What Size Trailer for a Side by Side?
In trying to figure out the perfect trailer for your side-by-side you are going to have to figure out some information and preferences first. You will want to decide if you want a trailer that fits your UTV snug all the way around or has room for camping supplies or other gear.
You will want to decide if you need just a flatbed trailer, or if you want it enclosed with walls and a roof and possibly even somewhere inside for you to sleep and do dishes more like a travel trailer.
As for the exact dimensions, some trailers will advertise what size UTV’s will fit on them so you can start looking at your options right away, but before you pull the trigger on a major purchasing decision get the tape measure out.
The Flatbed or Utility Trailer:
The sizes of utility trailers that I will be suggesting range in widths from 5 feet 4 inches up to 7 feet wide and lengths from 12 feet to 26 feet long. I’m going to be suggesting a very specific manufacturer of trailers but you could always look for any make of utility trailer with the above dimensions in mind.
Echo Trailers
If you’re looking for a utility-style trailer that’s designed from the ground up for motorsports than look no further than Echo Trailers. They have a huge selection of trailers that are built with different combinations of vehicles in mind.
They also have great options like built-in strap setups with quick-release pin-style ratchets. This is not a small outfit that’s only available to a few locals and people that want something shipped as they are offered by many dealers nationwide. Just use their dealer locator to find one near you. Here are a few of the trailers they offer:
4 seater UTV trailer
Echo offers 14 different trailers across 4 categories designed for your 4-seat side-by-side. Whether you want something that doubles as a utility trailer, is more flashy like a race rig, is super lightweight, or has truck bed loading capabilities then they have you covered with their four main categories of trailers.
Here are some of the four-seat trailer size options from Echo trailers:
- 5′ 4″ x 12′
- 6′ 4″ x 13′
- 5′ 3″ x 14′
- 5′ 3″ x 17′
- 7′ x 17′
- 5′ 3″ x 19′
- 6′ 1″ x 24′
- 7′ x 24′
- 7′ x 26′
What size trailer for 2 side-by-sides?
So you’re looking to haul 2 big toys. Well, a few of the trailers in Echo’s lineup can handle that job. They have 24-foot and 26-foot trailers that will hold:
a combination of [two] 2-seater UTVs and [one] ATV
or [two] 4-seater UTVs.
Cost of a flatbed/utility trailer
Here are some listings near me on Facebook Marketplace to give you an idea of the cost:
 6.5’x9′ for $1,500 |  16′ for $1,750 |  18′ tilt for $3,500 |
The Enclosed Trailer:
An enclosed trailer is a very nice upgrade from a standard utility trailer as now you have more amenities like keeping your rig out of the weather, not having to worry as much about your load falling off, security, protection, and a list of ways to make these trailers multi-purpose.
But it does also come with some drawbacks like visibility being one of the biggest ones. You’ve now made your rearview mirror almost completely useless and will now have to completely rely on the side mirrors and if they don’t extend off the side of your vehicle very far you may need mirror extensions (they look like clip-on mirrors) to even see past the trailer.
This decision may impact what you can use as a tow vehicle as you will now most likely be moving up to a higher weight class of trailer. You might have been able to pull a small flatbed trailer with your smaller SUV or minivan but you can’t pull that off with an enclosed trailer.
With that said, I’ve owned both a utility trailer and an enclosed trailer and the upgrade was a huge one. I upgraded from a 12’ flatbed trailer to a 16’ enclosed trailer and boy did I feel spoiled. I got so much more use out of the enclosed as well.
I became that go-to friend for helping people move and when I moved from Colorado to Arizona for a couple of years to attend college, it was so awesome to be able to take everything with me. No moving trucks for this guy, although I did have to pay to store it as my HOA said no way after I had already fabricated a new double-wide gate to get it into the backyard as they could still see it over the top of the fence.
But back to offroading… After I upgraded to the enclosed for hauling my huge sand toy around. I now had not just a trailer, but a tow-along tent the didn’t need setup or teardown. Just pull the toys out at the campsite, blowup the airbed, and make sure the Mr. Heater was ready to go and I had a huge room to sleep in at night. It was awesome.
Cost of an enclosed trailer
The cost of a new enclosed trailer can run anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 and higher depending on your needs.
Here are some used examples from my local area on Facebook Marketplace:
 4×8 for $1,800 |  7×14 for $4,999 |  8.5×18 for $7,500 |
What size enclosed trailer for a side by side?
Your standard widths for enclosed trailers are between 6′ and 8′. I personally recommend an 8-foot wide trailer so that getting in and out of the UTV while in the trailer doesn’t feel like a chore every time. If you go with a 6-foot width you’re not going to be opening the UTV doors any time soon. You’ll have to pull a Dukes of Hazzard entry/exit every time.
