VMI Offroad Explorer

The Heavy Lifter

Quality - 5/5 stars

I gave this offroad trailer a quality rating of 5 stars for good reason. Handmade to order in the USA, you don't see the typical quality issues you would with other mass-produced items. When searching for a trailer, it came down to VMI Offroad Explorer or Smittybilt Scout. After searching through other reviews of the Smittybilt Scout, I quickly realized the quality was just not there. Leaky watertight seals, paint that chips, and surface rust after that. If I was going all in on a trailer, I needed to know it wouldn't let me down in the long run.

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Usefulness - 5/5 stars

I long knew there would be a time when I would need to replace my truck with something new(er). With fuel economy regulations growing ever more restrictive, who knew whether I would be able to replace my truck with another truck. Certainly, if I had to downsize, I wouldn't be able to haul as much. So what do you do if you downsize your vehicle but can't downsize your gear? You get a gear hauling trailer and you can then downsize your vehicle without losing gear hauling capability!

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Cost - 4/5 stars

As expected, the cost was rather high. Given it is not mass-produced but rather handmade, I have a better tolerance of the high cost because of the higher quality. That said, the cost of the base model was rather appealing when compared to others in the same field. 

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Overall - 5/5 stars

I have had and been using this trailer since April 2019. In that time it has traveled a few thousand miles over the road with me. It pulls straight, brakes well, hauls as much as my truck(s), and does it all while looking great! My research did not steer me wrong and, if I ever had to, I would definitely purchase a trailer again though, I would hope this one lasts long enough to never have to need another ever again!