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Trailblazer
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I’m looking to upgrade my Triton clamshell for something I can walk in and can park 3 sleds in. Pretty much going to be my sled closet.  Currently I’ve targeted a manufacturing but am undecided with a couple options and am looking to you guys for some experienced advise.

I’m told I would need an 18 footer to hold three sleds, I think a 16 footer would do the job, what do you think?

V-nose, I like the idea for towing and gas mileage, there’s  2 options. Option 1, 5’ v-nose with drive thru door, drive thru looks nice and can be practical for loading and unloading. Option 2, 3 1/2’ solid v-nose, this option would allow me to have a work station, table, shelves, toolbox and so on. Sleds can use reverse to exit. What do you think?

Pedestrian door.....cam lock or RV latch?

Wheels.....Aluminum mags or galvanized rims?

Axles.....Torsion or axle on leaf spring?

Looking forward to hearing from those of you that trailer often and have experienced trailer issues and what you would change for your next one.

 

 

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18 footer  especialy with sleds getting longer all the time  I definitely like to drive in and drive out reverse can really be a pain  definitely have to pull while somebody else throttles definitely aluminum wheels I got three years maximum out of the steel ones then replace them with aluminum might as well do it right away I’ve had torsion and leave springs don’t think the torsion is worth the extra money 

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I have a 20’ LEGEND brand with 5’ V nose, front drive on, rear drive off, curbside walk in door, and two gas doors on left side. It’s all aluminum, dual torsion axles, and holds 3 137” track sleds in a staggered configuration. It works really well for me, and also has aluminum wheels. It is now 3 years old, and is looking like new. General maintenance should be done, to include brake clean-up  and inspection, tire pressure checks as well as checking for premature wear, and tire rotation. Tongue and coupler should be checked,serviced and lubricated frequently. Door hinges and springs greased twice a year. I have one 6” overhead cabinet for helmets, boots and misc. gear, as well as 2 spare tires mounted on wall racks in the v-nose section.

Loading from the front is highly recommended by manufacturer for proper balance when hauling.

This is the best trailer I have ever owned in my 40 plus years of hauling sleds. I spend my winters in Quebec, and my trailer stays there from mid Dec till April 1st. every year.

Hank

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Hi Trail Blazer,

Have owned an all aluminum drive thru 19'+ 5' v-nose we haul 4 sleds on for 10 years now.

Here's my comments if I was buying a new trailer to replace it.

1. V-Nose: very seldom use the front door. With new machines and reverse it is easier and quicker to back out than use front door. Front door have to pull out, get off, drag front end over a foot then pull rest the way out. Hauling 4 two go in backwards anyways. If hauling 3 I drive all in and park on the same angle. No front door and some organized storage would have many benefits. The drive thru is ideal if you have a dead sled. Can tow it on trailer and tow sled can exit out the front.

2. Wheels: Never had galvanized wheels, my rear and front door have the old style galvanized barn door latches like you would find on a high way van trailer.Everything galvanized still corrodes bad after a few years and looks terrible, not much can do to clean up once corroded. I would spend the $ on aluminum wheels.

3. Rear Door Latch: If possible I would get with the one stainless steel latch mounted in centre of the door like the picture below.

4. Axles: I wouldn't buy a tandem axle trailer with leaf springs. Springs, shackles and pins in the salt are a maintenance night mare. Torsion axles are a wonderful invention.

5. Trailer width: most are 7 ' wide. If can find 7.5 ' makes a difference getting 2nd and 3rd sleds moved farther forward parking in the staggered formation.

6. Flooring: on an Ontario forum seen guys are putting plastic lattice from building supply store on the floor. Cheap protection but still lets the plywood dry out.

You may have already read the posts in Doo-Talk. If not there is lots of good posts in the TRAILER forum. Some on length needed for 3 sleds.

Good Luck, Steve

 

 

Door Latch.jpg

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I never use the side door or gas doors or front gate on the 4 place.

