Flatbed Trailer Buying Guide

A flatbed trailer may be a great investment for your personal or professional needs, but not all models will be a good match. How do you know which option to choose?

Here at Mountain West Trailers, we strive to make your life easier. We gathered up the following buying tips below. For more information or to shop for flatbed trailers for sale, visit our dealership. We are located in Heber City, Utah, and proudly serve those in Salt Lake City and Provo.

Consider Your Tow Vehicle

Not all flatbed trailers can be towed by all tow vehicles.

The main consideration to make is in regards to weight capacity. Look up how much weight your tow vehicle can handle. Overloading a vehicle can result in a host of problems, from damaging parts to causing a tire blowout.

Remember that the weight limit includes the weight of the cargo and any passengers, not just the weight of the flatbed trailer. You don't want to get too heavy of a flatbed trailer and not be able to haul all of your cargo at once. Multiple trips wastes gas - and time!

Consider Your Cargo

One advantage of a flatbed trailer is that it can be used to haul many different types of cargo. There are no walls or ceiling to work around, after all.

But the cargo still needs to fit on top of the flatbed trailer. Make sure you know the trailer length and width needed to accommodate your given cargo.

Anything loaded onto a flatbed trailer will likely need to be secured down. If you don't have the necessary tie-downs yet, be sure to include those purchases into your budget.

Consider the Hitching Style

Flatbed trailers tend to utilize one of two hitching approaches.

First, there is the bumper-pull design. Here, the hitch sticks out from behind the tow vehicle. This leaves a small gap between the tow vehicle and the flatbed trailer. This hitch is compatible with a wider range of tow vehicles.

Then, there is the gooseneck design. Here, the hitch gets installed into the truck bed. This creates overlap between the hitch and the tow vehicle, which leads to better stability on the road. But this hitch is only compatible with tow vehicles that have a truck bed.

Consider Your Budget

Finally, think about how much you want to spend on a flatbed trailer. If you are on a tighter budget, consider a used flatbed trailer.

Want more buying tips? Want to explore flatbed trailers for sale? Whatever you need, the experts at Mountain West Trailers are here to help. Reach out or stop by our dealership in Heber City, Utah. We also serve those in Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah.