Need Advice About Car Hauler Trailer

Bamabucket, I also have a T-Bucket and I haul mine on a open trailer. Wish I would have got a enclosed one, but I use my trailer about 3 or 4 times a month and a enclosed one would not work for me. All I can add is buy more then you need because some day you will need a bigger trailer. I got a trailer 3 times more then I need and glad I did.

 

I had the same issue but my trailer can do it all! the alum frame and cover unbolt and slide to make a flatbed or keeps everything dry with it on. I have ply wood side that I throw in and use heavy zip ties to hold to the frame when we have to make runs to the dump to take brush and tree limbs. It keeps the tarp safe. The tarp is pretty heavy duty. Its the same as the tarps on semi car haulers but better safe then sorry.

Check them out.


http://www.tommystrailers.com/new/1car/del_price.htm

 

A friend of mine owns a jimglo, excellent trailer, surpassed by none, but when you have 200k into a car what is 20k into the trailer. I think you will end up with a great trailer in Pace, and buy from the dealer, even if you pick up at the plant. You will have a repoir ? with him as far as future service and repair, and maybe get a deal on the weight distribution hitch and brake controller you will need if you don't have one. BTW a Tekonsha P3 controller is the best, I sell them everyday and use one.

 

I see what you mean about the Jimglo - I'm not sure my house is even worth 200K in today's market and I know for sure I'll never have a car worth that much. Even though the Pace is priced much higher that I originally planned to spend, it would fit my needs and most of the comments have been favorable about its quality.

I did discuss the weight distribution hitch and sway control with the local dealer when I got his quote. He was very informative and had a display showing how the hardware looked when installed. I didn't ask the price, but it might be worth it even if it is a little higher than an internet supplier because you can talk to a real person face-to-face and build the rapport that would help to resolve problems if they occurred.

I already ordered a Tekonsha Prodigy controller and received it yesterday. The P3 does look like a more sophisticated unit and I hope I didn't get an inferior controller just to save a few bucks. I have seen quite a few posts on other boards that are favorable to the Prodigy and some where guys have replaced their Prodigy with the P3.

 

I am so surprised ,I expexted several people with $20,000 trailers to post "you get what you pay for "

 

Most common size of trailer - 24x8.5. Pace trailers do hold their resale value well, but so do Haulmarks, H&H, and a bunch of others. If you look on Racingjunk you can find some decent used trailers for the $4K range. If I were going to buy one new, I'd buy an H&H. The Pace/Haulmark trailers are built with hat-section posts for their vertical members; H&H uses square tubing. A small difference, but I've pulled both and I've seen the difference. When you look at used trailers, look at the sides. Some of the cheaper ones will be all wavy after a year or two because the inner structures can't resist flex. H&H, in my experience, does not "wave."

If you get the 94-96" door, which is common on 8.5 wide trailers, your bucket should go in just fine.

 

Don't even think about pulling that trailer without the weight distribution hitch with that Avalanche. You'll get down the road, the trailer will sway, and you'll get the tail wagging the dog. Which won't last long, but you won't like the ending. Get the distribution hitch, and some auxiliary airbags for the rear of that Avalanche. And then be careful.

 

There is no shame in trailering a car to an event if the car doesn't have the capacity to haul the family and the goods needed for the trip or the driver/owner has some health or disability issues or actually if the owner just doesn't like long haul roadster riding.
The shame is in not admitting you trailer your car and/or parking the trailer at a rent lot 10-50 miles from the destination and riding into town like you drove the whole way from home. Them that do that are pitiful egomaniacs and poor excuses for hotrodders.

 

I will be getting the weight distribution hitch with sway control and air bags. I will be very careful, since this will be my first towing experience with a real load. I've towed the large tandem axle U-Haul trailers which is no comparison to a loaded car hauler.

I have a number for an H & H dealer and will check them to get specifications and prices. I'm still shopping and open to considering any quality trailer that meets my needs. I have checked RacingJunk but haven't seen anything yet that would fill the bill for me. I just got an email quote for a Pace from a dealer in Georgia that is $1,000 less than the one from the Alabama dealer. It almost seems too good to be true, but the specifications in both quotes are identical. I am waiting for a call from the Georgia sales representative to discuss his quote and make sure it si for the same trailer. I really like the Alabama guy but $1,000 is significant money for me.

I will have no shame in ever admitting that I trailered the car, regardless of where I take it. I understand what you are saying, and agree that it is shameful to pretend that you drove the car all the way to the event if you didn't. The trailer will be parked in plain sight at the Colorado event and I'll tell anyone who asks how I got the car there. It has been interested to me (as a rodding rookie as compared to many of you) how many comments in this thread have said the same thing about being up front about trailering your car.

