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Big Ass enclosed trailers 40+ Feet long

nealcj8

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2009
Messages
982
Location
Florence Al.
I have been looking at all of my options for a crawler hauler / family camping rig and I have decided on a enclosed trailer. I am going to have to have a 42-48 foot trailer to have enough room for a camper and a 16' garage for the buggy. My question is who all has them this big and how do you like them? How big of a pain in the ass are they to get around in offroad parks and campgrounds?
 
My soon to be father in law has a 44ft gooseneck (that is for sale also by the way laughing1 ) that he used to pull around for car shows. I asked him the same thing about it vs a 32 footer he had before and he told me that pretty much once you are hauling a big ass trailer (32+) and enclosed on top of that; it doesnt make a whole ton of difference.

Granted he wasnt hauling it offroad or up dirt roads in the mountains....but I imagine that most places you wouldnt tell much difference in that ~10 feet of trailer with it already being a big ass enclosed anyway.
 
imo, you will definitely notice an extra 10ft of trailer. I went from a 32' gn to a 24' enclosed and noticed the difference in parking lots. many offroad parks have odd parking spots and it gets tight really quick. to get into the 40' range would be interesting even getting into some of the places I've been (and some backroads). seems most pull through site I've dealt with are 50' max so you'll have to unhook and park to fit if that makes a diff to ya

imo, you certainly don't need 40' for some decent living quarters and a garage. again, jmo

my 24' has enough room for the buggy strapped down, about 6' of open space and a queen size bunk up front. still has basic heat/ac and a 30a hookup. I would want a little more space if the family was with.
 
I had a 48' and the biggest problem was the weight and right turns. Dry weight of the trailer was 21K, I hauled 2 buggies and the crap that goes along with them, the weight would smoke the truck brakes in traffic. Some parks are difficult to maneuver in being 48'. Also, when you pull in everyone surround the trailer waiting to see what kind of bad ass **** you're gonna pull out. The best setup I ever had was a Lance truck camper with a 32' enclosed (6' extended tongue) bumper pull
 
I went from an open 26 foot gooseneck to a 32 foot enclosed that is actually 2 foot shorter overall length, maneuvering is a huge difference due to can't see **** around it. But also on the enclosed they have the wheels set back a little farther and it really changed the turning axis making it much harder. And before Bjeep says anything, my ass is getting old and I can't drive anyways. :flipgotcha:
 
slravenel said:
My soon to be father in law has a 44ft gooseneck (that is for sale also by the way laughing1 ) that he used to pull around for car shows. I asked him the same thing about it vs a 32 footer he had before and he told me that pretty much once you are hauling a big ass trailer (32+) and enclosed on top of that; it doesnt make a whole ton of difference.

Granted he wasnt hauling it offroad or up dirt roads in the mountains....but I imagine that most places you wouldnt tell much difference in that ~10 feet of trailer with it already being a big ass enclosed anyway.
I would like some info on the one he has for sale.
1tfrot said:
imo, you will definitely notice an extra 10ft of trailer. I went from a 32' gn to a 24' enclosed and noticed the difference in parking lots. many offroad parks have odd parking spots and it gets tight really quick. to get into the 40' range would be interesting even getting into some of the places I've been (and some backroads). seems most pull through site I've dealt with are 50' max so you'll have to unhook and park to fit if that makes a diff to ya

imo, you certainly don't need 40' for some decent living quarters and a garage. again, jmo

my 24' has enough room for the buggy strapped down, about 6' of open space and a queen size bunk up front. still has basic heat/ac and a 30a hookup. I would want a little more space if the family was with.

