Hitting the Road: Which Sled Trailer is Right for You?

Posted by Paul Boechler Dec 01, 2020

Hitting the Road: Which Sled Trailer is Right for You?

The winter of 2020/2021 is shaping up to be a great year for sledding. A huge dump of snow across much of the prairies in early November coupled with a global pandemic keeping people at home is the perfect recipe for spending quality time on some fresh powder.

There’s a lot that goes into buying a snowmobile trailer. We’ve talked about it before, but some of the big considerations include choosing between an open vs. enclosed trailer, steel vs. aluminum frame and heated vs. not. A lot of your decision-making will likely come down to budget, storage requirements, your vehicle’s towing capacity and where/how much you’ll use the trailer. If you’re looking for customization, our parts & service team can help you upgrade your trailer to fit your lifestyle.

Enclosed Sled Trailers

Inline:

Inline enclosed sled trailers are great for people with half-ton trucks who want to haul 3 sleds (or 2 sled with some extra storage). By parking one sled via the front ramp door and two in the main ramp, a 7’ or 7.5’ width inline is an ideal design for smaller trucks.

Deck over/Highboy:

The deck over (aka highboy) is the perfect trailer for the serious sledder. Available in 8’ or 8.5’ width models, they’re designed to easily fit up to 4 sleds in, with heated and insulated models available. Keep in mind trailers this big typically require a ¾- or 1-ton truck to haul. They’re also built with higher clearance so you’re able to pull them in rough terrain or snowy conditions.

Lowboy:

The lowboy toy or car hauler is designed with a lower deck with the clearance to fit a car, side-by-side (UTV) and other toys. Typically, these trailers are 8.5’ to accommodate space requirements. They’re also ideal for pulling sleds with a long track & skis, making it ideal for pulling mountains-ready sleds.

Open Sled Trailers:

Open deck sled trailers are much more economical than their enclosed counterparts. The argument of steel vs. aluminum frame comes into play here. Aluminum is lightweight while maintaining similar towing capacity and increased longevity, as it doesn’t rust or weather as quickly. However, if you’re looking for versatility beyond hauling snowmobiles or ATVs, steel is more economical as they typically cost less than an aluminum trailer would.

Winter Staycation Contest:

If you previously weren’t aware, we’re giving away some awesome trailer accessories to make your sledding experience even better this winter. Things like tie downs, explorer sleds and wheel locks are up for grabs simply by liking our Facebook or Twitter page, liking the posts and tagging a friend. Our Winter Staycation contest is on now until mid-January, 2021. Visit our social pages for more information!
Posted in Trailer Tips | Tagged with sled trailers trailer comparison | More articles by Paul Boechler

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Everest Edition trailer celebrates Flaman manager's summit

Posted by Jennifer Thompson Oct 08, 2013

Standing at 28,700 feet above sea level, the crisp mountain air whipping around him, the first rays of morning sunlight glittering on the untouched snow ahead of him, Steve Whittington, Saskatoon mountaineer and Flaman Trailers division manager, took his final steps onto the South Summit as the top of Mount Everest exploded into view. The Hillary Step and final summit ridge were all that remained between him and the top. At that moment, after living on the side of a mountain for almost two months, he knew he was going to make it.

Whittington and his climbing Sherpa Dawa had been battling a storm for hours considering turning around. When they reached The Balcony they stopped to rest and have a drink. Assessing the situation, Whittington realized his oxygen consumption had been far less than he had originally thought and he didn’t have to change tanks. This meant he was doing better than he realized. “And then I got mad. After 56 days on this mountain I was not going to let a storm turn me around,” Whittington says.

After reaching the South Summit, Whittington traversed the corniced ridge line and quickly climbed the Hillary Step. Then it was an emotional victory march as he made his way to the prayer flag adorned summit. “It was clear, it was bright, it was beautiful,” Whittington recalls. “I burned the moment into my soul.”

As Whittington stood at 29,029 feet, staring at the world below, 10 years of his blood, sweat and tears had finally culminated into that one perfect moment. There’s not a lot of time to celebrate at the top, but he and Dawa took a few moments to place prayer flags and take photos. Snapshots show Whittington with a banner dedicating his summit to childhood friend Warren Thompson and posing with a Flaman Group of Companies flag.

The team at Flaman is extremely proud that one of our own was able to accomplish such an amazing feat. To celebrate Whittington’s summit, Flaman Trailers is introducing the exclusive Everest Edition sled trailers. These trailers come with bonus, value-added features for extra convenience and functionality. Our manufacturers stepped up to help us celebrate and we’re able to offer these features at no extra cost to the customer.