 

the p3 works 100% exactly like the prodigy, just a different display, with the power at the same level they function identical. It is a newer model with an LCD display rather than a digital display. You will be fine. I doubt you will need the airbags, the weight distribution setup will help you avalanch just fine. If you set the hitch up and tow the car loaded and the avalanch is still squating then get the bags. I give you a 20% chance of needing them. The sway control and weight dist setup is imperetive thought. Most of those setups should run you about 400 installed and setup at your dealer. There is a brand called equlizer that are around $600. Keep posting it is a great thread, with good responses.

 

Good advice about the air bags. Most of the postings on the Avalanche club board say the same thing. It seems like the air bags are most effective when you have a heavy cargo load in the bed, rather than when towing. From what I have read, proper set up of the weight distribution hitch will level the tow vehicle and the bags are not needed. I'll get the trailer and hitch and try a few dry runs with the car loaded. I need to do this anyway because I am a towing rookie and would rather practice close to home instead of learning the hard way out on the road. I'll get out on the Interstate and also spend a lot of time practicing backing up. When I towed the large U-Haul trailers, I tried to avoid situations where I had to back the trailer. When I got home and had to back up, it wasn't pretty. I have found some internet posts that give advice about this, but the common theme is practice.

I am considering just using a regular hitch to tow the trailer home from Georgia and then get the weight distribution hitch either from a local source or on the internet. The empty trailer should weigh about 3,400 pounds - is it safe for a rookie to to try that?

I have read good reports about the Equilizer hitch. As I understand it, it provides sway control as well as weight distribution because the trunion bars rest in channels when they are in tension rather than being held up by chains. The hitches using chains are much cheaper, at about $275-300. Is this one of those situations where it is better to spend more for improved safety and ease of towing?

You are right, every time I think this thread has died there is another post with good info. Thanks again to all of you.

 

I'd give my remaining molars for a Pace 38 foot GN.
Go with your feeling. Get what you want. You can only do so many things in life and to compromise at this stage is folly. Changing wheels and tires is not a lot of fun when you get to meets. Already done that.

I'd get an inexpensive winch about a 3000 pound. You can get them with a cordless remote now too. It's just too difficult and dangerous to drive into a trailer. Make some dedicated tie downs. Hard to beat E track stuff.

A 'Bucket doesn't weigh much so even a 32 foot GN is not out of line for a light truck. I am extremely slanted toward duallys. You can put all your camping stuff in one and then some. A nice quiet Honda generator for the 12v and 120 flourescent lights. You can have as much fun playing with your new trailer as the 'Bucket.

I've got a restored Chaparral 32 foot GN for my 41 Willys. Nice combo. Nostalgic. Just the right size. 3000# winch, electric/hyd jack, tandem 10k gvw. Perfect.

 

If you go to Georgia either get the hitch before you leave or buy it from that dealer. I don't think it'd be a good idea to tow it without the WD hitch especially for a rookie. For practicing your backing technique go to a school parking lot on a weekend. Lots of room and no one around

 

Good advice about the hitch. I've found some good prices on Equl-I-Zer hitches on the internet - between $400-500. I'll check with the dealer and see what they would charge for the hitch and setup - it probably would be worth the extra for that. I'll be scouting for practice parking lots - there are several shopping centers near me that have gone belly-up and also schools.

I have already purchased a 3K wireless control winch. I got it on sale at Harbor Freight for about $70. I also got a small 800W generator there on sale for about $100. Just in case the cheap winch craps out, I thought I would bring a come-along. I would rather buy good quality American made stuff, but have to watch my budget and have never had a problem with the many tools I have bought at Harbor Freight. You are right about fun with new stuff - this project just keeps growing and I am looking forward playing with all the new toys. I would also like a big dually and would have kept the Ford if I didn't have a huge amount of trouble with it. I think the 20' trailer loaded with the T-bucket is about all I want to try to handle with the Avalanche.

 

You probably have a good combo. The Avalanche should be ok but I'd get a good equalizer hitch. I guess mpg won't be anything to write home about but hey it's for fun so you just have to live with it.

 

I think the combo is coming together pretty well now. The Avalanche is heavy and with 4:11 gears doesn't get great mileage without a load and I know it will be substantially lower pulling the loaded trailer - the aerodynamics of a barn pulling another barn. I like the Avalanche - it is a very comfortable and a great road vehicle. It will be worth the price for the fun and at least gas isn't $4.00 a gallon. When I get to Colorado, the real fun will be cruising through the beautiful areas around Colorado Springs with fellow bucketheads and run a large amount of high-test through the quadra-jet on the Caddy 500 in the 'bucket to rotate those big rear meats that I won't have to change to get in and out of the trailer.

 

two years ago we towed from Phoenix to the Hamb drags in Missouri then up to Milwaukee then back home when Diesel was around 4.98 a gallon, it was an expensive trip. 24 ft. interstate trailer.

