I am planning on buying an enclosed trailer this season. My question is which to buy, an inline 3 place or a side by side 4 place. We only have 3 sleds, the inlines are more erodynamic but longer, 28'. side by sides are taller off the ground and wider, but shorter also. What are your thoughts? I have seen inlines going for $2,300.
enclosed trailer, inline or side by side???
- Thread starter alswagg
- Start date
I had a RANCE inline 4 place... It had a 7 foot ceiling.. It was ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE when getting passed by a semi trailer.. OMG you thought you were going to DIE in a horrible crash.. It pulls you in and then it pushes you away VIOLENTLY!!!! I pulled it with a Durango.. Maybe thats the problem....
ExpertXViper
New member
I pulled my 3 place Steel Timberwolf Stagged(7x16+4VNose/3200lbs empty) with 2 sleds(room for 1 more +gear) and it pulls fine behind my 08 1500 Silverado. I got about 11-12mpg doing 65-70 mph with the trailer, 2 sleds, and what gear I had, not bad for a 6.0L gasser with 4.10 gears. I wouldnt pull a 3 place steel or aluminum with nothing less than a 1/2ton.
My tow vehicle is a Chevy Suburban 3/4 ton with 454. I have plenty of power and support for the trailer. I noticed used inlines are cheaper than side by sides. The length bothers me in slippery conditions.
daman
New member
My 2 place coverd is a PITA,it's 102" wide and you can't see crap behind
you,the only thing i don't like about it,go with inline,you'd rather be longer
then wider.....
you,the only thing i don't like about it,go with inline,you'd rather be longer
then wider.....
FuzzButt
New member
FWIW back in the early to mid 90's my family bought a 4 place aluminum 4 place side-by-side with a moveable/drive in/out tilting cover. It was 20 feet and for the life of me right now I can't remember who made it. It was not Triton or Flo though.
Anyhow the trailer was great for the amount of room it had under the cover. Even if we were going as a dou we would drag an extra sled with us. We eventually got rid of it. However we really have the need for an extra spot or 2 now a days.
At the time we pulled it with a '92 Chevy Astro mini-van with the 160HP 4.3 in it. It was slow going at times but other than that it was pretty good at towing.
Anyhow the trailer was great for the amount of room it had under the cover. Even if we were going as a dou we would drag an extra sled with us. We eventually got rid of it. However we really have the need for an extra spot or 2 now a days.
At the time we pulled it with a '92 Chevy Astro mini-van with the 160HP 4.3 in it. It was slow going at times but other than that it was pretty good at towing.
Danger Dog
Member
I like my 22' side by side. Plenty of room for four sleds, don't have to get around fenderwells and you can unload either left or right sleds without moving others. Has 5' v-nose for gear and it is 30' from tongue to tail. I tow with a f-350 and tows great.
I worked at an R.V. dealer from time to time over the past 20 yrs or so, towed 8fters to 35fters. Set up properly you should be able to tow an in-line very comfortably, its narrow enough to see down the sides & streamlined for better fuel economy. The trick is in how it's loaded & the hitch set-up...does it have (anti-sway) sway system, did the tow vehicle have the proper rated tires...I would never tow anything with out the right tires on the tow vehicle, like a min. of 6 to 10 ply style tire. It helps control the the (washing machine action) & reduces the suction/pushing of semi's with the aid of a sway-bar friction set up, along with proper driving techniques...like accelerating as the semi reaches mid-way you trailer, keep same speed (but slightly less) until you are at his mid-way of his trailer, then letting him pull away...only slightly tapping you trailer brakes when needed...alswagg said:
Once you get the trailer post a pic of it hooked up-empty & then loaded, the hitch area as well as the tires on both the truck & trailer...I'll share some more info to help you out...cheers
Same here daman...I sold my side-by-side covered for the same reason...to wide & a pain in the a** when snow & ice built up on the roof...could not get the lid up once & had to pay someone shop time to deice...after that ordeal I sold it...buy the way how are you doing...off for the season now...glad to see your back helping everyone...cheers to you & your family, have a Merry Xmas & safe sledding season bro...daman said:
Dnrtheil
New member
I have a Triton Prestige 142, first pulled it with a Dakota 4x4 sport, until I rolled the truck and trailer one night. I now have the same trailer, with an Equil-I-Zer hitch set-up and a Ram 1500 4x4. Dakota pulled fine if there was no wind or other big trucks passing you and you kept it out of O/D. Ram pulls a lot better being bigger, longer wider and with the 5.7. Eqil-I-Zer is used for anti-sway and weight distribution. As far as the trailer, in-lines are not as wide so it makes it easier to see around, that was my big selling point after having an enclose clam-shell type side-by-side before. Having a bad back it's nice to just drop the ramp doors, which also have a lot of spring tension to make closing just as easy. I also have the extra 6" height option. I can walk around inside with my helmet on and not have to bend over.
Derek
Derek
daman
New member
yep things are slowing down got some equipment to service and washtheblues said:
lots of little things to do but i go in when i want or if i want.
doing good been a long busy summer i welcome the down time for sure,
same back at ya happy holidays to you and yours..good to see you
too posting.
I have all of the equalizer hitches and sway contols. I use the Reese, time delay brake controler. I switched back to the original size tires and grade, Michilan, i believe 8 ply. I pull alot of boats in the summer from 19' to 35' long. I am mainly concerned about sway on icy roads and easy of use.
You guys drive differently than I do if you are getting passed by semi's . . .
Give 'er the gas to keep it straight. Not enough to lose traction, but enough to pull on the trailer.
I was passing an 8.5 wide x 28 long trailer north of Gaylord, MI coming south. I was up to the point where I could see his tailights on the truck, when I saw his left blinker come on. He came on over, and I had to go into the snowbank. I had the 1/2 ton Silverado (5.7 Vortec) almost floored to keep it straight and was able to come back out of the snowbank a little behind him. I think the width of his trailer, and lack of wide mirrors kept him from seeing me. I passed him a little while later and waved and smiled. He stared blankly at me and had no idea that he had just cut me off.
I recommend the inline, unless you have a real good reason to have the full width.
Give 'er the gas to keep it straight. Not enough to lose traction, but enough to pull on the trailer.
I was passing an 8.5 wide x 28 long trailer north of Gaylord, MI coming south. I was up to the point where I could see his tailights on the truck, when I saw his left blinker come on. He came on over, and I had to go into the snowbank. I had the 1/2 ton Silverado (5.7 Vortec) almost floored to keep it straight and was able to come back out of the snowbank a little behind him. I think the width of his trailer, and lack of wide mirrors kept him from seeing me. I passed him a little while later and waved and smiled. He stared blankly at me and had no idea that he had just cut me off.
I recommend the inline, unless you have a real good reason to have the full width.
Yamaha 40th
New member
I JUST ordered a 8.5 fromTrailer Midwest today a Rance. It is a standard X4 place but did do the a few mods. 6.6 high insulated/finished walls and 15 in tires. We will use the trailer for the ice drag sled so we need all of the room we can get. I pull it with a F-350 dually so no issues there...the in line trailers look like a pain to load can't see any advantage unless you are trying to match it to a tow vehicle....my .02
and the Rance has a slanted V nose looks like the best of both worlds
and the Rance has a slanted V nose looks like the best of both worlds
horkn
New member
I like the idea of an inline for less frontal area.
Having a lot of experience with a Haulmark race car trailer that was ordered to be a dual purpose race car trailer/ sled hauler, I think that an inline would tow a lot better.
Granted this haulmark was a v nose, drive on/ off, steel frame for race car use instead of the aluminum that typical sled trailers can use, but it towed very hard. A half ton 4x4 4.6 f150 got like 6 mpg towing it. The diesel dually 350 did tow it better, but it still was a lot more work than a 4 place sled trailer should take.
I agree with Ding, if you are getting passed by semi's, then you don't drive like we do
That may have accounted for the 6mpg in the f150. I towed the same trailer once with my Mom's 99 grand cherokee 4.7l v8, and it towed better than the f150, so I don't think that towing a 4 place with a durango (as long as it is a v8 ) is out of line.
Now when I see a 4 place flow enclosed being towed by a Chevy equinox like last weekend then you are asking for trouble.
Ding, that must have scared the hell out of you! I had a semi nearly rear end me a few weeks back, then he tried to cut ME off later, thinking I was in the wrong. I don't know what his problem was, but I floored it to get 20 cars ahead of that idiot as soon as I could. Glad you made it through with apparently no damage or issues.....That could have gone really wrong really fast.
Having a lot of experience with a Haulmark race car trailer that was ordered to be a dual purpose race car trailer/ sled hauler, I think that an inline would tow a lot better.
Granted this haulmark was a v nose, drive on/ off, steel frame for race car use instead of the aluminum that typical sled trailers can use, but it towed very hard. A half ton 4x4 4.6 f150 got like 6 mpg towing it. The diesel dually 350 did tow it better, but it still was a lot more work than a 4 place sled trailer should take.
I agree with Ding, if you are getting passed by semi's, then you don't drive like we do
That may have accounted for the 6mpg in the f150. I towed the same trailer once with my Mom's 99 grand cherokee 4.7l v8, and it towed better than the f150, so I don't think that towing a 4 place with a durango (as long as it is a v8 ) is out of line.
Now when I see a 4 place flow enclosed being towed by a Chevy equinox like last weekend then you are asking for trouble.
Ding, that must have scared the hell out of you! I had a semi nearly rear end me a few weeks back, then he tried to cut ME off later, thinking I was in the wrong. I don't know what his problem was, but I floored it to get 20 cars ahead of that idiot as soon as I could. Glad you made it through with apparently no damage or issues.....That could have gone really wrong really fast.
Yah we had just crossed a bridge where there would not have been room. I wasn't sure I could keep it from being sucked off the shoulder and down into the woods, but I think flooring it was the only way out. It was amazing how quickly it slowed down, but still seemed to take forever for the other trailer to clear so I could head back onto the road.
I have begun to wonder if there is a limit to the number of lucky outcomes one can expect in a lifetime. I am afraid I have used up a great number of them.
I have begun to wonder if there is a limit to the number of lucky outcomes one can expect in a lifetime. I am afraid I have used up a great number of them.
Danger Dog
Member
Yes you must have adequate tow rig and some mirrors to see behind you. Duh!
horkn
New member
Danger Dog said:
So a smart car towing an enclosed 4 place isn't good enough?
LOL