You’re gonna wish you got the 6’ wide trailer. Only downside is the wider the trailer, the less you see in your side view mirrors. Prefer the ramp.

As a guy who has owned at least 20 different trailers in the past 10 or 12 years I can tell you no trailer will be 'perfect" and each has a pro & con. I don't know the "towing capacity" of your new vehicle but I can tell you 100% for sure going smaller than a 6x12 doesn't make any sense especially for resale value down the road. The cost difference between a 4x6 and a 6x12 is amazingly small since a good bit of the cost on trailers is the axle & wheels - etc. But resale value difference will be huge when you are ready for something different.

A 6x12 trailer will hold 8 machines folded but that is pushing the weight capacity of the trailer well beyond the legal limit. Being very honest I do it all the time but I would not advise people do it unless they have lots of experience loading & towing a trailer.

The longer a trailer is the easier it is to back up. So going shorter will make it harder for you to learn to tow it unless you have a decent amount of experience.

As far as barn or ramp door I very much prefer a barn door trailer. With a barn door trailer you just walk up to the back door of the trailer with your machine on a handtruck and while tilted set the back end of the machine in the trailer. Then stand the machine up and push it in standing on end. Quick & easy to load and it is nice just stepping into the trailer instead of walking up a ramp every time.

On the flip side if you are a smaller guy and don't mind the extra length of a ramp door and walking up that ramp to load & unload ramp doors are great. Plus resale value should be better with a ramp door trailer.

DON'T buy white or anything really dark. White shows dirt like crazy on trailers and dark trailers get CRAZY HOT inside when closed up. Personally I prefer light silver or grey but some of that will depend on color of your tow vehicle.

If you decide to go with a 6x12 try to buy one with a 2x4 box tube frame. For years most 6x12 trailers used a 2x4 frame but now 95% of them are using a 2x3 box tube frame and that 2x3 just isn't really strong enough from my experience with trailers. Pay the extra and get the heavier frame - you will not be sorry.

Exterior aluminum varies in thickness also. Get at least a .030 aluminum on the exterior. Up until 3 or 4 years ago .030 was standard and .040 was heavy duty. In the past few years most companies have changed over to .024 and now call .030 heavy duty.

And lastly shop around if possible. prices on a 6x12 trailer will vary from around $2500 to $5500. The high end would be an aluminum frame trailer decked out - not worth the extra money in my eyes. The lower end are called entry level trailers and they just don't hold up well long term. The "sweet spot" is typically around $3200 to $3500 for a well built quality trailer if we are talking a 6x12 new.

You also want 2 axles, not one.

No need for two axles on "smaller trailers". If you load correctly a single axle trailer is all you really want on anything smaller than a 6x14 or 7x14. One of the biggest issues when going to a tandem axle trailer is brakes. That opens a whole new "can of worms" for most people with smaller tow vehicles. Plus tandem axle trailers have higher GVW than most smaller tow vehicles can legally handle.

Just load the weight right over the axle and a single axle trailer will handle more than most people will ever need. Don't get me wrong - a tandem axle is great if you are handling heavier loads with a bigger tow vehicle but it is overkill for a smaller trailer and totally not necessary.

The key when loading is about 300 pounds of tongue weight. Anything more and the back of your tow vehicle is rear end heavy and anything less and tow vehicle becomes very squirrelly. With the correct weight distribution a single axle trailer will tow exactly the same as a tandem axle trailer.

Maybe you’re right. Just figure a tandem axle would be a smoother ride. Lightest tow vehicle is a Chevy 1500 and heaviest is a Ram 3500.

I'm buying a 4x8 folding harbor freight trailer this week. Can't have a trailer in the driveway so with this one I can store in the garage. Can't beat it for $300. Should be able to fit one pin in front right corner and another facing opposite direction in back left

Ride will basically work out softer with a correctly loaded single axle trailer. Overkill actually does more harm than good in most cases. Sadly most people just don't understand how to load a trailer correctly and always assume it is best to load everything in the front of a trailer. Put the weight right over the axle with maybe 5 to 10% extra towards the tongue and you will never regret the extra time it takes.

Being very honest one of the first things I do with any of my trailers is to mark a center line inside so I know exactly where the axle is when loading. And I always install "E" track down both sidewalls before I ever put an item into a trailer so I have good tie down points all down both sides.

