# Question on TSC trailers



## taylor6400 (Mar 10, 2010)

Im sure at least some of you have seen the Carry-on trailers at TSC. They dont look like a bad trailer for the price...i want a 5x8 to haul my 4 wheeler and then to hook to my wheeler to haul some firewood and brush when needed. Also for waterfowling to haul blinds and decoys out into fields. I like the fact that the trailer is light for use behind the wheeler. My main concern is the mesh floor...do they hold up? Are these trailers too cheap to begin with?

I know i cant heap the thing with firewood...thats not the point. I have a pickup that does all the hauling i need. But when your back in the woods and need to get it out this seems like a good option...besides i know you cant drag a loaded trailer that great with a 4 wheeler. 

The other option locally is Top-Brand. These have a 3000lb axle compared to the TSC 2000lb...plus a treated wood floor compared to the mesh. But, to tell you the truth the angle framing looks cheaper than the TSC trailers plus they are about $300 more. I mean the 5x8 TSC trailer is $700! Compared to $1000 Top-Brand (at a local tractor repair shop). Though this guy is a local running his own business and really tried to sell me a trailer...he came down to $969...i feel a bit obligated to buy from the Home-owned business.

So, what do the masses say? If i missed any important points ask me.


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## LEES WOODC (Mar 10, 2010)

I started looking at trailers last fall and the ones TSC had looked like light weight junk. I haven't pulled the trigger yet but I'm down to 3 mfg. who make a well built and strong trailer.
Big Tex trailers
Kaufman Trailers
and a local guy here who builds them.


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## gwiley (Mar 10, 2010)

Be patient and look for used. I just bought a 10,000 lb hudson 2-axle for $1100 off craigslist.


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## hoyt38 (Mar 10, 2010)

I bought a 4X6 trailer this year from TSC for the main purpose of hauling wood with my wheeler. I have a Polaris 500 and I can haul a good load with it. I also have a 4X6 wagon. I thought this would be better due to no weight on the wheeler. I have found out that with the weight of the loaded trailer there is not much that will stop my 4 wheeler. I had the same concern with the expanded metal and figured if I started to see bad dents happening I could cut a sheet of plywood and place over the metal. I also put 12" sides and front on so the wood won't roll between off between the floor and angle iron rail. One thing you may want to consider is to build something to guard the lights on the trailer. They don't last long in the woods.


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## taylor6400 (Mar 10, 2010)

Thanks for the quick replies guys...i know the TSC trailers are light...but thats somewhat of a benefit for what im looking to do with it. Again...im not looking to stack it 5 ft high with big rounds. i will mostly just be piling splits in to move them down the hill to the shed. I wont even be hauling wood in it behind the truck...just the wheeler. Similar to me not needing an 066 to cut my supply of annual firewood! My 361 gets the job done just fine...Im not looking for overkill Im looking to get the job done on a budget. 

Hoyt, i wish i could just go with the 4x6, but i got an 800 sportsman X2 and bigger tires on it so its just a tad too wide for the 4ft and a tad too long for the 6ft. at that point i need 5x8. For the money i say you definately cant beat the 4x6! 

Any experience with the Top-Brand?


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## STLfirewood (Mar 10, 2010)

I just bought a 16ft utility trailer. It came with one brake axle, a wrap tongue, and a 2 5/16 bulldog hitch. I didn't have them put a floor in it because I cut my own with the saw mill. Both axles were 3500# axles. I paid $1070 for the trailer. This is a brand new trailer. It did come with used tires.

Scott


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## WVwoodsman (Mar 10, 2010)

I bought a 6x10 from TSC about 3 years ago and paid around $999 for it. It was the best bang for the buck. Mine has wood floor (pressure treated) and a ramp gate. I can easily get a 4-wheeler and dirtbike on this trailer and still have a little room left. As for hauling wood, it has hauled it's fair share from logs to split and even cinder blocks! My only complaint is the drop gate is kind of flimsy. The angle iron used for the frame needs to be strengthened as mine has bent from rolling big rounds up it. I still haven't found out how to remove the drop gate either. The paint is kind of thin also, but it's a trailer and it's going to get used. Good luck with your search.


