I was doing a job for a customer and they mentioned moving abroad. I half-jokingly asked if they were taking the trailer too or if I could buy it and they were more than happy to sell it. I deducted the price from the invoice. They lost a trailer and they have to pay me 400 euros. Good deal.
It’s even the exact model I had been eyeing. Just needs a new plywood top as this one is pretty far gone.
Ignore the trash heap on the background. Now I have one less excuse not to get rid of it.
Grease the bearings and change the tires regularly and they can easily last decades!
The only downside of a rarely used trailer is taking up space the rest of the year.
For folks that are space constrained and would only use a trailer infrequently, folding utility trailers are available. Specifically, Harbor Freight in the USA sells one such 4x8 utility trailer for some $400. It weighs 250 lbs, though closer to 300 lbs (180 kg) after adding a 5/8" (10 mm) plywood deck; not included.
This makes it fairly reasonable to tow even with a small car, for light-but-bulky payloads (eg sectional sofa) a few times per year. Some US States like Oregon don’t even require registration for such small trailers, while California has an extremely reasonable $25 plate fee that lasts 5 years.
To be abundantly clear, towing anything is a departure from run-of-the-mill driving, and carrying a load of any size presents hazards that require some attention and care. But it’s entirely feasible and costs a lot less than a truck. The tradeoffs can be worth it, if it works with your use-case. It certainly does for mine.
Yeah, mine is a folding one, all aluminum, so no need to replace the deck either. I’m using it to haul something for the first time today since getting it. 🙂
Keep the bugs off your bumper and the bears off your tail!
The version I heard was: Keep the bugs of your glass And the bears off your… tail 😂
I have 3 different sized trailers. One of which is that HF trailer that I’ve been using for over 30 years. The closest it gets to being on the road anymore is when I hook it up to my side by side UTV and drive down the gravel road loaded with my ice fishing gear and the drive out on the lake with it. Otherwise, it’s confined to the yard for simple hauling tasks that are too big for the box on my Gator. But for many years, it got used to haul a lot of things down the road.
I highly recommend one if you need a light duty trailer! They are cheap and can be assembled in a morning or afternoon with simple tools.