Too steep & too sharp of a turn to load or unload in front, WAY less hassle to just back out. 

Aluminum all around body frame & wheels, torsion underneath, v-nose for wind-breaking, ELECTRIC JACK!

We had a HOLY SH*T moment when the whole back gate came off, popped the piano hinge straight across, so yeah maybe a good idea to not neglect the greasing!

 

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-No Gas Doors

-Man door is good for Off Season, but not mandatory.

-SS Hinges (yes you still need to grease them)

-Drive in and out is nice, you can load them In the nose and unload driving straight out the back.

-When we purchased our trailer the Mfg said Galvanized wheels are fine, no function or durability benefit to aluminum.

-Axles, I've been told torsion ones act like having shocks and sway bar built into them. We have Torsion and no complaints.

-Just remember, the larger the trailer, the larger the "Compensation" for other things.....

Trailer-2.thumb.JPG.e66e3486fa2857eabe9f87ab51fcec43.JPG

I recommend the ProLine Trailers, Great Product, Good People.

https://nhtrailers.com/

GutZ

 

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We updated trailers this year and ordered a new one from Blizzard around the time of the big east snowmobile show. We just picked it up this week as Blizzard is as busy as they have ever been. Right now they are a 12 week wait if you order a new trailer. We sold our 2007 Blizzard 14ft enclosed trailer a few weeks ago so the timing of the new one was perfect for us. The new trailer is 18ft long plus the V so we can get 3 sleds in the trailer if needed. It is all Aluminum frame and Very High Quality Build!! It is also a stagger model so its much easier to see behind you and a breeze to tow...

I will say the Blizzard quality is second to none, great quality aluminum materials and workmanship! The main reason why we are buying another from them. This one we had the inside pre-finished, moved the man door and gas doors to the driver side and also the front ramp door to the drivers side which is opposite our last trailer because when you park along the side of a road you cant unload from the passenger side. We ordered it with the spring assist on both doors, you could lift them with a pinky finger... These also come with full length tie down channels on both sides for ease of loading and quick tie down. We added a layer of 1/2" advantek floor sheathing to the new floor to beef it up and protect the factory floor. We also added a Stainless fold down work bench along with a coat rack. We will be adding a few more things like fold down seats, heater and generator quick hookups. Maybe a few cat stickers and posters to make the inside a bit more homey...




 

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Edited by Teet F8SP
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One thing not mentioned that can be a real PIA is the guy wires for the ramp doors. They can be a serious hazard when backing a sled out - especially if the initial lineup is off just a bit or the sled shifts in the glides on the way out. That, and whether all sleds always get unloaded or not would make the V-nose door(s) a consideration for me.

I second Mr. Gutz's endorsement of ProLine trailers. They are made in NH by a family of snowmobilers and they are a first class operation. They make other trailers too and many go to Canada. Talk to them and compare their product to others; you'll be glad you did!

https://nhtrailers.com/

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Just hit me!

Lights!! One of the BEST upgrades was the number of lights inside the trailer. 

I believe is was 15.00 a light (LED)  installed and No-Hair added 8-10. You will not be sorry you did!

GutZ

Edited by MrGutz
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my 2 cents.  i had a blizzard was not over impressed  ... 18 would be min. if u are getting  expedition.. torsion is the only way .    alum. wheels .no front door , no gas doors.  center latch on back door. , side door latch able to open from inside .. all led lights inside and out. I have and had other triton , no a bad product.  but we are in canada , so if i could get good quality and price here in canada.. PROLINE supposed to be good. I like Stealth alum.  but the BECKER  seems to be what i would look hard at.

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Now I see in the photos what's-what on front ramp loading! 

I've got bigger wheels for highway (16"?), and a wide body "deckover" for 4 place, so it's taller making the front ramp way steeper.

The lower ones with part of the wheel wells in the cargo bay must be easier to use the ramp, but 4 place could get weird with skis resting on the wheel wells?

