6x12 Utility Trailer with Ramp for Heavier Equipment

Step up when your equipment is too long, too wide or too heavy for the smaller trailer, or when you need to move two machines at once. The 6x12 gives you more deck in every direction than the 5x9 utility trailer with ramp.

Common reasons to choose the 6x12 with ramp:

• A golf cart or a utility cart
• A larger riding mower with a wide deck
• Two mowers for a landscaping job
• A mower plus a tiller and hand tools
• A compact piece of wheeled equipment within the trailer's capacity

Confirm the current deck size, ramp width and load capacity when you call, and compare them to your equipment's specs.

Find the weight before you reserve. Most equipment lists its weight in the owner's manual or on a label. Add the weight of any attachments, fuel and anything else riding on the deck.

Then compare it to two numbers:

1. The trailer's load capacity. We confirm it when you call.
2. Your tow vehicle's rating. The loaded trailer must be within what your vehicle can pull.

If either number is close, do not guess. Tell us the machine and we will help you figure out the safest option, including whether a different setup makes more sense.

Plan the order before the first one goes on. The heavier machine usually goes forward, and each machine needs its own set of straps.

1. Hitch the trailer and set your vehicle's parking brake.
2. Lower the ramp onto flat, firm ground.
3. Load the heavier machine first, positioned slightly ahead of the axle.
4. Strap it at four corners before loading the second.
5. Load the second machine behind it, leaving space between them.
6. Strap the second machine at four corners.
7. Raise and latch the ramp.

Make sure the machines cannot roll into each other under braking. Chock the wheels on both.

Golf carts are a common load for this trailer. They roll easily, which is great for loading and risky if they are not secured.

• Drive or push the cart up slowly and straight.
• Set the cart's brake and turn the key off.
• Take the key with you.
• Strap the frame at four points, not the roof supports or bumpers.
• Remove or secure loose items like seat cushions, bags and windshields if they are not firmly attached.
• Check the straps after a few miles.

Electric carts are heavy because of their batteries. Confirm the weight against the trailer capacity.

A heavier machine on a longer ramp raises the stakes. Keep people clear, go slowly and never let the trailer be unhitched while loading.

• Only the operator should be on or near the ramp during loading.
• Keep kids and pets well away.
• Do not stop halfway up the ramp.
• If a machine starts to slide or tip, get clear rather than trying to hold it.
• Keep the ramp surface free of mud, oil and loose gravel.

We show you how the ramp lowers and latches at pickup, and check the coupler before you load anything.

Heavy equipment puts real load on your hitch, rear tires and brakes. We can check your tow vehicle in the same visit as your pickup and give you a written estimate split into need and want.

We look at tire tread, age, pressure and load rating, brake pads, and the hitch receiver itself. The hitch and tow package page explains receiver classes and wiring, and the free towing inspection page covers the pickup check.

Heavy equipment makes grades the hardest part of the trip. North of Foothill Blvd the streets climb steadily toward the mountains, and the I-15 through Cajon Pass is a long climb and a long descent. Both test your engine, transmission and brakes.

• Climbing: let speed drop instead of flooring it, and watch the temperature gauge.
• Descending: shift to a lower gear before the grade starts so the engine helps hold speed.
• Braking: use firm, spaced applications instead of riding the pedal. Hot brakes fade.
• Stopping on a slope: avoid it with a loaded ramp trailer when you can. If you must, set the parking brake before releasing the pedal.
• Speed: California limits towing rigs to 55 mph, and heavy loads often call for less.

If your truck's pedal feels soft or the brakes smell hot after a grade, pull over and let them cool. Have them checked before the next load. Our transmission service page covers what heavy towing does to transmission fluid.

Unloading is where people relax too early. The machine is heavier going down the ramp than it felt going up, and job sites are rarely flat.

Job site unloading checklist

1. Pick firm, level ground. Soft lawn lets the ramp sink on one side.
2. Watch for sprinkler heads, curbs and hoses under the ramp.
3. Keep the trailer hitched and the truck in park with the brake set.
4. Remove the rear machine's straps first, then back it down slowly.
5. Leave the front machine strapped until the rear one is clear.
6. Keep helpers beside the ramp, never behind the machine.
7. Raise and latch the ramp before you move the truck.

Once the trailer is empty, restrap anything left on the deck, like chocks or tools, so nothing slides on the drive back.