I have a single axle 6X14 enclosed. I like it but wish it had a higher ceiling. If I were you look for one with a 6 1/2 or 7ft ceiling.

Spend the extra few dollars and get the bigger wheels & tires - they sell them both ways! Smaller tires blow out more often because they are spinning 4 times faster than the tires on your tow vehicle. Most people don't realize how important bigger tires are when towing trailers.

High ceiling is great but it will cost you in fuel mileage. I am 6'6" tall and still run 100% 6' trailers because of fuel mileage. "V" nose also helps MPG some but extra height really hurts when it comes to MPG on the highway.

#1 rule. Make sure you have weight on the toungue.

At least 200 pounds of weight but 250 to 300 is typically better depending on your tow vehicle.

My brother works at a United trailer dealer. Some of the advise he gave me being he see trailers of all makes and sizes is to get bigger than what you think you want. He also said regardless which brand I choose to make sure the suspension is torsion, not leaf spring. Also avoid lower end trailers because the use sub par materiel as far as the thickness of the wall beams, ceiling bows, tongue tubing size and the spacing between the bows and rail. I shopped around and ended purchasing one from his dealer. I end up ordering a tandem axle 7 1/2 x 14, (wish I went 4 more feet longer) with an extra 1' ceiling to make it 7'. Needed the ramp for easy loading and unloading. The ramp is rated for 3000 bls. Side panels are rivet-less and a transition flap so when your hand carting machines in and out your wheels don't fall into the gap between the ramp and trailer floor. Trailer has come in use more than just for pinballs, also make free storage for over flow in between pin shows. Good luck with what ever you purchase.

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After looking at the "specs" on a Journey I need to ask is yours a 4 cylinder or a 6 cylinder. If you are working with a 4 cylinder you might want to just live with a 5x8 trailer because it will tow better with a smaller motor. The smallest I would go would be a 6x10 but with the hills out in your area that might be too much for a 4 cylinder to handle. If you add wind resistance & hills together you will be working that poor little vehicle to death with a 6' wide trailer if you are running the smaller motor.

As much as I hate using them you might actually be better off with a 5x10 open trailer if you are towing with a 4 cylinder. I hate to suggest open trailers but sometimes it is just the best way to go with a smaller tow vehicle!

Pete's trailer here is "close to perfect" if you are moving a fair amount of machines but is overkill for most guys looking for a trailer for occasional use. Pete & I have been friends for almost as long as I have been in the hobby and he is semi correct with wishing he would have bought a "bigger trailer". The PERFECT size trailer if you are towing with a 1/2 ton or bigger tow vehicle is a 7x16 (2 feet longer than his 7x14). If you go any longer than that you don't fit into two parking spaces and have to park longways using 5 or 6 spaces.

I have owned at least six 7x14 or 7x16 trailers and always regret selling them. But as my needs continue to change I keep changing trailers. I currently own a 5x8, two 6x12's, a 8.5x16 extra tall & a 7x18 and I am currently looking to buy a new 7x16. All my trailers are currently full (being used for storage) but my "go to" trailer always seems to be a 6x12 for normal use or a 7x16 for bigger loads.

Buy new - there is very little difference between the cost of new & used and normally by the time you pack the wheel bearings & put new tires on a used trailer a new trailer would have been just as cheap.

Great topic! One thing to keep in mind, many states require title and plates along with their annual fees on tandem axle trailers. That can get expensive if you only use it a couple times a yr. here in wi, a single axle trailer for personal use doesn’t require a title or plate which is nice.

If you use on toll roads, cost to pay the toll may go up too.

LTG : )

Tandem axle trailers also need to be inspected here in PA but anything without brakes (which includes most single axle trailers) do not need inspection. Unless you are moving 6 (or more) machines in your trailer tandem axle is a total waste of money.

Torsion axle is truly a better trailer but again unless you are using a trailer on a fairly regular bases I don't know they are worth the extra cost on smaller trailers.

Here in NJ, there's pretty much only 2 types of trailer registration that I'm aware of for private use: Ones of unladen weight below 2,500 lbs and ones above 2,500 lbs. (Campers and Travel Trailers are automatically bumped to the higher "above 2,500 lb" tier even if they're ultralights.) If they're under 2,500 lbs, they needn't be titled, and the registration is $18 a year, and renews automatically through the mail for ones under 2,500. On the highway for tolls, you just pay for an additional axle. I have it set up through EZ-Pass, so it's all pretty much automatic. It's actually one of the more painless things to have to worry about from a DMV standpoint here.