The 2014 XR Series trailers come with new interior kick plates, interior black matte trim, new aluminum rims, a cabinet, coat rack, bench and a 110 Volt Plug. You can see all these great features by clicking here.

All Aluma flat deck snowmobile trailers and the 2 place enclosed sled trailer come with special Everest Edition aluminum rims. To see the different Aluma trailers Flaman has, click here.

Check out these trailers soon, as they are only available this winter! Not all XR sled trailers will feature this new package, so please talk to your local salesperson.

Whittington’s journey to the top of Everest started 10 years ago. He has more than 40 summits to his name, including five of the world’s seven summits. “Climbing Everest was a longing that I didn’t quite understand,” Whittington says. “But I knew I had to be patient enough to build the skills that I needed to climb it over the past decade.”

Whittington followed a grueling program of work outs and went on several climbing trips to increase his strength and endurance, add weight (he lost 30 pounds on the mountain) and increase his maximal oxygen intake. You can read his training blogs on Flaman Fitness’ Fit Talk blog.

Could there be a second trip up Everest in the future? Whittington is steadfast in his answer: “I have no desire to go back.” But he does have plans to finish the seven summits and eventually tap the top of Vinson Massif in Antarctica and Carstensz Pyramid in Oceania. Right now, he says, he’s focusing on his family. But the pull of the mountain is strong.

“When you’re climbing there are so many uncertainties, so many what ifs. But where other people see uncertainty, I see possibility. This is why I climb.”

Steve on the top of Mt Everest with the Flaman Group of Companies flag.

The new XR Everest Edition sled trailer comes with many great features like:

New aluminum rims Fold down bench

Coat rack

Posted in New Products | Tagged with Everest Edition sled trailers snowmobile trailers enclosed trailers flatdeck Mt Everest Steve Whittington | More articles by Jennifer Thompson

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Picking a Sled Trailer part 2

Posted by Steve Whittington Sep 30, 2013

Part 2 of Steve's Sled Trailer guide. To see part 1 which focuses on steel vs. aluminum click here

Picking an Enclosed Sled Trailer: You decided you did not want to clean off your sleds every time you reach your destination. Or you need somewhere to store your machines in the summer, or you want to work on your sleds out of the wind in the staging area. Whatever your reasons, you’re going to buy an enclosed trailer; now which type? Your options are many.

To help you understand your options here are how they’re generally classified:

The first way enclosed sled trailers are classified is by how many sleds they carry: 2 place, 3 place or 4 place.

The second way they are classified is by deck height: lowboy (deck is as low to the ground as possible) mid-deck (the deck is raised for some clearance but not too high, keeping the ramp angle down) and highboy (the deck is above the wheels so the platform is a full 8’ wide).

The third way the trailers are classified by is width, which tends to fall into two broad categories 7’ or 8’ wide (which is really 8’6” wide).

Lastly, the frames will either be steel or aluminum.

When it comes to deciding which class of trailer is right for you, it really comes down to your specific needs, but I will give you some things to consider with the most popular classes that may help your decision making.

2 place, highboy, 8’ 6” wide: This class of enclosed sled trailer tends to be the most economical. It is usually single axle without brakes, so a half tonne truck can pull it with no problem. They are often aluminum so they are quite light, which makes them even easier to move around. It is a great starter enclosed trailer. The down side of this trailer is that unless you bump up to tandem axles you do not have a drive off front ramp, and if you add another axle and a front ramp your costs sky rocket. That said, with a reverse option on today’s sleds, is the front drive-off ramp really needed?

2 or 3 place, lowboy, 7 wide: This trailer with a steel frame is also very economical. Being 7’ wide and lower to the ground means they pull well behind a truck. Plus, they are tandem axles so their ride is smoother than a bouncy single axle trailer. They also have a front ramp so you can drive your sleds in and out with ease. Beyond those points this trailer is also being used year round as a traditional cargo trailer because it is just the right size – not too big, not too small. Contractors love the access to the trailer with two ramps. The downside of these trailers is that the loading of three sleds can be difficult, but once you figure out the configuration needed it is not an issue. As well, being only 7’ wide there is not a lot of room on the inside for cabinets and racking.