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## hoyt38 (Mar 10, 2010)

taylor6400 said:


> Thanks for the quick replies guys...i know the TSC trailers are light...but thats somewhat of a benefit for what im looking to do with it. Again...im not looking to stack it 5 ft high with big rounds. i will mostly just be piling splits in to move them down the hill to the shed. I wont even be hauling wood in it behind the truck...just the wheeler. Similar to me not needing an 066 to cut my supply of annual firewood! My 361 gets the job done just fine...Im not looking for overkill Im looking to get the job done on a budget.
> 
> Hoyt, i wish i could just go with the 4x6, but i got an 800 sportsman X2 and bigger tires on it so its just a tad too wide for the 4ft and a tad too long for the 6ft. at that point i need 5x8. For the money i say you definately cant beat the 4x6!
> 
> Any experience with the Top-Brand?



Taylor, The only thing I did was looked at the larger trailers. My concerns were that I didn't want to overload my wheeler too much and also I noticed on the larger trailers the axle was past center. (toward the back more) The small trailer I got the axle was centered which allows me to balance the load better. I also didn't want the gate/ramp, they stick up pretty high. I agree with the previous post about you may be able to watch craigs list and find one. I tried for a few months and I found a couple but they wanted close to new price for the small trailers and the larger trailers were heavier then I wanted. Good luck to you.


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## taylor6400 (Mar 10, 2010)

hoyt38 said:


> I agree with the previous post about you may be able to watch craigs list and find one. I tried for a few months and I found a couple but they wanted close to new price for the small trailers and the larger trailers were heavier then I wanted. Good luck to you.



Yes, I have been watching for months...everything decent is as much as the TSC trailers new...anything around the $300 mark or less are trash...Im not looking for a dual axle trailer heavy duty trailer either...maybe some day something i can load my 35 horse tractor on and haul some real wood...but im pinching pennies right now and i need a trailer for this specific purpose at this time.


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## KD57 (Mar 10, 2010)

Yes they are light weight, but for your intended purpose and price range, I think it would work well for you. I have one I pull behind the Polaris just for hauling brush, and it works well. They work perfect behind a 4-wheeler, light, and easy to move by hand.


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## oneoldbanjo (Mar 10, 2010)

I am not a big fan of the TSC trailers....you can do better by getting a nice used one.

I had great luck finding a used trailer on Craigslist for $ 350 a while back. I used it for a year and sold it for $ 400. Your Profile doesn't say where you are in Ohio....but the Cincinnati area where I am always has small trailers on Craigslist. Some are good, some are cheap, some could use a little work. Some of these are only 4' wide and aren't what you want.....but I posted them just to show what is available.

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/for/1637208550.html

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/grd/1636512788.html

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/grd/1636507154.html

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/grd/1635722649.html

I was looking for a light trailer that I could haul my motorcycle on behind my car......so I could get good fuel mileage and leave the gas guzzling truck at home. I looked at the TSC stuff and just didn't like the way the tires stuck outside of the fenders, the mesh floor, the paint sprayed without primer right over the mill scale...etc. I decided to build my own light trailer and I bought a used $ 90 trailer from the Dayton/Springfield area for the running gear. The trailer was owned by a small Equipment Rental company and they were selling a few trailers.....you might try contacting a few equipment rental places...the trailer I bought was used for people to haul rental mowers and other small equipment. When the trailer is done I will have about 6 days of work and about $ 400 in the trailer.....but it will be exactly what I want. It will be 40" wide, 78" long and weigh about 200 pounds when finished.


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## indiansprings (Mar 10, 2010)

I bought one to put all my welding equipment on, never again. Read CHEAP, not inexpensive, there is a difference. If your just playing, it might work, the axle / springs just not heavy enough, trails like sheet at speed, expanded metal floor is ok if you cover it with plywood.

Used trailer are a dime a dozen around here. Bought a used dual axle 16' car hauler with two 5k axle's and brakes for 400.00 to haul wood on a year ago.

