small trailer for Outback Wagon

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toonces

Member
Nov 7, 2011
158
Farmington Valley, CT
i've wanted a trailer for a while now, and after picking up a couple loads of wood in the back of my Outback wagon, i really really want one. my butt was dragging with a full load so i don't want to destroy the car. plus, i'd like to not have to put my chainsaw in the front seat. this car still has to hold passengers and my kid. i live in a two-family house and can't leave this thing lying around in the yard or driveway so i want something small for the garage plus room to store other junk. for now i'd be happy with something that can carry what my wagon can carry when it's loaded to the ceiling. the car can tow up to 2000 lbs i believe. any idea if one of those small 40" x 48" (1000 lbs) capacity HF jobbers will work for what i want as far as taking a wagonload of wood? oh yeah, $$$ is an issue but i hope my needs aren't exceeding my budget.
 
I have one of the small HF trailers with the 12" wheels that I pull with my atv. I like the higher ground clearance the 12" wheels give over the 8" wheels. It works well but I think it would be kinda small for hauling much on the highway. You may want to look at the longer folding trailer HF sales. It would probably be more useful for what you need. It folds up and has small wheels to roll it out of the way. Just wait till it goes on sale before you buy one.
My bro in law bought a nice home built trailer that's about the size of HF's folding trailer at a pawn shop for $150. He has pulled it over 1000 miles behind his explorer with no problem.
 

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I have a 5X8, 2000lb GVW trailer that I bought from Tractor Supply, I pull it with my Outback. I have plenty of room to park and
store it, so don't have the same issue as you. There are 4x7 trailers out there that may be better suited to your situation, guessing they'll handle
1200lbs or so . If you go much smaller, you might as well keep loading the back of the Suby Wagon.

Also keep in mind, the smaller and shorter the trailer, the tougher it is to back up.
 
Look for a CL 5x8 or 4x6 used trailer. If you buy good used it will retain its value. Especially if you keep it garaged.
 
DanCorcoran said:
I had one of these that I hauled wood in...worked fine. Instead of one solid sheet of plywood decking, however, I cut it in half so I could fold the trailer without removing the deck. I also installed 2x4 stakes.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-l...tility-trailer-with-12-inch-wheels-90154.html

I have the same exact setup, right down the the joint in the plywood and 2x4 stakes. I built some sides for it, about 24" tall out of 1x4's with a 6" space between them.

I pull it around mostly with the ATV, but sometimes it will get hooked up to the F150. It isn't the strongest or easiest towing trailer out there, but for the price it works pretty good for me.

I'm not sure how I would feel about towing it at highway speeds over long distances....but I've never tried it when it was fully loaded...so I can't really say one way or the other.
 
I agree, if you need a trailer for repeated highway use at faster speeds and with heavier loads, I'd get something else. But if you're going short distances and are willing to drive slowly, it beats using the rear end of an Outback. I, too, used mine mostly with an ATV.
 
I was able to find a nice(ish) used, well balanced, light-weight 4x8 trailer to tow behind my Honda Civic. It cost me all of $250 or so.
Unfortunately, it can hold alot more wood than it *should* haul.
In the land of big trucks, a small car and trailer gets some confused looks.
 
hmm. i've heard of issues backing up with a small trailer. definitely don't want that since i'll probably be scrounging solo so no extra eyes to help me back up. also eyeballed that folding jobber and found a link to some guy who beefed his up but with a bit of time and energy invested. i wonder, if i go with a solid, non-folding, 4x6 or 4x8: can i store it sitting on it's side? i guess so long as it's not sitting on one small spot and more along the length of it's frame. maybe i can build a pulley winch to help lay it up against a wall if i feel ambitious.
 
Google image search harbor freight trailer. There is lots of neat things people have used them for. Also several videos on you tube about them. There were some assembly videos I liked when I was thinking about buying one.

This is the fold up trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03CTzCOM9pY

Good detailed slideshow of the assembly and builder modifications to the fold up trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KW8iAEXz8U

This is the 40x48 inch trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppTshyJADoU
 
Craigslist is the way to go to save money.
My co-worker just nabbed a 5x7 for $150.00.
Look in the farm & garden section.
 
This works good for me:
 

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I have a 4x8 that is really the inlaws but have not officially given it to me but lives at my house, so i claim it. I use it behind my ranger or my big full size truck to maxamize my wood in trips. I have public forests near me that i work on and its just a decision, when i cut i want to get as much as i can, there is always wood to cut so when and where is not as much my issue.

Anyway, your not going to pic up and put a 4x8 on its side. I bet mine weights 600lbs give or take? Its mesh bottom and has the flip up mesh ramp. You can take the ramp off and prolly lose close to 100lbs would be my guess? I can prolly get about half or more of a cord on it, so your talking 2-3000lbs of oak plus the trailer, so my guess is that its around 3000lbs based on how it feels being pulled maybe 3500. I would think that the outback was rated more than 2000?


And do you live in a city with those Natzi HOA's or something? Its your place put it in the side of your back yard.
 
clemsonfor said:
Anyway, your not going to pic up and put a 4x8 on its side.

If you are talking about those Long Chih folding trailers that Harbor Freight rebrands, its a piece of cake. Hell, if I park mine crooked I simply lift up the back end and walk it sideways a few feet. :)
 
KarlP said:
clemsonfor said:
Anyway, your not going to pic up and put a 4x8 on its side.

If you are talking about those Long Chih folding trailers that Harbor Freight rebrands, its a piece of cake. Hell, if I park mine crooked I simply lift up the back end and walk it sideways a few feet. :)

No im talking about this trailer in this thread i posted..

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/88774/

Your not going to move this trailer! Obviously im talking about it empty but your not gonna waalk it anythere by yourself, unless you wheel it around by the tounge!
 
clemsonfor said:
I have a 4x8 that is really the inlaws but have not officially given it to me but lives at my house, so i claim it. I use it behind my ranger or my big full size truck to maxamize my wood in trips. I have public forests near me that i work on and its just a decision, when i cut i want to get as much as i can, there is always wood to cut so when and where is not as much my issue.

Anyway, your not going to pic up and put a 4x8 on its side. I bet mine weights 600lbs give or take? Its mesh bottom and has the flip up mesh ramp. You can take the ramp off and prolly lose close to 100lbs would be my guess? I can prolly get about half or more of a cord on it, so your talking 2-3000lbs of oak plus the trailer, so my guess is that its around 3000lbs based on how it feels being pulled maybe 3500. I would think that the outback was rated more than 2000?

And do you live in a city with those Natzi HOA's or something? Its your place put it in the side of your back yard.

the specs for my 2001 2.4L OBW say 2000 max. it's probably a 'safe' number but i think i'll stick to that. i think a 600lbs trailer would be nice, but overkill for what i need. ramp would be nice too! and i live in a rental so i have to consider the neighbor that i share the property with. after watching that video -- especially the part where it folds up and out of the way -- i think that may be the way to go. can't wait to own my own house so i 1) don't have to listen to other people's really really bad music and footsteps, and 2) do whatever the heck i want and put whatever the heck i want in my driveway without having to ask anyone! until then...
 
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