An eight-foot-wide trailer is nice because it really affords you a lot of extra storage room as well but keep in mind that you are now going to be taking up the entire lane that you are driving in. You will want to really keep an eye on a wide trailer to make sure you aren’t getting too close/crossing over the double yellow lines or taking one wheel off-roading or barricade bumping.
As for the length of the trailer, some common lengths of UTVs are in the 9 to 12-foot lengths. So without getting super technical with your specs you could start by looking at 10-12 footers for shorter UTVs and 14-16 footers for your 4-seaters. Once you start narrowing down your search and think you have a small selection of favorites, get the tape measure out and make sure it will fit before committing.
Do side by sides fit in toy haulers?
Yes, they do, is the quick and dirty answer. Now do all side by sides fit in all trailers? No, of course not. But, do most UTV owners have a toy hauler option? Yes. Now there are a few different ways in which these travel trailer companies have set up their toy haulers.
One way is to have the garage space and the living space as a sort of hybrid of somewhere to park the toy and then when it’s out you can move different furniture down into place like seating & sleeping areas. Most of these scenarios have a small bump out of cabinets (usually on the left side) which is where the kitchen, bathroom, or some other item starts.
This means we now have another place that we will have to get measurements from to make sure our UTV fits not just in between the wheel wells, but also in the smaller space way upfront. You may just have to pull your vehicle in and off to one side.
My mom recently got a toy hauler for her VW powered sand rail and it’s such a tight fit that we have to pull it in 95% of the way and then someone lifts the frontend up and over the passenger side wheel well to get the wheels past the trailers built-in storage.
Cost of a toy hauler
Here are some listings near me on Facebook Marketplace to give you an idea of the cost:
 2008 18′ for $8.500 |  2006 SuperLite for $11,980 |  2015 Keystone for $19,995 |
Weight
Weight Distribution
If you put the majority of your load weight at the front of the trailer it will give you too much tongue weight.
If you put the majority of your load weight at the back of the trailer it will create trailer sway while driving.
Ideally, you want to put the majority of the load weight over the axles for the best towing experience.
Weight Definitions
Your truck and your trailer should both have a plate/sticker that has its weight and towing weight information on it. Check the driver’s door jam on the truck and near the hitch on the trailer. The owner’s manual is a good resource for this information as well.
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the maximum amount of weight either the truck or the trailer can handle as they will both have their own GVWR.
- Truck GVWR > Truck weight + driver weight + total passenger weight + fuel weight + cargo + trailer tongue weight.
A truck’s GVWR is the maximum amount of weight the vehicle can handle including its own weight.
- Trailer GVWR > Trailer weight + load weight
A trailer’s GVWR is the maximum amount of weight the trailer can hold including its own weight.
- Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR)
The Gross Combined Weight Rating is the total amount of your towing vehicle and the trailer with a load.
- Tongue Weight (TW)
The tongue weight is the weight of the downforce right at the connection of the trailer to the towing vehicle. Your towing vehicle will have a maximum tongue weight it can handle and your trailer will have a max tongue weight as well. This area can definitely be affected by how you distribute your trailer weight.
- Payload capacity
The payload capacity is the empty/dry weight of the trailer subtracted from the GVWR of the trailer. As an example, if you had a trailer with a 3,000lb GVWR and that trailer weighed 1,000lb by itself, then you could technically have a payload of 2,000lbs. But just because you can put 2,000lbs of ‘stuff’ on that trailer doesn’t mean you should try to fill it all the way up to max. It’s probably a good idea to give yourself a buffer. Your trailer will thank you in the form of a good pulling experience.
- Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
The Gross Axle Weight Rating it the max distributed weight each axel can take.
- Curb Weight
The curb weight refers to how much the rig weighs without the passengers or cargo.
Hitch Weight Classes
Class I – up to 2,000 pounds (light loads)
Class II – up to 3,500 pounds (light loads)
Class III – up to 5,000 pounds (larger loads)
Class IV – up to 10,000 pounds (larger loads)
10,000 – 25,000 pounds – Fifth Wheel and Gooseneck Hitches are required.
Trailer maintenance costs
- Yearly licensing (plates)
- Storage
- Insurance?
- Tire replacement
- Wheel bearing greasing/maintenance
- Brakes/maintenance
- Stain or wood replacement (on flatbed utility trailers)
- Vent covers (from hail damage)
Other things you will need
The truck/SUV will need a wiring harness for a trailer (towing package)
Receiver hitch with correct size ball.
Spare trailer tire
Check out our Trailer Accessory Recommendations on the gear page:
Trailering Speed Limits
Generally speaking, throughout the US there is a maximum of 55-65 MPH for towing check into the States you will be traveling in to stay legal.
UTVs in the back of the truck
If you’re thinking about putting your UTV in the back of your pickup truck then check out our article about truck racks here.
