Travelling off-road can be as tricky as it could get. With so many obstacles preventing a smooth drive, you’ll need a vehicle capable of traversing the roughest terrains to reach your destination.
An off-road trailer is a fantastic investment to haul cargo across harsh locations. These unique vehicles are built tougher than their regular versions, with a stronger chassis, robust tyres, and heavier suspension to withstand off-road conditions.
But while a heavy-duty off-road box trailer can deliver you to your destination, the vehicle can only do so much to protect your cargo. The safety of your items relies on how you secure them on the trailer.
To help ensure your cargo is safe when travelling off-road on your trailer, follow our tips below:
Avoid Overloading
Some trailer owners get overconfident with the capabilities of their units, often overloading them with too much cargo. This makes handling unstable and impacts the braking rate, which is dangerous.
When loading your trailer, always keep the following in mind:
Maximum Weight
All trailers have a limit on their weight capacity, and it is critical to understand how much your unit can handle. You should know your trailer’s aggregatetrailer mass (ATM) and keep your load within its capacity. Other factors include braking systems, trailer weight, and certification.
Always consult local regulations to determine how much cargo you can legally load on your trailer.
Proper Nose Weight
The trailer’s nose weight is critical in ensuring safety during travel. Properly loaded loads will not put the nose weight too high or too low, and one way to determine this is how easily you can attach the trailer to the car.
The key is to balance your cargo – never put too much at the front or back of the trailer to maintain stability.
Use Straps, Cords, Nets, and Cages
Using bungee cords, lashing straps, and elastic cargo nets can help hold your cargo down and prevent them from leaping off the trailer.
Always check that the metal components of your lashing straps and cords are not corroded or rusted so they won’t break in the middle of the journey. Also, ensure these are correctly attached to prevent them from interfering with the suspension or tyres.
In addition to straps, you can also secure smaller cargo with trailer cages to keep them encapsulated.
Prevent Sliding
You can add many other features to your off-road trailer to keep cargo from sliding around the back.
For instance, you can install adjustable cargo bars on the width of the trailer to keep loads from shifting during travel.
You can also place anti-slip mats on the trailer floor for enhanced friction resistance, reducing the chance of your cargo slipping.
Efficient Off-Road Trailers
Do you need a customised off-road trailer fitted with accessories for safe cargo loading? We recommend Trailers 2000.
Trailers 2000 manufactures high-quality galvanised steel off-road trailers with the option to install cages, covers, tradesman’s or pantec tops, and more for improved efficiency and safety.
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