best of both worlds - build a tarp or screenside trailer
Honestly, you kinda need both. I've been working with trailers for awhile, doing everything from hauling showcars to scrapping to dragging stuff out of the woods, and there just isn't a 'do it all' trailer. One day you show up to buy antiques with an open trailer and it rains, the next you have the enclosed trailer and buy engines or equipment that they can't load through the doors. Some days the rig's too small, some days you're too big to maneuver!
We ran a 32' enclosed, older car trailer with aluminum framing and sides. It had a double 3/4" plywood floor and a heavy winch mount built into the front.
Great for older cars and bulk equipment, but hard to load with a forklift since it had a fold down rear door. However a pallet jack will work inside as long as the floor is sturdy.
Had an 18' open center car trailer with no side rails...great for cars, but not much else. Had to build a plywood deck in the middle to haul pallets but was easy to unload at the yard or shop.
The current trailer is probably the best so far - Patriot 22' 12k lb flatbed trailer. It looks like a landscape trailer on 'roids. Diamond plate deck, heavy side rails and folding full width mesh covered ramps. Hauls everything from forklifts to skidsteers, cars, etc. The downside is it can't be forklift loaded due to the side rails (unless you stack 2 pallets underneath as a base)
Its been the most versatile trailer yet but has its downsides too.
Sorry for the longwinded post but this has been a subject I've out a ton of thought into and still haven't found the answer!
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