A 6' x 12' single axel trailer usually has a 3500 lbs axel and can easily be moved around when off the trailer by one person. This helps if storing on grasss or in backyards and don't want vehicle on the lawn. Or to lift and place on trailer ball. Get a double axel and it takes two people to move if you can at all.

I highly suggest looking into purchasing a Featherlite brand trailer. Keep the economy moving in Cresco, Iowa........

I always leave my E-Z pass home when I pull the trailer traveling into PA. They hit me for $16.00 on E-Z pass. It takes a month to get them to correct the billing. If I cross the toll at a maned booth its only $2.00.

Other advise my brother gave me is if buying a used trailer stay away from landscaper trailers. They are ridden hard and not maintained that well.

I shopped for a year for a used trailer and like some have said it's not much more to purchase new.

. And I always install "E" track down both sidewalls before I ever put an item into a trailer so I have good tie down points all down both sides.

When you mount your e-track, what height do you like best?

E-track is great, a must have.

Mine is a 5x8 with the extra 6" in height option that I bought used in 2010 for $1600. It's saved me twice that since I've owned it. Last year I sprung for new tires and wheels bearings which were easy to install and not too expensive. It's been back and forth across the country at least five times (probably more) without so much as a burnt out bulb.

Rear opens to a ramp which I find helpful. I've modified it to get around the lip at the bottom of the ramp so my hand truck goes over it smoothly. I keep a.few.sandbags up front inside to help it ride better when empty, and it's light enough for me to move around in the garage by hand.

I can haul.three pins folded up easily, with plenty of extra room for supplies and/or tools. I can squeeze in a fourth pin if I have to. NIB, it'll hold three, NP.

Size wise I'm happy. It's narrow enough that you don't notice it back there and doesn't stop me from hitting the drive-thru lanes at McD's or the bank. It's 12 years old now and I think it'll last a while more.

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As far as the "E" track goes I typically run two rows down one side and a single row on the other side. I like it at 2' & 4' off the floor on the double row side (works out great for anything & everything from my past experience). And on the single row side typically I do about 3' (about 1/2 the height of the trailer).

I have tried triple row on one side and double row on the other side and found that to be "overkill" yet a single row on both sides just never seems to be enough. With one row at 2' it gives you a way to tie heads not attached to the body of a machine but 2' is too low for some applications. So the double row on one side seems like the best all around solution.

I went with the go big or go home size, lol. 20 foot box, plus 5 foot extra for the v nose. Then I went 8 foot inner height. But I haul a ton of machines. I can haul dartboards standing up, boxing machines standing up. But fit the average person, this is too much.

I would recommend 6 x 12 with 6 foot height. If you don't have a trailer now, then it's not something you will use everyday, six foot height will get the job done

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I went with a 16’ long trailer so I can haul a car in it if I want to, store extra stuff in it, or after installing a rooftop AC unit and 120 ac it doubles as a camping trailer.

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Single axle trailers would be fine to haul a pin or two around....until you hit that one and only pothole....I’d highly recommend a tandum axle on whatever you decide. Likely you’ll use the trailer for other things. I’m very happy with 7x14 tandum 7ft ceiling.

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Make sure you get a V-Nose , had both and the square trailer is like pulling a parachute.

I think some of you guys are missing ther point of the original post. The Original Post is what trailer should I buy to tow behind my wife's 2013 Dodge Journey,

A Journey has a max towing capacity of 2500 pounds - an empty tandem axle trailer weighs almost that much (1800 to 2000 pounds in most cases)! He isn't asking what I should tow with my truck he is asking what trailer is best for my little tow vehicle. And a tandem axle is not the correct answer for that.

As I said earlier - if you know how to load a trailer there is ZERO difference between the ride of a tandem axle and single axle trailer. If you have a tow vehicle that can handle a tandem axle trailer and you use a trailer a good bit they are the better choice. But for someone towing with a smaller vehicle they will not work.

