- Cargo Trailers
- Utility Trailers
- Trailer Knowledge
Key Takeaways: Quick Decision Guide
- Choose enclosed cargo if security or weather matters: Anything that cannot get wet, or anything worth stealing, belongs behind locked doors.
- Choose open utility if you load from the side or the top: Mowers, mulch, brush, appliances and anything awkward go in faster without a roof in the way.
- An open trailer carries more at the same size: A 6x12 utility trailer typically nets roughly 2,000 lbs of payload, while a comparable single-axle 6x12 enclosed model lands closer to 1,500 lbs because the box itself weighs several hundred pounds.
- Enclosed costs more to buy and more to tow: The walls and roof add weight and wind resistance, which shows up in both the sticker and the fuel gauge.
- Both are available in the same popular footprints: 5x8, 5x10, 6x10 and 6x12 exist in each format, so size is rarely the deciding factor.
If your load needs to stay dry and locked, buy enclosed cargo. If you load bulky or dirty items and want the lightest, cheapest way to move them, buy open utility. That single distinction settles most of these decisions, and everything below explains where it breaks down: payload, tow weight, loading access, security and long-term cost.
Both formats are built on the same steel frame principles and both are stocked in the same common footprints, so this is genuinely a use-case decision rather than a quality one. Comparisons here are drawn from our steel enclosed cargo trailers and open utility trailers.
The Core Difference Is Access, Not Capacity
An enclosed cargo trailer is a locking box on wheels. You load through a rear ramp or barn doors, and sometimes a side door. An open utility trailer is a deck with low rails. You load from the back, either side, or straight down from above with a loader or by hand.
That access difference drives almost everything else. Sliding a washing machine over a low side rail takes seconds. Getting the same appliance through a rear door and down a narrow enclosed aisle takes considerably longer. Conversely, a laptop bag left in an open trailer overnight is gone, and a pallet of drywall in an open trailer is ruined by one rainstorm.
Payload: The Result That Surprises People
Buyers often assume the enclosed trailer is the heavy-duty option. At the same footprint and the same axle rating, the opposite is generally true, because the box eats into your payload.
6x12 Single Axle, Open vs Enclosed
- Open utility 6x12: approximately 2,990 lbs GVWR, empty weight around 980 lbs, leaving roughly 2,000 lbs of payload.
- Enclosed cargo 6x12, single axle: approximately 2,990 lbs GVWR, empty weight in the range of 1,300 to 1,600 lbs depending on tier, leaving roughly 1,400 to 1,650 lbs of payload.
- Interior width runs about 6 feet 2 inches on the open deck and roughly 5 feet 8 inches inside the enclosed box, since the walls take up space.
- Deck height on the open utility sits around 19 inches, which matters for ramp angle when you are loading a mower.
Please note: Listed dimensions and specifications are approximate and subject to change. Please verify exact dimensions with your local store before purchase.
The practical effect is that an open utility trailer gives you a few hundred extra pounds of useful capacity and a wider floor for the same nominal size. Riders and haulers who need both protection and payload usually move up to a tandem-axle enclosed model instead, where the rating climbs to around 7,000 lbs. Our guide to single axle versus tandem axle trailers covers where that threshold sits.
Weather and Security
This is the reason most people pay the enclosed premium, and it is worth being honest about how much it matters for your particular load.
- Enclosed protects continuously: Rain, road salt, gravel thrown up by traffic and UV exposure all stop at the wall. For tools, electronics, furniture, retail stock or anything with a finish, that protection generally pays for itself.
- Enclosed locks: Contents are out of sight and behind a door. If you leave the trailer loaded overnight, at a job site or in a hotel lot, this is typically the deciding factor.
- Open exposes everything: A tarp and ratchet straps help, but they are a temporary measure rather than protection. For soil, gravel, brush, scrap or a mower that already lives outdoors, that exposure usually costs you nothing.
Towing Weight and Fuel
An enclosed trailer of the same footprint typically weighs several hundred pounds more empty and presents a much larger flat face to the wind. Both effects show up while you tow.
