> Can a full sheet of plywood lay flat on the bed of a 4 x 8 trailer that has a tailgate?
Depends on the design. On my current trailer, the tailgate is entirely outside the measured length when folded. I suspect this is frequently the case. However, many 4x8 trailers cannot fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood if you add wooden sides that they are designed to take - because the wood goes on the INSIDE of the rails. DAMHIKT.
> Is it more useful to have rail sides, wood sides, or mesh sides? Have there been times where you wish your trailer had (or didn't have) a specific type of side?
I prefer my wood sides over all my previous trailers. They are essentially wooden deck boards running the length of the trailer, with spaces between them. This makes it easy to run ropes between them for tying down the load and tarps. It is also easy to drill in a mounting point exactly where I need it. The same can be done with mesh sides if you have the right kind of hardware that fits through the mesh just right. Or caribiners. I did that a lot on my previous trailer that had a mesh floor.
Note that if you have mesh floor/sides and want to haul dirt or sand, you can just put a tarp in it. It is a little extra work to secure it in place for loading, but otherwise works fine. Having mesh instead of a solid floor reduces rot and rust if it sits outside.
> Are the standard 4' wire mesh tailgates easily removable when I need to transport a 12' piece of wood? I can't think of any situations where I would need to roll something on to a trailer
I removed the drop-down ramp/gate on my current trailer by removing two bolts. Replaced it with a drop-in wood gate. That really helped the balance of the trailer, as well. I also don't have much use for a ramp...at least not the short ramp that I have.
I'm on my 3rd small trailer, my experience has been this:
1st was one of those 4x8 folding trailers that I bought used from a neighbor for $50. I used that trailer for many, many years and hauled a lot of stuff with it. The ability to fold it up to store in my garage was a big feature, back when I lived a neighborhood with small lots (IMO, even the nicest trailers are darn ugly when sitting in your driveway or yard). 900lb capacity was plenty for my home improvement and home landscaping work...though hauling gravel taxed it mightily. Moved a fair number of tools on that, as well. And a pool table. And it was full when we moved from Cleveland to Raleigh in '99. Many years later, the wooden floor and sides rotted away and I sold it for double what I paid for it
I have to say, that little trailer served me very well.
A few years back, I moved up to a 1500lb capacity tilt-bed 4x8 trailer. This one seemed to be designed for a landscaper to haul mowers. The sides were very low single metal bars. Without any wood on the insides, it would fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood. But the previous owner had added plywood sides to make it more useful. I really liked having the sides...but with the sides in place, it would not hold a 4x8 sheet of plywood flat. This made me sad. However, it had a steel mesh floor, which made me happy...but not happy enough.
Last year I sold that and moved up to a 2000lb cap 5x10 trailer. It has tall-ish sides (~24"?) with wooden slats, a drop-down tailgate and slide in front and back. The floor is also wood slats, several of which are rotted and I need to replace. I really would like to put in a steel mesh floor, but that is expensive. If I could find the mesh at a reasonable price (even used), I'd buy a used welder and do it myself.
Given the frequency that I've needed to move 4x8 sheets, I am glad to have the 5x10 trailer, now. If I had a mesh floor in my current trailer, it would be perfect. I've purchased every trailer used and sold every trailer for more that I paid for it. So I don't regret starting small and working my way up based on my needs at the time.
I see no need for brakes on a trailer this size, given my light-duty needs. I tow with a Wrangler. I pulled 3500lbs with it once (rated capacity is 2000)...I like to think brakes would have helped that day, but the short wheelbase of the Wrangler was the real problem. And a lack of horsepower. It was a one-time thing, though. Last fall I had it filled 2 1/2 feet deep with firewood, propane tanks and heavy cast-iron grills for a scouting campout. Don't know what that weighed, but pulling it was no problem.
You're welcome to borrow mine for a few weeks if you just want to try one out. It just sits there 99% of the time.
I see that I've written a small book on this...hope at least some part of it is helpful for you.
Chris