Transporting a golf cart sounds like a headache. They are heavy, delicate, and not designed to be easily transported.
In this article, you will find useful information about how to transport a golf cart without a hassle and all the safety precautions you have to keep in mind to avoid accidents and damage to your vehicle and golf cart in the process.
What is Overall the Best Way to Transport a Golf Cart?
Overall, the best and safest way to transport a golf cart is by using a small trailer. Small trailers are low, which makes the loading and unloading process easier. You don’t need a big vehicle with a huge engine and towing capacity to haul a golf cart in this way.
A proper trailer can cover long distances and give you the freedom to take your golf cart to any course you want whenever you want.
There are special trailers to transport golf carts and UTVs that come with a winch in order to make the loading process even easier.
These trailers come with many fixation points that allow you to hold your golf cart in its place.
If you are planning to transport your golf cart frequently you can buy a trailer (prices go from $800 to $2500 and up), or you can rent it for about $400, depending on the time and distance you are going to travel.
How Much Does It Cost to Transport a Golf Cart?
Transporting a golf cart costs about $100 to $300 for short distances and from $400 to $700-plus for long distances. These prices are based on what shipping companies charge for transporting golf carts and vary depending on several factors.
The pricing factors for golf cart transportation are typically:
- The golf cart’s weight and size.
- Distance from pick up to delivery.
- Season (weather conditions).
- Shipping company’s reputation, insurance, quality, etc.
- The type of transport used (enclosed or uncovered).
- The shipping method (regular, express, etc.).
If you choose to transport your golf cart yourself, the cost will be the extra fuel needed to haul it plus the initial cost of the elements needed to do the job (trailer, RV, a trailer hitch, ball, etc.).
How Do You Transport a Golf Cart on a Trailer?
The best way to transport a golf cart on a trailer is to strictly follow a 12 step guide that explains the whole process from the initial hook up, loading up, and finally securing the cart to the trailer itself to ensure maximum stability whilst on the road.
Below you will find how to transport a golf cart on a trailer step-by-step:
- Hook up the trailer to your vehicle. Lower the trailer until the ball receiver is seated over your vehicle’s hitch ball. Drop the latch down and secure it with a locking pin.
- Hook up your trailer’s safety chains to the bottom of your vehicle’s hitch.
- Connect the trailer’s wire harness to your vehicle’s electrical plug. Test the trailer’s lights before loading your golf cart.
- There are two types of trailers: The most common type uses two ramps to load the cart in. You just have to secure the ramps to the trailer and make sure they are aligned with the left and right wheels of your golf cart.
- The other type of trailer has a mechanism that allows it to be tilted for the bed to reach the floor. In this case, the whole trailer acts as a ramp.
- In both cases, the next step is to load your golf cart into the trailer. To do so, first, make sure that the trailer’s parking brakes are on.
- If your trailer doesn’t have parking brakes, lock the trailer’s wheels with wedges to prevent it from moving.
- After you are sure that the trailer is steady and secured, you can slowly drive your golf cart towards the trailer and load it.
- If your trailer comes with a winch, find a safe place to hook it up and tow the cart up.
- Make sure to fasten your golf cart using tie-down straps or ratchet straps to keep it in its place during the trip.
- Remove the ramps and secure them, or if you are using a tilting trailer, don’t forget to lift down the locking lever and put the safety pin back.
- Close the trailer’s tailgate, secure it properly and you are ready to go!
What Kind of Trailer Do I Need to Haul a Golf Cart?
A 2-wheel trailer is enough to haul a golf cart. The specs of the trailer are dependent on the size and weight of your golf cart. The average size of conventional utility trailers is 5 ft. x 10 ft.; enough to carry most golf cart models.
A golf cart’s weight goes from about 600 lbs. to 1600 lbs. and is determined by its characteristics, for example, if it’s gas-powered or electric, the passenger capacity, and the materials used for its construction.
Many trailer manufacturers build trailers in different standard sizes, and some build trailers made for a particular range of models. Some manufacturers also build custom-made trailers that suit their customers’ needs.
