 5x10 steel trailer and it backs pretty well behind the truck or tractor. i can pretty much put it anywhere as long as theres room for the truck to swing around. he keeps it in a single car garage sometimes and uses his zero turn to back it in the garage. he actually mounted the ball on the front of the zero turn, and thats the easiest trailer manuvering setup ive ever seen/used.
 
Steel 6X10. You always want a bigger trailer. Aluminum will crack and if you weld it it will keep on cracking. I’ve welded aluminum with stick, tig and mig. They all crack.
 
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Whatever you get inspect it closely. My wife and daughter go me a 5x8 from Tractor Supply years ago. I built a longer tongue for it to make it easier to back and added a frame up front and mounted a truck tool box on it. First time I used it to help a friend move we were loading the first load on it an I heard something pop and the trailer sagged in the middle. Had to unload it and crawl under it and found one of the cross beams which was angle iron had been sawn all the way thru one side and tacked welded.


At this point I had too much work done to it to take it back so I had to get it back in place and weld it properly. That brings up a good point about steel vs. aluminum. Easier to get steel welded than aluminum.

Also don't go with a steel mesh bottom. They didn't know any better when they bought it. I have since floored it with boards. The extra weight makes it pull better. Another reason to skip aluminum.

Finally if it doesn't come with the caps to grease the bearings get and install those. Makes life so much easier.
 
GoWolfpack said:
If you have any ambition to move this thing around your yard, the aluminum will be blessed relief. I have a steel 5x10 and it's a real strain to shove it through the grass.

I wouldn't have anything smaller though. There are plenty of other options besides the way I do it. On my phone I see ads for a tracked, remotely-operated trailer dolly. Move your trailer with a phone app and a robot.

Become religious about tire pressure. Pull bearings out and clean them completely before repacking.

One of the risks of a big trailer is the temptation to overload with dense materials. If I filled mine with sand it would be massively overloaded.


ETA: Found the trailer caddy ad
View attachment 754859
Click to expand...
The good news is that it’s on sale…😳

IMG_8268.jpeg
 
I’ve owned many trailers over the years all steel
Here is my opinion on what is good and bad about steel trailers
Good - price
Bad
Heavier - this matters for the size vehicle and load. It also matters every time you want to move it around without hooking it to a vehicle of some type.
Steel requires paint and upkeep to keep from turning into a rusty pile of crap

I’ve never had the extra money to spend, but a neighbor has a small aluminum trailer that he can move around with one hand
It will never rust and he pulls it with a Subaru
 
Lots of great advice from others in this thread. I forget how many trailers that I own (8)? Here is my 2 cents.

1 - axle capacity. More is better. Easy to determine by counting lug nuts. 2,500 lb axle has 5 lug nuts, 5000 has 6, and 7000 has 8. I personally would advise you to buy a trailer with at least a 2,500 lb axle and 15” tires. My smallest trailer (single axle 4x8) has a 5000 lb axle with brakes. Tows like a dream though.

2 - electric brakes are really nice to have, especially if your tow vehicle is not a good sized pickup. Most small trailers wonn’t have them, but if you go with a 6x12 as recommended above be sure to source one with electric brakes.

3 - Steel is fine. Aluminum is nice, but not a “need to have”. As others have stated, aluminum WILL crack over time and getting it repaired properly can be a challenge (and expensive). Steel is nice because it’s easy to modify if you want/need to.

4 - Wood deck is nice. For a small trailer, I’d recommended ground contact rated pressure treated pine over oak. The only reason is weight - treated SYP will weigh 25% less than oak and that’s a few hundred pounds off of your payload capacity.

Personally I try not to move a trailer by hand any more. I simply park it where I don’t have to move it. The ball mounts on a riding more work good for light trailers, as do the roller caddy’s mentioned above.

Regarding grease zerks on axles, I am not a fan of these for anything other than a boat trailer. On a boat trailer overfilling the bearings with grease is desireable in order to keep water out of the bearings. In all other applications an excess of grease can cause overheating and premature bearing failure. We had a long thread about this here on CFF a few years back. Now, other than boat trailers the other exception to this rule are trailers with little bitty tires. Bearing speed is directly proportional to tire diameter. A typical trailer with 15” or larger tires only needs to have the axle bearings regreased every 50,000 miles or 10 years - longer intervals if the trailer is more frequently used and lower intervals if the trailer is overloaded. How often do you regrease the front spindle bearings on a rear wheel drive car? Trailer axles are no different and axles with grease zerks tend to be over-greased. However, trailers with 13” or smaller diameter tires will see more bearing speed / and heat, and routine regressing can push any degraded grease away from the bearing surface which may prolong the life of the bearing.

