When the car is full of all the clothes and food your family needs for a trip, you might find that you would like a little extra room.
Renting a utility trailer for your road trip is a great way to add extra cargo space, or to bring along an extra car or heavy equipment. When planning your trip, be sure to account for the additional gas and toll costs of an additional axel.
Road trips do require lots of gear and a trailer makes the most sense in some cases. Cars with high rollover risk should not use roof bags or roof racks as that increases the risk of a rollover. Since rollovers are the most deadly kind of crash, a cargo trailer or cargo carry hitch is worth the investment.
How much does it cost to rent a trailer for a road trip?
Renting an enclosed trailer or utility trailer cost between $15 and $60 a day, but a car trailer costs between $30 and $60 dollars. You can also purchase a hitch cargo carrier for between $100-$300.
These prices are based on the averages given by Uhaul, but there are other companies that rent trailers.
You may want to look at other companies if you will be driving a very long distance or your trip is longer than 7 days.
Where can I rent a trailer for a road trip?
If you need an enclosed trailer for your road trip, UHaul is going to be the best place to rent. While there are other options, UHaul will have national coverage in case of an incident and they are affordable. Trailers are available starting at $15 a day.
Some other companies like Lowes, Tractor Supply and Home Depot may also rent the trailers, but UHaul trailers are better suited to a vacation.
If you are willing to be a bit creative you could call local churches or event rental companies and see if they might consider renting a trailer to you. They may be willing to work with you if they have a trailer they are not using. Be sure to discuss insurance.
Can I haul a car on a utility trailer?
Utility trailers are not designed to support the weight of a vehicle. Moving a car should be done with a specific car hauling trailer whenever possible. However, many utility trailers can be used to move cars, but they must meet weight limits and be strapped down securely.
When looking for a trailer to move a car, get all the details of the car you will be hauling. Find the weight and length. A 16’ trailer can haul most cars as long as the weight limit is not maxed out.
The safest way to haul a car a long distance is to rent a car hauling trailer. There are 2 types, the flatbed hauler, that supports all 4 wheels or the two wheel tow dolly, that tows the car by two wheels.
You will pay more than double the cost to rent a flatbed hauler, but it will save the wear on the tires.
Is it better to use a cargo rack or a trailer?
A cargo rack is the better investment if you travel frequently and you already have a hitch installed. If you do not have a hitch, and your car is not at risk of a rollover, a roof rack is the most cost efficient method of adding cargo space.
For my family I prefer a cargo hitch, it adds just enough extra cargo space and it is easy to get to at a rest stop. A cargo hitch also does not add an axel so no additional toll costs. They have a pretty significant weight limit of up to 500 pounds.
My husband is an amateur astronomer and his telescope takes up a lot of our cargo space, so this is great for accommodating camping gear for our trips.
When discussing your options be sure to do a route plan with an app like TollGuru, it can help you see how an extra axle will affect your trip cost. Tolls can be a huge expense and there are lots of ways you can plan for them. I talk a lot more about tolls in this post with a chart explaining fees for missed tolls.
Best for halting 4 Wheeler
If you are looking to bring your toys on your trip you will need a trailer. While 4 wheelers can often fit in the bed of a truck, that doesn’t leave much space for passengers or luggage. A trailer is a great option.
A 6×12 utility trailer is the best trailer for bringing 4 wheelers or other adventure toys on your road trip. If you are bringing just one 4 wheeler a small trailer like this one on Amazon is a great way to bring it on your adventures.
You can see how it easily handles 3 4 wheelers!
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Best for Camping
An enclosed trailer is the best trailer for camping. It allows you to keep items safe from wildlife and the elements. You can lock it and it can even be used for expensive items like 4 wheelers, kayaks and generators.
Bringing an enclosed trailer on an extended camping trip gives you more space in the vehicle to ride comfortably, gives you another secure spot to put away valuables and can be unhitched and left at the campground if you decide to explore an area in your vehicle.
If you are on a long camping vacation, do the math on an enclosed trailer and see if it can fit in your budget. It can offer a lot of comforts for a smaller price tag.
Best for Bikes
A cargo hitch bike rack is the most secure way to bring the whole family’s bikes on your next road trip. These bike racks attach to the car’s hitch and can support more weight than the type that strap to the back hatch.
This highly rated hitch rack on Amazon can be purchased for less than $100 and holds 4 bikes.
Enjoy your adventures, and plan to take more of them with my yearly vacation budgeting worksheet.
