our Manley ORV trailer

m(a)ce

Adventurer
after too many experiences packing the JK unlimited to the gills it was time to explore our options.

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most of our trips include fishing and with fishing comes rods, tackle and in our case kayaks. our goal was to find a way to bring the fishing/camping/cooking gear in an easily packable/unpackable format. moreover safe transport & comfort figured into the equation.

we tried a couple different configurations inside the JK:

flat floor
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rear seat with netting
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and other combinations of these...

all had +/- but nothing left me completely satisfied for a combination of duties- DD, spontaneous morning fishing trips, trips to the city, longer getaways, etc.

I contemplated sweet drawer slider setups like this (including either the AT rack or Frontrunner) but couldn't commit.

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our thoughts drifted towards a trailer partially due to our good friend's conqueror trailer & the conveniences associated with it. his trailer is sweet.

when we returned from our last trip I started looking more seriously at trailers. I kept coming back to Manley due to the simple, light but rugged design with flexible space. I figured between the budget & lead time it would be something to more seriously look into during the winter.

that was until a day or two later when dirtanddresses happened to text me a picture Manley posted on their Instagram for a demo trailer.

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m(a)ce

Adventurer
thanks guys!

so after seeing the post I knew we had a limited time to decide before somebody snagged it. I don't know about you but usually I research things to death. (maybe that's why I was a history major?)

In a very uncharacteristic way I suggested we go for it. After a brief discussion we were on the same page & decided to contact Manley to see if it was still available...it was!

As first time trailer people we had several questions - and Josh was amazing helpful & patient. He responded quickly & thoroughly and seemed like a solid guy.

After putting a deposit down the next step was picking up the trailer (since it was a discounted demo they really didn't want to ship but they do offer it on regular purchases). Ohio is about 7 hours away & with limited windows of down time I knew this might be an issue... especially since we wanted to get the trailer for an upcoming trip to the Adirondacks.

dirtanddresses decided she'd head out to pick it up. she's never trailered before so her dad decided to tag along for a ride (& a brief visit with family in Pittsburgh).

in person Josh was even nicer than expected. not only did he open the shop up for pickup on a Sunday morning, he stuck around to chat with them & answer questions. good stuff!

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she then drove it back to NJ. said she didn't really notice it was back there. tracked well, towed easily. gas mileage dropped from 18-19mpg (@70-75mph) to 16.5-17mpg (similar speeds).

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they made it back ok and in time for us to register/prep the trailer for a trip to upstate NY.
 

m(a)ce

Adventurer
thanks Pat!

Mark- oh boy next time its on!


We registered the trailer - took only 2 trips to the DMV! Plates went on right before our Adirondacks trip.
Manley provides a mount.
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Our trailer is the Utility model. It comes standard with a tonneau cover that is secured with snaps around the tub and braces across the tub to prevent pooling. Originally we wanted the hard covered model but we'll give this a shot.

Loading the trailer is easy since its pretty cavernous.
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The loading time was significantly less than the usual Tetris puzzle of fitting everything into the JK.

We met up early to caravan upstate.
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I've never towed any real distance before but the trailer was an incredible easy pull especially for the 3.8 motor.

The trailer tracked well & had no problems handling the rutted & rocky unimproved roads of Moose River Plains.
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The RTT was easy to deploy & we were glad to be off the ground when the coyotes came by the area the first night.
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The maiden voyage was success. I'll continue to post trailer details, updates & experiences.
 

Titanpat57

Expedition Leader
Looks good Matt!

Didn't you stay across from us last year in Vermont? Hope to see you this year!:ylsmoke:
 

m(a)ce

Adventurer
Looks good Matt!

Didn't you stay across from us last year in Vermont? Hope to see you this year!:ylsmoke:

I think so! :)


So we had a fun trip (again) to the VT rally. great to see some old friends & make some new ones. always seems too short and not enough time to make all the rounds!

on the way up from NJ we decided to make the push to score some local goodness.

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I know I keep saying it but this thing tows so easily. Moreover, its light weight makes it easy for one person to maneuver it into final position at camp.

our rally pics are in the VT rally thread but here are some trailer pics:

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Garbinator

SeekTheMoneyTree
I too am looking seriously at Manley, here in Kaliforistan, theft has become an infectious disease making my choices difficult. Shall it be a Tuffy extra large security trunk? Installed in my soft top Jeep trailer, or selling and going with either Ruger or Manley? Both offering locking hard tops. Looks-wise, I believe I prefer Manley, but, weight might be a bit more to consider. 480 pounds is not that bad as specified for the Manley trailer.

I would even PAY MORE just because Manley offers an all American built trailer.

Thanks Matt to you and your's for letting me into your mobile transportation dilemmas, and finally a grand solution!

"The Productive Consumer":ylsmoke:


<<<*+*>>>
 

m(a)ce

Adventurer
Thank you Josh & Mark!

Garbinator- glad to hear it. Definitely give Josh a shout. he's totally reachable & will answer any questions. If you get to the east coast and want to check out our trailer let us know.
 

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