Perfect Hunting Trailer Couplings

photo of a 50mm ball fitted to a 2 inch tongue hitch

Hunting Trailer Couplings

There are 3 main trailer couplings/hitches in Australia (of course there are many others); 50mm ball, Treg hitch and Hitchmaster DO35. Searching online you’ll find tons of articles written about trailer couplings and they will all tell you to get the DO35. Let’s look at why this might not be the best option for you.

Hitchmaster DO35

The Hitchmaster DO35 is the best trailer coupling on the market. It’s much easier to hook up than a Treg hitch, it’s super quiet and allows the most ridiculous angles at the coupling.

The DO35 does not come with a brake over-ride option (for mechanical trailer brakes) as is strictly for use with electric brakes (or similar). You’ll also need a dust cover to protect everything, which often goes missing.

Treg Hitch

The Treg hitch (also known as poly block trailer couplings) are one of the most common couplings found on camper trailers.

They have fantastic angle movement at the coupling and are available in a brake over-ride option.

The poly block removes most of the “knocking” from the trailer, so they are quiet. They are however, incredibly difficult in comparison to hook up. The height has to be perfect, the block has to be straight and there is a small hole that has to be lined up for the pin to go through. You have to reverse it in, you can’t just lower it.

Lastly the poly block can deteriorate over time and need replacing.

photo of old rusted 50mm ball trailer couplings — Old school 50mm ball coupling with mechanic brake over-ride

50mm ball coupling

The 50mm ball hitch is standard on just about every ute in the country. They are incredibly easy to hook up, even on your own, basically maintenance free (might need a little grease at some stage) and available for trailer brake over-ride system (for use with mechanical brakes).

Because I’m not going hardcore off-roading I don’t need a coupling capable of ridiculous angles, I’m only using it to hunting gear there and back.

We got stuck in some serious black mud on on trip in 2016. We simply unloaded the quads unhooked the trailer and towed the trailer with the quads (because the quads to had 50mm ball hitches). If it wasn’t for that we would not have got out with the trailer.

Recommendation

Don’t over engineer it, don’t complicate it, keep it easy for yourself and stick with a 50mm ball coupling with a brake over-ride for mechanical brakes.

A 50mm ball is compatible with most vehicles and does everything you need to for hauling a trailer.

Next topics

Perfect Hunting Trailer Type
Wheels for a hunting trailer
Trailer finish and accessories

Previous topics

Trailer load limit
Trailer axles
Deck material, length and width
Deciding on trailer springs
Choosing trailer brakes

October 20, 2017January 18, 2019

Perfect Hunting Trailer Type

Example of a specialised hunting trailer being towed

Hunting trailer type – what to build

What trailer type or trailer styles suit towing quads, side by sides and motorbikes? There are two trailer types we will look at; tandem trailers (car trailers) and flatbed (table top) trailers. I’m sure the different trailer types may be known by other names in different regions.

10x6 tandem box trailer type covered in mud carrying a Polaris SxS — Tandem axle 10×6 box trailer type used for hunting – carrying a RZR Polaris side by side

Tandem trailer

A tandem trailer has dual axles with the wheels outside the deck area and the deck is below the mud guards just like a car trailer (for towing vehicles). This makes the tandem trailer quiet wide, generally as wide as the maximum width of 2.5m as per the ADR.

They tow very well and have a low centre of gravity. Loading quads sideways over the guards is difficult to put ramps on and can cause damage to the guards.

Some people build platforms spanning the sides for the quads to sit on top of the trailer to make it much easier to load them on (negating the benefit of low centre of gravity).

The video above demonstrates the issue with the wide axle trailers in mud. When the roads are rutted and the surface is slippery the wheels naturally want to ride in the wheel ruts. Causing the wide axle trailer to dive from side to side as the tandem axles become crocked.

This zigzagging of the trailer causes the trailer tyres to pickup a lot more fresh mud clogging up the guards, causing the trailer wheels to skid pulling the tow vehicle to a halt. Now you have to get out of the car every couple of kilometres and dig the mud out.

The zigzagging also pulls the back of the vehicle around making it very unstable and difficult to maintain a reasonable speed. Several times we were nearly pulled into the table drain because of the trailer.

