RV Swivel Wheel Trailer Reviews (Blue Ox, DW58, Toy-Tote)
They may or may not be legal. These swivel wheel trailers have landed in some murky legal waters. Some states consider them double towing and say it is illegal. Then they leave it up to the officer's interpretation to cite the owner or let them go. Some owners have not had a problem with the police…yet.
Many owners of these trailers love them. They also do not think they are double towing. But that is due to the fact that these trailers are fixed to your RV without a hitch. It is a matter of interpretation of how they are viewed.
To learn more about these trailers, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to read so you can get up to speed on these ‘trailers’. Take a few minutes to see how this information helps you make a towing decision.
Swivel Wheel Trailers
Swivel Wheel Trailer Reviews
Most people that have bought and owned one, seem to like their model no matter which brand it is. This design is supposed to help get rid of trailer sway as well as two a toy behind your RV without breaking any laws.
The weight capacities will vary depending on the size of the tote and the construction materials used. Most attach directly to the tow vehicle and the wheels are what help it turn.
There are no real complaints that we have come across just yet about using these devices. One owner felt it was an easier way to tow and made driving for the wife a lot better. That is not a sexist remark. It is a statement of fact as some women do not like towing anything.
While these devices are made by different brands, they are all basically the same device. The wheels swivel for better maneuverability and they attach in the same way to the tow vehicle.
Your results will vary depending on the quality of the build. What purpose these devices serve is that you get to tow your toys without buying a toy hauler and worrying about fumes inside your trailer.
Choosing a Swivel Wheel Trailer For RV
Right now this is not a popular topic with most RV websites. There is little mention of these devices currently. Information may be sparse except for guidelines on how to pick one for your traveling situations.
1. Price- might as well make this the first one. Since these devices are made by different companies and in different sizes, pick the one whose price is low enough without losing the space you want to have on the tote.
You are going to find that all models can be fairly expensive which is why it is not a popular topic right now.
2. Construction material- you want it made with strong and tough metal that will hold the weight you put on top of it. Then you want to see a quality build not an inferior one.
3. Weight capacity- some max out at a 1000 pounds and other models will be able to carry more pounds. Find the one with more weight capacity than you will need. There will be less stress on the tote and they can last longer.
4. Wheels- look at the size of the tire and make sure they are large enough to handle where you will be driving. Some totes are single wheels and others are dual wheels. The latter may be the better of the two options
Best Swivel Wheel Trailer
There is a problem. The problem comes in with the wording of these special devices. Very few are listed under swivel wheel trailers, trailers, or even totes. When you put in your search terms, everything but these devices shows up on the results page.
That only means that they are not popular enough to rank high on any search engine’s results. Blue Ox is mentioned in the title but they seem to only make weight distribution hitches and not swivel wheel trailers or totes.
Toy-totes seem to make very large swivel wheel trailers but so far all that has turned up in any search has been their Facebook page. There is a short video on YouTube demonstrating the versatility and easy handling of these trailers.
We have written about Freedom haulers or Idaho totes already and between the two companies, we think the Freedom Hauler is the better deal. Toy-Totes makes a variety of models and they are all priced under $7000.
Where Freedom Haulers lose out is in the pricing category. They make 3 models only and they cost between $9000 and $11,000. Both companies make and sell plenty of accessories to go with their totes which is one reason they are a cut above the rest.
Blue Ox Swivel Wheel Trailer
Unfortunately, Blue Ox may be out of the tote business. In checking their website, there were no products listed for this category. We also checked some retailers who sell Blue Ox products and not one of them mentions a swivel wheel tote or trailer.
There is nothing on their website or about page that mentions making and selling a tote for toy hauling. The models you see on the road today may be made by a different company or they are older discontinued models.
Mastercraft Swivel Wheel Trailer
There is a Mastercraft company but it seems dedicated to making boat trailers and not totes. They do build those trailers with a swivel wheel but not all models will have it.
The trailer models that come with a swivel wheel are made from aluminum and instead of having just the one swivel wheel, there are 2 other tires at the rear of the trailer. The swivel wheel is more for support at the hitch and has nothing in common with other totes.