My son just bought a used 7' x 12' double axle trailer with slide out ramps, 1.5" treated oak floor and electric brakes for 300.00 it needed paint bad, so we bought a gallon of gloss black implement paint for 25.00 and sprayed it ourselves. He is setting it up for his lawn business with Jungle Jim trimmer racks, line spool and gas can holders.

Most places around here you can by new 16' two axle car haulers for a little over a grand. Buy a trailer with real automotive 5 bolt hubs, if your wanting single axle get at least a 3500 lbs axle and a treated wood floor. If you want it to last you from now on. It's cheaper in the long run to buy a little heavier that you need as you will find you will use it for many other purposes than you originally intended too. Make sure you also get a jack that will screw out high enough for you hitch.


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## KMB (Mar 10, 2010)

Just some info to pass along. I was looking at trailers online a few months ago to see what was available and came upon the Carry-On website: http://www.carry-ontrailer.com/index.html. I emailed them about a price quote for a couple of their trailers and they said that they do not do direct sales and that they can be ordered and bought through Lowes, TSC and Northern Tool.

Kevin


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## KD57 (Mar 10, 2010)

I was just about to mention Northern Tool, they have them too.


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## Fechmup (Mar 10, 2010)

I have a 4x6 for my Yamaha Bruin 350 - it's worked out great and we picked it up for about $425 at a local trailer retailer. I would suggest staying away from the mesh floor - if you need to use a pitch fork anything out of the trailer, the mesh is a PITA. I take the tailgate off whenever I need to. I did need to modify the tailgate a bit to fit the 4 wheeler on - there was a pin on each side that I cut off and welded on about 2 inches lower. This gave me enough room to clear the rack of the ATV. This little 350 doesn't owe me a thing - and I am very happy with how the trailer capacity matches up with the ATV's capabilities. I'm thinking about putting wider tires on the trailer so it doesn't rut quite as much when loaded down - a little more "float" would be a nice thing, but it's worked just fine for 5 years. It doesn't make sense to have more trailer than you can tow.

Good luck!
Kevin


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## gwiley (Mar 10, 2010)

Fechmup said:


> I have a 4x6 for my Yamaha Bruin 350 - it's worked out great and we picked it up for about $425 at a local trailer retailer. I would suggest staying away from the mesh floor - if you need to use a pitch fork anything out of the trailer, the mesh is a PITA.



I put marine treated plywood over the mesh on my 4x8 trailer with a few carriage bolts. It is a quick fix and leaves the mesh in-tact if you ever have a reason to want it.


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## oneoldbanjo (Mar 11, 2010)

Here is the exact trailer you have been looking for....it is in the Cincinnati Craiglist.

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/1638411593.html

Pull off the crappy enclosure and this is just the size you wanted and it is a light trailer that is well made.


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## taylor6400 (Mar 11, 2010)

oneoldbanjo said:


> Here is the exact trailer you have been looking for....it is in the Cincinnati Craiglist.
> 
> http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/1638411593.html
> 
> Pull off the crappy enclosure and this is just the size you wanted and it is a light trailer that is well made.



I agree this is perfect...what sucks is its 4 hours away! But, i guess i could go for a roadtrip with the gf Saturday! Gonna be a rainy day anyway. Thanks


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## oneoldbanjo (Mar 11, 2010)

taylor6400 said:


> I agree this is perfect...what sucks is its 4 hours away! But, i guess i could go for a roadtrip with the gf Saturday! Gonna be a rainy day anyway. Thanks



The trailer didn't wait for you.....it is already sold! I called and thought maybe I could buy it and make $ 100 or so by tearing the wood cover off and selling it....it was listed too cheap. The good ones that are cheap go really fast.

This is a good example however of the kind of trailer you can get a good deal on if you check Craigslist "early and often".

Where in Ohio do you live?


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## taylor6400 (Mar 11, 2010)

Im in kind of north-east central ohio. I have been checking Cle, akron/Canton, Mansfield, and Columbus pretty regularly. There is an interesting one on there now in New Concord, but its got the 2K axle. I would like to go with the heavier axle...


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## oneoldbanjo (Mar 11, 2010)

taylor6400 said:


> Im in kind of north-east central ohio. I have been checking Cle, akron/Canton, Mansfield, and Columbus pretty regularly. There is an interesting one on there now in New Concord, but its got the 2K axle. I would like to go with the heavier axle...