Apart from the bed’s cargo capacity, the trailer has to be fitted with ramps or a swinging tailgate capable of handling the golf cart’s weight.
The trailer’s wheelbase and wheel size have to be engineered to keep it steady and smooth in all conditions.
Other important features are safety chains and a proper lighting system.
Can a 5×8 Trailer Haul a Golf Cart?
A 5×8 trailer is good enough to haul many small to medium-sized golf cart models. Many users report that a 5×8 trailer is big enough to haul their carts, and even some golf equipment. However, before buying or renting a 5×8 trailer, you should check your golf cart’s dimensions to see if it fits.
The golf cart has to fit inside the cargo bed, without any parts protruding, which could be dangerous for other vehicles and drivers.
Another crucial thing to keep in mind is weight; if you checked that your golf cart will fit into a 5×8 trailer, the next thing you should do is check the trailer’s load capacity to make sure that it’s enough to haul your golf cart.
How Do You Strap Down a Golf Cart?
The best way to strap down a golf cart is to use the 4 strap method. This technique is described in 4 parts which include instructions on attaching to front axles, rear axles or towing hook, strapping to the trailer itself, and finally strap adjustment.
Follow the guide below to safely complete the 4 strap method.
- Attach two straps to the front left and front right axles of your golf cart, and attach the other end of the straps to the front left and front right corners of the trailer.
- Then attach two straps to the towing hook of your golf cart or, if your golf cart doesn’t have one, attach them to the center of the rear axle.
- Then attach each end of the straps to the rear left and rear right corner of the trailer.
- Then adjust all the straps tight and evenly.
This will be enough to keep your golf cart in place during the whole trip.
Golf carts, UTVs, and other small vehicles have to be strapped down in a way that prevents them from moving or rolling over the cargo bed.
Acceleration forces, road bumps, and other elements could make golf carts inside a trailer roll front or backward, or even make them slide sideways over the cargo bed.
This could be catastrophic.
The golf cart could fall off the trailer, or it could unbalance the trailer, making it dangerous to drive.
To avoid this, ratchets or tie-down straps must be used.
Will a Golf Cart Fit in a U-Haul Truck?
You can safely load up a golf cart in a standard U-Haul truck. You just have to make sure that the truck you are renting has a wide enough cargo door for your golf cart to fit. U-Haul trucks are low, and they come with ramps to make the loading process easier.
You should check that the ramps of the unit you are renting are strong enough to support your golf cart’s weight.
If you have any doubts regarding this, you can always ask their customer support for this information, or you can get some ramps or reinforcements to use the ramps that already come with the truck.
If you are planning to move and you want to take your golf cart with you, they have trucks big enough to carry your golf cart.
Another interesting product from U-Haul is their utility trailers.
They have a broad variety of trailers for rent, and some seem to have been specially made for golf carts.
How Do You Unload a Golf Cart from a Truck Bed?
To unload a golf cart from a truck bed you need two ramps strong enough to support the golf cart weight. The angle between the floor and the truck bed shouldn’t be bigger than 30 degrees.
If you can’t get long enough ramps, or the truck’s cargo bed is too short, you should have four ramps to make a 2-step path for the golf cart.
The first set of ramps goes from the truck bed from the floor, and the second set of ramps goes from some point of the first ramps to the floor, decreasing the final angle.
Once everything is held tight in place, drive slowly the golf cart in reverse with one foot in the brakes.
It’s best if you have someone to guide you while you maneuver and help you to keep the golf cart steady and on the ramps.
Loading Up and Hauling a Golf Cart, Safely and Easy!
Whether you need to transport your golf cart for a special occasion like moving, or you are planning to take it with you for your next golfing tour, with the right knowledge and tools, hauling your golf cart is not as hard as it seems.
Like playing golf, it gets better with practice. It’s your choice if you want to let other people transport your valuable golf cart by hiring a shipping company, or if you prefer to do it yourself – at least you now know how to transport a golf cart!
One sure thing is that if you plan to transport your golf cart frequently, having the right tools to do it yourself will give you a lot of freedom to do it anytime you want.