The company does make replacement swivel wheels if yours does break or get damaged in some way. The cost of the trailers will run between $1000 and $4000 and they are on sale at this time.
If you are looking for a toy hauler tote, this won’t be it even though it has one swivel wheel. It is a regular trailer and you may get caught for double towing if you are not careful.
All the models we saw were hooked up to a tow vehicle in the regular trailer hitch manner and did not need special welding etc. To attach to the tow vehicle. swivel wheel trailers are a wide category it seems and most of the options are not those special totes Toy-tote or Freedom Haulers make.
DW58 Swivel Wheel Trailer
The company behind this model may be Fast Master Products Inc or it is just a dealer for the company that makes this model. The DW58 is also called a SwivelWheel-58 dual wheel and these totes have 2 swivel wheels on the rear of the device.
There is a 1200-pound capacity and all models start at almost $3800. There seem to be a few you can choose from and their size fits motorcycles and golf carts the best. Bigger toys won’t work on the models we looked at.
The deck height is 25 3/4 inches and the dimensions are 8 by 5 feet. In addition to that, they also come with DOT approved lighting and need a dual-point receiver to attach to your vehicle.
Another special feature is the flip-up design. If you do not have a lot of parking room, the tote just flips up to give you more space. However, you cannot drive with it in the flipped-up position. Make sure to lower it when you are ready to leave.
These totes also have their own VIN so you can identify it if it is ever stolen or need parts. They look like very sturdy totes.
Toy-Tote Swivel Wheel Trailer
The swivel wheel model is fairly interesting. There are 4 swivel wheels attached to the trailer or tote but they are not used when attached to your RV or tow vehicle.
Those 4 small swivel wheels are used when you are maneuvering the tote into position for towing, or storage, and so on. The pricing depends on the size and you are looking at paying approx. $4000 to $7000 for one.
There should be a tote that meets your needs at this company.
Finding Used Swivel Wheel Trailer For Sale On Craigslist
This may be difficult given the sparsity of information on the website. Craigslist is a good place to find deals but its biggest drawback is that you need to search city by city.
The second drawback that you may run into is how people advertised these totes. Some may say swivel trailer, others may say totes and still, more may just use the brand name and leave the words swivel wheel out.
If you want a better location to find one of these totes for sale, we suggest going to one of the many RV discussion forums. Not only will they have threads on the different brands, but you should also be able to get reviews, problems, and where to find parts.
Plus, you may find some for sale in the classified forums these websites include in their selection. It is a possibility to find one near you and on sale by a motivated seller.
You can try looking at the different RV new and used dealers that pop up on the results pages. But when we checked those that said they had them for sale, none were listed at this time. Check your local listings as well or any RV magazines that you receive. There may be ads in those that will speed up your search.
Are Swivel Wheel RV Totes/Trailers Legal?
This is a big question that needs to be answered. While these totes are handy and provide you with a new method of taking your toys on holiday without buying a toy hauler.
The reality of this issue is that these totes fall into a very murky gray area. Those that say it is not a trailer or a double tow use the fact that the tote does not turn at the hitch and that it is a fixed assembly.
Those that say it is a double tow use the fact that it is an addition to the tow vehicle or trailer. Even the states that make double tow illegal do not clarify the standing of these totes. Often they leave it up to the troopers on the road to make the determination of the legality of these totes.
Laws are often very broad leaving people to wonder. One other issue that may take place in California is length. Some states have length restrictions when towing. You could get pulled over for having a too long towing set up.
Most people we have read who have used these totes have said they have not had any trouble in all the states they have been to. Some have been pulled over for length but then let go since the tote is not a trailer per se.
As far as we can see, you probably will not have any trouble if you decide to attach a tote to your RV or trailer. But we provide no guarantee it won’t happen either.
Just make sure your license plate is visible so you do not get in trouble for that violation.
Some Final Words
These swivel wheel totes do not seem to be very popular despite the many brands making several models. Freedom haulers seem to be the most famous out of all the brands while some of the others are credited with making these types of trailers. Yet are not true swivel wheel totes.
They do come in handy and they all seem to be well-built and sturdy. They will do the job you need to be done and can fold up when parked. That is a bonus when you are in a small campground.
It is hard to say if they will get really popular any time soon.
