#1
|
||||
|
||||
Anyone ever owned a Thule Utility trailer?
Recently we sold our trailer. It was used for hauling firewood, helping friends move, dragging extra bikes to races. The old girl was made of plywood and lived outside, so after a couple of seasons, the bed started to get soft spots.
Occasionally I see Thule utility trailers come up for sale. They are small, but galvanized and have a plastic cover for the bed. My concern would be getting spare parts if needed (since I don't think these are distributed any longer). Just wondering if you have owned one and what is your impression of them. Thanks! |
#2
|
||||
|
||||
oh yea, utility trailers are wildly useful and much more practical for almost everything than owning a large truck. i have a foldable one that i use all the time. it's great to be able to go to the store and effortlessly throw full sheets of plywood on the deck.
the thule ones look OK, but i think that top would reduce the usability a bit. i wouldnt worry about spare parts though, for something that simple and basic, you'll always be able to source generic stuff to keep it moving. still, i'd rather have a foldable flat one with a wood deck. if it has to live outside, coat the wood deck with truck bedliner and it'll last well.
__________________
http://less-than-epic.blogspot.com/ |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
I have a friend who owns one and I have borrowed it multiple times. I love that it is lightweight, still looks great after numerous years, and is perfect to store gear in. It pulls well and is super easy to move around by hand.
The downsides are it isn’t great as an utility trailer. The clamshell is pretty limiting. Also due to its weight and construction I am not sure it would even do well hauling a large load of lumber or rock. My friend uses it mainly as a camping trailer and keeps most of his gear stored in it all the time. That is also what I have borrowed it for and it is perfect for that. It is nice to have something that can keep everything dry and is lockable. |
#6
|
||||
|
||||
Firewood, bikes, kayaks, autocross wheels, dump runs...
I probably need a couple of purpose-built trailers. I get the firewood delivered...I go through 2-3 cords a winter... too much for me to scavenge or haul...
__________________
Colnagi Seven Sampson Hot Tubes LiteSpeed SpeshFatboy |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
|
#8
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
looks more like a gear trailer when you cant fit it all inside or on top not a home project / material hauler. I have a suburban which is great for hauling clean stuff...but there is no way i fill the back inside with dirt wood etc...it's just not the right vehicle. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
I have one of these....
https://www.yakima.com/rackandroll-66-trailer Absolutely love it, very easy to move around like a hand cart, easy to hook-up, walk down to the shore, stable with two kayaks up to 80+ mph as if it wasn’t there. You can fold the wheels up and stand on its end and store flat against the way. Comes with the two cross rails so very easy to mount bike racks, kayak racks, cargo baskets, etc. Be easy enough to build a large box out of plywood that could be used for the occasional firewood hauling. Yakima also makes different baskets that quickly mount on the cross bars. |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
How are these at highway speeds? They look light as heck.
|
#11
|
|||
|
|||
I had a Malone trailer for kayaks which was similar to the Thule. One thing to remember is these trailers are typically sprung very lightly. They are great by not beating up your bike, boats, gear, whatever, by not being stiffly sprung. A load of firewood would pretty quickly overload this trailer.
|
#12
|
|||
|
|||
80 is the legal limit in parts of Texas meaning one can go 85. Trailer tracked solidly at those speeds.
|
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
It is super configurable. It keeps them dry. They love it. It's also been used to move me twice , carry 6' sections of fencing (shell cranked all the way up), and two couches with no issues. |
#14
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
My little Gorilla cart is rated for 800 lbs and loaded, it hauls 2 days worth of wood from the woodpile to the garage. Not sure I'd be using any small utility trailer for firewood unless its just for the occasional scavenging (finding a round or three by the side of the road).
__________________
Colnagi Seven Sampson Hot Tubes LiteSpeed SpeshFatboy |
#15
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
__________________
Colnagi Seven Sampson Hot Tubes LiteSpeed SpeshFatboy |
|
|