What Size Trailer is Needed to Haul a Car?

If you often spend money to transport your car, you could consider a more economical way to buy a car trailer for your family, you can use it anytime, anywhere, it can not only transport the car, but also pull other cargo, it can also come in great use when you’re moving house.

car trailer

As a professional car trailer manufacturer, we have summarized the following 3 aspects to help you choose the most suitable car trailer for you: dimension, material and loading style.

Car trailers come in a variety of styles and shapes, closed and open trailers, and trailers that transport one or more cars, and here we’re just talking about the most practical one, which is open and transports only one car.

Dimension

Deck Height

Car trailers require a lower deck height. It makes towing easier because the overall center of gravity is lower. Low decks usually involve more expensive drop axles. Most car trailers have a deck height of 20”-26”.

Deck Length

Deck length is a key consideration. Common car trailer lengths vary from 14 to 24 feet, usually in 2-foot increments. A 16-20 feet car trailer can accommodate most cars.

Deck Capacity

More important than length is total load capacity. Load capacities are based on axle ratings. The two most common consumer car trailer axles are 3,500 lbs and 5,000 lbs. Then a 2-axle car trailer has the capacity of 7,000 and 10,000 lbs.

In order to determine the capacity you need, you must know the weight of the empty trailer. The average car trailer weighs about 2,000 pounds, and it’s best to have extra load capacity. A 7,000-pound trailer can carry most cars, but a 10,000-pound trailer is also a good choice.

Following are the recommended sizes of car trailers for popular cars.

Body StyleExamplesAverage WeightLengthWidthRecommended Size of Car Trailer
Smart carSmart Fortwo1,500 pounds9feet6-7feet10’L*8’W
Subcompact carFord Fiesta2,600 pounds15feet6feet16’L*8’W
Compact carToyota Corolla2,600 to 3,000 pounds16feet6feet18’L*8’W
Midsize carToyota Camry3,300 pounds17feet6feet18’L*8’W
Honda Accord17feet7feet18’L*8’W
Large carDodge Charger4,400 pounds17feet7feet18’L*8’W
Subcompact SUVKia Soul2000 pounds14feet6feet16’L*8’W
Honda HR-V15feet6feet16’L*8’W
Compact SUVHonda CR-V3,000 to 3,500 pounds16feet7feet18’L*8’W
Mazda CX-516feet7feet18’L*8’W
Midsize SUVHonda Pilot3,500 to 6,000 pounds17feet7feet18’L*8’W
Chevrolet Traverse18feet7feet20’L*8’W
Large SUVChevrolet Suburban5,400 to 6,000 pounds19feet7feet20’L*8’W
Chevrolet Tahoe18feet7feet20’L*8’W

Material

Wooden Deck

Open trailers with wooden decks are the most common and cheapest tandem axle trailers (avoid single-axle car trailers). The full deck makes them ideal for non-automotive use. Such as moving house or transporting agricultural products.

Metal Deck

Metal decks are easier to clean. There are steel and aluminum decks, they are both strong and durable, aluminum is lighter and can pull heavier cars, so it’s more expensive.

Loading Style

Common car trailers have ramps at the end, which are suitable for most car loading and are popular because of their low price.

The other is a tilt bed trailer, which has no ramps but is better for low-deck cars, but is also more expensive.

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