Not my preferred trailer type. I’ve experienced the above on 3 trips which is what prompted my trailer build and this article.

photo of Hogs dogs and quads table top trailer — Hogs, dogs and quads have one of the best hunting trailer types getting around

Flatbed trailer

A flatbed or tabletop trailer with dual axles has the deck over the wheels. This means the trailer is narrower than a tandem trailer and the deck is higher.

photo of roadside post stuck on wide trailer — Trailer too wide causing collection of this white post with red reflector – don’t even ask lol

Having a flatbed trailer with the same track (axle width) as the tow vehicle is so much better off-roading. It doesn’t collect as much mud, stops it swaying from wheel rut to wheel rut and cant collect obstacles past the edge of the vehicle.

Flatbed trailers are no more difficult than loading the tray of your ute. As with tandem trailers they tow very well. Not having mudguards makes them a lot easier to use ramps and load quads sideways.

They are far less prone to damage with less protruding parts and safer for overtaking for those mates that “forget” the trailer is attached and is wider than the ute.

photo of a trailer on the highway suitable for hunting — Ripper of a trailer spotted on Brisbane high way, dual axle, aluminum bed and Off-road tyres

Trailer type recommendation

After towing a car trailer and tandem axle box trailers on several trips I would never own one for hunting. A table top trailer is the only way to go. Safer in the mud, easier to load quads onto and you don’t have to worry about it clipping stuff.

Next hunting trailer topics

Wheels for a hunting trailer
Trailer finish and accessories

Previous hunting trailer topics

Trailer load limit
Trailer axles
Deck material, length and width
Deciding on trailer springs
Choosing trailer brakes
Which coupling/hitch for a hunting trailer coupling

October 20, 2017October 18, 2019

Perfect Hunting Trailer Wheels

10x6 box trailer with dual axels and 4x4 offroad tyres and wheels

Trailer wheels and tyres

There are 2 easy options for trailer wheels; standard Ford Falcon style rims (same stud pattern as 2WD Hilux) with light truck tyres and 4×4 rims and tyres that match the tow vehicle.

Of course there is everything in between but these are the realistic choices as we discuss in detail below.

photo of tandem trailer with falcon rims and tyres — Ford Falcon type rims with load rate tyres to suit trailer wheels for 2000kg load limit

Ford Falcon style trailer rims

The reason I say Ford Falcon style rims for use as trailer wheels is because this is the most common stud pattern for trailers and a very common rim on passenger cars.

Ford Falcon rims are smaller width and take a smaller overall size tyre, this will lower the deck height of the trailer significantly.

Keeping the deck height lower to the ground makes the trailer easier to load and lowers the centre of gravity making it safer to tow.

Light truck tyres are cheaper and easy to obtain than bigger 4×4 off-road style tyres. Having cheaper trailer wheels means you can probably afford to have multiple spares.

Clearance of the axles on a trailer is not as much of an issue as you would think. 2,000kg tandem trailer axles are 45mm square, which is approximately 2/3 of a 4X4 diff. Trailer axles also do not have a differential pumpkin hanging down from the centre of the axle, creating a lot more clearance.

photo of tandem trailer with 4x4 off road trailer wheels fitted with all terrains — 4X4 off-road rims with 31 inch all terrain off-road tyres for trailer wheels

4×4 style trailer rims

Trailer wheels that match your tow vehicle are great in that you can carry extra spares across the vehicle and trailer.

Having 4×4 off-road trailer wheels however will raise the deck height of the trailer and center of gravity. The tyres will cost you more and if your they are not standard sizes you may have difficulties buying spares when your way out west.

4×4 wheels that do not match your tow vehicle are a waste and you might as well have Falcon rims. Which bring me to the point; if your going to use the trailer on another vehicle and it has different size tyres, then you have voided the benefits of matching tyres.

Trailer tyres

Just like your ute there are lots of tyre options out there. For a really good read on bias ply vs tubeless radials for off-roading read this article by Beadell Tours.

I’ve done a lot of research on the best tyre options for hunting. A very common search result is “Best tyres for roo shooting”. What you’ll find is that for “roo shooting’ the best tyre is a bias ply light truck tyre with aggressive tread such as a MRF M77.

