5 Foot Wide Utility Trailer?

[rfwoody]

I'm planning on buying a utility trailer for my one man operation.

But am debating on getting one 5' or 6' wide.

Below is a picture of the style of trailer I'm looking at (this one is 6x14')



Here are my purposes for the trailer:

Hauling off brush
Hauling off wood/logs
Delivering firewood
(and other misc. stuff)

I think I want to get a 5x12' trailer of this same style.

Why "only" 5x12' ?

* I don't have any/much experience pulling a trailer and I don't want a big "footprint" towing behind me. (i.e. safety)
* I'm entering my "declining" years and want something smaller to deal with. (work and safety)
* The 5' width would be about 7' trailer wheel base which wouldn't extend too much wider than my back truck tires. (safety)
* >>> With my own 4' plywood sides I can carry all I want to in a single trip.

Is 5x12 a bad idea?

As always, ALL thoughts, ideas, criticism, insights, warnings, etc., etc. from THE TREEHOUSE are much appreciated and welcome!
THANKS!

 

[SeanKroll]

If you can't pull a trailer safely, get out of tree work.


Personally, I like a flatbed trailer with removable wooden side. When you want to load/ unload, you have access all around, at trailer bed level, not lifting over the sides. Brush can be rolled off the side, if you're crafty. I have 2' painted wooden sides with stakes that going into the stake pockets. Plywood ratchet-strapped to the floor for transport and use onsite for protection/ and travel path as needed. I flip the 4' side up and down as needed. When I need to dump, the plywood slips out pretty easily by rolling it out, not lifting. Sides come off, brush/ firewood out the sides, downhill. I can stick a long, firm branch under the load of branches and lever/ roll brush out.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'd get the wider trailer.

Pulling a trailer ain't nothing.

 

[Burnham]

I have to agree with both of the previous posts.

If you have no experience using a trailer, you are past due to learn. And pulling is the easy part. Backing well is the hard part. It is a skill that most people can learn (though not all, for sure ). A foot narrower or wider won't help there.

 

[squisher]

I'd caution about spending a bunch of savings or personal money to get gear. If you've got a truck and some saws, focus on getting the work, buy more stuff with profits from treework. Otherwise you can spend a lot of money to do treework a little more efficiently than you do now. If you have weeks of work on the books and you need a trailer? Sure get one. If you have no jobs booked, stop buying stuff in the hopes that jobs will come.

Beat feet on the street. Hang flyers, hand out cards, call realtors, property managers, anyone you can think of who has trees.

 

[Burnham]

I was thinking along these lines as well.

 

[SeanKroll]

P.S. looks like a flatbed trailer frame, with stake pockets that aren't usable, due to the side walls. Strange that they would do that.

 

[Raj]

+1 what Justin said.

 

[dstimber]

I agree with what everyone else has said. If you do indeed get a trailer the longer the better. I personally wouldn't have one less than 12' long. I'd want to at least be able to see it looking over my shoulder while backing up if you haven't pulled one yet.

The shorter they are the harder it is to maneuver ( to me anyway).

 

[SeanKroll]

These help by magnetically sticking on the sides of the trailer, for when your trailer is narrower than the truck. Also helpful for aligning, if visible.

https://www.harborfreight.com/magnetic-trailer-alignment-kit-69778.html

 

[dstimber]

👍👍 I need those

 

[SeanKroll]

Sometimes, I can only see one side of the truck, due to a cloud from hot exhaust and cool, damp air on the passenger side, or brush, or whatever. Being able effectively extend the width of the trailer, with and easy to see yellow ball is great.

Putting out a reference-point orange cone for the final position makes it easier to get into places, for me.

 

[SkwerI]

How in the world are you going to manage making a living doing tree work if you have so little practical experience at the age of 63? I'm baffled how you made it this far, I guess the government job explains a lot of that. I would expect a 20 year old brush dragger to know many of the things you've asked about. Even without doing tree work before, I'm amazed you've been on this earth 63 years and haven't been exposed to any of these tasks or concepts before.

I'll go crawl back under my rock now. I'm out.

 

[Mellow]

A wider trailer is actually easier to back up than a skinny one where you can't see it until it's jackknifed.

 

[rfwoody]

If you can't pull a trailer safely, get out of tree work.


Personally, I like a flatbed trailer with removable wooden side. When you want to load/ unload, you have access all around, at trailer bed level, not lifting over the sides. Brush can be rolled off the side, if you're crafty. I have 2' painted wooden sides with stakes that going into the stake pockets. Plywood ratchet-strapped to the floor for transport and use onsite for protection/ and travel path as needed. I flip the 4' side up and down as needed. When I need to dump, the plywood slips out pretty easily by rolling it out, not lifting. Sides come off, brush/ firewood out the sides, downhill. I can stick a long, firm branch under the load of branches and lever/ roll brush out.

Yeah, I hear you Sean... I intend to practice in a field, etc. and back roads until I am comfortable with it.

