A car hauler can be used for so much around Michigan, for everything from recreation to business. However, there’s so much more to choosing the right trailer for your needs than simply saying you need one. Here are some things to consider to ensure you get the right trailer for your needs for both pleasure and business.
Discovering the Basic Car Hauler Options
When it comes to car hauler designs, you have three primary designs from which to choose. First, you have to decide between a flatbed and dolly design. The single-axle dolly design is popular when you simply need to pull a vehicle behind another trailer or RV. These are usually less expensive, but also offer less protection than their flatbed counterparts.
For flatbed trailers, you have the option of an enclosed car trailer or an open design. Both have their benefits and uses, so it’s just a matter of evaluating each to find what is best for your particular needs.
What Will You Be Hauling?
First, understand that just because you’re investing in a car hauler doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be hauling a car. For some people, these trailers are used to transport recreational vehicles, or hunting and camping equipment. For others, it’s a matter of hauling the means of their business, from everything from a remote workshop, to a landscaping business, to a food truck.
Determining what you will haul will help you determine whether you require an enclosed flatbed car hauler or simply a dolly. When considering what you’ll be hauling, think about the weight of your cargo, and whether you’ll need a single axle or dual axel rig to effectively handle your load on roads of all kinds.
Does Your Car Hauler Double as Storage?
Next, think about how you’ll use your trailer beyond just hauling things around Michigan. For instance, will your car hauler need to double as storage for your adventures? Perhaps this will mean keeping your classic vehicle in your enclosed car trailer. Perhaps this means keeping your business equipment stored away during the off season. Regardless of what you need to store, thinking through where and how you’ll store things will help ensure you get the right size and setup.
How Far Will You Travel?
Consider how far you’ll be traveling with your car hauler as well, especially over the winter months. Regardless of whether you’re hauling a classic car or your winter recreational vehicles, the winters roads around Michigan can wreak havoc on everything on your rig. When you’ll be traversing the roads frequently, you may be best served to opt for an enclosed car trailer rather than an open option.
Is Your Trailer Part of a Business?
When your trailer is part of your business, it changes how you approach the simple need of hauling. All of a sudden, all the contents of your trailer become business assets. The trailer itself becomes a part of marketing your business, with the opportunity to further brand your business around the state. If you choose a simple dolly or open flat bed trailer, you lose all options for advertising your business while simply traveling from job site to job site.
What’s Your Budget?
Your budget will play an important role in deciding what kind of trailer you’ll secure for your adventures. However, keep in mind that it’s easy to go cheaper on a trailer, only to be disappointed by the lack of performance on the back end.
The dolly-style trailer is your least expensive option, but also offers you the least in terms of overall utility. Then you have the mid-range expense of the basic open-style flatbed trailer, but which has no structure for mounting equipment. At the high end, you have the full customizability of the enclosed trailer, with not only mounting options, but shelving and racks. All of this adds to the budget, but also adds to what you can expect to use your trailer for year-round.
What Options Will You Need?
Finally, consider the operational needs you’ll have for your trailer, starting with whether you’ll need brakes. The general rule of thumb is that if your trailer is rated for more than 3,000 lbs empty, you’ll need either electric or hydraulic brakes.
Next, consider how you’ll attach it to your tow vehicle. Will you use the standard bumper hitch, or will you be hauling enough to warrant a gooseneck option? Finally, consider your tow vehicle itself, and how much it can safely tow. You want to avoid getting a high-capacity trailer only to find out your tow vehicle doesn’t match the required specifications.