Need Advice On Size, Can't Be Too Big, but Not Too Small She says!

[Ozarker]

Original 4x6 with a 30" ramp, tilt trailer for my lawn tractor is getting a make over.

It also hauls my canoe and bikes, it's heavily built all steel, 16" wheels.

I must come up with my final design in a week, buy additional steel and get it to a buddy to weld up, the time constraint is due to his schedule. Time to get off the pot!

My GF and I will be doing extensive travels for the next 3 to 4 years all over North America, not Mexico.

Most all will be highway, but off road is required, no rock climbing but trails, woods, desert, beaches, that you are familiar with, I'm not as I hang around the Ozarks. The vehicle is an F-150, 4x4, XLT, a '99 with 82K on the clock, great condition now and stock.

What is the optimum size for general off road conditions to be encountered?

I'm thinking more toward an open toy hauler keeping the rear title and adding a rack while extending the front 3 or 4 more feet, it could go wider, I'd like to stay at 6' or less.

I'll get a new axle at 3,500, stay with 16" wheels and match the truck.

Question is`really, what gets too big? It's too small now!

Not big on slides, but could, we will probably sleep in the truck, the trailer is for bike, 16' canoe, tent and gear. Something to cook in, in bad weather, I have an outdoor kitchen.

Another question is to the weight and CG and how high a build can go safely in your opinion based on your travels. Water, (25 gal.) extra fuel, (10 gal.) small gen set, 100 pounds go on the trailer. 700 pound cruiser on the steel floor (CG is about 18 inches high), canoe on the roof.

Any and all advice is really needed, I've not been in your neck of the woods. One trip is planned for 6 weeks out, so we'll be living in or on it.

Let the advice begin! Thanks guys! :coffeedrink:

 

[calicamper]

I love our 4x6. It fits everywhere easily. And its hardly noticed by the Subaru at 18-22mpg trip averages.

With the short length of the 4x6 I think height vs weight up high and off camber dirt roads are the biggest challenge. Keep weight low so it follows nicely.

 

[calicamper]

I cant imagine getting a big cruiser in the 4x6 along with all the other stuff, water etc. 5x8 would work better but that added length with the long truck you wouldnt be doing much trail driving, but it would still work for dirt roads to camp sites.

 

[calicamper]

There is a near full timer with a Tachoma, FWC camper and ramp/garden style trailer he hauls his light dirt bike in. He added a flip out self for the camp stove to the side of the trailer. He has a couple locking boxes for gear. Seems to work really well for him. I do think its an 8ft trailer though. Most bikes will over hang the back edge on a 6ft bed, or sit on the tailgate.

The big expanded metal ramp is a big air brake on the highway, swap it for a short tailgate and add a ramp, plank etc.

My 18ft canoe oddly doesnt impact our mileage much when on the roof of various vehicles. I'd just top it on the truck. Maybe even rig up a narrow platform under the canoe you could stow gear you dont access very often, its covered by the canoe all good.

 

[Ozarker]

Thanks for the input! I have a 1600 Vulcan, it takes every bit of 8 feet to the fender tip and as you mentioned the rear tire sits on my expanded steel tailgate, I have always used it in the down and level position. It rides nicely on the trailer too and doesn't take up that much floor space, it's load the bike first then pack around it.

The other bike is a Transalp, a bit shorter but not by much and only about 420 pounds. Takes 5' in height to clear the windshields of either bike, so any rack will have cross beams at least 5' high, better will be 6'4" if I toss canvas on for a tent we can stand up and walk out without headaches.

Like the idea of the canoe on top over other stowage and the flip out shelf off the side.

Something like a Jumping Jack with a rack has possibilities.

Forgot to mention I have an ATV winch going on the extended front end, should help load and unload the second floor cargo or canoe.

Water and fuel most likely in cans on the side, generator forward.

I have a car top cargo box, huge thing at 3x5, (could double as a catamaran dingy in an emergency, LOL) I'd like that on the front, maybe over a compartment holding the generator and batteries.

The approach angle won't be as critical behind my truck as the departure angle. A few times I have scrapped the underside of the tailgate, the main floor is` plate, so whatever, going slow won't hurt it.

I suppose my concern is switchbacks, narrow passes and water crossings where a longer trailer can get into trouble, I'm sure 8' is too long in some places, but overall, what is generally encountered on the popular trails outside my neighborhood?

