Utility Trailer Rentals: Open Trailers for Yard and Project Loads

An open trailer is better when the load is dirty, tall, oddly shaped or easy to load from the sides. You can toss branches over the rail, slide lumber from the back, or roll a mower up a ramp. Cleanup is easier too, because there is no closed box to sweep out.

Choose open for:

• Yard and green waste, brush and old fencing
• Lumber, pipe and building materials
• Landscaping supplies in bags
• Mowers and lawn equipment
• Old furniture and junk headed for disposal

Choose an enclosed cargo trailer for household furniture, mattresses and anything that must stay dry or out of sight.

Match the trailer to both the load and the way you will load it. Ramp models make wheeled equipment easy. Larger decks carry more but need a stronger tow vehicle. We confirm current specs when you call.

Not sure open is right? The open utility trailer page walks through the decision.

Everything on an open trailer needs to be tied down, and loose material needs to be covered. California requires loads to be secured so nothing spills or blows off, and debris from an open trailer is a real danger to drivers behind you.

• Straps: use ratchet straps from tie-down point to tie-down point, across the load.
• Nets and tarps: cover loose branches, leaves and small debris.
• Low and tight: keep the pile below the rails where possible.
• Nothing loose: remove anything that can catch wind, like empty buckets or plastic sheets.
• Recheck: stop after a few miles and tighten everything again.

Bring your own straps, tarp and net unless we confirm supplies when you call. The California DMV (opens in a new tab) has driver information on towing and trailers.

Dirt, gravel, rock, concrete and wet green waste are far heavier than they look. A trailer that looks half full can already be at its load limit. Overloading stresses the trailer tires, your hitch and your brakes.

Before you load heavy material:

• Ask us the current load capacity when you call.
• Check your vehicle's towing rating.
• Spread the weight across the deck, slightly ahead of the axle.
• Make fewer, lighter trips instead of one heavy one.

Bagged materials are easier to count and control than loose piles.

Smaller utility trailers typically suit many cars, crossovers and SUVs with a proper hitch. Larger ones, especially loaded with heavy material, typically need a pickup or larger SUV. U-Haul sets the requirements, and we check your vehicle when you call.

At pickup, we check the receiver, pin and clip, ball size, coupler latch, safety chains and lights. If you want, we also look at your tires and brakes in the same visit. See the free towing inspection page.

Empty and swept. Dirt, leaves and wood scraps should be cleared off the deck before return. If you hauled something messy, a quick hose-off at home helps. We walk around the trailer with you at return during business hours and look at the tires, lights and deck.

Take a few photos of the empty deck and the tires before you return it. For after-hours returns, confirm the steps for your rental at pickup.

Freeway speed turns every loose leaf into a projectile and every tarp into a sail. On the I-10 and I-15, big rigs passing you push gusts across an open deck, and the fall Santa Ana winds can hit a tall pile from the side without warning. Plan the load for the fastest road on your route, not the slowest.

• Speed: California limits vehicles towing a trailer to 55 mph, and posted signs often keep towing rigs in the right lanes.
• Height: a pile above the rails catches crosswind. Split it into two trips instead.
• Tarp edges: tie them every couple of feet so the wind cannot get under a corner.
• Mirrors: check the load every few minutes. A lifting tarp shows up in the mirror before it lets go.
• Surface streets first: if you can reach the disposal site or store without the freeway, the slower route is easier on an open load.

Something falling off is a hazard for the driver behind you, and the driver towing is responsible for it.

Bring the tow vehicle you told us about on the phone, plus the gear to secure the load. Most delays at pickup come from a different vehicle showing up, a missing ball mount, or no straps for the drive home.

Pickup day checklist

1. The same tow vehicle you described when you reserved.
2. Your ball mount and ball, if you own them, so we can check the size.
3. Ratchet straps rated for the load, plus spares.
4. A tarp or cargo net and cord for loose material.
5. Work gloves, a broom and a rake or shovel for unloading.
6. A plan for where the trailer will sit while you load it.

At the counter we connect the trailer, test the lights and walk around it with you. If your plans changed since the call, tell us before we hook up, because a bigger load may call for a bigger trailer or a different tow vehicle.