A mobility scooter trailer tows your scooter or power wheelchair behind the car on its own wheels, so almost none of the weight hangs on your hitch. That matters once a chair passes 300 lb, because a hitch mounted lift puts the whole load on the hitch and we have seen vehicles damaged that way. We sell one trailer, the ScootaTrailer, open or with a lockable aluminum top. It carries scooters and power chairs up to 600 lb, it has been built in Lexington, North Carolina since 2003, and we have been fitting it to customers’ chairs and cars by phone for years.
Both versions come from the same factory. The open trailer suits a scooter that can live outdoors or a dual seat model whose armrests sit above the walls. The version with the 52 in aluminum top keeps the scooter dry and locked, and the top can be added to an open trailer later. Everything below comes from the maker’s own documents and from the questions our customers have asked us over the years. If your question is not here, call us at 1-888-233-5563 and ask for someone who has sold these.
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The bed is 66 in long. The loading entrance is 35.5 in wide and the bed opens out a little wider past the gate, so the entrance is the number to measure against. Anything up to 600 lb is within the rating. With the aluminum top fitted there is 52 in of height inside, which clears a full size power chair with the seat at its lowest.
The measurement people miss is armrest height. The trailer walls are high enough that armrests set low will catch on them when you drive in. ScootaTrailer asks that the distance from the floor of your scooter to the underside of the armrest tubing be more than 20.5 in. Most power chairs and heavy duty scooters clear that easily. Dual seat scooters with a canopy are the usual exception, and for those we advise the open trailer and a heavy duty cover rather than the top, so the armrests ride above the walls.
Some real examples from customers we have helped. A Pride Jazzy 1450 fits with room above it under the top. A Permobil M3 Corpus at about 31 in wide and 42 in long fits the bed with inches to spare. A dual seat Afiscooter S4 at 37 in wide is a very tight fit and needs the open trailer. If you want a quick answer for your own model, our scooter carrier finder and power wheelchair carrier finder check the trailer and our hitch lift against the published specs of most makes and models, including ones we do not sell.
Any vehicle that can take a hitch can tow this trailer, including compact cars. The maker’s answer to the question is that every vehicle in America is compatible, and in years of selling it we have not found one that was not. You need a 2 in ball with its center 17 to 19 in off the ground and a flat 4 pin light connector. If your receiver sits higher, as it does on many SUVs, a drop ball mount brings it into range. A customer’s 4Runner receiver sat at 20 in and a one inch drop mount brought it into range.
The reason we steer heavy chairs toward the trailer rather than a hitch lift is simple. A lift hangs the full weight of the chair plus its own weight on the hitch as tongue weight. A trailer rolls on its own wheels, so only about a tenth of the load presses down on the hitch. We have seen Toyotas damaged by heavy hitch carriers. A trailer carrying a 385 lb power chair behind the same Toyota is well within its limits.
Do check two numbers in your owner’s manual before you order. The trailer weighs 400 lb open or 475 lb with the top, so with a 600 lb chair inside you are towing a little over 1,000 lb, and the towing capacity has to cover that. The tongue weight limit then only needs to cover about a tenth of it.
Yes. It rides on 145 x 12 in 8 ply high speed radials rated 1,250 lb each, on a Dexter Torflex rubber torsion axle with independent suspension and E-Z Lube spindles. We have told customers who drive hours each way for medical visits that it will handle constant 70 mph highway driving, and we stand by that. The question we are asked most before purchase is whether it sways when a truck passes. We have never had a sway complaint from an owner, and a properly hitched trailer with the load centered shows no abnormal movement.
The open trailer is lighter and cheaper and it is the right choice for a dual seat scooter with a canopy. The aluminum top adds a lockable lid with 52 in of inside height, so the scooter rides out of the rain and out of sight, and it lifts on gas shocks so one person can open it.
Every trailer leaves the factory ready to take a top later. Fitting one takes about 15 minutes with two wrenches. The catch is freight. A top shipped on its own costs about as much to ship as the whole trailer did, so if you think you will want it, order it with the trailer. A later top is quoted against your trailer’s 17 digit VIN and takes two to three weeks to build.
The bed sits 9 in off the ground and the ramp gate is about 36 in long, so the climb is shallow enough for a scooter or power chair to drive up under its own power. The gate is spray rubber coated for grip and assisted by gas shocks, so it is light to raise and latch. The floor is spray rubber coated as standard. If you want the whole bed lined, the rubber bed liner is a separate add on.
