Trailers have many different uses and a lot of different types of trailers can be found on the market. There are travel trailers, open trailers, enclosed trailers, livestock trailers, and tanker trailers, among others. Each type of trailer has different specifications, and if you are looking to buy one, you first have to know what you will be using it for, and what your tow vehicle can handle. That is how you can make the right choice.
No matter what type of trailer you wish to buy, the first thing to consider is the maximum towing capacity of the vehicle you are planning to tow the trailer with, and you can see it in the owner’s manual. Typically, an average truck can haul at least 3,000 pounds of cargo, and more powerful trucks or SUVs have a towing capacity of over 7,000 pounds. Then, check the gross vehicle weight of the trailer you are interested in. It refers to the weight of a trailer when it’s fully loaded, which is very different from the dry trailer weight. For example, semi-trailers are among the heaviest trailers and they have to be towed by road tractors.
If you want something smaller, you can get an open trailer, which you can use for hauling some sort of landscaping or farming equipment, construction materials or some similar cargo. They are not to heavy and can be towed by an average pick-up truck. They are lighter than enclosed trailers, but you need to take into account that the cargo is exposed to the elements.
Then, you have to know what type of hitch your vehicle has, and buy a trailer accordingly. There are hitches that are attached to the bumper of the vehicle, and goose neck hitches that are closer to the vehicle’s center of gravity. So goose neck hitches are able to pull heavier trailers, and if you have one on your truck, you can get a bigger trailer without being concerned about safety or stability.
In the end, you have to be aware of the trailer manufacturer’s reputation and whether it provides good service, because quality of trailers can vary greatly from one manufacturer to another.
