Recreation Fire

Recreation, United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Technology &
Development Program
February 1997

2300/5100 9723-2310 –MTDC

ATV Utility and Gravel Trailer

Brian Vachowski, Project Leader

ATV Utility and Gravel Trailer

The Missoula Technology and Development Center
(MTDC) has construction drawings available for a
rugged, steel trailer designed to be pulled behind an all-
terrain vehicle (ATV) (Figure 1). The trailer has been
used on the Palouse Ranger District, Clearwater
National Forest, over the past several years. It
has proven invaluable for hauling gravel
and supplies for trail work on their ATV
trail system. It should be equally well
suited for other project work like hauling
supplies on fires, for fencing projects, or
wherever an ATV is a safe and appropriate
tool to help get the job done.

The trailer is quite versatile. Special features include

an easily detachable dump bed that pivots, an
adjustable tailgate for spreading gravel, bunk
supports for carrying longer items like posts, and a
removable bed that allows long timbers to be secured
to the axle and dragged behind the ATV. Local metal
fabrication shops should be able to construct the trailer
from the available plans.

Figure 1—This sturdy ATV trailer features a dump bed and

Features of the Trailer
adjustable tailgate.
Mike Peterson, formerly with the Palouse Ranger
District and now at the Intermountain Research Station
in Moscow, ID, designed the trailer. It was fabricated at
Acknowledgments a shop in Palouse, WA. MTDC drafted the plans for the
Thanks to the following people who played key roles in this trailer as it was built, did some validation testing, and
project: made a few minor design changes.
Mike Peterson—Intermountain Research Station,
Moscow, ID Other ATV trailers are commercially available. Most
Debra O’Rourke—MTDC are not as sturdy—or as expensive—as this one.
Neal Maier—MTDC
MTDC did not evaluate any other trailers.
Dick Karsky—MTDC

For additional Information contact: Brian Vachowski, Project Leader, Missoula Technology & Development Center,
5785 Hwy. 10 West, Missoula, MT 59808-9361. Phone: (406) 329-3935; FAX: (406) 329-3719; DG: [Link]:R01A 1
Specifications for the ATV Utility and Gravel Trailer Our test ATV was a 1996 Polaris Magnum 425 four-
wheel drive. We loaded the trailer with 800 pounds (360
Empty trailer weight (114.75 kg) kg) of gravel, and added five posts (Figure 3) to test it
255 pounds with an overloaded, back-heavy load. The combination
Maximum recommended 800 pounds (360 kg)* handled well up and down the 5 to 10% grades of a
load capacity typical ATV trail. The ATV had a tendency to lose
traction and spin out unless four-wheel drive was
Bed length 48 inches (1219 mm) engaged. Starting from a stop, the ATV could not pull
Overall length 771¦2 inches (1969 mm) the trailer out of a short pitch of approximately 25%
Bed width 473¦4 inches (1213 mm) grade, but did just barely make it after we unloaded the
posts.
Overall width 48 inches (1219 mm)
Height 42 inches (1067 mm)
Tires 22 x 11.00-8 ATV tires
(inflated to 10 PSI
{68.9 KPa} when loaded)
Hitch type Pin

* The trailer will physically hold nearly 1900 pounds (855 kg) of
gravel, but it is not safe to operate with that much weight.

Limited Testing
Experienced ATV operators on the district trail crew
have used the trailer safely for several years. In limited
validation testing, we determined that when the trailer
was three-quarters full of gravel (weighing about 1160 Figure 3—Posts and gravel used for validation testing.
pounds or 522 kg), the ATV could not pull the load up
slopes without spinning out, the tires were overloaded,
and the ATV did not handle well. Therefore, for actual
The trailer handled well on sideslopes that the ATV
field testing, we reduced the load of gravel to 800
could handle comfortably and safely.
pounds (360 kg) (Figure 2). This is the amount we
recommend as a maximum capacity.
The manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure is 5
pounds per square inch (PSI) (34.5 KPa). We inflated
the trailer tires to 10 PSI (68.9 KPa) to keep them from
flattening under the 800-pound (360-kg) load. Increased
risk of sidewall punctures and abrasion damage would
be expected with this increased pressure.

