Okay...car trailer recommendations please!

I certainly second the motion on 'Don't rule out an enclosed trailer'.

I've had both and the enclosed gets my vote every time. Almost like having another garage. More security. Use for storage, etc. etc.

They're out there for around $3K & up.

 

Look @ sure-trac.com . They build a really nice full deck car hauler for the money. Reno. M. Reno Trailer Sales & Service.

 

I bouht mine 4 yrs. ago for $ 2300. It is a PJ brand. It is a 20' with the angled tail two axle brakes , screwed down decking. It is rated at 5000lbs. To keep people from borrowing it I changed the hitch to a 2 5/16 ball. My brother did the same to his, that change severely limits who can borrow it.

Lee

 

I started out looking for a trailer in the $2500 to $3000 range. Looked at several as I am close to Elkhart. I ended up with an aluminum Continental Cargo 18' beaver tail, tamden axles and brakes on all 4 wheels. Weighs a little over 1100 pounds empty. I ended up buying it off of EBay from a dealer in MS and picked it up at the factory in Elkhart. $4000. A great trailer!!!

 

Damn that's a smokin' deal!

I've been looking into an aluminum trailer for a few years now and they are around $5500.00.

I figured if I was going to spend $5500.00 it wouldn't be on an open trailer.

 

These look to be a good bang for the buck. Almost every bracket racer in the east seems to have one.
The free 300 miles delivery may get close to Mi.


http://www.econotrailer.com/

 

I've seen "Econo Trailers" at Carlisle.

They are cheap but I wouldn't put anything of value on one.

 

The pictures and weight show it's a real lightweight duty trailer. I'm in agreement as far as trusting one for much. Looks like a case of getting what you pay for

 

I'm looking too. I'm thinking:

1. Tilt Bed (I have low cars).
2. Open Center (Might be handy for changing oil or working on car at track, etc.).
3. Under 10,001 GVWR to keep it DOT Non CDL legal.
4. Surge Brakes (That way I can tow it with anything and don't need a trailer brake controler).

 

1: Also consider the fender to deck height so you can open the doors, so you might need to raise the deck and use a dovetail [ I've built trailers with both dovetail and tilt ] Trailer buyers seem to be obssessed with low center of gravitys but don't consider that the trailer is 8' 6" wide

2: This is a myth!! try and squeeze under the tongue [ with a beer belly ] or come up from behind under the axles! The best method I've seen is long ramps and a pair of foldaway steel trestles [ but this method doesn't work with a dovetail ] once the car is on the trailer you lift the ramps up onto the trestles then back the car up. If you don't want long ramps make the trailer open center for at least the back 1/2

3: I agree , don't go too heavy 5500GVW will usually tow a 3500lb car behind a 1500 pickup [if it is balanced correctly ]

5: Seriously Reconsider This !!! , surge brakes are lethal if you need to brake mid corner because they try to Jack-knife the tow vehicle [ unless you have figured out a way to get other road users to drive considerately ]
Because surge brakes need forces to be transfered into the tow vehicle , they severely compromise the braking capabilities of both

You can wire a "Timed controller" to be Trailer Mounted.

All you need to do apart from the obvious which is to "mount the controller inside a plastic box", Is to "Tee" off 3 wires on the trailer harness
: The Stoplights [ usually Red ]
: The Electric Brakes [ usually Blue ]
: And the Ground [ usually White ]

On the Brake Controller you have 4 wires

: The Battery [ Black ]
: The Stoplights [ Red ]
: The Electric Brakes [ Blue ]
: And the Ground [ White ]

You need to splice the Black and Red together [ Battery and Stoplights ] and make it unpluggable or switchable if you also use an "In Cab" controller [ 2 controllers confuse each other ] and you need at least a 15A fuse in the tow vehicle stoplight circuit.

The reason you should use a "Timed Controller" instead of a "Proportional Controller" is because it doesn't need to be levelled whenever you use it [ it can be mounted at any angle ], and also because you lose access to the manual override button [ in-case you get "death wobbles" ]
With a a "Timed Controller" all you need to do is rest your foot on the brake pedal to activate the stoplights, the controller then "Ramps Up" and brakes the trailer only [ pulling it out of a "death wobble" ]

A "Timed Controller" is usually under $50-00 on Fleebay

I have used this method successfully on trailers, but the only downside now will be people without brake controllers can now "borrow" your trailer

 

I've had one of these for about 17 years: http://www.exploreus.com/trailershop/trackmastersportsman.htm

I like it a lot. The only complaint I have is the ramps are heavy and slide in from the side. My brother has a newer one, and his ramps slide in the back. MUCH easier on your back!

