Need New Trailer - Enclosed or Deckover?

[Reelman65]

I need a new trailer. my current trailer is an old equipment trailer. I mostly carry pallets and gaylords and it is awful for that. I have paved the ramps with pallets to make flat, but I can still only carry 5 or so because of difficulty loading around the 3 axles. I pretty much have decided what I want except for enclosed or not. here are my 2 choices:

Option 1
24' X 8'6" Deck over with 5200lb axles, stake pockets for wood rails. no dovetail.

Pros: this would be easier to load and the wood rails could contain crappily shrink wrapped pallets. I could also have things loaded from top with knuckle arm or crane.
slightly cheaper new

Cons: Rain, fooling with wood rails would be a pain, probably won't find a used one

Option 2
24' X 8'6" enclosed with 5200lb axles, rear double door, 60" side door, no ramps.

Pros: water resistant, free advertising, more uses outside of scrapping, don't have to worry about things falling off in transit. free storage. probably can find one used

Cons: loading is more of a hassle ( am I dreaming to think I can let a forklift set a gaylord on the trailer and then manipulate it with a pallet jack inside the trailer? or is that a reasonable assumption?) slightly more expensive new. limits driving visibility

Thanks for any help.

[KzScrapper]

When it comes to scrappin, it is tough not to have that cave man mentality when loading and unloading stuff. So you might be able to be careful for the most part, everyone else will be watched like a hawk and at some point something is going to bust thru.

[Mick]

I've often thought an enclosed trailer would be good; especially for transporting aluminum sheet. The problem would be getting it unloaded at the yard.

[Dumpster-Dee]

A crane can just pick it up and shake everything out !! lol

[easyrecycle]

Both trailers are idea...buy one and try to get the other one

[IronPirate]

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!

[IronPirate]

this is the Patriot.

a deckover is a good idea but they tend to be much heavier as they're meant for equipment. Around here they're also about as much as a decent used enclosed trailer - $3500 or so.

BTW when I sold the enclosed unit, it only brought 2,000 for a ready to run trailer, so the deals are out there.

[KzScrapper]

Something wrong with that pic...the trucks are reversed.

[IronPirate]

LOL...I have no brand allegiance...I've broken them all through the years!

If its any consolation the black one is going to the scrap pile this week and the white one is the runner now. So I guess you're right.

[PartTimeScrapper]

I was gonna say. Looks like the white truck is in pretty darn good shape. The white truck is exactly what my daughter wants for her first vehicle.

[IronPirate]

the 67-72 fords are good looking, hard working trucks for sure. Unfortunately the white one is just 2wd so its of limited use to me now. But with a factory 4.56 rear and big block it will make a good gravel hauler this spring.