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Beckers are wicked nice!

Prolione has smaller frame than Blizzard, Blizzard aluminum setup is very beefy.  We found a better value with Blizzard but they are a mom and pop shop from Northern NY and they are too long of a wait for custom builds than most can accept.

Proline has exposed exterior fasteners on the side panels, blizzard does not. Blizzard has the white finished interior with SS kick plates, Blizzard uses the nicer single cam lock for the doors. Just a few reasons why we went with the Blizzard.  To each their own and you get what you pay for when you go aluminum...  

 

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A lot of great comments JG.  The first big trailer we had was a full width steel frame, flat nose with an aluminum skin.  That was many years ago.  It was heavy, hard to see around with the mirrors and a beast to pull.  We replaced the transmission in the old 1500 Suburban twice.

The current trailer is all aluminum, sharp "V" nose and an "In Line" floor plan so it is no wider than the truck.  The In Line floor plan is set up so the sleds are staggered so you need a little more length to the trailer.  Super easy to tow and great visibility with the mirrors.  I prefer a longer In Line trailer as opposed to a full width shorter trailer.  The extra length doesn't make it hard to tow where extra width does.  Don't skimp on the length.  You may get a 146" sled some day.

We always load from the front which seems a little steeper than the back ramp.  I'm not sure why.  Then we drive out the rear ramp.  Occasionally I have had to back out over the rear ramp and have had the back of the carbides dig into the wood flooring at the top of the ramp.  I find the drive in and drive out to be the easiest.  While speaking of ramps, our trailer was made for us so I asked the manufacturer to put a 6" piece of aluminum angle along the edge of the ramp so there was less chance of sliding a ski off the ramp.

I also asked them to put a rubber grommet in every hole in the trailer where wiring goes thru.  Some manufacturers do this and some don't.  Without the grommet, the insulation on the wire will rub and short out.  Definitely LEDs for the lighting.

Man door we do use.  The gas doors I don't think we have ever used.  We usually trailer with the sleds low on fuel.  An old habit from the days when the sleds had carbs.  Fuel in a full tank could seep thru the carbs and flood the motor.  If I remember right, SkiDoo actually had fuel shut offs to prevent this.  I'm showing my age now.

We've always had the torsion axles.  They keep the trailer a little lower to the ground, give a good ride and low maintenance.

The trailer you will have for many years so a few extra dollars are well worth it.

Jack & Sandi

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SUPER GLIDES 2 on the floor  , the best and super clamp for at least  for your regular sed u haul .  good floor mount ty downs.  some cabinets in front,  buy or build .. coat the floor before u use it to keep it looking new for years with out oil spots etc.

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Thanks a lot guys for all your comments, all the information you’ve provided has been most helpful.

I guess I didn’t make it clear from the start weather I’m going to an in-line or a deckover. In line is what I’m targeting for towing reasons, 7 x 18 seems to be the best fit from your comments  if I could go 7 1/2” with out the inner fender wells would be an added bonus, I’ll have to inform myself at the trailer manufacturer. All aluminum is a must. 

Jack....your grommet idea, really smart. Thanks a lot.

It seems everyone agrees on the torsion axles too, so torsion axles it is. I have torsion on my Triton clamshell and it’s done me well.

 The single recessed rear door latch is a great idea but not sure if it would be available at the manufacturer I’m targeting. I am however very interested to hear from your experiences about the pedestrian door recessed latch or the cam lock one, very much like the ones you see on the back of semi trailer vans. Pros and cons.

With all the other comments on side door, front ramp, gas doors, aluminum wheels, lights and so on that tells me it pretty much boils down to a personal preference. 

Thanks again for sharing your trailers, experiences and ideas feel free to continue.