 

What photos? I looked at all your posts and they seem to have nothing at all to do with the topics they are on... I smell a spam bot.

 

Hey, Karlaa how about a intro with a little about your self, and where in Indiana are you.

 

we have a tommy boy, all aluminum

 

Surge brakes are junk! A friend found out the hard way, brakes locked going down a steep inclined road, trailer tires hit gravel and trailer with race car spun around. No other cars coming, but trailer went into opposing lane and bent truck bumper and frame, 1/4 panel, fender on race car and trailer tongue. Went out in first round too! Not a good day.

 

Ah! Good points! Good post!

Removable fender to open door?

 

A few must for me on a car trailer: 18 ft of deck minimum, steel deck, tilt w/dove tail, electric brakes and a 8000 lb winch for loading a dead horse. But everybody has their own likes/dislikes and opinions.

 

When my avitar was still racing I bought a 16 ft. car hauler so the wheelie bars wouldn't be hanging out the back. Everyone in the neighborhood found a need for it.
Now that the roadster is going to be a street legal car, I'm going to replace my trailer with a 12 ft. Four feet less bulk on the driveway, less weight for the Suburban to pull, and, I know, I could always say no, but maybe my neighbors won't find my new trailer as handy as the old one was. You have to live with your neighbors.

 

You do not need a CDL for a private car hauler over 10,001 gvw. You're misinformed of the law governing the weight.

A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) is a driver's license required in the United States to operate any type of vehicle which has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 lb (11,793 kg) or more for commercial use, or transports quantities of hazardous materials that require warning placards under Department of Transportation regulations, or that is designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver. This includes (but is not limited to) tow trucks, tractor trailers, and buses.[1]

As someone already stated surge brakes are not a good setup to use on a large trailer. As far as other people borrowing it, that never seems to be a good idea. Offer to haul for them rather than loaning your trailer. This is mine, it's 24' and I wish it was longer.

 

I bought my 18 ft from here http://www.retcotrailers.com/flatbed.html two years ago for 1500.00. That included 2 ft. beaver tail, 82 inch width, electric brakes and new tires, it tows great and even had a small tractor on it recently.

 

Seems to be a lot of threads on trailers. I can't afford to put money aside or borrow to buy one, so I built one for my needs. I still need to finish it though. I actually decided to build one because I got tired of borrowing other trailers all the time.

 

I have 2 trailers an enclosed 24' Halmark deluxe and a sure-trac 16' steel deck..I like both but use the open trailer more. With Sure-trac the big selling point of these trailers is they are factory powder coated so they are fully painted..What they dont tell you is they will start to rust within a year any way. I like the trailer but would not really consider the finish a reason to purchase one... This is my 4 th steel deck and seem no mater how much you pay the paint seems to be shit and they start to show rust in 1-2 years

 

My surge brakes work great, been all over Canada and the US with no problems at all with them, I think people have issues when they are inexperienced or have them set up or loaded wrong. There are also electrically actuated surge brakes now, I was looking at them last year, they still work like a normal surge but you can independently activate them if needed.

 

As long as you are comparing apples to apples with regard to length and deck construction ( say wood vs steel ) the weight is a good indicator of how much steel you are getting. Then compare the cost per pound.

 

I bought a 20 foot, enclosed trailer with a v-nose, bearvertail, independent torqsionbar, brakes on both axles and ramp door for $4,000.00. When not using it for towing. I use it as a back up garage for one of my cars. Makes it dual purpose.

 

Notice SAM123 pics of his homebuilt trailer..the fact the trailer fenders are low, or the frame is a few inches higher than most is a huge plus...I had to get into my neighbours car to get it off the trailer cause the door would not open enough for him to get in(large belly muscle) Those lowered fenders could save a lot of "loading rash"

 

Being unable to activate them independently has been my reason for advising against them. The new eclectricly ativated might work ok, but I still would prefer my electric
proably because that's what I've always had on my various trailers, car, horse, enclosed. I'd say I've pulled them at least 100,000 mi without problem

 

I have hammered on more than one project car that has that long gough about 3" up from the rockers (runni9ng from quarter to quarter) from people not paying attention when loading on a skinny trailer with tall fenders ... not to mention fighting getting the doors open when its loaded.

But about surge brakes, personally I dont like them ... backing up without blocking them out doesnt work and as far as I know they cant be adjusted from the cab for weight compensation

 

Phil, no doubt you got a good deal on that trailer ... and hell, with the money you saved you were able to go to Sears and buy a gasser! lol