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Considerations When Selecting a Goose Trailer ...by Mike Bard What size? This is the most difficult question to answer. In reality it depends on how much stuff you have or plan to have. Lay your gear out, measure it, and then map out a trailer on paper where your gear will go to give you an idea. My advice for size is to go one size bigger than you think you need (i.e. get a 14’ if you think you need a 12’). The three of us in the Game Hogg Hunt Club that own trailers have all upgraded at least once because we simply ran out of room. Barn doors vs. ramp door - If you have a 4 wheeler the ramp door is probably a good deal, but ramp doors take a beating in the field and tend to get corn stocks, etc caught in the springs. Ramps can be slick when walking up and down, so if you go with a ramp, I’d also suggest putting a non-skid surface on it. With the barn doors, you can mount hangers in the interior of them to store more stuff as well as purchase folding ramps to use for your ATV. The barn door style does require a big step to get in and out. Single vs. dual axle - Decoys and blinds don't really weigh enough for the need of a second axle on smaller length trailers. The rear tires on a dual axle will wear much quicker than the front tires, so rotation is needed to maintain a good ride and lengthen the life of your tires. Those toll roads like to charge you by the axle too. However, if you intend to haul an ATV or other items in the off season, the two axles really are worth the extra price and maintenance. Side door – A must, side doors make things a whole lot easier to load and unload. Lighting - Interior lighting is extremely handy to have and if you are going to be pulling your trailer into the field, exterior flood lights can be nice for setting up in the dark as well. Adding lighting isn’t difficult, so it can usually be done cheaper after the purchase. You can also use an “extra” battery in the rear of your trailer to run flood lights when your truck is turned off. Height – Most full sized enclosed trailers have ~6’ interior height. That works well for guys like me who are short, but for you taller guys, you’ll want to be able to stand up in there, so add a couple inches on top of your height for boots and hats. Additional height will also give you a little more interior space to store gear, but watch those low clearance areas while traveling…you’re not getting through any drive through with an enclosed trailer anyway. Roof vents - If you'll be using your trailer for summer storage of your decoys, these are a great thing to have. They are often part of the “package” of standard accessories anyway. I've never heard of decoys melting, but the vent(s) will allow the hot air to escape. Having two in larger trailers isn’t a bad idea either. You can also have side/Salem vents installed as well for travel, and they are a nice option that won’t allow rain to get in through the roof vents. Interior storage methods - I've seen of four basic methods used: (1) The Toss Method - Just toss everything in and stack it to the ceiling. Easy and cheap to set up, but rough on gear and there is no organization …may make it hard to access certain pieces of gear without removing everything. I’ve never personally tried this method. (2) The Rod Method - This involves hanging your decoys from rods placed horizontally from side to side. Rods are usually made from metal conduit and the mounting brackets are typically made from pieces of 2x4s with a notch cut in them for the rod to set in. This method would also allow you to carry ~6 fullbodies that have feet on the rods into the field. I used this method for two seasons… I experienced some wearing on the sides of my decoys where they would rub together during travel. Hanging the rods up with decoys on them was tough for one guy. The clincher is now many FB decoys don’t have feet to hang them by given the various motion systems companies are using.
(3) Shelf Method - If you watch Zink’s® 24/7 video, “Cluckn' Crazy” you'll see a good shelving system for fullbodies. I’ve never used this method myself, but it appears that it keeps decoys in order and protected, plus leaves room down the center for additional equipment or an ATV.
 ©David Rearick, Game Hogg Hunt ClubTM (4) Stacking Method – This method requires the use of slotted bags, which decoys are placed in and then can be stacked. This allows you to take advantage of all the space within your trailer. I am currently using this method and like it. You can instantly grab two bags and pull them out, the decoys stay pretty protected inside the bags, and things remain organized. If you stack bags 3 or more high, you’ll have some shifting inside your trailer…I initially built a wall to prevent the bags from sliding/shifting forward, but have since removed it and now use a cargo net in place of the wall…this can be removed easily and still allows you to access the entire trailer from either end.
(4) Hanging Method – This method also requires the use of slotted bags, which decoys are placed in and then the bags are hung by the shoulder straps from various types of hooks/attachments. Using this method allows for the decoy to be organized and kept off the floor. It is important to get good sturdy hooks that are double the weight capacity of the bags, as riding in atrailer can cause the hooks to bend if they are weak.
Brakes - I've heard both good and bad things about electric trailer brakes, but for the larger trailers they are a must and may even be required by law in your state. They tend to get tore up if you tow through fields and add one more thing to maintain. On the other side they really do help with getting the entire rig slowed down. I’d personally opt out of getting brakes on trailers 12’ and under. Frame Structure/material – Steel frame wrapped with aluminum or Aluminum frame wrapped with aluminum. An all aluminum frame will be much lighter, easier to pull, won’t rust and might save a few bucks in gas in your truck. Steel on the other hand will rust (you can prolong/prevent by undercoating and regularly washing your trailer), it’s heavier, but it’s also much cheaper. In 2007, a 16’ all aluminum trailer from a major manufacture in NY runs about $2500 more than a major manufacture’s steel frame trailer with similar features. It all depends on what maintenance you want to do and what you intend to do with the trailer. Additionally, your wall frame (studs) – the closer they are built together the more sturdy the frame. It will hold up better bouncing around for years though corn fields, but will weigh a little more. V Nose vs. Flat Nose - V noses help a little with fuel mileage, where they really come in handy is the extra space they provide. Issues with a V nose are they add weight to the trailer and all the weight is added to the tongue. Another down side of the V nose is that it takes away the exterior tongue space on the front of the trailer where some guys like to mount diamond plate tool boxes, batteries, or small generators. The guys in Game Hogg Hunt Club all have V noses, just for that valuable extra space. Ladder Racks - I have seen these used to haul small aluminum boats, canoes, or marsh boats. You'd definitely need a step ladder to reach most of them, but if you are free lancing you never know what you're going to need, so not a bad idea to have one. Good luck with your purchase and customization!
 ©David Rearick, Game Hogg Hunt ClubTM  ©Erik Nilsson, Game Hogg Hunt ClubTM Copyright © 2008 Game Hogg Hunt ClubTM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from the author is prohibited. |