 

I have a 36 foot Hillsboro 5th wheel all Aluminum trailer for the big shows where I take 2/3 chassis or a car and chassis. 5 years ago pulling that around got old so I invested in a 8.5 by 20 H&H car hauler. 5000lb axles, deck plate front and the E? Track full length on the floor for tie down. Also have track on the walls from the wheelwells back and forward on the walls for additional space to tie stuff up to the walls. It has served me well, but it's time to trade it and like Deuce Roadster I would like a V nose. I pull with either a 3/4 ton duramax or a 3/4 ton 8 liter suburbam and either will handle a trailer with no problems. I've pulled both trailers all over the US and both have performed well. H&H is a big item in this part of the country, partly because they are made in Iowa.

 

In my opinion if you need a Equalized Hitch you probably shouldn't be towing a trailer. Those hitches are hard on vehicles ,hard on trailers and only put a band aid on a poorly set up rig. just my opinion though.

 

This is a poor statement, it is not true. Bad advice. Tell me how you come up with this mode of thinking?

 

Good question. I'm in complete agreement with you. I wonder how he figures that?

 

Now I really am confused. I admit that my knowledge of towing is entirely based on reading many internet postings on the topic, but I have not seen anything that says weight distributing hitches are hard on trailers and towing vehicles. It has just been the opposite - everything I have seen (including a lot of shared experiences) says this type of hitch makes towing easier and safer and improves the towing setup by transferring some of the trailer weight forward past the ball hitch to the towing vehicle.

I am referring to weight distributing hitches in general, and the Equl-I-Zer brand specifically. Do you mean that any type of weight distributing hitch is bad, or just the Equl-I-Zer? There are several different types and I am leaning toward the Equl-I-Zer because it also incorporates sway control in its design. Have you had a bad experience from using that type of hitch?

You may not benefit from using a weight distributing hitch if you have a very heavy-duty tow vehicle, but I don't and need to be sure that I can tow safely with a vehicle that isn't designed for heavy towing.

 

I bought a 24' Wells Cargo and have done one coast-to-coast haul and several East Coast shorter hauls. Lots of good advice here.

Instead of a permanently installed winch, I had a hitch mount installed in the floor at the front of the trailer. That way I can use the same winch (on a removeable hitch mount) on the truck to get unstuck if necessary or in the trailer to pull a non-running car inside.

I also bought a small tounge weight scale so I know how much weight is on the tongue for sure. I use air springs when towing and a well-balanced trailer and I drive slowly (50-55) and have not had any problems so far. I tow with a 72 IH Travelall (3/4 ton model) so it's pretty heavy.

Biggest hassle for me is parking the trailer at home. I live close-in to a big city and have just enough space to park it in my yard, back next to the garage. Backing a loaded trailer up a hill while turning a corner from a narrow city street takes some practice. Wish I had more room sometimes.

 

I'm sure either the Pace or Haulmark would be fine trailers for your purpose but I think the Pace sounds like it would be the best for you. I have owned a Haulmark and think the Pace was a higher quality though. There is nothing wrong with using a weight distributing hitch but if you aren't carrying much weight and your truck is a 3/4 ton you could get by without it though.

I have a Featherlite all aluminum 24+ foot trailer with the V-nose and love it. It has served me well and I use it for winter trips to get my roadster to warmer weather or when I buy a car. It pulls very nicely and my gas mileage improved 2+ MPG with it instead of the flat fronted Haulmark I had before. The downside is they are expensive but they do retain their value quite well. I could probably sell it today for almost what I paid for it.
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banabucket, I've been towing trailers of different types, all bumper pulls, for over thirty years and have never heard such a thing as a WD hitch hurting the tow vehicle. With an Avalanche I wouldn't haul a 20'+ enclosed without one.

Vintagehotrods, I see you've been to Santa Rosa

 

BamaBucket, My name is Reno, I own M. Reno Trailer Sales and Service. You can call me anytime to discuss you towing needs. I'm not trying to sell you a trailer just giving you my 15 plus years experience. I would definately use a 1000lb. weight distribution hitch on an Avalanche. Somebody mentioned H&H Trailers, unless things changed, they are no longer in business. You can reach me @ 266-716-7366. Reno...

 

Sorry screwed up the number 866-716-7366.

 

Yep, and I met "BOZO" and his wife who own the Route 66 Museum there. They gave us a tour of everything and is a great guy. He even had his own privacy fenced-in 1 acre personal junk yard next to his house across the street from the museum!

http://www.route66automuseum.com/

 

Only downside of a weight dist setup is if improperly setup, if the bars are "overtightened" you can raise the car higher than it is in stock un hitched form, thus decreasing traction on you tow vehicle, this can be bad in some instances

 

Me confused... if the T is 86 wide and the trailer is 100 wide you have 7 inches each side... which is not much less than the front wheels have between the trailer inner fender wells. I agree with the one post that a remote control winch is the way to go. Each year I watch a fellow (at the N.Nats) put a 32 roadster with big wheels on the back in his trailer "each night". He just walks around, beer in one hand remote in the other checking out the clearance as it goes in and the slow speed keeps the nerves at ease...