When you put tags on the trailer, be sure to invest in the lifetime trailer registration. Much cheaper in the long run. I think that the break even point is around 3 years. If you plan to own the trailer longer than 3 years, permanent tags are cheaper.
 
I had a heavy duty steel 5x8 trailer from 1995. Very solid with wood floors. Added 2 high 2x10s. Made it ride much better and it did everything I needed including some work related. Not sure if I would buy less than a 6x10 only because I had side mirrors to see when backing. Regardless a longer trailer will be easier to back into places. You can see the corrections needed unlike a shorter trailer.

As a homeowner an aluminum has it’s place. Much easier to move, less weight for smaller vehicles. Doesn’t rust. I have a friend in Denver, NC who sells the heck out of them.
 
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Scsmith42 said:
Lots of great advice from others in this thread. I forget how many trailers that I own (8)? Here is my 2 cents.

1 - axle capacity. More is better. Easy to determine by counting lug nuts. 2,500 lb axle has 5 lug nuts, 5000 has 6, and 7000 has 8. I personally would advise you to buy a trailer with at least a 2,500 lb axle and 15” tires. My smallest trailer (single axle 4x8) has a 5000 lb axle with brakes. Tows like a dream though.

2 - electric brakes are really nice to have, especially if your tow vehicle is not a good sized pickup. Most small trailers wonn’t have them, but if you go with a 6x12 as recommended above be sure to source one with electric brakes.

3 - Steel is fine. Aluminum is nice, but not a “need to have”. As others have stated, aluminum WILL crack over time and getting it repaired properly can be a challenge (and expensive). Steel is nice because it’s easy to modify if you want/need to.

4 - Wood deck is nice. For a small trailer, I’d recommended ground contact rated pressure treated pine over oak. The only reason is weight - treated SYP will weigh 25% less than oak and that’s a few hundred pounds off of your payload capacity.

Personally I try not to move a trailer by hand any more. I simply park it where I don’t have to move it. The ball mounts on a riding more work good for light trailers, as do the roller caddy’s mentioned above.

Regarding grease zerks on axles, I am not a fan of these for anything other than a boat trailer. On a boat trailer overfilling the bearings with grease is desireable in order to keep water out of the bearings. In all other applications an excess of grease can cause overheating and premature bearing failure. We had a long thread about this here on CFF a few years back. Now, other than boat trailers the other exception to this rule are trailers with little bitty tires. Bearing speed is directly proportional to tire diameter. A typical trailer with 15” or larger tires only needs to have the axle bearings regreased every 50,000 miles or 10 years - longer intervals if the trailer is more frequently used and lower intervals if the trailer is overloaded. How often do you regrease the front spindle bearings on a rear wheel drive car? Trailer axles are no different and axles with grease zerks tend to be over-greased. However, trailers with 13” or smaller diameter tires will see more bearing speed / and heat, and routine regressing can push any degraded grease away from the bearing surface which may prolong the life of the bearing.

When you put tags on the trailer, be sure to invest in the lifetime trailer registration. Much cheaper in the long run. I think that the break even point is around 3 years. If you plan to own the trailer longer than 3 years, permanent tags are cheaper.
Click to expand...
All great advice. Treat a trailer like a long term investment and buy something quality that will last.
 
Scsmith42 said:
if you go with a 6x12 as recommended above be sure to source one with electric brakes.
Click to expand...

A single axle with brakes is rare unless it's custom. You're exactly right though, a 6x12 filled with anything heavier than ping pong balls would be too much without brakes.

Scsmith42 said:
Regarding grease zerks on axles, I am not a fan of these for anything other than a boat trailer. On a boat trailer overfilling the bearings with grease is desireable in order to keep water out of the bearings. In all other applications an excess of grease can cause overheating and premature bearing failure.
Click to expand...

The worst is bearing buddies on the axle caps. Not only does it encourage you to pack in new grease without taking out the old stuff, but you'll pack the outer bearing and leave the inner one to grind itself into powder.



OP: You may be tempted to buy from Harry Foy at Foymart in Zebulon. I won't tell you not to, but I was kicked out of his store because I was carrying a gun and I haven't given him a dime since then.
 
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Don't recall it being said other than suv.
What type you towing it with?

What weight you want to tow on it?

What type material you plan to tow?
 