For a 5x8 trailer that you use for hauling your ATV or towing off road behind your ATV with wood in it (which is your original post) I think the 2,000 pound axle would be fine - as long as the tires are not the skinny 12 inch tires. I had a 5x8 trailer withe the 2,000 pound axle and the spring and axle never gave me any touble - but I did blow out a 12" tire when I had a bunch of big rounds loaded and was traveling down the highway. I then upgraded to 13" tires and it worked very well. The trailer was built with big fenders on it and the larger tires looked much better than the small skinny ones.

If you are changing your original scenario and now want a trailer that you can fill up with wet wood and haul on the road behind your truck.....then the 3,500 pound axle would be a good thing.


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## merlynr (Mar 11, 2010)

My sil bought a used trailer with the mesh floor and in a few places where it was welded to the frame the weld was broken and in others the mesh was broken. It's definetly light duty, but still fine for what he wanted it for. Took about 30 min. to fix welds and a little while to get lights working. Can't remember what he paid but it was from cl.


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## taylor6400 (Mar 11, 2010)

oneoldbanjo said:


> For a 5x8 trailer that you use for hauling your ATV or towing off road behind your ATV with wood in it (which is your original post) I think the 2,000 pound axle would be fine - as long as the tires are not the skinny 12 inch tires. I had a 5x8 trailer withe the 2,000 pound axle and the spring and axle never gave me any touble - but I did blow out a 12" tire when I had a bunch of big rounds loaded and was traveling down the highway. I then upgraded to 13" tires and it worked very well. The trailer was built with big fenders on it and the larger tires looked much better than the small skinny ones.
> 
> If you are changing your original scenario and now want a trailer that you can fill up with wet wood and haul on the road behind your truck.....then the 3,500 pound axle would be a good thing.



Thanks for that post...i havent changed my original scenario...that is still my intended use. But it just seems light...if GVW is 2000 lbs your capacity is far from huge. Heck my 4 wheeler alone weights 800lbs! But if i come across a deal on the 2K axle i will buy it. My big hesitation with the TSC trailers is with the mesh floor...i just have visions of it rusting and then just breaking everywhere. I dont know...i went back to TSC last night and now they are stocking a 6x10 Carry-on with the 3500lb axle and wood floor. That is the trailer i would buy if it was 5x8 and they wont special order trailers.


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## bass_on_tap (Mar 11, 2010)

Have you looked at Northern. Free shipping and some are on sale.



http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_free-shipping+trailers-trailer-parts


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## oneoldbanjo (Mar 11, 2010)

bass_on_tap said:


> Have you looked at Northern. Free shipping and some are on sale.
> http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_free-shipping+trailers-trailer-parts



The Northern Trailers are even worse than TSC....they are light duty bolt together Chinese things. They will be OK for some occasional light duty hauling....but not for woodcutting.


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## Torin (Mar 11, 2010)

taylor6400 said:


> Im in kind of north-east central ohio. I have been checking Cle, akron/Canton, Mansfield, and Columbus pretty regularly. There is an interesting one on there now in New Concord, but its got the 2K axle. I would like to go with the heavier axle...



Have you tried searchtempest? It lets you search craigslist within a certain radius w/o clicking on each different location/state.


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## 12vdzl (Mar 11, 2010)

taylor6400 said:


> Thanks for that post...i havent changed my original scenario...that is still my intended use. But it just seems light...if GVW is 2000 lbs your capacity is far from huge. Heck my 4 wheeler alone weights 800lbs! But if i come across a deal on the 2K axle i will buy it. My big hesitation with the TSC trailers is with the mesh floor...i just have visions of it rusting and then just breaking everywhere. I dont know...i went back to TSC last night and now they are stocking a 6x10 Carry-on with the 3500lb axle and wood floor. That is the trailer i would buy if it was 5x8 and they wont special order trailers.



The difference between the 6x10 vs the 5x8 is only weight. Majority of the weight is going to be the treated floor, the weight of steel will be minimal. The added size is very beneficial in my eyes. Myself i would not hesitate on the 6x10 with treated floor, IF it's still within your price range. 