The reason roo shooters choose a bias ply tyre like an MRF M77 is because they have a very thick side wall and very resistant to being stacked. When your constantly driving through sticks and rocks like roo shooters this is a constant problem.

However, these types of tyres are very expensive ranging from $250 – $360. I found the cheapest place to buy these types of tyres was out west like Goondiwindi (I’m from Brisbane).

I spoke at length with 2 tyre shops, they both recommended bias ply for roo shooting. However they said that they are horrible on the highway due to being a heavy tyre and the tread patterns. Both agreed that they basically just melt on the highway, expecting only 20,000km out of a set vs 50,000km from tubeless radials. For ride, comfort, longevity and cost tubeless radials are easily on top.

The trailer is not for roo shooting, it’s going to be used 90% of the time on the highway. So really you only want highway tyres. The trailer is only being pulled so mud tyres are no advantage (they cannot spin to clear the grooves either).

Trailer wheels recommendation

I’ve change my mind several times on wheel choice for a hunting trailer. But sticking with my purpose of use the decision is easily made.

Ford Falcon rims would be my preferred option for a trailer wheel. But for me it will come down to cost and the fact that I will be using the trailer across different vehicles with different tyre sizes.

The tyres I would choose would be a reasonable tubeless radial light truck tyres. They are cheap, great on the highway and mostly only used on roads. Once I get to my destination the trailer is unhitched and not used until the return trip. Just make sure they are rated to the load limit of the trailer (ie 2000kg = 4x 500kg tyres).

Next hunting trailer topic

Trailer finish and accessories

Previous hunting trailer topics

Trailer load limit
Trailer axles
Deck material, length and width
Deciding on trailer springs
Choosing trailer brakes
Which coupling/hitch for a hunting trailer coupling
Perfect hunting trailer type

October 20, 2017October 18, 2019

Perfect Hunting Trailer Finish and Accessories

10x6 tandem box trailer covered in mud carrying a Polaris SxS

Let’s look at the trailer finish and trailer accessories that will improve it’s use. I’m not going to cover legal requirements such as lights and mud guards, please check your state regulations and ADR’s.

Trailer coatings

Galvanized vs painted.

Galvanizing a trailer will add an excessive amount of weight to a trailer. Galvanizing is a must for boat trailers or anyone living along the coast. The galvanizing does give you a very strong protective coating. But as soon as you make any modification to the trailer (grinding or welding) the benefits start declining as zinc paint is not the same quality.

Powder coating a trailer is another good option. Just about every Hilux and Landcruiser steel tray is powder coated and you can see how well they last.

Trailer extras

Some extras to consider putting on your hunting trailer discussed below. Keep in mind that you want to keep your GTM as low as possible, so consider only adding what you need and not what you want (purpose of use).

photos of trailer stone guard and full length mudflaps — Can’t have too much stone protection, use a stone guard and full length mudflaps

Stone protection

A trailer behind a vehicle on a gravel road will just get sand blasted. Not only that, but projectiles bounce off the trailer and onto the rear of the vehicle. Sometimes smashing rear windows or in our case covering the dogs in large chunks of mud lol.

This is why it’s important to have a stone guard on the trailer. On our last trip we lost the plastics off a two wheeler from getting smashed by gravel and mud for 300km.

As well as a stone guard you can use 3 semi-trailer truck mudflaps or a single piece of rubber across the back of your tow vehicle. This should significantly reduce the amount of projectiles coming from the rear of the vehicle.

photo of spare tyre under hilux tray — Hilux spare wheel carrier, cheap, keeps it out of the way and doesn’t add draw-bar weight

Spare wheel carrier

Consider putting at minimum 1 spare trailer wheel on the trailer. However, I think 2 spares is best on big trips. An easy option is on the draw bar, but you can always fit an under tray style spare wheel bracket like a Hilux one cheaply and this reduces draw-bar weight.

Fuel and water storage

when taking quad bikes etc. you can’t have to much fuel or water. Most 20L plastic fuel containers are 180mm (I personally own Pro Quip) allowing you to fit 10 in a row just in front of the head board on the draw bar. Once again be mindful of the draw bar weight when considering this.

Note: Fuel is about 75% the weight of water and diesel is about 83% (sourced from www.quora.com).