3 or 4 place, lowboy, 8 wide: These enclosed units have become more popular as a multi-use unit or toy haulers. Instead of just sled trailers the ramp can be reinforced and you can haul a car or side by side MUV if you make the rear door opening high enough. If you have a lot of different toys this becomes a really economical option. Instead of two trailers you can get one built for all your toys. The down side is that you have full size fender boxes inside the trailer to maneuver around when loading your sleds, but trust me that is not a difficult issue, and if it is, are you sure you want to chase powder between the trees? The other issue with the lowboys is adding a heater. Generally the propane tanks will have to go on an extended hitch so your trailer gets a little longer overall.

3 or 4 place, mid-deck, 8 wide: These units are another popular class of toy hauler, but with a little bit more clearance. The extra clearance comes in handy for added features such an underbelly mounted fuel tank and propane tanks. The fender boxes inside the units are not as high and can be easily driven over. The disadvantage of these units is the extra clearance; if it is going to be a toy hauler trailer a lot of cars will not be able to make it up the higher angled ramp.

3 or 4 place, highboy, 8 wide: If there is a traditional enclosed sled trailer, this is it. It is still the most popular option for an enclosed sled trailer. They have a full width deck so it is very easy to drive and position your sleds for travel. The full width provides lots of room for cabinets and racking on the walls. They have lots of clearance, they track well behind a vehicle on snowy roads, plus with all the deck clearance there are no problems adding options such as on board fueling stations or under deck mounted propane tanks. Quite simply, they are specifically designed to load sleds and all their accessories the easiest out of all the trailers on the market and as a result, people buy them the most. The downside of the units is the fact that they are specifically designed for hauling sleds, being so high up you have a hard time loading cargo or recreational power sport vehicles. Lastly, again being so high up in a cross wind they act as a big sail and they push the tow vehicle around a lot.

There many other options to consider when buying a sled trailer such as adding heat or cabinets, the type of interior walls, little features such as kick plates and floor drains...the list is endless. I was talking to a manufacturer about his enclosed sled trailer production run this year and he estimated that 90% of the trailers will be unique coming down the line. The point is, there are a lot of choices in the market place. Make sure that when you are looking for a trailer you talk with someone that can educate you and provide you with all the options so you can get your trailer, your way.

Posted in Trailer Tips | Tagged with sled trailer steel trailer aluminum trailer enclosed trailers | More articles by Steve Whittington

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Winter is Coming Snowmobile Trailer Sale

Posted by Steve Whittington Sep 24, 2012

The end of September is close, and every year at Flaman Trailers we review excess stock we have from the previous year and discount our snowmobile trailers.

All 10 locations have inventory to move, and all inventory is available at all locations (pending shipping). The discounts are deep and the sale will not last long. While there is not every choice you would want (you will have to wait for the new 2013 models for that) there is a lot of choice.

Here are some examples:

20’ enclosed steel-framed Summit Series sled trailer with heat
26’ all aluminum enclosed NashCar Rage snowmobile trailers
20’ two-tone XR Series enclosed sled trailer
12’ single axle two-place enclosed all aluminum NashCar Rage snowmobile trailer
Plus 12’ aluminum and steel open deck sled trailers and 10’ steel and aluminum tilt sled trailers

Winter is coming and these units are starting to move fast, but unlike winter these deals will not last long. Hurry in to your local dealer!

Click here to see product details and photos.

Posted in Local News | Tagged with sled trailers snowmobile trailers trailers for sale winter | More articles by Steve Whittington

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Congrats to our Sled'N Snap winners!

Posted by Jennifer Thompson Jun 19, 2012

It may be summer, but there are a few people who are getting excited about snowmobiling next winter. Gerald Serson of Regina recently traveled to Saskatoon to pick up his grand prize from our Sled’N Snap Photo Contest. He won the use of an enclosed snowmobile trailer for a year!

More than 860 photos were submitted to Sled’N Snap from across Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba. The grand prize winner was determined by public voting. Just over 27,600 votes were cast for the top 20 finalists.

Gerald says he was “pretty excited” to hear he’d won the trailer. There are four people in his family who snowmobile, and he says he’ll get great use of it. His winning photo was taken at a warm up shack in Hudson Bay this past January while Serson was sledding with his family.

“This photo contest has opened people’s eyes to snowmobiling,” Serson says. “I think some people didn’t realize what’s out there for shelters and trails and all the wildlife you can see.” He believes this contest will help promote the sport and more people will want to try snowmobiling next winter.

Random draw winners were also selected by the sled associations for a 2-place tilt sled trailer. The winners were:

Charity Jarduk, Yorkton

Todd Lander, Rocky Mountain House

Treena Massey, Winnipeg

You can view all the winning photos at www.slednsnap.com.