I'd also recommend one with mesh sides. It makes trips a lot easier.

leonardusa.com

6.4x12 Utility Trailer with Ramp 180C

Discover the Leonard 6x12 utility trailer, perfect for commercial use and large home projects. With its sturdy construction, ample cargo space, and versatile features, this trailer ensures stability and confidence when hauling larger loads.
leonardusa.com leonardusa.com

1710252352675.png
 
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A “plenty big enough” trailer isn’t.

FWIW-
A steel 6x12 with a ramp and 3500 pound axle is a pretty versatile trailer. Spread a tarp on it and haul your mulch, then the next day load the SXS and head to Uwharrie.

Agree with many on most of this. Aluminum bad in the long run or heavy use.

One thing, though, and Scott has some good points, but I’ve got bearing buddies on all my trailers and every year on January 2, we hit ALL of them with the DeWalt greaser. Never had a hub failure EXCEPT the one old Hudson brothers trailer that did NOT have bearing buddies on it. Lesson learned….
 
1911gobang said:
One thing, though, and Scott has some good points, but I’ve got bearing buddies on all my trailers and every year on January 2, we hit ALL of them with the DeWalt greaser. Never had a hub failure EXCEPT the one old Hudson brothers trailer that did NOT have bearing buddies on it. Lesson learned….
Click to expand...

Lesson: bearing buddy or not, you have to maintain your bearings.
 
Tall sides suck. They screw up your back.
Mesh is only needed if you haul mulch.
Other than that adds weight and makes it a PITA to tie or strap stuff in place.

A 3500 pound axle trailer is only good for hauling 2000 to 2500 pounds.
 
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I went with aluminum as I'm typically the only one interested in helping myself to hook it up to the truck or man-handle it back into position. Of course, I bought mine in the good ol' days prior to Covid, and the price was only a couple hundred more. Not sure it'd be worth more than $200-$400 more.
 
papa_smurf said:
only trailer that needs to be aluminum is a boat trailer for saltwater imo.

dad has a 5x10 steel trailer and it backs pretty well behind the truck or tractor. i can pretty much put it anywhere as long as theres room for the truck to swing around. he keeps it in a single car garage sometimes and uses his zero turn to back it in the garage. he actually mounted the ball on the front of the zero turn, and thats the easiest trailer manuvering setup ive ever seen/used.
Click to expand...
That's such a ridiculous redneck setup. I wouldn't be caught dead doing something like that. There are way more elegant trailer moving solutions. 20240312_120019.jpg20240312_120028.jpg
 
I think @Qball has a really nice aluminum trailer, and it may be his 2nd one.
@Qball have you had any reliability issues (like cracking) with them?
 
I really appreciate everyone's responses and suggestions. Extremely helpful, thank you. Good call on the permanent tags @Scsmith42
and the lug info. The 15" tires have 5 per wheel.

I think I'll go with the larger size and in steel.
The aluminum looks nice and easy maintenance, but they are $800-$1,200 more and point taken about the welds and cracking.

My vehicle is a 21 Toyota Highlander 6 cylinder with an OEM tow hitch rated for 5,000lb towing. Also a V8 GX 460 with a 6,500lb towing capacity. So I should be good on a variety of loads and the larger size.

Planning on buying new so I don't get one that's got bad axles or a bent frame, etc because I can't weld. 😁

Forgot to ask any brand I should stay away from or look at? I've seen a few Leonard models and the Carry-ons. The Leonard brand has a 3 piece tongue and the Carry-on has a two piece tongue.

Again, thank all of you for the input.
 
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I’m more familiar with big trailers than small ones, but have been impressed by the local Kraftsman brand. I think that they are made right down the road in Ramseur, NC.

Kauffman also makes a nice trailer.

Now, if you want to look at some really, really nice trailers, check out Diamond C and Landoll.
 
My little trailer works fine but I can’t easily move it without the truck. The extended ramps made loading easier.


My former boat trailer had a dolly wheel on the tongue that made it easy to move in the garage but was it was hard to move on the driveway and nearly impossible to move on grass.


IMG_0591.jpeg
 
Sorry for the late reply. No. I have not had any issues at all with mine and it gets used regularly.

It is my second one only because I traded my 10 foot one in for a twelve footer.
DangerRuss said:
I think @Qball has a really nice aluminum trailer, and it may be his 2nd one.
@Qball have you had any reliability issues (like cracking) with them?
Click to expand...
 
To add, I’ll never go back to a steel trailer.

My aluminum trailer weighs only 550 lbs and has a capacity of 3500 lbs.

I can lift it in the front myself and roll it around on my driveway with ease.
 
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