Looking for a bumper pull for two to three motorcycles and gear.
Maximum would be three motorcycles but I figure a lot of gear too, stuff like grilles and coolers, clothes etc....

Looking at my local offerings there are a few options. None look too fancy or even confidence inspiring. There seems to be a lot of emphasis on weight reduction, savings. I get this.

Locally a 8.5x20 is about $10k. I see them in the southern states for half on eBay.

I can't imagine the quality would be that much better or worse. I've been wrong before.

I've seen trailers with the two larger axles and it seems that can lead to a bumpy ride. So I am researching that as well.

Thanks in advance!

 

Are talking about an enclosed cargo trailer? Camper? Toy hauler?

 

First of all, what is your budget, how often & how far do you plan to tow, & what is your tow vehicle? My personal experience towing 20' enclosed trailer has been eye opening. The frontal area, as I found out, is very important as far as drag goes.... Du-uhh... That's something yours truly wasn't thinking about when I ordered the trailer. I ordered an extra foot of height "just in case." Now I ask myself, "in case of what?" We've towed this trailer to South Bend, In. twice (2200 mi r/t), a couple of trips to Tampa (400 mi r/t), and numerous local jaunts. The trailer pulls great. It's got 6k torsion axles, elec/hyd disc brakes, and 14 ply tires. It's all aluminum so it only weighs 3300# empty. The issue is the height. The trailer itself is 91" hi. That's one big a** parachute. I literally get better fuel mileage pulling our 40' gooseneck (10k# empty) with a load. I've seen a lot of trailers on the side of the road with flat tires. I would not skimp on the tires. Our first gooseneck trailer was the cheapest one we could get to get started. 24' All Pro gooseneck, 2 6k axles w/ electric brakes, & leaf springs. I didn't really know that much about them, but I can tell you, I learned. We replaced numerous spring hangers, equalizers, the leaf springs themselves, constantly replacing the tires, and generally losing valuable time screwing with the trailer. The lesson learned, at least for us, is not to scrimp on the components. Not saying that will assure you of never having a problem, but with proper attention to tire inflation and regular inspection of the suspension and electrical components your travels will be less stressful. I would make sure the trailer was no taller than absolutely necessary. Not saying to custom order one, but the extra height is not your friend when it comes to dragging it down the highway. Another thing I would recommend is e-track on the floor for tie down purposes. I have it on the floor and on each wall. I put it on the wall because we haul equipment & other cargo from time to time and it comes in handy to throw a load lock across the trailer to help secure the load. My truck(s) are and have been diesels so towing this trailer is no issue. I would imagine that a 1/2 ton gas truck would struggle at highway speeds.......YMMV. Hope this helps, at least a little. Good luck!

 

Thanks for the replies.
Tow vehicle is a 2019 f350 srw extended cab with long bed. I bought an XL knowing that I needed as much capacity as possible.

Personally, well I guess for work, I haul granite, marble and quartz as well as porcelain tile always. Two pallets fit with the bed closed. Yay!

I've never considered putting a plow. TMI, I know but people ask why I don't have one. I bought srw since I can register it as passenger vehicle. You can register a drw f350 as a passenger vehicle but you are more prone to a pullover on those darned local routes that ban commercial. So better to avoid that.

Towing will be enclosed, v-nose for sure. Now I do appreciate the response about not going too tall. I'm six feet with shoes on so I'm not short but certainly not tall either.

I have seen that when a trailer is unladen that it can bounce annoyingly. I figured that two axles are better than one but not the heaviest duty available since I wouldn't want to exacerbate the bouncing bikes.

Round trip, it looks like 2500 miles would be average. That trip would be planned at least three times a year but would likely happen but once. Yup, reality does set in!!

 

Budget...
Why spend $11,000 when I can be equally disappointed for $7.

 

I recently bought an ATC enclosed 8.5x22 that has a 7 foot ceiling, I'm 6 feet tall and it's certainly tall enough. If I were to order one, I would probably
order it 6 inches shorter. FYI, if you try to order a trailer right now, I was quoted delivery times in November... if you see something on a dealer lot
that matches most of your needs, grab it....

 

Thanks, it seems prudent too. Anything we sell is a crapshoot if it is actually in stock.
ATC toy hauler is an awesome trailer. I cannot believe the quality versus the same ol' same ol'.... A little beyond my budget and time constraints but an awesome company no doubt.

 

Bowtie....that ATC is stunning. Just about perfect.

 

Thank you, Sir. It has come in very handy. It's getting ready to get used a lot more. Our SXS should be in by the end of July. Let the good times roll!!! Couldn't help but notice your location. Hope you can escape soon!!

 

Living in Western Canada trailers are expensive, not just due to the dollar exchange but because most are built in the mid-west or east coast. I had a Pace American 20x8.5, my 1st trip across the USA I was losing screws all over. After 4 trips of driving across the USA it was falling apart. Lucky for me it was totaled by hail and insurance took it away. I was then on the hunt for a new trailer. ATC makes a beautiful trailer but was outside my budget. I wanted a smooth side, finished/insulated interior and a V-nose.I looked at Haulmark aluminum and was very disappointed with the terrible fit and finish. After thinking about it I decided it was still better than what I had so I phoned them the next day and it was sold already. He mentioned they had an EZHauler coming in any day so I put down a deposit. It is an all aluminum, V-nose, finished inside and torsion axles (much smoother than spring axles). After looking it over I was (and still am) very impressed with the build quality. Every trim is cut perfectly and after 2 trips across the USA and 2 trips south to CA I still am very impressed with it and would not hesitate to recommend them.

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