Trailers Vs Roof-racks
Off-road trailers must be designed and built to withstand extended outback travel: Sand, mud, rocks, ridges, troughs and axle-cracking corrugations.
South Africa has some very good trailers and trailer accessories. Quality is generally very good with only a few poor quality products remaining in the market. This chapter will hopefully assist you in making the decision to either buy or not buy a trailer, or when selecting a trailer choosing one that will be a practical addition to your off-road excursion experience.
Trailers – their advantages over roof racks are:
• Easier to load and unload, especially heavy items such as full
Jerry cans.
• Payload is significantly higher than a roof rack.
• Trailers do not negatively effect the vehicle’s center of gravity.
• Extra equipment can be loaded onto the trailer lid which can also be used as a work surface.
• Packing and unpacking is often quicker than a vehicle.
• Built-in kitchens help take the chore out of camp cooking.
• Heavy items carried in the trailer can be left at ‘base’ while game driving and exploring.
Their disadvantages over roof racks are:
• More difficult to tow over loose and uneven surfaces.
• Experience is required when driving off-road and reversing.
• Trailers can be a severe hindrance in any terrain where traction
is a problem.
• A poorly loaded trailer can cause instability when cornering
and braking.
• A trailer adds wear and tear to the towing vehicle,
exaggerated when the trailer is badly loaded or when towed
by inexperienced drivers.
