Last year I purchased a nice Legend enclosed trailer. The justification for buying it was to use it for work and snowmobiling. It ended up that I barely used it for anything but our snowmobiles. With the trailer being in the way and taking up precious space in my shed (not to mention the cost of it) I am thinking of selling it and returning to a open trailer or possibly a sled deck. Question is will I hate this setup for trail sleds? I also found that the enclosed trailer is a bit of a pain to find parking spots at a few of my lake/river riding areas. The deck would be going on a f250 so no issues there. How bad is the salt spray on the decks? Bad or good idea?
Who has gone from a enclosed trailer to a sled deck?
- Thread starter chunk06
- Start date
Spray will be terrible, don't expect prime resale on your units; consider the semis that you either pass from behind or on a 2 lane.
Now, if you buy a "deck" only buy an aluminum one period; the steel with mega rust out. This means 3-4k just to elevate 2 sleds.
Reality, protect your sleds and their resale, buy a Triton clam or rear drop door.
Save yourself the hassle of loading plus yourself some dough on the resale of everything.
Bear
I would never want to go back to a open place trailer after owning enclosed one's
covers SUCK, slat slop SUCKS< stones and what else hitting sled SUCK
the steep ramps on sled decks?
maybe not so bad on MT sleds being so long and deep paddles for traction, but I wouldn;t find them fun if things get icy from melting snow, slush freezing
again maybe not a big deal for MT riders that, live where they don't slat the crap out of roads like they do here!
so, for me, a enclosed trailer has way too many pro's than con's
BUT before I would get rid of one for a open deck trailer I'd get a clam shell LOL
there not perfect, but way easier than open place and easier to tow,park and move about
I will always have a open deck trailer too, work great for so many things, but for me NOT towing sleds in winter time LOL
covers SUCK, slat slop SUCKS< stones and what else hitting sled SUCK
the steep ramps on sled decks?
maybe not so bad on MT sleds being so long and deep paddles for traction, but I wouldn;t find them fun if things get icy from melting snow, slush freezing
again maybe not a big deal for MT riders that, live where they don't slat the crap out of roads like they do here!
so, for me, a enclosed trailer has way too many pro's than con's
BUT before I would get rid of one for a open deck trailer I'd get a clam shell LOL
there not perfect, but way easier than open place and easier to tow,park and move about
I will always have a open deck trailer too, work great for so many things, but for me NOT towing sleds in winter time LOL
srt20
Active member
We use both. Driving from WI to the Rockies with both. If the forecast calls for anything other than almost perfect weather we use the trailer. When using the deck, we place towels over the engines to keep the crap off of them. When using the trailer, its a 30ft so we always take 1 or 2 spare sleds. So thats always a bonus. Plus its heated so we have a rolling workshop to fix stuff too. The fuel MPG is about 3-5mpg better with the deck. GMC 2500 diesel.
The deck is a Mission and was bought at I-39 near Portage. Its a pretty nice all aluminum unit with expandable sides and adjustable legs to fit all different trucks. IIRC it was around $2200-2300 new.
I have a 2010ish 12ft Triton Elite clam shell that I never use. I would be interested in your Legend if its 6'6" inside height. I need that height min for UTV.
snobuilder
Well-known member
Positive of the sled.deck....ya look cool.
Something i never understand is why people put an enclosed trailer inside? My friends do it too... never understood it. I would just throw a tarp on it run a charger to the inside (if needed) and be done.
as for sled decks. When you go out west and you see some of these parking lots/passes that are 1.5 lane dirt roads yeah a sled deck might be nice. Going to a tight parking lot example rabbit ears on a saturday morning after a fresh snowfall you'll wish you had a sled deck because finding a spot with a 4+ place enclosed trailer after 9am is impossible and once your in that lot your stuck trying to get out.
Since you really dont have that problem around here if it were me... id go enclosed like everyone else said.
close buddy of mine had one - sold it after a year saying it was pain to climb up there everytime and if your going somewhere in a nasty cross wind it can get pretty shotty quickly. He had his on a 2500HD.
as for sled decks. When you go out west and you see some of these parking lots/passes that are 1.5 lane dirt roads yeah a sled deck might be nice. Going to a tight parking lot example rabbit ears on a saturday morning after a fresh snowfall you'll wish you had a sled deck because finding a spot with a 4+ place enclosed trailer after 9am is impossible and once your in that lot your stuck trying to get out.
