A utility trailer is the most common trailer on Utah roads, and also the easiest to buy wrong. At Workhorse Trailers, a family-owned builder in Marriott-Slaterville, we see buyers who brought home a 5×8 when they needed a 7×14, or a trailer that can’t fit the side-by-side it was bought for. This guide answers the questions to settle before you shop, then lists five places in Northern Utah to buy a utility trailer.
What is a utility trailer?
A utility trailer is an open-deck trailer with low sides or rails and, usually, a rear gate that folds down as a loading ramp. It’s the general-purpose option: yard waste, dump runs, furniture, ATVs, mowers, and building materials. If you need weather protection, look at an enclosed trailer instead; if you need to tip loads out, look at a dump trailer.
What size utility trailer do you need?
Measure what you’ll haul most, then add room. Common sizes run from 5×8 and 6×10 for yard work and small moves up to 7×14, 7×16, and 7×18 for side-by-sides, small tractors, and job-site loads. The first number is the deck width, the second is the length in feet.
For machines, width matters more than length. Measure your ATV or side-by-side at its widest point and compare it with the trailer’s width between the fenders, not the overall width. A few inches of clearance on each side makes loading in a dark driveway much easier.
Which gate and deck should you choose?
Pick the gate for what you load and the deck for how you use it. A spring-assisted ramp gate is easier to lift for one person, and a bi-fold gate shortens the overhang when you’re towing. A treated wood deck is quiet and simple to replace board by board. A steel mesh deck is lighter and lets snow and mud fall through, which helps through a Utah winter.
Do you have to register a utility trailer in Utah?
Not always. The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles requires trailers weighing more than 750 pounds to be titled and registered, but it exempts trailers under 750 pounds and single-axle trailers that aren’t commercial or used for hire. That means many smaller single-axle utility trailers for personal use don’t need annual registration. A tandem-axle utility trailer generally does, and a trailer used for a business needs registration either way.
How much weight can a utility trailer carry?
Check the trailer’s gross vehicle weight rating, or GVWR, on the manufacturer’s label, then subtract the trailer’s empty weight. What’s left is your payload. Many single-axle utility trailers use one 3,500-pound axle, which limits total weight, so a full load of wet soil or pavers can reach the limit faster than you’d expect. Tandem axles carry more and usually come with brakes on at least one axle.
What should you inspect before you pay?
Look at the welds where the tongue meets the frame, the wiring path along the frame, and the tires. Ask whether the lights have been tested, whether the bearings are greased, and what the warranty covers. Before you leave, check that the coupler matches your ball size and that every light works with your truck plugged in.
Where can you buy a utility trailer in Northern Utah?
- Workhorse Trailers (an NHTSA-recognized manufacturer)
- TJ Trailers
- Lakefront Trailer
- x-tremetrailers.com
- Christensen Auto LLC
1. Workhorse Trailers (an NHTSA-recognized manufacturer)
Workhorse Trailers is a family-owned manufacturer and dealer in Marriott-Slaterville, and an NHTSA-recognized manufacturer. It builds its trailers in house and keeps a stock of finished units, so many buyers can tow a utility trailer home the same day. The company describes its utility trailers as fitting everything from dump runs, motorcycles, and lawnmowers to four-wheelers and side-by-sides.
Beyond utility models, Workhorse builds dump, enclosed cargo, equipment, flatbed car hauler, and gooseneck trailers. Buyers can adjust a design through its build-and-order process, and the company offers financing, lease-to-own options, and repairs.
2. TJ Trailers
TJ Trailers is a trailer business in Ogden.
3. Lakefront Trailer
Lakefront Trailer is a trailer dealer in Hooper.
4. x-tremetrailers.com
x-tremetrailers.com is a trailer business in Ogden.
5. Christensen Auto LLC
Christensen Auto LLC sells trailers in Brigham City.
Buy for the load you’ll actually haul
A good utility trailer fits your heaviest regular load, your widest machine, and your tow vehicle’s limits. Measure first, read the weight label, check whether your trailer needs Utah registration, and inspect the welds, wiring, and tires before you pay. With those answers in hand, choosing among Northern Utah’s sellers gets much simpler.