Renting a Trailer for a DIY Move: What Size Do You Actually Need?

Everybody underestimates how much stuff they own. It looks like a manageable amount right up until it's stacked in the middle of the living room, and then somehow the closet contents alone fill half the trailer.

That's the whole problem with sizing a trailer for a move. You're not really estimating furniture, you're estimating years of accumulation you've never seen in one pile before. Guess low and you're making another trip or leaving things behind on a day the lease is already up.

There's a more reliable way to size it, and for most moves it points at an enclosed trailer.

Why an Enclosed Trailer for a Move

Weather isn't negotiable

You don't get to pick the forecast on moving day, and the lease dates don't move if it rains. An open trailer loaded with mattresses, upholstered furniture and cardboard boxes in a downpour is a genuinely bad day, and cardboard gives up fast. Enclosed means you load regardless of what the sky's doing and everything arrives dry.

Your stuff isn't sitting in the open

Loading and unloading take longer than people plan for, and a loaded trailer often sits in a driveway or a parking lot for a while in between. An enclosed trailer closes and locks, so your belongings aren't on display to the street while you're carrying boxes up a flight of stairs.

It's easier to load

You get walls to stack against and a ramp or ramp door to wheel a dolly up. There's no tarping, no strapping every individual item against highway wind, and no watching your boxes in the mirror. Browse enclosed trailer rentals to see what's available near you.

The Two Questions That Decide the Size

Question 1: How many rooms of stuff do you have?

Not square footage. Rooms actually full of belongings, because a heavily furnished one-bedroom can hold more than a sparsely furnished two-bedroom.

As a rough map: a 5x8 handles a studio or a light one-bedroom load. A 6x12 is the common pick for one to two-bedroom apartment moves. A 7x14 or 7x16 handles a full household move, including two to three bedrooms with large appliances and oversized furniture.

Count the big awkward items separately, because they set the footprint more than boxes do. Mattresses, sofas, dressers, a fridge, a washer, a desk. Ten boxes fit anywhere. A sectional does not.

Question 2: How far is the round trip?

This is the question people skip, and it changes the answer. Since you're returning the trailer where you picked it up, a second load is on the table in a way it wouldn't be on a one-way haul.

If you're moving across town, a second trip might cost you an hour, so a smaller trailer plus one extra run is often cheaper and easier to tow. If the move is a couple of hours each way, a second trip is most of a day and another tank of fuel, so size for a single load and be done.

The honest asymmetry

Undersizing costs more than oversizing. A slightly bigger trailer is a modest price difference. A trailer that's too small costs you an entire extra round trip, or things left in the old place. When you're torn between two sizes and don't want a second run, take the bigger one. Read more about enclosed trailer sizes for exact dimensions, including interior height, which matters for tall items like a refrigerator or shelving.

When a Utility Trailer Is the Right Call

An enclosed trailer is the default for household goods, but it isn't the only answer. A utility trailer can be the better tool for part of a move when the conditions line up.

The conditions

Short distance, so the load's exposed for less time. A dry forecast you actually trust. Items that don't mind open air. And a willingness to tarp and strap the load properly rather than hoping it stays put.

What it's good for

Appliances, patio furniture, tools, gym equipment, lawn gear, bikes, planters and the general contents of a garage or shed. Bulky, awkward or dirty things you'd rather not stack against your mattress in the first place.

An open deck also loads from any side, and the ramp gate is easy for a dolly or an appliance, which can beat threading something heavy through a door. Browse utility trailer rentals if that's the half of the move you're dealing with.

What it's not good for

Mattresses, upholstered furniture, electronics, cardboard boxes and anything that suffers in the rain. Also not ideal for a long highway run, where wind and road grime work on an open load the entire way.

A useful way to split it: enclosed for the household, utility for the garage and patio.

Check the Tow Vehicle Before You Book a Size

The biggest trailer that fits your belongings is no help if your vehicle can't tow it loaded.

Confirm your vehicle's tow rating against the loaded weight, which is the trailer's own weight plus everything you put in it. A rough planning figure movers use is around 1,000 lbs per room, which adds up faster than people expect once appliances are involved.

Then check the connection details. The hitch ball has to match the trailer's coupler size, and the wiring plug has to match your vehicle or you'll need an adapter. Larger enclosed trailers may have brakes that require a brake controller in the tow vehicle. Sort all of this out before moving day, not in a parking lot with a truck full of boxes and a clock running.

Loading So It All Actually Fits

Heavy and big first

Load appliances and heavy furniture first and position them over the axles, which is what makes the trailer tow properly rather than sway. Build up in layers from there: heavy on the bottom, lighter boxes on top, soft items filling the gaps so nothing shifts on the drive.

Use the vertical space

Most people fill the floor, forget the height and then run out of room. Stack toward the ceiling wherever it's safe to, and stand mattresses and tabletops flat against the walls to free up floor space.

Secure and protect

Tie the load off at the trailer's anchor points so nothing slides, pad furniture corners, and keep anything fragile out of the spots where it'll get leaned on. Read more about how to load a trailer for weight distribution and securing.

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.

The Short Version

• Size by how many rooms of belongings you actually have, and count the big awkward items separately, since those set the footprint
• A 5x8 suits a studio, a 6x12 covers most one to two-bedroom apartment moves, and a 7x14 or 7x16 handles a full two to three-bedroom household
• Then ask how far the round trip is: across town, a second load is cheap, but a couple of hours each way means you want it all in one
• Undersizing costs more than oversizing, so when you're between two sizes, take the bigger one
• An enclosed trailer is the default for household goods: everything stays dry, it locks while you're carrying boxes, and it's easier to load
• A utility trailer is a good call for appliances, patio furniture, tools and yard gear on a short, dry run, as long as you tarp and strap properly
• Confirm your tow rating, ball size and wiring before moving day, not on moving day
• Load heavy items first and over the axles, then use the vertical space

Browse enclosed trailer rentals near you.