deck over or long and narrow

[JENSEN BROS]

give me opinions. purchasing a new trailer.

8.5 X 22 with a 4 foot v deck over
or
7 X 25 with a 5 foot v inline

all aluminum for sure. i travel between 600 and 900 miles one way to ride. which one would you buy and why?
would like preferred brands and ones to stay away from.

 

[Mafesto]

You (like myself) have a long drive.
Hands down, 7 wide for a long pull.
Pulls easier, you can see around it.
Only down sides:
You have to unload every sled with the staggered load.
Trailer needs to be a little longer due to staggered load.


Buy a high end trailer (Aluma, Featherlite, Rance etc)
You get what you pay for & you pay for what you get.

 

[DUKHTR3]

Everyone's opinion is going to be different. I have had both and I like my 8.5 car hauler the best. I won't ever own a 7' again. I also trailer around 1000 miles round trip. To each his own!

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

 

[jthussey]

My 8.5x 24v nose steel trailer is by far the best pulling trailer I have ever pulled. Wind doesn't grab it when passing tractor trailers. Pulls nice and straight with head or side wind. It maybe heavier but it sure sticks to the road.

Pulled a 30x7.5 aluminum twice and I will take mine over it all day. Even at 10 yrs older. The owner has now sold that 30' trailer. Granted that's pretty long though. Just my opinion

 

[usmc_powerhouse]

I agree with Mafesto on one thing, you definately get what you pay for so go higher end if you can. I learned the hard way. Last year I bought a 2015 Ameripro 7x29 with all the options they offered and after the first trip, the floor started to warp. This happened even though I paid for the "upgraded HD water/warp resistent floor" and custom ordered 12" on center floor braces. Also every screw was over torqued and I kept finding screw heads all over broke off. Dealer was no help and I went straight to the manufacturer who I fought with for over 4 months to get it fixed. As soon as it was fixed I sold it.

I now own a brand new Aluma 8.5x24+4v lowboy car hauler, twice the price, but 10x the trailer and worth every penny. I 100% agree with Dukhtr3, I will never go back to a 7'. This trailer while being heavier pulls so much better, doesn't sway, and while being a foot shorter total, has tons more room inside. Definatley the 8.5' lowboy car hauler is the way to go.

Having the sleds side by side is extremely easy to get around, I would typically cram 4-5 long track sleds into the 7' and what a pain to get around and tie down..

Only downside is its tougher to see around even with my Ram moose mirrors out. haha

Here are some photos of mine. It is a 2016 Aluma 8.5' x 24' with a 4' v-front. 100% all aluminum, no wood. Aluminum floor and ramps. 5200# axles. I put low pro grip glides on the ramps. (worth the money- there amazing) On the floor I put .75" 4x6 stall mats. The sleds slide right over them even with brand new carbides and still have the ability to steer. I will be adding fuel doors, benches, LED interior lighting, and racks, I could've had the dealer done them but he had this one on the lot and I didn't want to wait for one to be built.

 

[Joe Nobody]

Cheat like I did and buy a Burandt edition gooseneck. It tows crazy nice across the mighty winds of Wyoming

 

[JENSEN BROS]

Flat faced car hauler?

I can get a smokin deal on a completely aluminum custom built trailer but no v front end. Anyone have experience towing a flat front enclosed 8.5 X 28 with 6'6" inside? Again I travel from NEBRASKA to Wyoming.

 

[ndmtnsledder]

I'd be less worried about the width then the deck over vs inside wheel wells from my experience. The wind drag under a tall trailer, higher center of gravity, and higher sidewall height is always an issue IMO for cross winds. I think there is an old thread were it was discussed pretty heavily. I've done that drive a few times I'm in ND so we come south to NE then head west and the side winds can be nasty. Inlines pull nice but I'm not completely convinced that the width makes as much difference as I used to. I just put the first miles towing my 8x34 gooseneck and it doesn't pull any harder then my old inline but it sits low wheel wells inside and has a vftont bunk nose. I'd also agree with USMC and Mafesto look for quality not just the pretty parts but the quality of welds, what type of axles they use, how the wiring is run, flooring, door latches and hinges. Also I'm not a fan of the screw less sidewalls, the few I've seen that have some age on them have sheets starting to come loose at the seams. A good quality trailer that is taken care of will last you 15 years plus. I just got rid of my 02 steel 7X25 and it easily had another 5 years in it but it was built well. 8ft if you can find one is a nice compromise on width you can see around it but still get sleds mostly side by side. The worst trailer I was ever with on a trip was a 8.5 x 22 over the wheel wells.

 

[lost]

Another thing that I would consider when purchasing an enclosed trailer is what vehicle am I going to using to pull it with?

 

[Mafesto]

I want something that will pull easy with a half ton.
We'll probably never go west with a half ton, but here's my thinking...
If an inline pulls easy with a half ton but 8' wide pulls hard, well it just stands to reason that it will with the larger pickups as well. You just don't feel it because of the overkill factor.


I do agree with everyone saying that the deckovers are the worst of all options.
But to each their own.

