4 Dog Trailer

Getting four working dogs to a hunt or a field trial without them fighting for space is exactly what the 4 Dog Trailer is built to solve. Each animal gets its own padlockable compartment, its own vent and its own floor drain. TRAILERS SA stocks this model new in Hartswater and sells it as a retailer, which means the figures below are the published builder figures rather than our own estimates.

4 Dog Trailer specifications as published

Every line here comes from the builder specification sheet. Nothing has been added, and where a value is not published we have left the row out.

What is fitted to every unit

• Body built from 0.9 mm corrosion resistant rigidised zinc galvanised sheet steel
• Four separate compartments divided by internal partitions
• Four padlockable doors, each with an adjustable sliding vent against wind, sun and rain
• Mesh hole in every compartment floor for washing out
• Weather proof sprung roof vents with screens so a dog cannot push through
• Top hat sections formed into the sides to stop drumming and vibration
• Multi function LED lights and a robust number plate light
• Steel number plate mounting panel
• Padlockable front mounted spare wheel bracket, spare wheel 165 x 13 inch included
• Adjustable jockey wheel and coated cast alloy door hinges

Towing and licensing without brakes

Tare is 220 kg and GVM is 700 kg, which keeps the trailer under the 750 kg threshold where brakes become compulsory. That matters in practice: almost any bakkie or SUV with a fitted towbar can pull it legally, and there is no over-run coupling to service. A non-braked trailer also means one less annual service item and no coupling damper to replace. Payload is 480 kg, which is far more than four dogs weigh, so the limit you will hit first is space and not mass. Towing and licensing requirements are set out in the National Road Traffic Act.

How the 4 Dog Trailer compares with its siblings

The step up from here is the 6 Dog Trailer, which stretches the body from 1660 mm to 2400 mm and adds two more compartments while keeping the same 700 kg GVM and non-braked axle. Above that sits the eight dog model, which moves to a braked 1250 kg axle and 195 x 14 inch wheels. If four compartments cover your pack, the shortest trailer is also the easiest to reverse, the cheapest to tyre and the lightest on fuel.

Who buys a four compartment dog box

Hunting parties, working farms with a pack of dogs, field trial competitors and kennels moving animals between properties are the usual buyers. The four compartment layout suits anyone who needs to keep dogs apart in transit, whether that is because of temperament, because a bitch is in season, or simply to stop them treading on each other on a long gravel road. Bakkie canopies get crowded fast, and a dedicated box keeps mud, hair and smell out of the vehicle. The wider range sits on the dog trailers category page.

Ventilation, hygiene and noise

Every compartment has a mesh hole in the floor, so the trailer can be hosed out where it stands and the water leaves rather than pooling. The sliding vents on the doors let you close down against a cold night or open up in heat, and the sprung roof vents are screened so a determined dog cannot force its head through. Formed top hat sections in the side panels cut the drumming that otherwise makes a steel dog box unpleasant to travel behind. A quick rinse and an open door after each trip is most of the maintenance this body needs, and dried out galvanised panels will comfortably outlast a set of tyres.

Ordering, delivery and warranty

This trailer sits above the R20 000 threshold, so delivery anywhere in South Africa is free, and the delivery page sets out how that works. Collection from our Hartswater yard is welcome if you would rather inspect before you load. The builder warranty applies, and we administer it on your behalf, with the detail on the warranty page. Need it specified differently, or need a written price for a kennel or a syndicate? Send the request through the quote form.