Trailer Hire Across South Africa
Trailers take up a lot of space and this is why so few people own them. They’re also expensive to buy considering most people will only use a trailer a few times a year. So it is for this reason that trailer hire in South Africa is so popular.
Trailer Hire Near Me
You can find a trailer for hire all over South Africa. From a small farming town to the major South African cities. The 6 most popular cities for renting a trailer are the following.
Reasons Why People Rent A Trailer
There are a plethora of reasons why people rent trailers instead of buying them. We’ve outlined the 5 most common reasons to rent a trailer.
Moving Homes
This is typically the most common reason. When moving from one home to another people usually have two choices. They can either use a moving company like Stuttaford Van Lines or to hire a moving truck or trailer and do it themselves.
Moving companies tend to better suit families who are moving out of large houses with lots of furniture and beds. Trailer hire is far more cost effective and better small suits small and medium size moves and for many South African’s it is the most viable option.
Collections
If you’ve recently purchased a large item of furniture second hand the easiest and most affordable way to transport it is by trailer or bakkie. If it’s single bed or sofa then a bakkie will usually suffice. However, if it’s a double bed or larger, or a lounge suite then a large trailer for hire is the way to go.
Deliveries
A lot of small businesses that need to deliver larger items every once in a while will make use of a trailer hire service. Think nurseries, artisanal furniture makers, and artists.
Seasonal Travel
Every year may South African’s living in urban areas return to their rural homelands to visit family. This often entails bringing a lot of gifts back with them.
Many of these gifts include large items like TV’s, washing machines, tables, chairs and sofa. The bus companies transporting these folks will often have to rent a trailer to accommodate the surplus of goods.
Film Crews
Film crews or production companies often rent trailers to transport surplus equipment or large props. This is usually equipment that they won’t be using for the entire making of the film/commercial and therefore just need a trailer for a few days or weeks at most.
Visiting Drop-Off Facilities
Many people need to take recyclables or garden waste to a dump or drop-off facility a few times a year. Ones car boot can only hold so much, therefore making several to the dump in one day can become annoying. Finding a trailer for hire in this instance is the perfect solution.
Sizes Of Trailer For Hire
Depending on your location there is broad scope of different size trailers for hire. Here we outline the 15 most common trailer sizes which fall either the open or closed trailer category.
Open trailers
As the name suggests these trailers don’t have any kind of canopy or covering. As a result this makes loading and unloading very easy, but of course leaves the load exposed to the elements.
Mini Load Trailer
These trailers are ideal for carrying small loads. They measure 1.8m x 1.2m x 0.8m and have a GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) of 350kg. There are no minimum car size requirements for using this trailer.
1/2 Ton Trailer
These are small load trailers. They typically measure 2m x 1.2m and x 1.2m and carry a GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) of 500kg. You’ll need to have a car with a minimum engine size of 1.5l to use this trailer.
3/4 Ton Trailer
These trailers are used for small to medium size loads. They usually come in a size 2.5m x 1.5m x 1.2m which carries a GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) of 500kg. Cars with a minimum engine size of 1.5l are required to tow this trailer.
1 Ton Trailer
Ideal for medium to large loads. It traditionally measures 3.5m x 1.8m x 1.2m and carries a GVM of 1,000kg, hence the name. Any car with an engine size of 1.5l or larger will be able to tow this trailer.
2 Ton Trailer
Trailers for hire in this size are used for transporting large loads. They measure around 4m x 1.8m x 1.2m and carry a GVM of 2,000kg. SUV’s and cars with larger engines will be better suites to towing a fully loaded trailer of this size.
Quad Trailer
This trailer is used for transporting motorbikes and quad bikes. It typically measures 2.5m x 1.5m x 0.2m and has a GVM of 750kg. A car of any size will be suitable in towing this trailer.
Flatbed Trailers
These trailers have a completely flatbed allowing for large items like beds and mattresses to be seamlessly carted around. These usually come in three different sizes, namely, 3/4 Ton (3m x 2.2m), 1 Ton (3.5m x 2.2m) and 2 Ton (4m x 2.2m) and have a GVM of 750kg. Cars of any size can tow these trailers.
Car Trailers
These are car towing trailers. Usually they come in both 1 and 2 ton varieties. The 1 ton trailer has a single axle and measures 4.5m x 2m x 0.2m. The 2 ton trailers have a double axle, measure 5m x 2m x 0.2m and usually come fitted with a winch. It is advised to use a large engine vehicle or SUV to tow a car trailer with a car on it.
