Offroad trailers (not camper trailers)

**MSkinner** · 7th January 2010, 08:51 AM

After our recent trip to Jamieson, I'm re-thinking the way I pack for extended trips away. My cousin chose to bring a trailer, and while at first I thought it was a little overkill, come home time I was certainly envious watching him simply throw everything into it and cover it with a tarp while I meticulously arranged everything back onto my roof rack and into the back of my Disco.

Other reasons I'm thinking of going the trailer route are that I can leave the trailer in the garage and pack it, leaving the Disco free for the wife or myself to use in the meantime. Having the rear cargo area of the Disco free will allow us to bring our black Lab on trips with us (Jamieson would have been perfect for him but he had to stay home due to lack of room), and I would no longer have to ask someone to help me install/remove the roof rack for every trip (the Disco doesn't fit in the garage with the rack on).

So, all you fellow trailer-using forum friends, post up your trailers, give me your opinions on where I should start shopping, what I should be looking for, whether I should go pre-made or custom, any advice that you feel like offering up.

Cheers

Matt

EDIT: funny that the first website I went to I found this (note the rims/stud pattern)

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 7th January 2010, 09:09 AM

two things,,

an off road camper trailer and off road trailer would be identical underneath.

You will still have to meticulously pack the trailer,,,
Your friend will just end up with broken gear,,

**vnx205** · 7th January 2010, 09:28 AM

A couple of other things to consider:

Another lot of rego to pay
Another lot of tyres, wheel bearings etc to maintain
Extra drag increases fuel consumption
A trailer can limit the places you can get to
Most trailers give the gear in the trailer a rougher ride than it would have in the vehicle. Vibration and jolts are often worse.

Depending on where you want to go, some of those things may be irrelevant.

miky · 7th January 2010, 09:33 AM

When SWMBO thought it a "good idea" to take a trailer I discovered that the amount of "stuff" we took was in proportion to the amount of space we had

As I get older and posibly wiser, I believe that the least amount of "stuff" you take is better.

Mike

**slug_burner** · 7th January 2010, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by vnx205

A couple of other things to consider:

Another lot of rego to pay Not on a Box trailer
Another lot of tyres, wheel bearings etc to maintain Nobody maintains trailer wheel bearings
Extra drag increases fuel consumption Roofrack also adds extra drag
A trailer can limit the places you can get to leave it behind pick it up on the way back
Most trailers give the gear in the trailer a rougher ride than it would have in the vehicle. Vibration and jolts are often worse. So true

Depending on where you want to go, some of those things may be irrelevant. Some of the comments in red may also be optimistic

....

**MSkinner** · 7th January 2010, 09:49 AM

Thanks for the replies so far.

The roof rack I'm currently using definitely adds extra drag. With a trailer behind the truck as opposed to a rack on top of it, I can't see it being massively worse. As far as the trailer limiting where I can go, most of the time (I can't think of a time we haven't yet) we set up a base camp and do our day trips from there, so I don't see that being a problem.

**THE BOOGER** · 7th January 2010, 10:01 AM

Try Holiday trailers they are in syd but have a webb site I got them to modify their "heavey duty" off road trailer lots of options, shocks, disc brakes etc very happy with it but I did put a camper tent on it afterwards

**MSkinner** · 7th January 2010, 10:08 AM

Oh, I should have stated that I'm in SE Melb suburbs. Sorry.

**THE BOOGER** · 7th January 2010, 10:14 AM

I thought so but I think they have agents down there.They did have a 3 week wait for non standard.

**sschmez** · 7th January 2010, 10:57 AM

Lots of valid comments to think about there already Matt.

I have a few options when travelling and depending on when (summer,winter), where, who (how many) etc. I sometimes take my camper trailer, sometimes my offroad trailer, and sometimes just load the roofrack..... or all of the above

and two discos.

My offroad (box) trailer does need to be registered in Vic because of the size. Trailer rego in Vic is "reasonable" between $30 and $40 from memory.

Get one with brakes ...
... The empty weight of a strongly built trailer doesn't leave much room for load before it reaches the maximum unbraked weight of 750kgs.
... when loaded and cornering on fast dirt without brakes the trailer can sometimes try to push the back of the disco around.

Stevo

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