The dump body releases easily and can be raised with

little effort (Figure 4). The whole dump bed can be
easily removed by pulling two pins (Figure 5). That
way, the axle can support one end of long timbers that
can be dragged to remote construction sites.

Opening only the bottom 3 inches (76 mm) of the two-

part tailgate worked great for laying gravel in a
continuous line (Figure 6). The flow rate is controlled
by the speed of the ATV and by chain adjusters on the
tailgate. The trailer we tested did not have chain
Figure 2—This maximum recommended load of 800 pounds of adjusters, but we added them to the construction
gravel fills the trailer less than half full. drawings. Once the trailer was unlatched and lifted, it

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 remained in the dump position until empty.

When the entire tailgate was unbolted and lifted (Figure

7), it stayed in the raised position so material could be
shoveled out. The entire tailgate can be easily
removed to haul longer materials in the bed.

Figure 4—It takes very little effort to operate the dump body.

Figure 7—The entire tailgate can be lifted as shown or removed

altogether.

Safe ATV and Trailer Operation

Forest Service employees who operate ATV’s on
official business must attend a standardized ATV
Figure 5—Pull two pins to remove the box.
training course, pass the course and a field operations
evaluation, and be certified as successfully completing
a training curriculum as recommended by the
Consumer Product Safety Commission (Hoshide and
others, 1993).

ATV operators who tow trailers need to recognize that

some handling characteristics of the ATV may be
compromised. An ATV with a loaded trailer can easily
“rear up” when driving uphill. Also, steering ability going
uphill is reduced. Going downhill, the force of an
overloaded trailer can lift the rear wheels of an ATV off
the ground, resulting in a side skid or rollover.

Proper training, prudent operation, and common sense

are critical. With a trailer, an ATV is more difficult to
control. Go slower, do not drive on steep slopes, and
make sure the trailer is not overloaded. Keep weight
forward and as low as possible in the trailer, and
consider how the center of gravity will affect vehicle
Figure 6—Gravel flow was uniform and adjustable.

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and trailer stability on slopes you will be negotiating. Sources
Complete a job hazard analysis that relates to the
specific project, ATV, trailer, terrain, and operator skill Construction Drawings
level.
USDA Forest Service-MTDC
Nordfjell (1995) cites the development of a new ATV 5785 Hwy. 10 West
trailer hitch, called the Garphitch, which moves the Missoula, MT 59808-9361
vertical force of the trailer in front of the rear axle Ph: (406) 329-3900
instead of behind it (Figure 8). This reduces many of DG: MTDC:R01A
the problems mentioned above. The Garphitch,
developed in Sweden, is not yet widely available in the
United States, and MTDC has not evaluated it. Fabrication of Prototype
Palouse Welding and Machine Shop
605 East Main
P.O. Box 187
Construction Drawings Available Palouse, WA 99161-0187
Ph: (509) 878-1551
For a complete set of construction drawings, contact
MTDC and ask for Drawing No. MTDC-928, ATV Utility
Trailer. Most metal fabrication shops should be able to
construct the trailer using the drawings.
References
The prototype trailer cost $855 to build in 1995.
Hoshide, Gary; Dolfay, Michael; Horton,
Phil; Lockwood, Cam. 1993. ATV
operator training. Tech Tip 9467-2304-
MTDC. Missoula, MT: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, Missoula Technology and
Development Center. 4 p.

Nordfjell, Tomas, 1995.

ATVs in forestry: Risk of
accidents, ergonomic
problems and possible
solutions. Garpenberg,
Sweden. Res. Notes
283. Swedish
University of
Agricultural Sciences,
Department of
Operational Efficiency.
53 p.

Figure 8—The Swedish Garphitch may provide safer handling characteristics for ATVs towing trailers.

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