What To Do

[duke3522]

Ok. Stopped by our local Big R today, sort of a farm and family store, and saw a Carry On 5x10GW. Wow, this trailer makes the carry on I was going to buy at Tractor Supply look sick. 15" tires, triangle tounge, jack built into the tounge, treated plank floor, and a gross weight of 2990! 1340 pounds more than the TS model. TS does sell this model, but for $200 more. The kicker is for some reason Carry On and Big R seem to be into it about something, and Big R cannot sell Carry On trailers at this time. Weird!

And to make matters worse, as I was trying to find a Carry On dealer near me, I stumbled on Liberty Trailers, a manufacturer of trailers in Filmore Indiana. And the salesman explained to me that all trailers with rails, the rails I planned to cut off, depend on these rails as part of the frame. And cutting them off would reduce the strength of the trailer quit a bit. I know, he's a salesman. But I looked at several trailers with rails, and it seems to make sense. And the guy offered to build me their version of a Carry On 5x10GW for $100 bucks less. He just doesn't want me to cut the rails off.

Then he says he has another option. They could custom build me a 6.5x 10 using 3inch u channel steel, eliminating the rails, for $1265 including tax. Plus the drive over would be about $75 bucks. This trailer would still have a gross rating of 2990, but would weigh in at 1000 pounds! Almost 3 times the steel of the TS model, and 300+ more pounds than the Big R model which I can't buy anyway. Ahhhhh!

So I have no idea what to do. I simply do not believe the cheaper TS model is anywhere close to being heavy duty enough to stand up to backwoods camping, let alone my sizable self. Since I am so big I am extremely hard on such things. And going up to at least the Carry On 5x10GW is a must. But Big R won't sell me one!

Opinions please!

Thanks
Duke

[Cliffmeister2000]

If you are planning to build a teardrop, then the teardrop will add plenty of strength that losing the rails would cost. The teardrop is a torsion box, and adds all the flex resisting strength you will need.

Also, 3" tubing is way overkill for a teardrop.

So is 2,990 lbs gvw. Most tears, including mine, come in way under that! Mine, 5x10x5, is 1340 loaded with what I carry in it, and it has a trailer built of 2" angle. Plenty strong!

[Wolfgang92025]

Duke,

First welcome to the fun.

The sales guy is right, if you think of a conventional trailer used to haul say a motorcycle. The frame carries the load and needs to be strong enough to hold itself and the intended load.

Teardrop trailers are a little different. A lot of the strength comes from the more or less box shape of the body. The frame is only used the hold the axle and tongue to the box. So on its own, the frame will not be very strong, but once to bolt the body on, it's a hole different story.

[StandUpGuy]

I think the million dollar question is: What do you plan on building? That is a substantial trailer, maybe you are planing to build something bigger?

[Miriam C.]

You would be downright amazed at the torture I put my really big TD through. It weighs 1780# heavy and has 8" tires.

You don't need all that stuff and may even be cheaper to have a frame made. You might also call Carry On, Tractor supply and Red trailer and ask about a "no floor, no rails" trailer the size you want. They do take orders and may even ship direct to you. They will be happy to help you.

[duke3522]

Thanks everyone. And you are right! Maybe for the backbtrails smaller is better.

[Pottercounty]

Cliffmeister is correct. The teardrop will become the stressed member in absence of the rails....

[azmotoman]

As an aside: I have seen this happen in the past. The dispute you spoke of may well be because one dealer is selling slightly under MSRP and undercutting the competition to move them. Some companies will nip that in the bud if it is deemed an unfair practice.

Some retailers get around this by advertising a 'name brand' with "Prices so low, we can't name the maker."

I'm sure many of us have seen those.

Good luck with your decision.