Tips on Buying a Trailer

October 31st, 2008 by Justin

One of the joys of owning a Truck or SUV is the option of also towing a trailer. While a car can in some cases pull a trailer, you are more than likely to rip off the bumper than pull anything of considerable weight. If you own a truck or SUV and would like to tow your dirtbikes, boat, ATV’s, lawn equipment, etc here are some tips on choosing the best trailer that your money can buy.

One of the first things that you should do is to figure out how much your maximum towing load is. This information is usually found in your owners manual. If your maximum towing load is 5,000 pounds, you should note that this load includes both the object that you will be towing along with the trailer. It should be noted that even though your vehicle is stated as capable of pulling a certain maximum load, you shouldn’t push your luck if you don’t have to- always tow less than the maximum. Besides your vehicle having a maximum towing load, your trailer will also have a maximum that it can carry, so pay attention.

Choose between Trailer designs. Depending on what you would like to tow will determine the type of trailer design you require. For towing small equipment such as lawn equipment or a dirtbike, you will find that a single axle trailer will do fine. For towing large items such as boats, you will need a double axle trailer.

Choose a hitch. Make sure you have the right hitch on your vehicle for the trailer you are towing. For instance, you can tow a small trailer with a bumper hitch, but for larger towing, such as a boat, you will usually need a large hitch with a 5th wheel called a gooseneck hitch.

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