 

[Top Notch]

I agree with Mafesto on one thing, you definately get what you pay for so go higher end if you can. I learned the hard way. Last year I bought a 2015 Ameripro 7x29 with all the options they offered and after the first trip, the floor started to warp. This happened even though I paid for the "upgraded HD water/warp resistent floor" and custom ordered 12" on center floor braces. Also every screw was over torqued and I kept finding screw heads all over broke off. Dealer was no help and I went straight to the manufacturer who I fought with for over 4 months to get it fixed. As soon as it was fixed I sold it.

I now own a brand new Aluma 8.5x24+4v lowboy car hauler, twice the price, but 10x the trailer and worth every penny. I 100% agree with Dukhtr3, I will never go back to a 7'. This trailer while being heavier pulls so much better, doesn't sway, and while being a foot shorter total, has tons more room inside. Definatley the 8.5' lowboy car hauler is the way to go.

Having the sleds side by side is extremely easy to get around, I would typically cram 4-5 long track sleds into the 7' and what a pain to get around and tie down..

Only downside is its tougher to see around even with my Ram moose mirrors out. haha

Here are some photos of mine. It is a 2016 Aluma 8.5' x 24' with a 4' v-front. 100% all aluminum, no wood. Aluminum floor and ramps. 5200# axles. I put low pro grip glides on the ramps. (worth the money- there amazing) On the floor I put .75" 4x6 stall mats. The sleds slide right over them even with brand new carbides and still have the ability to steer. I will be adding fuel doors, benches, LED interior lighting, and racks, I could've had the dealer done them but he had this one on the lot and I didn't want to wait for one to be built.

Curious if you've used the rubber mat before, if so what was it like after the sleds started to melt off?

 

[catrider800]

Definitely stay away from a deckover as they pull terrible compared to a low trailer whether an 8-1/2 or 7' wide inline. I have a 7x29 aluminum Stealth 6' height and pull 1000 miles one way. Easily half ton towable and pulls very nice. In my opinion an 8-1/2 is nice for loading and you get buy with shorter length but they are harder to see around and do pull a fair bit harder. If money isn't an issue a high quality brand like featherlight or aluma is nice but I haven't had any issues with the $8-9k trailers I've run over the past 8 years.

 

[Betterview]

I have a 30' long plus 5' V Rance Renegade 7' wide all aluminum inline that replaced a same length 8.5' wide car hauler. I do not stagger sleds. I drive one in and back another along side. Works great if the sleds have reverse. I tow 1,000 plus miles one way and will never go back to an 8.5' wide. The increased visibility and the towing ease in wind and bad roads means much more to me. Because of the distance we travel we cannot wait for better roads or weather. Sure it is a little slower loading the inline but it easily loads 6 long track sleds and might take seven with some creative loading. Seven is the most I ever got in the 8.5' car hauler (the inside fenders limit creative loading) and I needed sway bars on the car hauler towing with a one ton vehicle. I do not use sway bars on the inline, towing with same vehicle and never experience even a hint of sway.

If I was only towing 400 to 500 or less miles one way and had some flexibility as to when I was traveling I am sure I would have kept the 8.5' wide car hauler.

 

[adamg]

IMO deckover is the only definite no-go.

The 8.5 wide units with wheel wells are fine, I've never found the wheel wells to hurt usability. The extra width gives you a lot of option in how to load the sleds to avoid the wells.

I went with a 7.5 wide for reasons like you are considering. I have a 12 hour drive each way and wanted the easier pulling. So much easier to see around it as well. No regrets.

 

[szotty]

I'm a vote for legend 7' wide trailer tows so nice will be making first trip west with it I couple weeks but I picked it up 8 hrs from here so do have some miles on it. Hated the deckover for going west but I have 1300 plus mile one way

 

[joel t]

I'm a vote for legend 7' wide trailer tows so nice will be making first trip west with it I couple weeks but I picked it up 8 hrs from here so do have some miles on it. Hated the deckover for going west but I have 1300 plus mile one way

better keep an eye on the roof on your legend mine almost came completely off and I know of to others that came off completely and the company did nothing to fix it I had to repair my own good luck but I do like the 7 foot wide

 

[szotty]

What happened? Just start pulling at Seam where screwed and caulked ?

 

[NorthMNSledder]

What happened? Just start pulling at Seam where screwed and caulked ?

Here is the thread:

http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=388665&highlight=legend

 

[joel t]

What happened? Just start pulling at Seam where screwed and caulked ?

Yes the hole driver side was poled out of the screws I could see out side from in side

 

[f7firecatkid]

i have a 2014 stealth predator 7.5x29 all alum trailer. pull great. I do move around with winds and when passing big trucks with the winds. trailer was a low deck and hooked to my truck I didn't have much clearance on the rear of the trailer. so this spring I flipped the axles the springs to make it more of a mid deck. doing that it pulls nicer, stays leveler. I would do a mid deck still pulls good but have better ground clearance to get in/out of areas.

my 2cents