JG

Edited by Trailblazer
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I have the recessed latch on my Blizzard on both the front and back.  No issues at all.  My buddy has the cam lock type, no issues with that either. I’m not sure it much matters...to me anyhow.  I do like the man door and use it all the time.  Gas doors, just once in a great while. If you can, get the torsion sprin assist on the front door too.  The older I get, the heavier mine gets.  

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Was super pleased with these guys for repairs 2 years ago.  Right by Shawinigan. 

Too bad they did such a good job on my Wells Cargo, that it didn't need replacing. 

May be worth checking with them?...

Sales: Steve Hamel: shamel@remorquebellevoiture.com

Service: Christianne Vincent: cvincent@remorquebellevoiture.com

Yves Giguère: ygiguere@remorquebellevoiture.com

Eric Beaudin/Sabrina Hasty: ebeaudin@remorquebellevoiture.com

Owner: Jeff Beaudin

Remorque Belle Voiture inc.

585 Principale, St-Boniface, QC G0X 2L0

Tél : 819-535-5188

www.remorquebellevoiture.com

info@remorquebellevoiture.com

Ideal Cargo:  WWW.IDEALTRAILER.COM

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Hi JG,

I wouldn't go without the side door.  I do use it a  lot.  My snowmobile trailer has the recessed latch and my work trailer at home has the big cam lock bar.  The recessed latch does stick a bit.  Not a big deal but the cam lock I think is easier to use especially with mitts on.  I never lock the doors but I like pad locks better than the integrated lock on the recess handle if I were to use locks.

My side door I did have to rebuild this summer.  Mine had a wood and foam filler in the door cavity to keep it square and over time the material fell apart.  I wouldn't opt away from the door because of that.  Just a mention.  The trailer is thirteen years old.

Jack & Sandi

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Trailer ordered thanks for all your tips and advise guys. 

Fuse6....that rear door single latch is patented by Neil trailers so I’m told and only they have the rights to it.

Stay tuned for pics in mid February

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34 minutes ago, Trailblazer said:

Trailer ordered thanks for all your tips and advise guys. 

Fuse6....that rear door single latch is patented by Neil trailers so I’m told and only they have the rights to it.

Stay tuned for pics in mid February

NEO trailers,

Yes 2 friends have NEO trailers so where I saw it. Interesting I didn't know it was exclusive. 

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Our new Blizzard also has the single latch style on both fold down doors.  Also had it on my last Blizzard trailer from 12 years ago.  They always worked great but I do think the old school style is nice because you can use 2 locks to secure the door where the single latch only has one lockable spot unless you add something custom.

The single latch style costs more and make it much harder to build the door but any manufacturer can use them I thought...

Anyone running heaters in their trailer? We use a buddy heater attached to a propane cylinder but would like a more permanent setup to have for the pit stops and times when we ride from the trailer.

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Some great advice here !

Id add...buy 2 of the 25’ LED 12v strip lights and tie them into the dome light lining the outer roof. Very inexpensive and work amazing. I used zip ties to attach them in minutes and used the squeeze splicers to the dome light lead.

also, I added at build time LED reverse lights on the back. They build them in above the brake LEDs. The difference in confidence backing up at night is huge. Wouldnt order one without these.

Lighting increases comfort and function both.

My trailers a 7.5’ x 16’ inline hybrid....so not big enough for youre 3. 2 sleds of any size is great though. Backing out is a breeze. I keep a 7’ piece of 2” PVC pipe and drop it on top of the hinges when loading/unloading. Works perfect even with our aggressive Snowtracker carbides.

Good luck.

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I had a wall mounted propane heater in my 14' + v-nose SnoPro when I first bought it used from a friend.  The intent was to use it while we dressed before & after saddlebag trips at the trailhead.  The problem with it was by the time it warmed the trailer, the uninsulated roof was condensing & raining in the trailer.  So I took it out.  More importantly, removing the heater gave me the room I needed to put a third sled in the trailer.  The heater has been sitting in my shed attic since I took it out.  Need to sell it someday.

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