Hi looking to build a small trailer to put a rooftop tent on. I can pick up a little 4x8 trailer on my local buy and sell for a good price. Just wondering if it will be a little overkill as I see most or 4x4 or 4x6. I'll be pulling it with my 2014 ford escape. Just have basic camping gear. Any input would be appreciated.
4x8 trailer overkill?
- Thread starter chadvl
- Start date
Hummelator
Adventurer
I like to think that there is no such thing as overkill. If you can get it at a good price and you think it will work for you then that's all that matters. 4x8 is still not a huge trailer. My trailer is 5x9 and I consider it very small ( in relation to the trailers I normally tow at work)
PCO6
Adventurer
I agree ... overkill is under rated. I built a 4'x8' utility trailer and have put it to good use. It does all of the usual stuff - trips to the lumber yard, dump, etc. plus it's great for hauling home used Jeep parts. I also made racks for it to haul our bikes and kayaks when we camp. I can put them on or take them off in about 10 minutes. You could easily build racks for an RTT and have lots of storage space underneath.
I'm building another trailer now. When I'm done I will be stripping this one down and making it more off road worthy ...
I'm building another trailer now. When I'm done I will be stripping this one down and making it more off road worthy ...
rnArmy
Adventurer
This one is built off a little Harbor Freight type 4' trailer. Heavily modified, but that is what I started with. It is amazing how much stuff you can put in even a 4' trailer. The thing to remember is cubic feet (length x width x height). I can put a lot in mine because it is relatively tall inside. If mine were 5' long instead of 4' long (technically it is 50") it would be perfect (not too short and not too long). 
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No mention of your intended areas to be traveled, the things to consider are ground clearance, CG, balance and loads, turning along with weight. IMO, a 4 foot trailer isn't worth the headache of pulling, a raised platform off your hitch might carry that load, 6 ft is more useful and 8 ft is even better. At 8 ft you could haul a motorcycle or boat(s), lawn tractor, mom's couch to the dump, it would be much more useful to own. Again, IMO going bigger than 8 ft has diminishing returns, it can carry more but what would you need to haul at 10 or 12 foot or more (????) and then you get into specially designated uses.
You can put that RTT on top of your vehicle, you may not need a trailer to insure, pay taxes on, maintain store......but folks want one lol.
As mentioned, width is the concern, best no wider than the tow rig and the same wheel base as the tow vehicle to follow you.
Guess I'm suggesting that you give more consideration to your needs, locations to travel, camping loads vs. other uses and you may want a dedicated camping trailer like a Scamp or pop-up, good luck with your choices.
You can put that RTT on top of your vehicle, you may not need a trailer to insure, pay taxes on, maintain store......but folks want one lol.
As mentioned, width is the concern, best no wider than the tow rig and the same wheel base as the tow vehicle to follow you.
Guess I'm suggesting that you give more consideration to your needs, locations to travel, camping loads vs. other uses and you may want a dedicated camping trailer like a Scamp or pop-up, good luck with your choices.
jonnyquest
Adventurer
That a nice setup. Do you have a build thread?
I went back and forth on trailer sizes as well, I was mainly between a 3.5x5 and 4x6 trailer, didn't really consider anything larger both due to additional cost and likelihood of me adding junk we didn't need.
I made a tape footprint of the trailers in my garage and went to work organizing our stuff within those boundaries. I found the 3.5x5 suited us just fine and being the cheapest option I decided to go with it. I've modified the trailer quite a bit but the original footprint is still just 3.5x5 and it's never given me an issue on or offroad.
Here's mine...constantly making minor changes but I enjoy that aspect of it.
I made a tape footprint of the trailers in my garage and went to work organizing our stuff within those boundaries. I found the 3.5x5 suited us just fine and being the cheapest option I decided to go with it. I've modified the trailer quite a bit but the original footprint is still just 3.5x5 and it's never given me an issue on or offroad.
Here's mine...constantly making minor changes but I enjoy that aspect of it.
rnArmy
Adventurer
I do over on the JeepForum. It highlights my trailer build, but also has a lot of other info contributed by other enthusiasts (if it was just a build thread, it would have been done in a couple pages). It has become a very long thread, but think of it as a book. Once you're done reading the whole thing, you should have all the information you need to build your own Harbor Freight trailer frame based trailer.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f27/...ype-trailer-ultimate-build-up-thread-1180456/
Even though it is "just" based off a 4' trailer frame, it is amazing how much gear you can put inside (or attach to the outside!) of this little trailer. I like the fact it has a locking lid to keep things out of the weather (and from prying eyes). It tows extremely easily (even with my 4-cylinder TJ), is rugged (has run the Dempster Highway in Canada among other things), and was fun to build (although these projects are never truly done). Let me know how I can help you if you're interested in building one. Mine is essentially an aluminum diamond-plate box with a lid (think truck toolbox) bolted to a trailer frame (made of thin C-channel) in which the tongue has been extended (with a 2" receiver up front), frame reinforced in strategic places, the factory slipper springs swapped out for longer springs with a shackle at the rear end, a simple bolt-on shock absorber set-up, and a 3500lb axle bolted-up with electric brakes. And pretty much 98% bolt-on/bolt together (I can't weld). And all documented in the thread above.
A Jeep TJ will only hold so much gear. You don't want to have to do like this guy did (and I don't even know if my little trailer could hold all this gear... maybe). A receiver
hitch tray might work on pavement, but as soon as you get off-road, you'll be dragging the thing on every little bump. And if you've got a spare tire mounted on a Wrangler type Jeep's tailgate (or you have a swing-away spare tire carrier), it may limit the space you have available to put gear on the tray.
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