Recovery points

Is there a chance you may need to pull the trailer out backwards? Maybe a rear towbar or a pair of recovery points could be installed during the build.

photo of under tray tool box of trailer accessories storage — Under tray tool boxes, anywhere from 7kg each, plus however much junk you can fit.

Spares storage

Bearings, grease, dust caps, rags and tie downs should always be on board a good trailer. Under tray tool boxes would be a good option for storing this kind of stuff without increasing draw-bar weight.

Try not to buy one that hangs to low, especially if your using Ford Falcon trailer wheels.

Shock absorbers

This is more of an issue were you don’t want to bounce the contents of what’s on the back, such as a caravan or camper trailer. Also with load sharing roller rockers the axle movement can reduce some of this requirement. By not fitting them you are significantly reducing the overall build cost at no real gains.

Trailer plug

What’s standard for your state/region? What have your mates got? In the past Queenslanders always used a round 7, but this has been slowly changing to a flat 7. Adapters are available so it’s not a major issue, just have a look around before you choose.

Trailer sides

If your going to use the trailer for other activities this is something you may wish to install. But with the current tie-down laws it doesn’t have the benefits it used to and quads might not fit with them installed either.

If you do choose to install them make sure they are easily removable.

Jockey wheel

Fitment of a jockey wheel to a large trailer is a must for usability. The bigger the wheel the easier it is to move on rough terrain. What I wouldn’t recommend is a pneumatic tyre (inflatable) guaranteed it’s flat every time you go to use it.

Trailer accessories and finish recommendation

To keep weight down, cost and ease of repair I would get my trailer painted. After that I would get these accessories:

Stone protection on trailer plus a full row of truck mudflaps on vehicle
2 spare wheels mounted under the trailer with Hilux style spare wheel mounts
facility to hold 10 fuel/water containers across the draw-bar
2 recovery points on the rear of the chassis for a recovery bridle
2 under tray tool boxes for general storage
large diameter regular jockey wheel

Previous hunting trailer topics

October 9, 2017October 18, 2019

Perfect Hunting Trailer Deck Material, Length and Width

photo of aluminum checker plate decked trailer

How big and what material should you make the trailer deck from?

The chassis of the trailer is going to need to be made from steel, I don’t think this is avoid able. Aluminum will fatigue and crack on corrugations, that’s way no camper trailers have aluminum chassis’. So we are only looking at trailer deck.

photo of steel checker plate trailer bed — heavy duty steel checker plate trailer bed

Deck material

Deck material and sides affects the trailer in 2 ways; weight and usability.

If you choose to make the trailer deck from steel it’s going to more resistant to abuse but weigh more. But make the trailer deck from aluminum it wont handle abuse but will be much lighter. A wooden deck will not last in the whether and can be very slippery.

As I mentioned in the GVM article aluminum is strong enough for general use, treated with care it wont let you down If you use ute tray back style aluminum flooring you could save considerable weight, with fantastic usability.

Photo of an aluminum extusion trailer deck unfinished — lightest trailer deck option is aluminum extrusions

Length of the trailer deck

Don’t make the trailer to long, it’s too easy to go “Well I’m building it, let’s go BIG”. Just make it long enough for your needs, to keep the weight down and maneuverability.

What are you going to tow? Remember you still need to be mindful of your GCM.

The quad is 1,200mm wide and a side by side is about 2,500mm (not including tray over hang). If I wanted to fit 2 quads and a side by side this should fit on 4,900mm. This is getting very long though and I wouldn’t consider going much past this.

If you just want 3 quads on, you only need 3,600mm etc. I think for 3 quads would be the smallest I would consider building.

Be mindful of your axle placement, there are lots of camper trailers out there with single axles placed to far back and this puts massive draw bar weight on your vehicle. Draw bar weight is included in your GVM and excessive weight ruins the ride handling. At www.trailersauce.co.nz they recommend 75mm rear of centre.

Width of the trailer deck

The width of the trailer should be similar to you tray somewhere between 1,800 – 2,000mm – as the wheel track really determines the width.

Trailer deck recommendation

Next topics

Deciding on trailer Springs
Choosing trailer brakes
Which coupling/hitch for a hunting trailer coupling
Perfect Hunting Trailer Type
Wheels for a hunting Trailer
Trailer finish and accessories

Previous topics

Trailer Load Limit
Trailer Axles