As far as you guys using 1/2 & 3/4 ton tow vehicles a tandem axle 7x14 or 7x16 is the "perfect trailer" but not everyone is towing with a truck!

Harbor freight table jacks? The 1,000lb one will lift damn near three feet up, but it’s heavy so it needs to stay in garage.
https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lbs-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-69148.html

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Idea: use 4"x4"x 6-8" wood blocks, on top of lift table

Here's my 6x12 which I've tweaked for pinball use...

http://www.jeff-z.com/dodgeram/haulmark/haulmark.html

You keep repeating this as if people know or care how to load a trailer. They don't, and most aren't going to learn until they have an incident. A tandem axle is more forgiving about correctly loading it. You won't notice the additional wear on your undersized vehicle's powertrain until your transmission or rear end goes out.

I agree a tandem axle trailer is a better trailer if you have a tow vehicle that can handle it and if you want to spend thousands of dollars extra for a brake controller, inspection, cost of the tandem axle trailer, etc but MOST people who use a trailer occasionally DO NOT need a tandem axle trailer to move a pinball machine or two.

There is a pro & con to every type trailer you can buy and that is why I typically own between 3 and 5 enclosed trailers all the time. But most "normal" people don't need overkill and a tandem axle is overkill unless you are hauling over 1500 pounds in your trailer.

Considering the original question the OP asked a tandem axle trailer will not work for him. This really isn't a debate about is bigger better it is all about the correct trailer for a tow vehicle and there is no way in hell anyone with any common sense would tow a tandem axle trailer behind a vehicle rated to tow a max weight of 2500 pounds. I highly doubt anyone selling trailers would even sell someone with a small tow vehicle a tandem axle trailer let alone suggest they buy one!

When I was towing with my Class 8 motorhome I would have never considered towing anything smaller than about a 16' tandem axle trailer because I could not see anything smaller than that behind my rig. With my 28' trailer I was 69' long overall (4 ft longer than a tractor trailer). But on the flip side I am not going to tow a 7x16' tandem axle trailer with my Kia.

My current tow vehicle is a 3/4 ton Chevy van and I very much prefer towing one of my tandem axle trailers behind that then towing a single axle trailer. But 95% of society does not own a tow vehicle equipped to tow a tandem axle trailer.

I don't claim to know a lot about everything but I can tell you 100% for sure I know more than most people who sell trailers when it comes to trailers. With over 2 million miles driven in my lifetime and over 500,000 of them towing some type of a trailer I am not new to trailers. End of story!

8 x 16 with a 7’ ceiling. Yes, you need good side view mirrors. Does many things. 72” mower deck easily fits inside.

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That might be OK to put the original posters Journey inside of but he sure isn't towing it with a Dodge Journey!

I know that but it’s a really nice trailer. I also own a Tacoma and would never attempt to drag this behind it. 6x10 would probably be the max.

I totally get it when people feel the need to show what they use what I don't get is why when someone asks a question here on Pinside there never seems to be a lot of people helping to answer that question. It always seems to become some type of "pissing contest".

If OP asked about what type trailer would be idea to tow behind my 3/4 ton truck 7x14 to 8x28 makes sense. But when someone asks what kind of trailer should I buy to tow behind my sub compact tow vehicle the answer isn't a tandem axle trailer twice as big as the tow vehicle.

Scolded!

Clearly we all need one of these....

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I am not trying to single you or anyone else out I am just saying for some reason things seem to get way off topic quickly here on Pinside.

When I pull up a post I try to help people answer a question to the best of my ability. To me the purpose of these forums is to help answer questions. Yet 95% of the time things quickly get way off topic?

You just did. No big deal, it’s all fun.

I bought a 6x10 big tex open trailer. I use it to carry all kinds of things including games.
I had not owned a utility trailer before but now I would not go without one.

For what it's worth, I don't see much bouncing around or shifting with my single axle 6x12. Sometimes I'll even through something (not pinball) in the trailer without strapping it down. When I get to where I'm going, the thing is usually right where I left it. I don't always fully inflate the tires unless I'm hauling something especially heavy.

Here's an apples to oranges comparison, but in contrast, shit goes flying everywhere in my tandem axle RV.

As others have said, I haven't seen a tandem axle trailer without brakes which is another dimension of maintenance and (in my state) annual inspections.

Hauling pinball on one axle has been the least of my concerns.