BTW regardless of what your plans are for the trailer at this time, give it 1 year and you will be glad you bought the larger heavier duty trailer. Also depending on what length of truck you have, a 6x10 will be far easier to back into any location vs the 5x8

Good luck with your decision.


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## oneoldbanjo (Mar 12, 2010)

12vdzl said:


> BTW regardless of what your plans are for the trailer at this time, give it 1 year and you will be glad you bought the larger heavier duty trailer.



The good news about buying a used trailer.....is that the depriciation has already occurred and you can sometimes find a real bargain. Some home built trailers are much better than the factory ones. If you do buy a used trailer at a good price you can often use the trailer for a year.....and then sell it for the same price and not lose anything. (Sometimes you can even make some money). This method also gives you a temporary trailer to use while you sort out your needs and it allows you to take time watching for the "perfect" trailer.


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## Beefie (Mar 12, 2010)

Here is my 2 cents worth.

To the OP buy the one that you want, None of us are going to be using it so make sure it does what you want it to do. I think a 5X8 it is a good size behind an ATV. But it is still easy to overload it and not realize it. I have a Chilton brand 5X8 that I have used for many years, Still working fine but use it a lot less now that I have my carry-all built that goes behind my tractor. 

Chilton makes a 5X8 with a 3500lb axle on it , it is rated at 2990lb load carrying . My budy has this one and it works great behind the atv.

Beefie


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## Taxmantoo (Mar 12, 2010)

oneoldbanjo said:


>



Yer bike ain't got no seat! Observed Trials?

Back in the 1970s, you could get bike racks that attached to a bumper which were basically two loops of steel tubing that you'd drop the tires into, carrying the bike crossways behind the truck. Doesn't seem too hard to make something that would slide into a receiver hitch like a bicycle rack, with a couple of additional support points sliding into receptacles bolted to the bottom of the bumper. 

If you don't want to lift your little trials bike onto a rack, how about one with a ramp? (click pic for details)


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## oneoldbanjo (Mar 12, 2010)

taxmantoo said:


> Yer bike ain't got no seat! Observed Trials?
> 
> Back in the 1970s, you could get bike racks that attached to a bumper which were basically two loops of steel tubing that you'd drop the tires into, carrying the bike crossways behind the truck. Doesn't seem too hard to make something that would slide into a receiver hitch like a bicycle rack, with a couple of additional support points sliding into receptacles bolted to the bottom of the bumper.



Taxmantoo.

Yea......my midlife crisis involved buying a trials bike and getting back into riding motorcycles after being away from them for 25 years. The trials bike allows me to ride nice and slow around the property and still have some fun riding challenging terrain. I started to realize that all I ever did was work around the property and I needed something to do that was not work. I am sorry that I gave it up for so long....I should have kept a small cheap bike and ridden a bit just for fun.

The old bumper racks for bikes were great.....and the old cars used to have steel bumpers and you could hang the motorcycle racks on any car easily. New plastic bumpers don't provide any place to attach and you need to get the hitch mount. The hitch mount on my car is only rated for 200 pounds and my bike weighs 160...so by the time I added the rack I was just a little too close for comfort. I also decided the trailer would allow me to haul a lawnmower, tiller, camping gear, etc. that a rack would not allow - so I decided to build a small trailer.


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## Taxmantoo (Mar 12, 2010)

oneoldbanjo said:


> The old bumper racks for bikes were great.....and the old cars used to have steel bumpers and you could hang the motorcycle racks on any car easily. New plastic bumpers don't provide any place to attach and you need to get the hitch mount.



Some bumpers have a steel shell under the plastic, and you can bolt a 1 1/4" receiver mount to the bottom. You can't tow with that, but you can use it to stabilize a hitch rack that's mounted to your real hitch. I don't like the idea of mounting a rack only in the middle, it flops around too much. I've always wanted to weld up a custom 2" hitch for my 190E (which has hydraulic self-leveling suspension) with a couple of 1 1/4" receptacles to make a three point hitch. Then I can put a ball mount in the center hole, or make custom racks that fit in all three. I could carry a 700lb Cub Cadet back there if I made a rack that could raise and lower. I'd have to cut holes in that irreplaceable plastic lower valance/ground effects skirt to put a hitch on the car though.