Four rope pull tie downs with ten hook locations are built into the bed, so you are not buying ratchet straps separately. Drive in, leave the scooter in drive mode so its brake holds it, and clip the four tie downs. The front swivel jack has a caster wheel, so once it is off the car one person can roll the empty trailer into a garage by hand.
If you want to check the loading angle at home, mark a wall 9 in up, run a tape 36 in out along the floor, and look at the slope. That is the maker’s own suggestion and it has settled the question for several of our customers.
The trailer ships by freight in a box, with the wheels, jack, tongue and ramp gate off. If you collect it from the factory in Lexington, North Carolina, it is handed over fully assembled at no extra charge and you can see one built before you buy. Shipped units take four steps with ordinary hand tools. The wheels and hubs arrive greased, so there is nothing to lubricate before the first trip.
You need a 13/16 in socket with a 1/2 in ratchet, a 9/16 in wrench and socket, a 15/16 in socket and wrench, a 5/8 in socket, and a thin wall 9/16 in socket on a 3/8 in drive with an extension.
The one mistake we see is over tightening the shock nut. The nylon lock nut should sit flush with the end of the bolt and leave the shock free to move. Tighten it hard and the shock snaps the first time the gate comes down. One customer went through three before the cause was found. The top goes on the same way, with a nylon washer between each pair of hinges and the nuts snug but not tight.
The ScootaTrailer is a motor vehicle under the federal definition, so it has a VIN and in most states it is registered and plated at your DMV like any other trailer. Because we are not a licensed auto dealer, the factory issues the Certificate of Origin and a paid in full invoice directly in your name and address, exactly as they appear on your driver license. With those two papers the DMV needs nothing else from you, and the maker charges nothing for them.
Give us the name on your license exactly as printed when you order. A certificate reissued because the name was wrong costs over $200 and a signed hold harmless agreement. What you pay at the DMV depends on your state. Some charge tax and a registration fee, some require nothing. Factory pickup in North Carolina has its own rule, where residents register at NC DMV before towing away and out of state buyers leave with a 30 day marker and register at home.
Each trailer is built to order in Lexington, North Carolina and the build takes approximately 4 weeks. The factory ships Monday to Thursday by freight to your curb, and we send you the tracking link the day it leaves. If you need it sooner, the expedited build option moves your order ahead of the queue and ships on the third business day after payment. It does not shorten the freight time.
We usually send your order to the factory on the next business day, so you can cancel for a full refund within 24 hours of ordering. After that the factory bills a cancellation charge and the card company keeps its processing fee, and we pass on only what we cannot recover. We tell you the exact amount before we cancel anything. Once the trailer has shipped it cannot be returned, because it is a motor vehicle under the federal definition, titled in your name. If anything is wrong with it, that is handled under the warranty, not as a return.
When the freight driver arrives, open the box and look before you sign. If the driver will not wait, write that on the receipt and take photos. Freight damage is rare, and when it does happen the maker arranges the pickup and the replacement at no cost to you, one VIN at a time, and a repair never voids the warranty.
ScootaTrailer gives a one year limited warranty. It only starts when you activate it. A yellow warranty sheet is in the DMV paperwork envelope that ships with the trailer, the only yellow page in there, and it has to be filled in and mailed with proof of purchase within 30 days. If the sheet goes missing, the maker’s PDF printed in color and mailed in is accepted. Transport for warranty work, unauthorized repairs, abuse, normal wear, aftermarket changes and neglected maintenance are not covered.
Check tire pressure weekly and keep it at 30 psi. Recheck the lug nuts after the first 25 miles, again at 50 miles and now and then after that. Have the hubs, seals and bearings looked at every 12 months or 12,000 miles. Every six months clean the jack, oil the inner tube with SAE 30 and grease the gears under its cap. Pull the rubber plug on each E-Z Lube spindle and pump grease until fresh grease shows. Latch the coupler and fit a coupler lock before every trip, and swing the jack up horizontal before you pull away.
We get this question a lot and we will give you a straight answer. These trailers last a very long time because they are well built, so used ones do come up. Try Facebook Marketplace and eBay first, and search for both ScootaTrailer and Scoota Trailer. We do not sell used units ourselves.
