Motorcycle/ATV/Snowmobile Trailer Basics
By Jason Fogelson
In an age of specialization, there’s great news in the area of trailering for your motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles. Multiple manufacturers build all-purpose trailers that you can adapt and use for your vehicles – so you can avoid investing in a fleet of trailers, and just buy the one that suits all of your transportation needs.
A few notes on trailers. Be sure that the maximum carrying capacity of any trailer you buy exceeds the weight of the total load that you anticipate needing to carry at any one time. Don’t over load a trailer. I’d advise you to leave a buffer of at least 500 lbs between your load and your trailer’s capacity, just to be extra safe.
Buy the best trailer that you can afford, and make sure that it comes from a manufacturer you respect. Inexpensive trailers from discount retailers may seem like a bargain, but shoddy workmanship and cheap components (especially wheels and axles) can lead to disaster.
Make sure to match your trailer with your tow vehicle and hitch setup. Check your vehicle owner’s manual for specifications and follow recommendations for hitch installation. Make the right electrical hookups, and invest in a trailer brake system if you’re using a larger trailer with a heavy load (two or more vehicles on a trailer).
Use all of the recommended safety chains and locks on your hookup, and secure your bikes and craft to the trailer with quality tie downs. Unless you’re an experienced rope wrangler, use ratcheting tie downs and secure anchoring points.
If budget is not a serious issue, consider using an enclosed trailer instead of an open rail trailer. Your vehicles will be more secure in transit, and while parked on the trailer.
Here are a few of my favorite trailers and manufacturers:
Explorer Snow/ATV, $5,000 and up. This enclosed trailer is available from 19’9” to 31’6” lengths. The single-axle model weighs just 1,520 lbs, and can haul up to 1,470 lbs. It is made of aluminum tubing covered by an aluminum shell, and comes with an integral ramp. Kits are available for motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile and watercraft mounting. With big capacity and light weight, this trailer can haul a pair of vehicles behind most SUVs or light-duty pickups.
Dual Stand-Up Motorcycle Trailer & Cargo Trailer, $3,439 – $3,589
Kendon was one of the pioneering trailer manufacturers in the folding trailer category. The great thing about their robustly built open trailers is that they fold for easy storage, taking up very little space when not in use. The Dual Stand-Up model weighs just 420 lbs, but has a load capacity of 2,000 lbs. It includes a pair of wheel chocks, so your bikes stand upright and secure in transit. The flat load surface can be adapted for ATV, snowmobile and watercraft use with simple bolt-on accessories.
1693 ATV Trailer ($3,500 and up)
The 1693 ATV Trailer is a great open trailer because of its integrated, full-width 44” x 75” ramp that folds up to serve as a vehicle stop at the rear. It is all-aluminum with an extruded aluminum floor for substantial stiffness and light weight. Available in 10’, 12’, and 14’ lengths, it is 6’6” wide. It can be fitted with bolt-on accessories for motorcycle and snowmobile use, and comes with a 10-year limited structural warranty and 3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty.
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