Trailer Buying Guide

Trailers are extremely useful when you need to haul more cargo than your car or truck can carry and you don’t want to rent a van or truck every time you need to move something. You can use these rigs to haul furnishings, power tools, vehicles, boxes and so much more. But when you start shopping, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of options you have before you. There are enclosed trailers, open trailers, specialized models, and more. So how do you know which type of trailer is best for you? In this brief guide, we break down the different types of trailers and help you choose the right one for your needs.

Select Your Trailer Type

Your primary trailer styles are enclosed or open-bed models, all-purpose trailers, and specialized rigs. Each style offers its own benefits, some of which we’ve listed below.

Enclosed Trailers

Enclosed trailers are useful if you have more delicate cargo that you wish to shelter from the elements or protect from theft. Cardboard boxes, furnishings, clothing, and expensive power tools are all items you may wish to store in an enclosed trailer. The limitations of an enclosed trailer are primarily to do with height: your items can’t be over the ceiling clearance of your trailer or they won’t fit. Enclosed trailers are also the more expensive option.

Open Trailers

Open-bed trailers are affordable and more simplistic in their design. These trailers are useful for really large items like machinery and vehicles. If you’re towing something rugged like a powersports vehicle, then you won’t be as worried about theft or damage from the elements, since your cargo can handle tougher conditions. Open-bed trailers have no limit on the height of your items. There is no protection provided by an open-bed trailer, though.

All-Purpose and Specialized Trailers

While all-purpose trailers give you the flexibility to handle a variety of hauling tasks, specialized models are designed for specific types of cargo and offer customized features to make your job easier. General-purpose models include enclosed and utility trailers. Customized models include powersports trailers, which are built to allow easy loading of ATVs, UTVs, snowmobiles, and other vehicles.

Consider Your Towing Vehicle

When you start exploring trailers for sale, you’ll want to think about what your towing vehicle is capable of handling. If you’re prepared to buy a new towing vehicle in order to get a larger trailer, then you can simply focus on that, but if you want to save yourself money, you should consider what your towing vehicle’s gross combined weight rating (GCWR) is and stick to that.

Think About Legal Restrictions

There may be limitations in your jurisdiction as to what you can carry. Most states have laws regarding the maximum length of a trailer. Here in Colorado, you can’t have a trailer that’s any longer than 28’ 6”, so bear this in mind when shopping for your perfect model.

Choose the Trailer Hitch Style

When selecting a trailer, you’ll be able to choose between bumper-pull and gooseneck hitching styles.

Bumper-Pull Options

These rigs are the most common variety and you’ve probably used one before. A bumper-pull trailer simply hooks to the ball hitch on the rear bumper of your vehicle, creating a small gap between the towing vehicle and the trailer. Bumper-pull hitches work with almost any type of towing vehicle and they’re very simple, but they are prone to trailer sway and they can’t haul as much weight.

Gooseneck Trailers

Gooseneck hitches have a unique coupling that installs into the bed of a truck, with the hitch coming up and over the rear door of your truck’s bed. A gooseneck hitch is very strong and sturdy and a little more complex, but not too challenging to master. You’ll have more towing stability with a gooseneck, but it is more expensive and it limits your towing vehicle options.

We hope this guide helps you to select the right trailer for your hauling needs. Visit True Value Trailers and Power Equipment to check out the wide array of new and used trailers for sale in many styles at our dealership locations in Florence and Penrose, CO. We proudly serve the cities of Pueblo and Colorado Springs, so stop by today!