Posted in Division News | Tagged with Sled'N Snap photos photo contest winners sled trailer | More articles by Jennifer Thompson

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Snow = Savings

Posted by Steve Whittington Jan 17, 2012

Well, we finally have snow!

It's actually looking like winter now in many parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta. This is good news for snowmobilers, who can finally get out on the trails and have some fun. And the snow is good news if you're looking to buy a trailer. At Flaman Trailers, we're celebrating the snowfall by passing on some great savings to you on snowmobile trailers.

You need a trailer to get to where you can go sledding. You may need one for storing your sleds. Currently there are sales, clearance items and manufacturer rebates on trailers. Now is really the best time to buy.

Check our website for deals or call your local dealership. You will not be disappointed. Visit https://www.flaman.com/trailers/Snowmobile-Trailers/

Posted in Division News | Tagged with snowmobile trailers sled trailers enclosed trailers trailer sale snow winter snowmobiling | More articles by Steve Whittington

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So many Sled Trailers but what should you choose?

Posted by Steve Whittington Nov 24, 2011

This season the diversity of choice for a sled trailer can be daunting. There are many brands, different dealers, options and types to choose from.

Let me try to take you through the choices with a bunch of comparison points as follows: Canadian versus American, steel versus aluminum, open versus enclosed, enclosed 7 wide versus 8.5 ft wide deck over, heated versus not heated and dealer versus dealer.

1) Canadian versus American. Let me start by writing “buy Canadian eh” whenever possible. There, I put it in writing. Not to get political but come on, if you can, support a Canadian company. That said, of the Canadian brands that provide sled trailers, the two leading players are Southland Trailers with their XR Series and Trailtech with their heavy duty steel trailers. There are others in the West notably Rainbow Trailers, Agassiz Trailers and CJay Trailers; however, their choice offering is less than the leading two. That said, the American companies do a good job, the problem is how fluid the industry is. Many companies rise and fall quite quickly (such as Pace American which recently shut its doors). Despite this, competition in the US is thick and there are all kinds of options to choose from, but beware of what you are buying and from whom. At Flaman Trailers we partner with the two leading Canadian companies and several American companies to round out our offering.

2) Steel versus aluminum. The debate rages, but there are some simple facts. Aluminum is lighter and does not rust, but it costs about a 1/3 more. Steel is stronger and on an enclosed unit it is only the tip of the trailer and the tail that is really going to show any rust. On an open deck there is a little more exposure. With the weight factor, several hundred pounds with a regular pick up makes a heck of a difference for hauling. For instance a two place aluminum open can weigh as little as 480 lb., while a two place steel open can weigh as much as 1345 lb.

3) Open versus enclosed. To be honest, it comes down to available storage, usage and budget. If you have lots of room to store your trailers in for the summer, there’s no need for an enclosed trailer otherwise. As for usage, how many a times a year will you be trailering and how far? Do you need an enclosed staging area? The amount of time you have to spend cleaning grime off your sled gets older every time. That being said, if you are hauling only a few times or short distances, get an open deck trailer, save some money and put it into your sled.

4) Enclosed lowboy/7 ft wide versus enclosed 8.5 ft wide deck over. Traditionally, if you wanted to haul sleds in Canada you purchased an 8.5’ wide deck over trailer. Your sleds parked side by side and loading and unloading was easy through the rear and front ramp. The 8.5’ wide deck over trailers, while convenient for loading, are big and if you have a steel frame trailer you need a big truck to haul your big trailer. Lowboy and 7 ft wide trailers are easier to pull and the 7 ft wide is a more convenient multi-use trailer in the off season than the 8.5 ft deck over. You can also see around the 7 wide and 8 wide lowboys with your mirrors when hauling. But loading is tricky, and you will not be walking in your trailer when loaded, there simply is no room.

5) Heated versus not heated. To heat or not to heat is a question many a customer has. The benefits of heat are obvious, but are you going to use it enough to justify the added expense? Only you can be the judge of that.

6) Dealer versus dealer. There are many dealers selling sled trailers. Your choices are many but should be made based on product knowledge, service and after sales support – not price! The trailers are all priced differently for a reason. If something is less or more at different dealers it is due to features, product quality and support the dealership offers. Educate yourself and purchase from a professional that will help you choose the best sled trailer for you.

Hope this helps!

Posted in Trailer Tips | Tagged with snowmobile trailers sled trailers trailer open flat deck enclosed highboy lowboy deck over steel aluminum Canadian | More articles by Steve Whittington

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