I think I understand the 2' wooden sides... but what do you mean by:

* "I flip the 4' side up and down as needed" (what 4' side?).
and
* "the plywood slips out pretty easily by rolling it out" (rolling it out?).

Thanks

 

[rfwoody]

I'd get the wider trailer.

Pulling a trailer ain't nothing.

I have to agree with both of the previous posts.

If you have no experience using a trailer, you are past due to learn. And pulling is the easy part. Backing well is the hard part. It is a skill that most people can learn (though not all, for sure ). A foot narrower or wider won't help there.

Thanks Butch and Burnham. ... that's sort of what I was kind of hoping/expecting to hear about the wider trailer.

ha, great point about learning to use a trailer, Burnham

 

[rfwoody]

I'd caution about spending a bunch of savings or personal money to get gear. If you've got a truck and some saws, focus on getting the work, buy more stuff with profits from treework. Otherwise you can spend a lot of money to do treework a little more efficiently than you do now. If you have weeks of work on the books and you need a trailer? Sure get one. If you have no jobs booked, stop buying stuff in the hopes that jobs will come.

Beat feet on the street. Hang flyers, hand out cards, call realtors, property managers, anyone you can think of who has trees.

I was thinking along these lines as well.

+1 what Justin said.

Thanks y'all.

squisher (Justin?) That sounds like the voice of reason.

Yeah, I am 95% talk and planning and 5% doing at this point.

* In a few minutes I'm supposed to check with my friend about 3 tree removals (that I had another post about).
* I do have a job lined up with the 2 Bradford Pear removals I'm planning on doing sometime between now and when the leaves fall.
* And my mother-in-law wants a pine tree removed which I am still debating about using it as my first climbing removal.

So for the last 2, the trailer will be useful... and the first one if I get the job.

 

[rfwoody]

P.S. looks like a flatbed trailer frame, with stake pockets that aren't usable, due to the side walls. Strange that they would do that.

The guy at the trailer place said they were for hooking (e.g.) ratchet straps to.

 

[rfwoody]

I agree with what everyone else has said. If you do indeed get a trailer the longer the better. I personally wouldn't have one less than 12' long. I'd want to at least be able to see it looking over my shoulder while backing up if you haven't pulled one yet.

The shorter they are the harder it is to maneuver ( to me anyway).

Thanks dstimber.
That is sort of along the lines what my son (who is at home pulling trailers) was saying.

 

[rfwoody]

These help by magnetically sticking on the sides of the trailer, for when your trailer is narrower than the truck. Also helpful for aligning, if visible.

https://www.harborfreight.com/magnetic-trailer-alignment-kit-69778.html

Thanks Sean!

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'll go crawl back under my rock now. I'm out.

If that type of posting is all you can come up with, good idea!

 

[rfwoody]

Sometimes, I can only see one side of the truck, due to a cloud from hot exhaust and cool, damp air on the passenger side, or brush, or whatever. Being able effectively extend the width of the trailer, with and easy to see yellow ball is great.

Putting out a reference-point orange cone for the final position makes it easier to get into places, for me.

Thanks for the real-world tips, Sean!

 

[rfwoody]

How in the world are you going to manage making a living doing tree work if you have so little practical experience at the age of 63? I'm baffled how you made it this far, I guess the government job explains a lot of that. I would expect a 20 year old brush dragger to know many of the things you've asked about. Even without doing tree work before, I'm amazed you've been on this earth 63 years and haven't been exposed to any of these tasks or concepts before.

I'll go crawl back under my rock now. I'm out.

Yeah, I guess I haven't done and/or remembered as much as I should have by 63
But I don't think I have ever had a government job.
I have most always enjoyed physical type work, but I guess having an office type job for 30 years I let some of the things slip.
I'm sure I've pulled a trailer before but its been a while.
Also, I do like to hear different peoples opinions on things... especially those with lots of experience... and factor that in --- even if I might know, or think I know how to do something --- so I can improve and find the "best" way, etc.

But anyway, Skwerl2, thanks for your perspective and for "keeping it real"!

 

[rfwoody]

Sean,

I don't know if my questions to your initial post might have gotten buried, but I was hoping you would clarify these 2 points:


I think I understand the 2' wooden sides... but what do you mean by:

>>> "I flip the 4' side up and down as needed" (what 4' side?).
>>> "the plywood slips out pretty easily by rolling it out" (rolling it out?).

Thanks!

 

[Tree09]

That's a mower trailer. While it will work, you will just beat it to death using it for trees. And every twig will get stuck in the expanded metal. Get yourself a used flatbed, and add removable wooden sides. Spend as little as possible, and make sure it's a tandem. If you go to a dealer, you will be paying as much as possible for something. Hit up craigslist, eBay, or auctions. You will be amazed at what stuff actually goes for.

I went to a local utility auction, and they had a ton of utility pole trailers. Some were bare bones, but some had utility boxes too. I picked a utility one, 14000 pound, electric brakes and everything, for $500. I'm planning on making a roll off for it one of these days.