ATV Trailers - Purchasing the Right One The First Time

Buying the right trailer for towing behind of an ATVhandle the abuse of rough roads and trails. The axle
can be a daunting task. Too many folks do notshould be able to move when going over obstacles
purchase based on what tasks the trailer has to berather than a heavy load coming down full force and
able to perform and only consider the cost tosnapping the axle. Large, balloon tires to help absorb
purchase.some of this load stress, but the tires can only take so
Most experienced ATV owners will tell you they mademuch depending on the amount of weight you have in
their first trailer purchase based on price and the lowthe trailer.
price turned this into an impulse buy. Unfortunately,The cargo box on many of the lawn-trailers converted
these normally turn into a major mistake when an axleto ATV trailers can be a source of constant
snaps or a wheel bearing fails and you have to leaveheadaches when loaded with firewood, sand, gravel or
your load several miles back on a trail somewhere.dirt. Thin metal sides and floors do not hold up well
The old adage of, you get what you pay for when itwhen loaded heavy and in many instances the spot
comes to a tow behind ATV trailer rings true in manywelds break just as you are going over a large rock
cases.on the trail. The other issue is traveling on an uneven
Too many manufacturers have jumped on the ATVtrail with a sheet metal trailer; the constant rattling noise
equipment bandwagon and have converted lawncan drive you crazy in a short time!
trailers into ATV trailers by adding bigger tires and aAlways consider what you are planning to use your
sticker that says ATV Trailer to the side of them.trailer for when making your purchase and how much
Most of these that I have seen still have slow-speedweight is your ATV rated to pull. If you are planning on
sleeve bushing on the wheels and a solid mountedhauling firewood from an area on a logging road, you
¾ inch axle that breaks easily when towed onwill need a trailer that is designed to handle that sort of
an uneven surface. The problem with the soliduse.
mounted axle is there is no give or spring to allow theDon't impulse buy and make a wise choice. It's better
axle to move when loaded.to buy a little more trailer than you currently need
A trailer designed for ATV use must have rollerrather than be constantly trying to patch together a
bearings to be able to allow speeds of at least 20trailer that was not designed for the task in the
mph and an axle no smaller than 1 inch to be able tobeginning.