How to Choose the Right Enclosed Trailer Size

Picking a trailer size is the question we get more than any other. Go too small and you’re playing Tetris every trip; go too big and you’re paying for space, and fuel, you don’t need. Here’s how we walk customers through it on the lot.

Start with your longest, tallest, widest load

Forget the average load for a second. Size the trailer to the biggest thing you’ll ever haul, plus room to walk around it and tie it down. If you’re moving a UTV, measure it with the mirrors out and the antenna up. If it’s furniture, measure the tallest dresser standing up.

A few common starting points:

• 5x8 / 6x10: motorcycles, mowers, small moves, tools. Fits a single garage bay.
• 6x12 / 7x14: the do-everything size. Landscaping crews, side hustles, weekend hauls.
• 7x16 / 8.5x20: full sheets of plywood flat, side-by-sides, car projects, vending.
• 8.5x24: cars fully enclosed, race setups, mobile businesses, big cargo.

Interior height matters as much as length

An extra foot of length is obvious. Height is the one people forget. Standard interior height runs around 6’3”, but if you’re standing up inside (working a concession window, loading a tall machine), a 6” or 12” additional-height package is worth every penny. Measure your door openings and your garage clearance before you fall in love with a taller build.

Match the trailer to your tow vehicle

Bigger trailer, heavier tongue weight, more braking distance. Before you jump to an 8.5-wide tandem, check your vehicle’s tow rating and hitch class. As a rule:

• A single axle (up to ~3,500 lb GVWR) tows easy behind a mid-size SUV or half-ton.
• A tandem axle gives you more capacity and a smoother ride at highway speed, but you want a capable truck under it.

Not sure what your truck can pull? Bring us the year, make and trim and we’ll tell you exactly what it can handle.

Don’t forget where it lives

The trailer you can’t park is the trailer you’ll grow to hate. Check your gate width, driveway turning room, and any HOA rules before you buy. An 8.5x24 is a fantastic trailer and a miserable thing to back into a tight suburban driveway.

Still torn between two sizes?

Nine times out of ten, go one size up from what you think you need, but only if your tow vehicle and parking can handle it. The extra room pays off the first time you haul something you didn’t plan for.

Want a second opinion on a specific load? Text us what you’re hauling and what you drive, and we’ll point you at the right size. Or browse the full lot, every unit is priced and spec’d.