Electric vs. Engine Driven Roll Off Trailer

There are major differences between an Electric Driven and Engine Driven Roll Off Trailer.  When deciding on a trailer it’s important to think about the trailers function.  Electric driven are less expensive than their Engine driven counterpart.  However, Engine driven units are more powerful than Electric driven.

The electric roll off trailer uses a 12v volt hydraulic pump and drum winch system.  These trailers require a power source from your tow vehicle or need to have the batteries charged daily or weekly depending on use.  Electric trailers are typically used for medium to light duty applications.  An electric trailer a has a drum winch which has a cable wrap around a drum. Typically these winches have a lower load rating.

Engine driven trailers have an engine driven hydraulic and winch system.  These trailers are set up to run without added power from your tow vehicle. Make sure the engine runs occasionally for 15 minutes or longer to fully charge the battery. Running the trailer for 5 minutes or less may cause the battery not get fully charged. Typically the engine driven trailers are used for medium to heavier duty applications. However each trailer has its limits and users need to follow the max load rating for each trailer. Engine driven pulley(reeving) winch system uses a series of pulleys to gain a mechanical advantage and typically provides a higher load rating.

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