Three things to check on a used one. First, the small model that the factory dropped years ago. Parts for it, including its ramp and the old weld on fenders, are no longer made, so pass on it. Second, the tires. Trailer tires age out before they wear out, so budget for a new set if they are more than a few years old. Third, the paperwork. Make sure the seller has the title or Certificate of Origin, because the DMV will want it. Once you own a current model we can quote any part for it against the VIN, which is on the plate at the driver side front, low on the outside of the body.
If price is the issue, a standard 4 by 8 ft steel utility trailer from Lowe’s usually sells for $1,000 to $1,500 and it will carry a scooter. It is also lighter and rated for more weight, because it is built for general cargo. What you give up is everything the ScootaTrailer was designed around.
| What matters when it is a scooter in the trailer | ScootaTrailer | Typical 4 by 8 utility trailer |
|---|---|---|
| Loading height | 9 in bed with a 36 in ramp, a shallow climb a scooter drives up on its own | A deck around 15 in high on comparable Carry-On models, with a short cargo gate |
| Ramp | Rubber coated for grip, gas shocks lift it | Bare steel mesh gate lifted by hand |
| Floor | Rubber coated, with a full bed liner as an option | Open steel mesh |
| Holding the scooter | Four rope pull tie downs and ten hook points built in | Buy and rig your own straps |
| Weather and theft | Lockable aluminum top with 52 in inside, fitted now or later | Open, covers and boxes are aftermarket |
| Ride | Torflex rubber torsion suspension and 8 ply radials rated 1,250 lb each | Tires rated around 990 lb each on the common 4 by 8 model |
| Spare tire | Included with its mount | Usually an extra |
| Moving it by hand | Swivel jack with a caster wheel, rolls into a garage | Varies by model |
| Paperwork | Certificate of Origin issued in your name, nothing else needed at the DMV | Normal retail title |
| Built for | Scooters and power chairs up to 600 lb, over 5,000 on US roads since 2003 | General cargo |
If your scooter is light, you are handy with straps and the trailer will live under a cover, the utility trailer is a fair choice and we will tell you so on the phone. If you load a heavy power chair several times a week, the low bed, the coated ramp and the built in tie downs are the difference between a job and a chore.
We have answered calls about this trailer for years, from fitting a dual seat scooter to the right socket for the lug nuts. After the sale we stay the first call. Tops, tailgate and top shocks, fenders, tie downs, hinges and lights are all available through us against your VIN, and we can tell you which shock is which, since the top and tailgate shocks are different parts at the same price. Call 1-888-233-5563 or email support@heavydutymobility.com.
The open ScootaTrailer is $4,444 collected from the factory in North Carolina, and the version with the aluminum top is $7,398. Shipping is added by region when you choose delivery on the product page. The rubber bed liner and the expedited build are separate options.
If your car can take a hitch, it can tow this trailer. It needs a 2 in ball set 17 to 19 in off the ground and a flat 4 pin connector. Check that your towing capacity covers the trailer plus your scooter, which is a little over 1,000 lb at the most.
Yes. Every trailer is built to take the top, and fitting it takes about 15 minutes. The top is quoted against your VIN and takes two to three weeks, and because it ships as freight on its own, ordering it with the trailer saves most of a second shipping charge.
Factory pickup in Lexington, North Carolina is fully assembled at no charge. A shipped trailer arrives boxed and needs the wheels, jack, tongue and ramp gate fitted with the hand tools listed above.
In most states yes. The trailer has a VIN and the factory issues a Certificate of Origin in your name, so you register it at your DMV like any other trailer. A few states require nothing for a trailer this size. Your DMV will tell you what applies.
The build takes approximately 4 weeks, then freight to your door. The expedited build option ships on the third business day after payment.
You can cancel for a full refund within 24 hours of ordering. After that the factory's cancellation charge and the card fees we cannot recover come off the refund, and we tell you the amount first. Once it has shipped it cannot be returned, since it is a titled vehicle built in your name. Problems with the trailer itself are covered by the one year warranty.
Facebook Marketplace and eBay are the best places to look, searching for ScootaTrailer and Scoota Trailer. Avoid the old small model, since parts for it are no longer made, check the age of the tires, and make sure the title paperwork comes with it.
A 13/16 in socket. Torque the nuts to 90 to 120 lb and recheck them after 25 and 50 miles.
No. The hubs arrive greased and ready to use. After that, pump grease into the E-Z Lube spindles until fresh grease shows and have the bearings checked every 12 months or 12,000 miles.
21-day in-facility trial · Refundable $250 deposit · You pay freight only
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