Bear Trailersports Custom Flatbed Trailer

Tow Tech Traveling and four-wheeling go hand in hand. But if your 4x is less than street-friendly or you're getting tired of holding back on the trail for fear that your ride won't survive the long road home, then it's probably time to look into a trailer. Like most things, not all trailers are created equal. From wood and metal decks to torsion and leaf-sprung axles, finding the right trailer to fit your needs and budget requires a little time and research.

For many Jeep owners a traditional low-slung steel car hauler where you can drive between the fenders is usually a light and popular choice. Though for guys running bigger, wider, and heavier rigs, a utility trailer with a wooden deck seems to be a more common since they're equipped with wider decks. Both have their ups and downs. While we like the low stance and light weight of car trailers, they're usually not wide or stout enough for our bigger trail rigs. Although the utility trailer may have the capacity and size, they are traditionally taller and require a fifth wheel or gooseneck hitch. To us, the best option is to build a custom hybrid hauler.

To find out more about creating a custom trailer we headed over to the trailer experts at Bear Trailersports in Chatsworth, California. With years of experience and a dedication to craftsmanship, owner Vic Meymarian strives to create custom trailers to fit each customer's wants and needs. With some of our project vehicles spanning 98 inches wide and weighing around 7,000-plus, we needed something heavy-duty and yet simple that would accompany a variety of rigs.

The answer to our towing needs came in the form of a 16-foot-long and 102-inch-wide custom single-vehicle flat-deck trailer. Since low-and-wide is always a safe and stable combo, we went with an all-steel, drive-over, fender-style hauler with reinforced fenders and torsion axles, combining the best traits of the utility and car-style haulers.

Compiled here are some of the highlights of the build and some things to look for whenever it's time to create your own custom hauler. Just remember that a well-built trailer is more than just cheap trail insurance; it's peace of mind that you can pull behind.

If you're towing a heavy trail rig, make certain that the trailer's frame is strong enough for the task. Since our trailer is 102 inches wide, we ran an additional 2x6.188-wall framerail to add rigidity and strength to the overall trailer structure. This is especially important when carrying extremely wide-track vehicles, as most of the rig's weight will be placed on the outer portions of the trailer, versus a traditional car hauler where the vehicle resides between the fenderwells.
If you're towing a heavy trail rig, make certain that the trailer's frame is strong enough
We went with torsion axles over a more traditional leaf-sprung system because the independent torsion setup is a bit more durable. The 6,400-pound tandem axles each support a set of 12-inch electric brakes that attach to the spindle. Two of the benefits of using a torsion axle is that adjusting the trailer height is easy and the unit bearing design makes it an easy system to replace if it were ever to fail.
We went with torsion axles over a more traditional leaf-sprung system because the independ
A well-lit trailer, especially a wide one, is extremely safe and helpful for towing at night. In addition to deck lighting for night loading, we opted for a set of frenched LED tail lights...
A well-lit trailer, especially a wide one, is extremely safe and helpful for towing at nig

...and reverse halogens with stainless steel bezels. Be sure to recess your rear lights as much as possible since they are usually the first things to get bashed.
...and reverse halogens with stainless steel bezels. Be sure to recess your rear lights as
Since it was important to keep our trailer low and stable the crew at Bear Trailersports designed it as a drive-over, fender-style trailer. Unlike taller utility or heavy-equipment trailers, our deck can support the weight and size of heavy rigs, but will have a lower stance...
Since it was important to keep our trailer low and stable the crew at Bear Trailersports d
...To give us more room on deck and make driving over the fenders easier, a set of removable ramps was built.
...To give us more room on deck and make driving over the fenders easier, a set of removab

Trailers are meant for hauling our abused trail rigs, and this means the deck itself needs to be tough. With a two-stage powdercoat covering most of our 16-foot trailer, we finished off the middle portion of the deck by riveting down a polished sheet of diamond-plate. This durable deck is sure to give us a great work surface when parts pop on the trail.
Trailers are meant for hauling our abused trail rigs, and this means the deck itself needs
Spare tires are a must-have, but can sometimes be right in the way when they are mounted on the deck. This trick hide-a-way spare tire holder works perfectly to keep our extra 225/75/16 E-range trailer tire out of the way and protected.
Spare tires are a must-have, but can sometimes be right in the way when they are mounted o
From tie-downs, wheel stops, and hitches, a lockable storage box is a great way to house all your trailer accessories. A 12V battery also resides inside of the box in a protective case and is used to power the electric jack and additional deck lighting. Though we have provisions if we ever feel the need to add a winch, for now most of our trail rigs are equipped with one, so we simply added a pull point.
From tie-downs, wheel stops, and hitches, a lockable storage box is a great way to house a