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## taylor6400 (Mar 16, 2010)

So, i have been giving this alot of thought...and still didnt decide! But then I saw the new TSC ad today and the 5x8 with mesh floor is $100 off...$599. Thats too much to pass up. i am buying one tomorrow. If it turns out to be a total POS then i will sell it and can probably get about that much out of it. I think it will do what i am looking for. Maybe put plywood down over the mesh to try to avoid the sag and tru to keep it from getting beat up and snagged. So, wish me luck.


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## Fechmup (Mar 16, 2010)

I think you'll do just fine with that... Put plywood over it and call it good. Good luck!


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## jbighump (Mar 16, 2010)

i was lookin at these yesterday and although they are a little on the flimsy side, for 599 i could break out the welder and make it stronger:hmm3grin2orange:

as far as the mesh goes i love it, no mess to clean up after haulin wood. if u need to haul mulch or the like throw down a tarp, works great. plus you wont bust your :censored: when its wet or slick


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## ryan_marine (Mar 17, 2010)

I will be loading my 5x8 later today. I will take some pics with it. A 5x8 is a little big for a ATV unless on smooth ground. I have over loaded mine many times. It is not real fun being pushed all over the place on an ATV.

Ray


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## taylor6400 (Mar 17, 2010)

ryan_marine said:


> I will be loading my 5x8 later today. I will take some pics with it. A 5x8 is a little big for a ATV unless on smooth ground. I have over loaded mine many times. It is not real fun being pushed all over the place on an ATV.
> 
> Ray



I need a 5x8 to haul my 4 wheeler. 4x6 or 4x7 would be my first choice but my 4 wheeler wont go on a 4ft wide trailer with the tires i have on it. I have an 800 Sportsman X2 that weighs over 1000lbs with me and normal gear i carry, so im on a heavy bike to begin with...like i said i dont plan on putting a heaping load of rounds on this thing and hauling around either with my truck or 4 wheeler.


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## KD57 (Mar 17, 2010)

taylor6400 said:


> I need a 5x8 to haul my 4 wheeler. 4x6 or 4x7 would be my first choice but my 4 wheeler wont go on a 4ft wide trailer with the tires i have on it. I have an 800 Sportsman X2 that weighs over 1000lbs with me and normal gear i carry, so im on a heavy bike to begin with...like i said i dont plan on putting a heaping load of rounds on this thing and hauling around either with my truck or 4 wheeler.



That 800 will tow a 5x8 all day long, even loaded. I have the 550, and pull my 5x8 full of feed, around 1200#, at least once a week. I go up and down moderate hills, just not the real steep tall ones. If I remember right, the 800 will tow 1500# braking, and 1900# unbraked.


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## taylor6400 (Mar 17, 2010)

KD57 said:


> That 800 will tow a 5x8 all day long, even loaded. I have the 550, and pull my 5x8 full of feed, around 1200#, at least once a week. I go up and down moderate hills, just not the real steep tall ones. If I remember right, the 800 will tow 1500# braking, and 1900# unbraked.



Yep, i think those are the ratings. The low end grunt on the thing is impressive....actually top end aint bad either!


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## ryan_marine (Mar 17, 2010)

That is a beast of an ATV. I only have a little 450 Forman. You should have no problems with it then. My quad and I weigh in just over 800#. Sorry I don't have the pics loaded yet. I am fighting a bad head cold.

Ray


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## oneoldbanjo (May 4, 2010)

I finally got my trailer project finished. This project was done to make a very light trailer that I could haul behind my car - I can leave the 14 MPG truck at home in the garage now when I go riding. Here are a few photos.


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## taylor6400 (May 4, 2010)

Nice little setup! 

As a follow up since this thread got revived...i bought the TSC trailer. No regrets yet. Its light, tows behind my wheeler. Only thig is its flimsy on the front corners due to the straight tongue. Going to weld supports from the corners of the trailer to the tongue to take some of that out. Again, for the price its what i expected.


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