The Big Rentals Guide to Towing an Enclosed Trailer in and around Minneapolis, MN

For months a year, a Minneapolis road is snow, salt and slush, and it coats everything that rides through it. An enclosed trailer is the one kind that keeps all of that off your cargo, which is exactly why people rent them here. But the same tall box that protects the load is the trailer winter pushes around the most, and Minnesota's cold works on the trailer itself as hard as it works on the roads.

Haul furniture or gear on an open trailer through a Minnesota February and you deliver it crusted in salt. Tow a tall enclosed box without respecting the wind and ice and it pushes back. Go to unload and find the latches frozen shut. This guide covers the enclosed sizes that fit real Minneapolis loads, the Minnesota rules that apply the second you couple up, and the cold, wind and roads that make an enclosed trailer rental in Minneapolis its own particular job.

Why Minneapolis Renters Choose Enclosed Trailers

Moves and hauls don't stop for a Minnesota winter, and an enclosed trailer is how furniture, boxes, gear and equipment cross the metro in January without arriving soaked in salt and snowmelt. It's the default here for anything that can't take the weather. Read more about when an enclosed trailer is worth the extra cost over an open one.

The Twin Cities' music, theater and events scene moves instruments, staging and equipment that ride locked and dry, and the region's trades and manufacturing keep tools, equipment and materials moving in weather that ruins anything left exposed. Like the region's cars, a lot of that gear moves into and out of storage on the calendar, with the enclosed trailer doing the seasonal move.

Whatever you're carrying, you'll find trailer rentals across the Minneapolis area from local owners near you.

Minnesota Towing Laws Every Enclosed Trailer Renter Should Know

Brakes

Minnesota requires trailer brakes at 3,000 lb, or whenever the trailer's gross weight exceeds the empty weight of the tow vehicle, with an automatic breakaway, and combinations over 10,000 lb must stop within 50 ft from 20 mph (Minn. Stat. § 169.67). A loaded enclosed trailer clears that, and on salted, icy roads working brakes matter more than the month suggests, so confirm the trailer's brakes, the breakaway and your tow vehicle's brake controller. Check the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) before you book. Read more about what GVWR means and how to read it.

Securing the load you can't see

Minnesota requires the load fastened so nothing shifts (Minn. Stat. § 169.81). Inside a closed box that means strapping the load so it can't move against the doors or walls, with the heavy items low and forward. The walls hide everything, so what you can't see is exactly what shifts. Read more about how to secure furniture and appliances in an enclosed trailer.

Speed, the express lanes and frost laws

Minnesota sets no separate towing speed limit, so the posted limit applies. The I-394, I-35W and I-35E E-ZPass express lanes only allow two-axle vehicles under 26,000 lb during operating hours, so a truck towing a trailer — which adds axles — can't use them then, though the lanes open to all traffic off-peak. And from roughly early March to mid-May, spring frost laws post axle-weight limits on some roads; an enclosed rental is usually well under, but check posted local roads during the thaw.

Width and license

Width is capped at 8 ft 6 in, which a standard enclosed rental sits inside, and a standard Minnesota license covers a personal haul.

Matching an Enclosed Trailer to Your Vehicle and Load

Sizing

Common enclosed sizes run from 5x8 up to 8.5x24. A 5x8 to 6x12 handles small moves and gear; a 7x14 to 8.5x24 covers full moves and large equipment. Interior height is the dimension people forget until a tall item won't stand up, so measure the tall things. Read more about choosing the right enclosed trailer size for your load.

Hitch, brake controller and tracking

Match the trailer's coupler to your ball size, confirm the brake controller and set the trailer up balanced so a tall box tracks straight, which also keeps it steadier in winter wind.

Balance and the load you can't see

Aim for 10% to 15% of the load weight on the tongue. Because the walls hide the load, it's easy to stack the heavy items against the back doors and build a sway you won't feel until a gust or a patch of ice finds it, so load heavy items low and forward of the axles and strap them so nothing migrates. Read more about the common mistakes people make when renting an enclosed trailer.

Cold-weather pre-check

Before you leave, work the latches, check that the doors seal and test every light, because the cold and salt find the weak points fast.

The Deep Freeze, the Wind and the Roads

The box is protection and a sail

The enclosed trailer's whole value in winter is that it keeps salt, snow and slush off the cargo. The catch is that a tall, relatively light box is the trailer most affected by winter driving — it catches crosswinds on open freeway stretches and bridges, and a gust hits harder when the road is icy. Slow down and give yourself far more stopping room than the dry-road version of the same trip.

Cold works on the trailer

Minnesota's deep cold seizes latches, stiffens door seals and corrodes electrical connectors, and road salt speeds all of it. Before you leave, work the latches, confirm the doors seal, and test every light, because salt-corroded grounds are the usual reason a trailer's lights quit here. A door that won't latch or a light that died is a winter problem as much as the driving is.

Snow, salt and loading dry

Back up close to a dock or garage so you're not loading in the weather, clear snow off the ramp and threshold so it isn't tracked in and refrozen, and don't seal a wet load into a closed box, since trapped snowmelt is its own problem over a cold night.

Frost laws and the express lanes, briefly

Watch for posted spring axle limits on some local roads during the thaw, and remember a trailer can't use the E-ZPass express lanes during their operating hours, so plan the general lanes.

Insurance and Damage Protection

What about insurance and damage protection?

Before towing a rented trailer, contact your auto insurance provider to ask whether your policy covers liability and towing-related damage claims.

Eligible rentals booked through Big Rentals also include Basic Rental Protection at checkout. This added protection can help limit your financial responsibility for certain damage or theft events during the rental period.

For full details on how Basic Rental Protection works, including deductibles, exclusions, and renter responsibilities, review our FAQ and platform terms.

Ready To Book?

Get the size right, assume the trailer has brakes and confirm the controller, secure the hidden load, and respect the box in winter wind and ice. Do that and an enclosed trailer is the most reliable way to move anything across Minneapolis that can't take the salt and snow. When you're ready, browse enclosed trailer rentals in Minneapolis from local owners near you.

The Short Version

• Enclosed trailers are Minneapolis's default for cargo that can't take the weather — winter-proof moves, instruments and staging, and trade and manufacturing gear.
• A loaded enclosed trailer is over Minnesota's brake threshold, so assume brakes and a breakaway (Minn. Stat. § 169.67).
• Secure the hidden load so it can't shift against the doors — the walls hide exactly what moves (Minn. Stat. § 169.81).
• No separate towing speed limit, but a trailer can't use the I-394, I-35W or I-35E E-ZPass express lanes during operating hours, since they're limited to two-axle vehicles under 26,000 lb.
• The box protects the cargo but catches wind — a tall enclosed trailer is a handful on icy, windy roads, so slow down and leave extra stopping room.
• Deep cold and salt seize latches, stiffen seals and corrode connectors, so work the latches and test the lights before every winter trip, and watch spring frost laws on back roads.