What Size U-Haul Trailer Do I Need for My ATV or UTV?

It’s not uncommon for ATVers and UTVers to rent a U-Haul trailer to transport their toys. They’re solid units that can be had relatively inexpensively for a short duration, and the company offers a variety of sizes and and the option for covered or uncovered for differing security preferences and towing capabilities. And yet despite listed dimensions for each in the depths of the company’s website, we recently found out that a U-Haul’s listed gate width isn’t necessarily what the brand says it is.

Here are the open trailer sizes that U-Haul offers, their respective dimensions, and what powersports machines they’re good for hauling:

5x9 Utility Trailer with Ramp

• Inside Dimensions: 9’2” x 4’9”
• Opening/Ramp Width: 4’9” (57”)
• Empty Weight: 1,240 lbs
• Max. Load: 1,650 lbs
• Max. Gross Load: 2,890 lbs
• Ramp Capacity: 1,810 lbs

IDEAL FOR: Most ATVs. Even the ultra-wide Polaris Scrambler XP 1000 S fits. However, UTV owners be wary; many are >60” wide, which makes this a non-starter.

While we can’t tell you exactly what size each individual trailer in existence is, we can offer words of wisdom. First, the dimensions of the trailer as they’re listed-- as U-Haul calls the trailers, that is-- is not consistent with what the usable space of the trailer actually measures at. Notably, the opening through which an ATV or UTV needs to enter the bed, box, or cargo hold of the trailer varies from what the U-Haul trailer is listed as dimensionally. Chalk it up to different people managing trailers across different locations, and keeping everything perfectly aligned is effectively impossible. We highly recommend bringing a tape measure (or other measuring apparatus, should you prefer to do so with a more eclectic form of measuring) and checking the width of the opening yourself before driving the trailer home.

One other catch is the ever-present “we might not have that” factor. Once upon a time we drove to Canada to buy a Toyota 4Runner. U-Haul pulled the rug out from under us. Similarly, we went to book a standard 6’x12’ trailer to haul the 55-inch wide Polaris Scrambler XP 1000 S, and they didn’t have the exact one we were looking for, instead handing us the same size but with a ramp. The catch: The ramp-having trailer has a much narrower opening.

A few final U-Haul rental words of wisdom: You can always go bigger and enjoy excess space surrounding your ATV or UTV, but you can’t go smaller and still manage to transport the machine. It sounds trivial to say this, but it’s easy to try and spend a few bucks less to go with the smallest trailer you can manage, but once it’s at your house (or place of living), realizing you got the wrong trailer seems like a pretty silly thing that could have been easily avoided.

With countless U-Haul trailers on the roads being serviced and used by innumerable U-Haul facilities and renters, the service of a relatively inexpensive rental trailer is one that may just be worth its weight in, well, money. ATVing and UTVing is inherently expensive, but being able to snag a trailer from U-Haul for comparatively little money versus buying one is an easy way to cut financial corners, save space, or even still manage to run a trip when your own trailer is out of commission.