Buying a Trailer
Trailers are some of the most useful, versatile, and under-appreciated tools on the market today. No matter the job, if you need large quantities of something or several heavy items moved, a trailer is a great investment—but there are so many on the market. How do you get the right one?
We here at Outdoor Motor Sports & Trailer Sales want to help you get exactly the right equipment with a minimal amount of hassle, so we’ve put together a few tips for buying the right trailer, below. To learn more, or to see the trailers we have for sale, contact our store in Amsterdam, New York, today!
What You’re Transporting
One of your first tasks when buying a trailer is making sure it can safely and efficiently carry your intended cargo. Consider three primary factors:
How large/bulky is the cargo? This will help you decide how large a trailer you’ll need.
How heavy is it? This will determine how strong your trailer (and tow vehicle) need to be.
How does it sit in the trailer? This will determine whether you’ll need lots of tie-downs, or (in the case of loose material like dirt and sand) what the trailer’s sides and deck need to look like.
How Far You’re Hauling
Next, think about the distance you’ll be traveling with the trailer. If you’re going long distances like across state lines, you’ll want enhanced safety and stability features like extra lights, stabilizers, sturdier door/gate latches, and spare tires. The short your drive is, the more basic your trailer can afford to be.
Axles
Trailers can come with a few different axle and wheel setups. Single-axle trailers, for example, are much easier to tow and tend to be both lighter weight and more maneuverable, making them ideal for lightweight cargo. But the heavier your cargo is, the more axles you’ll need to help distribute the weight. Many trailers utilize two axles, either grouped together at the rear or with one at the front and one at the back. Other trailers have many more axles in various groupings. Determine the heaviest weight your trailer will need to carry regularly to see how many axles you’ll need.
Material
Most trailers tend to come with either aluminum or steel bodies and frames. Modern technology has aluminum trailers carrying heavier loads than ever, making them closer to steel in terms of weight capacity than they used to be. Aluminum is also much lighter, making it easier to tow, and is rust-proof. However, steel is far more durable and will handle bumps and scrapes with less difficulty.
Ready to get started? Contact us at Outdoor Motor Sports & Trailer Sales for more information, or to see the various trailers we have available. We proudly serve the people of Schenectady and Albany, New York—let us serve you today!