Empty weight on a 6x12 runs roughly 980 lbs open against roughly 1,300 to 1,600 lbs enclosed. Add the aerodynamic drag of a 6 foot tall box and highway fuel economy generally takes a noticeable hit that an open deck does not cause. If you are close to your vehicle's limits, it is worth reading our explanation of trailer GVWR and responsible towing before committing to the heavier format.
Please note: Listed dimensions and specifications are approximate and subject to change. Please verify exact dimensions with your local store before purchase.
Loading and Unloading in Practice
- Overhead loading: Only the open trailer allows it. If a skid steer, tractor bucket or crew is dropping material in from above, an enclosed roof rules the format out entirely.
- Side loading: Open decks let you work from either side, which matters for long or awkward items.
- Ramp loading: Both formats handle wheeled equipment well. Enclosed models with a rear ramp door give you a graded surface, and the reinforced ramp available on 6 foot, 7 foot and 102 inch wide ramp-rear models is worth specifying for heavier machines.
- Tie-down points: Enclosed models offer wall anchors as well as floor D-rings, which gives you strap angles an open trailer cannot match. Provision varies by tier, so confirm on the specific unit.
Cost Over the Life of the Trailer
Enclosed models cost more up front, and the gap generally holds at resale rather than closing. The offsetting argument is that an enclosed trailer doubles as lockable storage between jobs, which is worth real money if the alternative is renting a storage unit or clearing garage space.
Open utility trailers have fewer components that can fail. There is no roof to seal, no door hardware to adjust and no interior to keep dry. Maintenance is generally limited to tires, bearings, lights and the deck surface. Either way, it is worth reviewing the trailer warranty coverage on the specific tier you are pricing, since coverage varies by line.
Which One Fits Your Work
A few conditions settle it quickly. Contractors carrying tools and materials that need to stay secure between sites are generally better served by enclosed. Landscapers moving mulch, soil and mowers almost always want open, because overhead loading and hosing out the deck are daily requirements. Homeowners doing occasional dump runs and furniture moves typically find an open 5x10 or 6x12 covers the work at the lowest cost.
Anyone running a mobile business, hauling anything with a finish, or storing gear in the trailer between jobs should generally be looking at enclosed. And if you find yourself genuinely split, size is rarely the tiebreaker, since both formats are stocked in the same common footprints. Our overview of choosing the right trailer size works through that question separately.
Find the Right Trailer at TrailersPlus
TrailersPlus is the nation's largest independent trailer dealer, carrying Interstate trailers across over 90 locations nationwide. Seeing both formats side by side in a lot settles this decision faster than any spec sheet, because the loading difference is obvious the moment you stand next to them. Browse the current trailer inventory to compare configurations, or find a trailer dealership near you where staff can pull exact measurements for the models you are weighing up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a cargo trailer or a utility trailer better for moving house?
For a household move an enclosed cargo trailer is generally the better choice, because furniture and boxes need protection from weather and the contents stay locked during overnight stops. An open utility trailer can work for a short local move in dry conditions, particularly if you are mainly shifting appliances and yard equipment.
Can you convert a utility trailer into an enclosed trailer?
Aftermarket cages, racks and tarp systems exist, but they generally do not provide the weather sealing or security of a purpose-built enclosed trailer, and adding structure affects both the weight balance and the payload you have left. In most cases buying the format you actually need works out better than converting.
Which trailer type holds its value better?
Enclosed cargo trailers typically command higher resale figures than comparable open utility trailers, largely because they cost more new and appeal to a broader set of buyers. Condition, tier and how well the roof and floor have been maintained usually matter more than the format alone.
Do I need brakes on either type?
Brake requirements are generally tied to the trailer's gross weight rating rather than whether it is open or enclosed, and the thresholds vary from state to state. Many tandem-axle models come with braking axles as standard. Checking the rules that apply where you tow is the safest approach.
Is an enclosed trailer harder to tow?
It is generally heavier and catches more crosswind because of the tall flat sides, so it asks a little more of both the driver and the tow vehicle. Most people adapt within a trip or two, though it is worth allowing extra stopping distance and being cautious when passing high-sided vehicles.