PS, I'm not related to the Gaul or Gull Boys of Aussie Land pulling a travel trailer!

 

[calicamper]

I recall he had a wood box, maybe 4ft long 10 inches deep, 14 inches or so tall bolted to the side. Hinged at the bottom. So the door flips open and serves as his cook top. In the Box he had spices and general cooking stuff, set the camp.stove on the flip out and bingo quick kitchen. A typical folding / pop up awning you could set over the cook area. We found that was a must especially eastern Sierras and NV the dang thunder storms always hit at dinner prep time.

 

[Ozarker]

My kitchen goes in the cargo box I mentioned above, I use a Nexgrill stove on a Cabella deluxe kitchen setup, takes less than 4 minutes to set up for the base camp. That fits under a 10x10 pop up canopy that has the 7x10 side tent if needed.
I've got a 20x24' pvc coated canvas from a large Army tent, heavy stuff, to hack up for the trailer and truck.

As to the trailer size, I'm trying to figure out having a 7x10 platform to set up that 7x10 tent on. It's suppose to hang off the frame of the canopy tent but I could hang it from the rack on the trailer. Keeping at 4' in width means I'd need two 3' sides to fold down with outer braces for a floor. Now, the sides of the trailer are 18" with 2" angle on top. A 4' rack at the top would need two 3' swing out rods at the rear giving us 10' to hang the tent.

The trailer weighs 400 pounds per the scale at the dump, I'm trying to go light so the GMC Terrain can be used on southerly trips going without the bike. Nice to get 32 mpg traveling.

With these mods I'll keep in mind that this may be enclosed some day, at least keeping the option open.

I'll see what I can do abut pics, I have trouble with that being on the trailing edge of technology!

 

[Ramon Disalvo]

Here i am sharing a chart of bike sizing,I think it will be better for everyone

Rider Height Suggested Road Bike Size
Feet & Inches Centimetres Frame Size (cm) Frame Size
4'10" - 5'0" 148cm - 152cm 47cm - 48cm XX-Small
5'0" - 5'3" 152cm - 160cm 49cm - 50cm X-Small
5'3" - 5'6" 160cm - 168cm 51cm - 53cm Small
5'6" - 5'9" 168cm - 175cm 54cm - 55cm Medium
5'9" - 6'0" 175cm - 183cm 56cm - 58cm Large
6'0" - 6'3" 183cm - 191cm 58cm - 60cm X-Large
6'3" - 6'6" 191cm - 198cm 61cm - 63cm XX-Large

 

[Ozarker]

Here i am sharing a chart of bike sizing,I think it will be better for everyone

Rider Height Suggested Road Bike Size
Feet & Inches Centimetres Frame Size (cm) Frame Size
4'10" - 5'0" 148cm - 152cm 47cm - 48cm XX-Small
5'0" - 5'3" 152cm - 160cm 49cm - 50cm X-Small
5'3" - 5'6" 160cm - 168cm 51cm - 53cm Small
5'6" - 5'9" 168cm - 175cm 54cm - 55cm Medium
5'9" - 6'0" 175cm - 183cm 56cm - 58cm Large
6'0" - 6'3" 183cm - 191cm 58cm - 60cm X-Large
6'3" - 6'6" 191cm - 198cm 61cm - 63cm XX-Large

Not really sure where that came from, I'd say the engine size and seat height will play into the right bike, I'm 6' and I guess you'd say a 1600cc is a large bike, it fits me and the GF.

However, it's about the size of the trailer, I've seen about every trailer on this site, but I've not seen popular trails or off road routes with any trailer size suggestion. Since I haven't been on off road trails in AZ for example, I don't know if it's a good idea to get deep into an area to find that a 6x9 trailer is too big and get stuck in there......I understand scouting, just saying, and I'm in a F-150 too.

With feed back from different areas of the country I wouldn't think suggested vehicle and trailer sizes would be that hard to compile popular areas to travel.

Don't want to take away the sense of adventure, but in my area, you get into the woods and start cutting trees and limbs to get through you might be going to jail.

Perhaps this goes in a trip planning thread, but hey, wait, why not modify or build your trailer so it can serve your needs and can access as many opportunities out there as you can? I'm not talking about pulling a 30 foot trailer into a KOA, LOL.

There are always trade offs, but what are they?

We will be hitting a bunch of military campgrounds across the country, no issues, but, off road is another matter. I get the rating system for trails as well, doesn't say much about trailers.