Since you really dont have that problem around here if it were me... id go enclosed like everyone else said.
close buddy of mine had one - sold it after a year saying it was pain to climb up there everytime and if your going somewhere in a nasty cross wind it can get pretty shotty quickly. He had his on a 2500HD.
jime
Active member
love my open 4 place. i"m lucky to get to use it all year for multi purpose because sleds are stored elsewhere. trailer is 25 yrs years old and i took the surge brakes off after 5, swapped the deck 3-4 times and two new axles. not much work i think for all that service. must keep the salt off sled while trailing, with a cover, if you want to maintain your sled. i see multitudes of sleds going north with no covers whats up with that?
main reason I know guys that park trailers indoors, is so you don;'t end up with all the snow on top, or ice
which legally NEEDS to be removed before you travel with trailers(recently a lady got killed here when a chunk of ice came off a trailer, local media and police went nuts ticketing folks that didn't afterwards)
so that os a reason many like to keep a trailer indoors
NEXT will be for many that store sleds in the trailers
being in doors, you do NOT get as many temp swings or as much moisture trapped in the trailer with your sleds
which by the way is a main reason you really shouldn't be storing sleds in a trailer, they just don't breath enough, lots of moisture gets trapped in them,a s well as just heat!
so being in doors, is easier on trailers too, no sun on tires,way less moisture or as much to rot anything, from bearings /brakes to to??
lots of pluses if you have the space to keep a trailer indoors , to be honest! just like any other vehicle, out of the elements is a good idea!
I have a two place open, with covers, with salt shield. I know its not optimal, but it works.
If I go solo, I throw the sled in the back of the truck, I have a ramp for that, and use the cover.
As for storing an enclosed trailer outside, with sleds in it, keep in mind, without proper venting, that moisture stays in the trailer, and eventually gets to the sleds. I've seen it many times. Indoor storage is best for anything, or at least be sure the trailer is properly vented for the summer heat cycles......
If I go solo, I throw the sled in the back of the truck, I have a ramp for that, and use the cover.
As for storing an enclosed trailer outside, with sleds in it, keep in mind, without proper venting, that moisture stays in the trailer, and eventually gets to the sleds. I've seen it many times. Indoor storage is best for anything, or at least be sure the trailer is properly vented for the summer heat cycles......
I have a close pal has a 27' enclosed and a sled deck on his Ram 2500 for when he only needs 1 sled or 2....as too salt spray etc, he hauled my sled from my house to his place in Manitowoc and back (350 round trip) and we didn't even really need to wipe sled(s) down when he got back here....FWIW
But Yes, you need to be younger, in decent shape, and not afraid of heights which lets me out
But Yes, you need to be younger, in decent shape, and not afraid of heights which lets me out
Having owned all types of trailers (open trailer, inline and clam shell) I think the new Tritons that are replacing the clam shells are the best. I believe they are consider the Hybrids. Having the fold down ramp and not having to lift the clam shell is key. If those clam shells have any amount of snow/ice on them they can be a bare to lift and then hold up while loading. This is why I went to my inline (7.5'x14' w/ 5' V) . I'm often loading by myself and when you have the fold down ramp it makes things easy. You can get a brand new one for around $5,500 from Triton.
ICT Sledder
Active member
One good reason to keep an enclosed trailer under cover is hail. Not so much an issue with inlines or anything else that is built like a cargo trailer, but anything built with that thin aluminum RV siding stuff (clamshells, hybrids, etc.) gets beat to death by hail.
I have a deck. The one and only positive about it is ease of mobility/parking. Every thing else about them SUCKS!
The only reason I keep it is some of the places I ride make a trailer impractical/impossible. If your not driving up tiny back roads to unload and ride, stick with an enclosed. Just my 0.2.....
The only reason I keep it is some of the places I ride make a trailer impractical/impossible. If your not driving up tiny back roads to unload and ride, stick with an enclosed. Just my 0.2.....
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This is what happens when you leave them outside. last August hail storm. 2018 Sno pro used twice before this happened. Trailer was $4000 new and was quoted $3600 to reskin. American Family gave me $3250 after 250 deductible as an appearance allowance. They said I could fix it or keep the money and use it as is and they still insure it. My 28' Stealth had a couple of dings on the roof other than that no damage. The house had $45,000 worth of damage.
They generally stay a little cleaner if the roads are dry. I'd say around a 50% reduction in grime. The salt dust still finds it way up there. If the roads are any kind of wet, the first semi you roll up on, they are just as filthy as an open trailer.
They will still get plenty of road grime on them. Especially if you run into any snow. All it takes is a 20minute stretch of the trip and you will regret not having a cover.
I knew i could be talked out of a deck easy enough. now the next consideration is building a redneck enclosure on my skid loader trailer or a 7x12 utility type trailer lol . SRT20, yes my Legend is 6' 6" what are you valuing your clam shell at? I had one previously and it served me well, but once again they are very single use.