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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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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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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