I sold my open trailer last fall and am looking for an enclosed trailer to replace it with. Pulling with 1/2 ton truck so it has to be on the smaller side. 16' to 20' is about what I can pull fully loaded with my current rig. Thanks.
Joel

Would be a trip to get it, but it is an incredible trailer. This is a friend of mine:

www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=32453

Mike - I saw that one on the forums. Way out of my price range but thanks for looking.

I also just found a nice used on from a guy in S. Chicago for a 20' x 8.5' Haulmark and he is going to drop it off at my parents (near Joliet). I will come pick it up sometime in February.

20 foot is he way to go. 16 is too short.

I picked up an 24 ft this summer. Fits my needs perfectly, but could be too much for a 1/2 ton. These are best towed by 3/4 tons, but you might get by with a 1/2 if the 1/2 ton is set-up just right.

The 20 footer will be lighter (since it is smaller) and you can run it lighter since you will put less junk it it (since it is smaller).

The problem with 16 is that is just fits the car with 1 foot to spare on each end. These can actually be harder to tow since you can't as easly dial in tongue weight by moving the car around. Plus with a 16footer you don't have any room for gear. Might as well go open trailer at 16 feet.

Anyway good luck with 20!


Even with a 20 I suggest a load equalizing hitch to manage tongue weights and extended tow mirrors. I got both for my 2500 dodge when I got my 24 footer. The stock mirror were useless with 8.5 wide box and the load equalizing hitch keeps the trailer and truck level.

I got an E2 hitch which also combines some sway control which is a nice feature when you go with a big box. I towed for years with an open trailer without any issues. The big box created a new set of challenges. Now with big tow mirrors and hitch I am set just fine.

Thanks Joe. I just bought a weight distributing hitch and rear air bag helper springs (so I can set them to help reduce squat).

If you load it right you should be fine with just the load bars.

That 20 footer should be rated to 7000lbs and 10% of that is only 700lbs. That should be fine for a 1/2 ton with a load equalzing hitch. Even if you bump it up to 900lbs you should be fine.

Just make sure you have big extendable towing mirrors. Regular mirrors will make you blind. Scarry blind since all you see will be the trailer. These 8.5's are really wide.

here is my dodge and 24 footer. (yours will be the same, just 4 feet shorter)



You can just see the load bars behind the rear wheel. This was taked fully loaded on the way back from Nationals. I found the front end on the trailer a tiny bit low so I adjusted the hitch and make it perfectly level. Since my trailer has torsion axles it is important to keep the trailer level to make sure you load them evenly. You can also see the giant tow mirrors.