Livestock Trailer
Used to transport livestock such as cattle or sheep these trailers typically measure 3m x 1.5m x 1.8m and come with a GVM of 2000kg. Bakkies or SUV’s typically tow these trailers.
Tipper Trailer
Used for transporting heavy waste such as construction rubble these trailers measure 3m x 1.5m x 0.2m and come with a GMV of 1,500kg. Large vehicles with a minimum engine size of 2l are advised to tow such a trailer.
Closed Trailers
These trailers are completely enclosed and can accommodate lots of small items. Closed trailers can also be used for transporting horses.
Luggage Trailer
These trailers are also used for small loads and are fully enclosed. This is a useful feature if travelling long distances in wet conditions. They are 6 foot long (1.8m) and have a GVM of 750kg. There are no minimum car size requirements for using this trailer.
Closed 1/2 Ton Trailer
This trailer is the same as the 1/2 Ton Open Trailer except it is fully covered. It measures around 2m x 1.2m and x 1.2m and has a GVM of 500kg. Cars should have an engine size of at least 1.5l to tow this trailer.
Closed 3/4 Ton Trailer
This trailer is the same as the 3/4 Ton Open Trailer except it is fully covered. It measures around 2.4m x 1.5m x 1.4m and has a GVM of 750kg. Cars with a minimum engine size of 1.5l can tow this trailer.
Closed 1 Ton Trailer
This is the same as the 1 Ton Open Trailer except it comes with a covering. It measures 3m x 1.5m x 1.8m and has a GVM of 750kg. Larger, more powerful vehicles such as bakkies and SUV’s will be better suited to towing this trailer.
Horse Box Trailer
Specifically designed for transporting horses, this trailer measures 3.4m x 1.5m x 2m and has a GMV of 2,500kg. These trailers can usually transport two horses standing side-by-side. Four wheel drive vehicles typically tow this kind of trailer.
Types Of Trailer Hire
Broadly speaking there are two different types of trailer hire. Firstly, the most common type is when someone rents a trailer for a few hours in their local town or city. In this instance they may be moving homes or dropping waste off at a dump.
Secondly, the other type is one way trailer hire. This is where a person rents a trailer in one place and drops it off in another. The most common reason for this may be a long distance delivery or where people are moving homes from one province to another. The most popular one way trailer hire route is between Johannesburg and Cape Town.
What Influences The Price Of Trailer Hire?
You’ll notice that the same size trailer can have quite a large rental price range. Let’s unpack this price range exists.
Location
Trailers in larger cities will fetch higher rental prices than trailers in small towns. This is because the purchasing power of people living in larger cities tends to be greater than those living in towns. Moreover, demand for trailer rental in large cities is generally greater than demand in small towns.
Quality Of The Trailer
Not all trailers are created equal. Some trailers will have more contemporary designs and better paintwork, while other may be old, dented and damaged. The rental price is indicative of the quality of a trailer.
Supply And Demand
The last aspect many people often forget to consider is the level of demand along with the total number of trailers available to rent in a given area.
If no one is renting a trailer in your area, then naturally prices will be lower. Conversely, if demand to rent a trailer is high, the rentals costs will also be relatively high.
What To Look Out For When Renting A Trailer
There are assortment of different components on a trailer and each one plays an important part in its functioning. These are the 5 most important features to pay attention to before hiring a trailer.
Frame
Carefully inspect the frame of the trailer for cracks and any signs of repairs. This will indicate the structural integrity of the trailer and whether or not it is safe to drive.
Floor
This is obviously a very important part of the trailer – it’s where all of your gear will go. Be sure to inspect the floor of the trailer to look out for any holes or signs of rust.
Tyres
Conduct a thorough inspection of all the tyres. Look for cuts, cracks and repaired holes. Because trailers bear heavy loads, these types of imperfections can very quickly become dangerous when driving. You’ll want to mitigate such risks by doing a full check beforehand.
Lights
Make sure all the lights are working. This is a very important check to do before driving off with the trailer. A trailer with broken lights is an accident in waiting.
Door
Make sure the trailer door is working properly. It should open and close seamlessly and you should be able to lock it with a key or latch. A trailer door that does not close or lock properly can be a real hazard to other cars on the road. So make sure everything is in order before leaving the trailer rental depot.