I have a wife and two kids and will be using the trailer for family camping as well as riding. I know I could just put bunks in the garage but the wife says she would rather have the living quarters and the garage seperate.
 
nealcj8 said:
I would like some info on the one he has for sale.
I have a wife and two kids and will be using the trailer for family camping as well as riding. I know I could just put bunks in the garage but the wife says she would rather have the living quarters and the garage seperate.

guess what I was trying to say was that all I need is about 15-16' of garage and then the rest can be living quarters. imo, you could do something in the mid 30' range easily. my last setup was a slide in camper on a 32' GN. worked great and plenty of room for 2 people. honestly wanted a little more room for all 4 of us.

good luck with your search and whatever you decide to go with thumb.gif
 
nealcj8 said:
I have been looking at all of my options for a crawler hauler / family camping rig and I have decided on a enclosed trailer. I am going to have to have a 42-48 foot trailer to have enough room for a camper and a 16' garage for the buggy. My question is who all has them this big and how do you like them? How big of a pain in the ass are they to get around in offroad parks and campgrounds?

They are easy to get around in after the first few hundred miles.

Bigger is better and no you will not notice the extra feet. If you can fit it all in a '44 camper, get a 48'. the 4' makes no difference at all, but you will be glad to have it. If you can fit it all in a '40, get a '44. I could fit in a 40', wanted a 42', ordered a 44', and wished it was 48' after a few months.

Extra height makes them feel significantly larger. I had 18" extra height was it was really nice.
 
Most of guys I run with, we all have race trailers. Most are between 40' to 53' trailers.
We went from a 48' to 53'- dont notice any difference other than one now is nicer.
Driving wise- turns same, brakes on all 3 axles... weight is little heavier but no biggie.

Wife actually found this one and wanted it due to the amenities.... now she finds reasons for us to go wheel and camp :driving:
 
nealcj8 said:
I would like some info on the one he has for sale.
I have a wife and two kids and will be using the trailer for family camping as well as riding. I know I could just put bunks in the garage but the wife says she would rather have the living quarters and the garage seperate.

You have an email address? I can send you some details and some quick pictures
 
Take a look at it underneath especially if it's a Pace. Most enclosed trailers are garbage. This is a newer Pace we're repairing at work, and this is what passes for a $25k trailer these days.
363fee015ee104d3402fafb208a2f07a.jpg


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I'm pulling a 38 ft with 40 ft motor home it is tight some times have used toter home with 40 ft 48 ft and 53 ft it was tight getting in have a road tractor that I made it single axle with 500 hp and like towing big trailers much better than with a dually and it is over 500 hp just a lot more truck stopping is a lot better and fuel mileage about the same
 
TBItoy said:
Seems like a motorhome + small enclosed would be more convenient and nicer


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I was going to get a motor home but they are so expensive for a diesel.
 
I have a 42 foot trailer. I have three kids and a wife that pays the bills. She wanted a nice camper I needed a enclosed trailer. We found a compromise. We have an all aluminum trailer that has a 8000 lb payload garage. The interior is was built by a coach works company. The trailer is extremely still, it does not flex around and rack like most. Made the wife happy and we load my Jeep up and go. Problem is , we have two Jeeps, so she has to tow her own . I could use trailer with bigger garage and smaller living quarters now. Best set up I had was a slide I. Camper and a open trailer that hauled both Jeeps. We go camping all the time without the Jeep. We go through the beach and can kayaks and bikes in the trailer as well as anything the kids want.
 

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I have a 48' pace enclosed with camper in the front and I can squeeze two Rockwell buggies in the back. I absolutely love it for traveling and wheeling but a few things to know . They sit rather low , mine only has maybe 12" under the trailer and I've ripped the sewer lines off several times because between the dual of the truck and front axle of trailer there's nearly 30' so a speed bump makes the trailer high center. I'm goin to lift my trailer this spring to help with that . Also turning in and outta parks you need to be very careful as to how long they are the tail swings very wide . My buddy has same trailer in 44' version and there's a big difference in size although he can't fit two buggies . I had a one ton dodge and my trailer was two much for it really . The brakes where always problematic so I switched to a 5500 and it handles it great . With all this being said I love our setup for wheeling and camping. Most places we go don't have hookups so I'm self sufficient and can unhook the truck and run to town if needed. It's really nice not saying at a hotel all the time and having your rigs locked up and safe at night . I leave our buggies in the trailer year round for storage too. I don't mind wheeling in the cold and mud but it's sure nice to go back to camp and get warm and dry and eat dinner.
 
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