Flatbed Vs Enclosed Trailers For Hauling Vehicles: 3 Quick Questions To Help You Find The Right Trailer, Right Away

I have a question for you… If you’re towing a speedboat…

…Are you pulling a fast one?

Don’t worry, we’re not here to talk about boat trailers, but I heard that joke last week, and I’ve been dying to use it.

What I really want to talk about today isn’t boats or boat trailers, because I don’t own a boat.

Perhaps it’s the total opposite — I want to discuss the best trailers to tow if you want to move a car, a truck, a motorcycle, or even a go-kart, whether you’re moving it across town or across the country.

Photo by Bradley Dunn on Unsplash

Personally, I believe it all comes down to 3 simple questions, and if you can answer these questions, you’ll know exactly what you’re looking for in a trailer and why. It’s easy.

Since I doubt you came here for my jokes or my sparkling conversation, let’s just jump right into it and talk about the trailers, because finding the right fit for your needs is the most important step.

Here’s how to make it an easy one. Just ask yourself these 3 quick questions.

1. Do You Care About Your Load?

This may sound like a joke, but I mean it seriously, because sometimes we can answer the entire trailer debate with a single question.

If you’re hauling around an old beater, the answer is possibly a no, and you may be alright with just any old trailer it can fit on.

However, often the answer I get here is that what someone is hauling is precious to them, whether that’s a project car, an heirloom, a classic or antique, or something new, expensive, and sporty.

So let’s be honest about it — if you really care about what you’re carrying, you need to protect it, and you can’t do that with a flatbed.

On the highway, or even in the city, that leaves your precious cargo exposed to rocks kicked up on the road, potential accidents, thieves, and a million other potential problems.

I wouldn’t mind leaving my old Chevette on a flatbed. Nothing anyone can do will make it worth less than it already is.

However, I’m planning on getting a new daily driver for around the city, maybe a Charger, and there’s no way I’m putting that on a flatbed.

Photo by Zanelle Lofty-Eaton on Unsplash

2. Do You Have Time To Hunt For Trailers?

I wish this wasn’t on my list at all, because I think everyone should focus on getting the best trailer, not the first one they find.

However, it’s simply a fact of life that more often than not, when someone needs a new trailer, they need it right now, if not yesterday.

Sadly, when it comes to buying a trailer in a hurry, flatbeds are often easier and more convenient… Everyone wants to sell them, I wonder why.

My recommendation is always to start hunting in advance, because it takes a while to find the right fit for the right price.

Your other option is to look for dealers with a high inventory in stock and available for immediate purchase, instead of just an option to order what you need, eventually.

No one wants to wait weeks or months to get their new trailer, and you shouldn’t have to — even if you’re getting one of the good ones.

3. Do You Need Any Extras?

I’m not talking about flashing neon lights, smoke machines, or subwoofers — though honestly, a party trailer could be pretty cool.

What I’m actually asking about are the options you can only get with an enclosed trailer, such as extra storage for tools, heating, air conditioning, lighting, workspace, and the list goes on and on.

The neat thing about trailers is that once they have walls up, you can put just about anything in there. It can even become a fully mobile workshop.

I wouldn’t try that with a flatbed, though, because, well… your tools would be just sitting there out in the open, and your paperwork would just blow away in the wind.

I don’t really need heat or AC, but you had better believe that I love having an enclosed space to work on my car when I pull up to a classic car show, without worrying about wind, dust, or rocks kicked up by other drivers.

Photo by Preston A Larimer on Unsplash

Whether you’re looking for a trailer to haul your go-kart, motorcycle, or new project car, there are a few easy ways to determine which type of trailer is best for your needs.

Then, once you’ve decided that it’s a fully enclosed, protected, and lockable trailer, you just need to find one that’s available now, instead of next month.

Oh, and don’t forget to make sure that it’s a suitable trailer for your lead vehicle, of course.

I assume that’s already a part of the plan, but if you’re not sure exactly what’s suitable for towing with your vehicle, you should probably just ask an expert. That’s what they’re for.