Can’t you just simply put your ATV on your truck bed?
While the idea may be possible, putting your ATV at the back of your truck may not be enough, especially if you’ll be pulling more than one.
In this article, we tell you how to the get the necessary ATV trailer so you can conveniently carry your ATVs wherever you wish to go.
Hold on tight as we explore this topic.
WHAT IS AN ATV TRAILER?
In a shortest and simplest sense, an ATV trailer is a special platform that you attach to the tow points of your 4×4 to help you safely take another vehicle with you like an ATV in your trips.
WHAT SIZE OF TRAILER DO I NEED FOR MY ATV?
There are many factors you can look into when it comes to this matter but the ones you should be mainly concerned about are the ATV trailer size and the number of ATVs you’ll be loading on your ATV trailer. Generally, ATVs can be as small as 50cc but can also be as big as 1000cc. The former is used by children, but the latter is used by extreme off-roaders who normally go over the steep, rocky, and mountainous regions.
In case you’re wondering what cc means, it’s cubic centimeter and refers to the size of an ATV’s combustion chamber or engine. The larger it is, the larger the ATV is.
In terms of how many you’ll be putting on your trailer, a 4x6ft trailer can accommodate 1 ATV but a 6x12ft trailer is good for 2 ATVs. See the brief table below to have an idea about what you need.
| ATV Size | ATV Trailer Size |
| 50cc – 250cc | 4x6ft – 5x8ft |
| 250cc – 550cc | 6x10ft – 6x12ft |
| 550cc and up | 7×12 – 16ft or longer |
WHAT SIZE OF ATV TRAILER TIRE SHOULD I GET?
A trailer for ATV must be 13-15 inches at a minimum. This is because:
- Smaller tires are unstable when carrying heavy objects or vehicles.
- Small tires quickly wear out.
- Smaller tires will have a hard time going over obstacles.
HOW DO YOU LOAD AN ATV ON A TRAILER?
Loading an ATV on a trailer may look as easy as dumping and strapping the ATV at the back of your truck and just go. However, this is not how it works because you need to go through certain precautionary measures to avoid fatal accidents.
- Follow the 60/40 rule on trailer – ATV should be put in the center of the trailer to maintain proper balance. If trailer is too heavy in front, it can lift your truck’s front wheels and hinder its braking capacity. If trailer is too heavy at the back, it can make the trailer sway violently.
- Watch out for the trailer tongue weight – Balance drag between your ATV trailers and tow vehicles is around 10 up to 15%. If the load’s weight on the trailer is either less or greater than that, movement of the trailer gets wobbly too.
- Get the correct ball size for trailer hitch – If you have a 1-7/8” trailer hitch ball, your trailer should be suitable for that. The problem with mismatched trailer hitch ball sizes is they won’t meet the necessary trailer carrying capacity and can be easily detached when they hit a bump.
- Apply brakes on ATV Trailer When Needed – If you notice an unusual sway on your ATV trailers once you start moving, activate your brake actuator so it stops your ATV trailer. If you don’t have a brake actuator, just let off the gas to eventually help the trailer slow down and stop moving.
CAN YOU TOW AN ATV WITHOUT A TRAILER?
Yes, you can. As what has been mentioned at the beginning, if you’re only towing a single ATV, you can get away with buying a trailer and loading the vehicle on the truck bed is fine as long as your truck bed is greater than 5ft. Don’t forget to do the following too:
- Use ATV ramps that have the correct ATV weight carrying capacity.
- Align you ATV to your truck bed with the ATV ramp in between.
- Keep the ATV ramp in place by strapping it to your truck’s safety chain hookup or any accessible metal part of the truck’s frame.
- Wear an ATV helmet for safety.
- Set your ATV in 4Low mode to have enough torque and slowly ascend the ATV ramp.
- Put the ATV in Park mode with parking brake so it stays put and remove the keys.
- Close your truck’s tailgate when your ATV’s fully settled in the truck bed. If the tailgate can’t be closed, using tie downs is a must.
HOW MUCH IS AN ATV TRAILER?
ATV trailers’ price usually depends on the trailers’ style and composition. Some are flatbeds that let the user easily load and unload their ATVs, due to their simple and smooth surface, while others are either open or close to help users accommodate other items aside from ATVs like logs and spare tires. There are ATV trailers which are made of aluminum meant for light towing, whereas a few are made from steel for durability.
Whatever your preference is, the table shows a general estimate cost of ATV trailers – from the basic to the heavy duty.
Estimated ATV Trailer Costs
| Standard | Mid-range | Expensive |
| $900-$1000 | $2000-$3000 | $3000-$4000 |
CONCLUSION
Picking a trailer for ATV isn’t as easy as shopping for food from the grocery store because it obviously requires more effort. On the other hand, the two have one thing in common – you should have a strong sense of what you need with you and others’ safety in mind. Don’t be shy to share us the kind of ordeal you went through when you first bought your ATV trailers.
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